The Majesty of Christ

Open your bible with me to Luke 9:37-45

You know there is a strong connection that might be easy to miss in this passage. There are two-fold. First is the comparison of two sons in view. There is the Son of God, who appeared in glory on the mountain. And the son of this man is in the valley. One surrounded in glory, the other in tragedy. One displays the majesty of God, the other the grip of demonic influence. One possessed by God, the other by Satan. One who is the destroyer of demons, the other is destroyed by them. Both are anticipating a return. One was delivered and handed back to his father. Another, after he was delivered over, suffered and died!

The other connection to this passage is that of glory. Namely, that the glory of God in Jesus Christ revealed on the mountain is the same glory and majesty now revealed in the valley. When Jesus is confronted by a man desperate to heal his demon-possessed son. The Jesus who shines before Peter, James, and John is the same Jesus who kneels before a desperate father and frees his son from evil. His majesty is not diminished by our weakness—rather, it is displayed through it.

All of it, building towards the invitation of faith in Christ. And to bring our desperate need to him in Faith.

How do you live in moments of weakness? That is not the posture we typically want to portray. WE desire, instead, to portray human strength, ability, wisdom, knowledge, and discernment. We tend to hide weaknesses, explain them away. Keep them hidden. Further, they reveal a deficiency within us. Yet, in reality, for the believer in Christ, our weaknesses are intended to display Christ’s strength and glory.

This is what Paul means in 2 Cor 12:9-10

2 Corinthians 12:9–10 ESV

9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

That’s for Paul, and that’s true in this passage as well….and it’s true for your life.

Sermon Summary:  Christ’s Glory is Revealed in Our Weakness.

Luke 9:37–45 ESV

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him. 38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.” 41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.” 42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

This is God’s word. Let’s pray

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I. We must exercise faith in desperate moments (v.37–40)

Luke begins by placing this sequence intentionally close to the Transfiguration. And there is language here to suggest that the Transfiguration happened at night.

Luke picks up in this way.

Luke 9:37 ESV

37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great crowd met him.

Now, Matthew tells us that as they were coming down the mountain, they kept asking Jesus why Elijah must come. What does the kingdom coming look like?  So, as Peter, James, and John come down off the mountain with Jesus. Mark indicates that the scribes and the Pharisees are arguing with the disciples. Now, we don’t know what they are arguing about, and it could be a debate about this man’s son and casting out.

Luke 9:38–40 ESV

38 And behold, a man from the crowd cried out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 39 And behold, a spirit seizes him, and he suddenly cries out. It convulses him so that he foams at the mouth, and shatters him, and will hardly leave him. 40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”

Now, if you recall the opening of Luke 9 – Jesus sent out the 12, with power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases. The very purpose for which they were sent out was to proclaim the kingdom and to heal.

And here is a desperate scene. Here is a scene where a father finds himself at the end of his rope. As Jesus comes off the mountain, a crowd approaches. As often happens, someone from among the crowd came to Jesus with a new. And this man cries out!! His problem involves his son, Luke, who highlights even more – HIS ONLY SON. Now Matthew gives some sort of a medical explanation. That he was having seizures, this is what might be commonly called epilepsy. So it’s interesting that Luke, a medical doctor, doesn’t attribute the cause primarily to a medical problem but to a spiritual one.

Notice how Luke frames this: A Spirit seizes him. It convulses him, that he foams at the mouth, it shatters him, and will hardly leave him. The boy cries out, but has no relief. This father has watched this happen for years, with no help. With no aid...And now, he’s gone to Jesus’ disciples for help, but they cannot remedy the situation.

So it’s not only the disciples in need of help, but primarily this father, and moreover, his son. And this man comes to Jesus, and begs for mercy, for grace, and for relief for his child. Parents, you know this to be true when your children are sick, you’d do anything to help them. Put their sickness on me, I’d rather suffer than them. This father had watched and looked upon his son in the grips of turmoil. And he comes to Jesus, and begs Him….Jesus, you look at HIM! Please, just look. There was quite the scene to behold when you put the synoptics together.

He would convulse terribly. He would foam at the mouth. He would seize. Matthew tells us that he would be thrown into the open fires and into various pools or wells common in Israel. Mark tells us that the demon had made him both mute and deaf.

This is a desperate scene!

This man appeals to Christ for mercy. Look upon Him with pity and compassion. He’s my only child. Can you help him!! I beg you now, as I beg your disciples, but they could not cast it out. 

How do you respond to disappointments? When things don’t go the way you desire. Worse, you experience the very real sense of chaos, pain, and desperation. That’s often how we go in faith, after everything else has been exhausted. Then we come to Jesus for help. And that’s certainly what we see from the disciples. Matthew tells us it was due to a lack of faith. Mark indicates it was a lack of prayer. Luke tells us it was bigger than that, a generation of people without faith. Attempting to do the work of God without the strength and power of God. Realizing our inability to do anything without God’s help!

I think we’ve all been there, but it’s hard to correct the order. To come to Christ first, without all options being used first. Then coming to Jesus, but to instead come to him first in faith. But the reality here is that in our moments of desperation. When we don’t have the strength. We don’t have the answers. When we don’t have the ability, we must exercise faith in our desperate moments.

God has a purpose in it all. And here, we see that in the same way, the man born blind was for the glory of God. We see that this, too, was working for the revealing of the majesty of God in Christ. This is cultivating towards the GLORY OF JESUS!! God uses desperate moments to magnify the power of CHRIST. That’s true here, and that’s true in your life as well. When we are slow to believe, slow to trust, and insistent that we can endure and bear on our own.

And so when we find ourselves standing in those same desperate moments—where nothing seems to work, where our strength is gone, where our prayers feel small and our faith feels thin—we are reminded that Christ is not our last option but our only hope. The failures of the disciples in this passage aren’t here to shame us, but to show us that the power we need is never found in ourselves. Itis found in the One who walks down the mountain of glory and steps willingly into our chaos. Desperation isn’t the end of faith—it is often the birthplace of it. And in those moments, when all we can do is bring our weakness to Jesus, we discover again that He is more than able, and that even our smallest cry—“Lord, look upon my need”—becomes an occasion for His glory to be revealed in us.

--------------------------------------------------- We must exercise faith in desperate moments

II. We must trust Jesus as our only help (v.41–43a)

All of this begins to build upon one another. So, some of my points will sort of run together.

Luke 9:41 ESV

41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

40 And I begged your disciples to cast it out, but they could not.”  41 Jesus answered, “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”

The disciples did not fail because they lacked power. They didn’t fail because they lacked authority. They did not fail because of a lack of effort, but instead a lack of faith. It was a lack of trusting in God to do what only he could do.

The question logically becomes – Who was Jesus pointing to when he said this? Did he mean it towards the man who brought the boy? Does He mean to rebuke His disciples? Others. And the definitive answer is difficult to know with certainty. Yet, I would point you to one person willing to exercise faith, is this father. He was the only one willing to come to Jesus for help, even in his desperation. And so I would argue here that this rebuke is aimed towards the disciples and the faithless people of the cold religion of the Jewish people. Jesus’ rebuke is intentionally sweeping—it mirrors the prophetic language used to condemn Israel's unbelief throughout Scripture. It lands on the crowd, the religious leaders, and yes, even His disciples.

These words echoed Moses' words in Deut 32:5, 20, speaking of Israel’s stubborn, hard hearts of unbelief in the wilderness. They are said to be a crooked and twisted and perverse generation. This is what we have seen in the Gospel of Luke thus far: the very ones who should have been expecting the Messiah to come were the ones who rejected Christ when He came. As John writes, he came to his own people, and His own people did not receive him. He wasn’t welcomed even by His own people. But would be rejected!

It was the Pharisee whom Jesus calls a brood of vipers (Matt 12:23). The scribes and the Pharisees, who he calls an evil and adulterous people (Matt 12:39), and includes the Sadducees in Matt 16:4. He confronts the crowd in Luke 11 as an evil generation. And those who reject His words as a sinful and adulterous people (Mark 8:38).

To take it one step further, it was given to those who knew God but rejected the Lord’s work through His Messiah, Jesus. That includes the people of Israel, who have become twisted, perverted, and faithless, and who would ultimately reject Christ as the Messiah, and further put Him to death!

Moreover, this rebuke also lands contextually on His disciples. We are told again, Matthew 17:20, that the disciples were lacking in faith. Further, we are told the reason they could not cast out this demon is because of their lack of prayer (Mark 9:29). Rest assured, there is a real temptation to take on the task of ministry separate from the empowering for ministry by the Spirit of God. There is a tendency to mistake calling for competence, Knowledge for true wisdom, and skill for the Spirit’s filling. And here are men who had been called by God, sent by God, and yet guilty of detaching their work in ministry from their only source of strength in ministry. They were willing to go in their own power, but lacking in trust in Jesus for help!

So I think it’s both, a general rebuke for Israel, and a contextual rebuke for the disciples. And so why is Jesus upset? Jesus isn’t angry. He isn’t producing the anger of man, but the disappointment of faithless people, who, despite having plenty of evidence to trust, do not entrust themselves fully to Jesus. Jesus’ frustration is not sinful irritation, but the righteous grief that comes from divine compassion confronted with human unbelief. But I believe we sense His frustration. And He speaks to this father, but his reply isn’t so much aimed at him, so what is happening here?

I think Jesus is frustrated because they cannot come to grips with the true glory of who Jesus is. He’s just come down off the mountain of transfiguration. He’s been demonstrating His power and authority, revealing that He is the Son of God, and the people can’t get it. They refuse to receive that. And now, at the height of that glory being revealed, there is a people who are faithless and twisting that truth.  Jesus is also frustrated because there is a child in need. He sees this need. He sees the man with a son who is broken, under demonic oppression, and His disciples are unable to help him, because they too are lacking in faith. He’s frustrated because in his flesh, Jesus is reminded of life in a broken world. Where sin and evil exist, and where hearts are slow to believe. And lastly, Jesus’ frustration is intended to be a warning to His disciples. To not attempt the work of ministry without the need for dependence on the Lord. Don’t attempt to replace God’s glory with your own glory because all of this is intended for the majesty of God!

I think the one excused is the boy's father in this text. Who we are told says in Mark 9:24 – I BELIEVE, but help my unbelief! a picture of humble, dependent faith…..JESUS SAYS - BRING YOUR SON to ME…This means that Jesus is inclined to help! Jesus is going to do something. He came, he looked on the boy, and was moved to help him! Now Jesus is going to do what the doctors and His disciples could not!! He’s going to respond to the faith of the father, which the disciples forgot! And the fruit of that faith is demonstrated in what follows.

Luke 9:42–43 ESV

42 While he was coming, the demon threw him to the ground and convulsed him. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit and healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples,

Here, the demon takes one final crack at this boy. While he was coming, he is slammed to the ground, convulsed. In turn, Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit, heals the boy, and gives him back to his father. All of this sets up a contrast in this text. The disciples’ failure sets the stage for Jesus’ sufficiency. Where human effort, experience, and authority fail, Christ never fails. The disciples had position, knowledge, experience, and authority, but lacked dependence on God. The father had nothing but desperation—and that desperation drove him to Jesus. The disciples had authority without reliance; the father had weakness with trust. Only one is commended. People often try everything except coming to Jesus. The father tried everything else; the disciples tried in their own strength. Yet, Jesus is the only one powerful enough to free the boy—and the only one merciful enough to give him back to his father.

And the shift of attention moves away from this boy who had been healed. It moves away from the disciples who were unsuccessful and away from the controversy of the Pharisees. And the crowd, note the word, ALL, astonished at the majesty of God.

They were AMAZED – At the Grandeur of God in Jesus Christ. Now, it’s interesting that the word used here for MAJESTY – it means Splendor, royal power, might, and akin to GLORY….this is the glory and majesty of Christ.

Jude 24–25 ESV

24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

This is the same word that Peter uses to describe the Transfiguration in 2 Peter 1:16

2 Peter 1:16 ESV

16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

The glory that was revealed in Christ on the Mountain has now been displayed in this miracle in the valley, for all the people to behold. Displaying the majesty, the grandeur, the power, and the glory of God. That He is God! He is the Messiah! He is the help and hope of a people in bondage to sin and death. And it is in Christ that we must turn and trust in our need!! 

We often attempt life or ministry in our own strength—leaning on skill, knowledge, experience, and effort—yet failing to depend on Christ. But desperation is not a disqualification for faith; it is often the doorway to true dependence. Our greatest obstacle is rarely our weakness, but our self-reliance. And God intends that all of this drive us not to our own ability, but to His glory—so that we, like the crowd, might be astonished at the majesty of God in Christ.

The glory revealed on the mountain is the same glory working in the valley. Jesus is just as glorious in His compassion as He is in His transfiguration. Where we fail in our strength, Jesus succeeds in His. Where we are faithless, He remains faithful. And when we finally bring our need to Him, His majesty is revealed—not only on mountains, but in the messy valleys of human life.

--------------------------------------------------- We Must Trust Jesus as Our Only Help

III. We must grasp God’s truth to endure trials (v.43b–45)

We’ve seen this shift away from the peripheral towards the primary focus of God’s glory in Christ. Now, we see that shift in a different way. From glory to the reality of the death of Christ.

Luke 9:43–44 ESV

43 And all were astonished at the majesty of God. But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”

Here they are all marveling. – That word there means to be filled with astonishment at something beyond human explanation. And the tense is while they were astonished, they were gripped with amazement, at everything Jesus is doing. That is His Healing. His teaching. His glory on the mount. All of Jesus' ministry, they are AMAZED at Jesus!

And Jesus mentioned again of his coming death. This is the 2nd passion prediction now in Luke 9. And he says to His disciples, "I want you to listen to me!!" Let these words sink into your ear. That’s a term for "listen up" and "listen good"… Pay Attention!!  Don’t forget this! Here is a command from JESUS. Let it lie deep in your ears and in your remembrance. 

Notice the play on words – the SON of Man is about to be delivered into the HANDS of men! In the first prediction, Jesus alludes to his suffering at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and the scribes. Now it is apparent that more will be involved. Here again is the mystery of God’s plan in the gospel. That He would be delivered over by one of His own, Judas. But also, he would be delivered over to the hands of the Jewish people, as Peter makes clear in Acts 3:13. Yet, we know from the rest of scripture this was God’s will to crush him to put Him to grief. This was no accident or a plan hijacked by the schemes of man. Rather, it was the unfolding of God’s purposes of redemption to save Sinful humanity.

These things were going to happen. And it wouldn’t be long now until that divine plan was set into motion! As Jesus is soon to set his face toward Jerusalem. And though Jesus speaks plain as day. Notice the response. It falls on deaf ears.

Luke 9:45 ESV

45 But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.

You know, here is a mystery. That Jesus would command them to listen! LET THESE WORDS SINK INTO YOUR EARS….and yet, these men were kept from understanding these things. Notice the quadruple negative ( they did not understand) (it was concealed from them, so that they did not perceive, and they did not ask him anything (because they were afraid).

This is crystal clear. They were not to grasp this. It’s not that they couldn’t understand. They did not understand because it was concealed from them!! ….They did not understand. That means to remain ignorant!  It was concealed. This means that it was hidden. To be hidden by God or some spiritual force preventing them from understanding. AND it is with purpose – THAT THEY MIGHT NOT PERCEIVE! And they were marked by fear to ask Him.

Which clues us in that the disciples had a small glimmer or insight. They knew that following Jesus wouldn’t only cost Jesus, but would cost them as well. That whatever was waiting for Jesus in Jerusalem awaited His disciples eventually as well.  This concealment was not punishment—it was timing. God would open their eyes fully after the resurrection, when the cross could finally be understood for what it was. 

And they couldn’t grasp this….It was kept from them! That’s an interesting tension, isn’t it? Namely, who the disciples needed to cast out this demon was Christ. Is the same Christ who is needed by this demon-possessed boy, and is the same required dependence by the disciples now to understand these truths.  The disciples needed his help spiritually to cast out the demon. The father needed help physically to save his son. And now the disciples need help intellectually to understand these things. That we never outgrow our need for divine strength and for faith! And that even the faith we need is dependent upon Him. Let these words sink in; they were dependent on the Lord’s enabling to grasp these very truths.

You know, I don’t think we truly understand our need for God. We always want to pick the mantle of responsibility, and in some way, that is good and right, but ultimately, there is a very real dependence on Christ, through this text, isn’t there? And a very real weakness within us is consistent within this passage. And a very real glory owed to Christ in all things. From the healing of the child, to the empowering of the disciples, to the revealing of truth to them.

The grasping is not ultimately a matter of human brilliance—it is grace-enabled understanding. Faith is gifted. Illumination is gifted. Perseverance is gifted. And think about the descent we have just witnessed. That on the mountain is this glorious display of Christ. We want to leave this. Let’s build tents! Now, in the valley, we saw His power over darkness while beholding the majesty of God. And now in the shadow of the cross, in the prediction of His death, we see our need for His grace simply to understand where this story is going.

That the cross is in view, but the disciple can’t see it, without the grace of God to open their eyes. And how often do we keep the cross at a distance and a far reality from our daily lives? That is to say that the reality of Christ’s cross is a reality to follow him in obedience. It is not just some past event but a daily call to DENY SELF, and TAKE UP OUR CROSS, and FOLLOW HIM!! … A cross-shaped Savior demands a cross-shaped discipleship. And the same grace needed to understand His cross is the grace needed to carry ours.

 And here in the valley and the center of glory. Jesus essentially reminds his disciples that I don’t want you to forget the height of that glory is when the SON OF MAN lays His life down for sinners!! That is where all this is headed! And when you follow me, this is your call into discipleship as well.

and when that road is difficult and hard….THAT THESE WORDS would sink into our ears, not by human effort, but by divine grace!  That in our weakness…we always live for His glory!!

Sermon Summary:  Christ’s Glory is Revealed in our Weakness

And while that’s the way I typically end my sermons. I want to add, if you will, an epilogue of sorts. You know, as I preach, I try to frame the text in a single proposition – sermon in a sentence, and I try to work towards the end of making my points geared towards application, and weave that into the sermon. Finally, in every sermon, I aim to preach towards Christ. Not in a way that flattens every text to four spiritual laws and a prayer, but preach with the cross and the gospel of Christ always in view. Some texts bring us really close to that reality, and others keep the cross in view, from a distance and in anticipation. So as I come to a close, I want to swing what preachers like myself may call a Christ conclusion. So rather than trying to show the gospel in each point, I decided it might be best to save it here. Because you could look at a text like this and think, man, Luke seems to be jumping around. We go from the mountain to the glory of Christ at the transfiguration, to the healing of this boy and the inability of the disciples, to another passion prediction. I mean, what is going on? And I would submit to you that something very intentional is happening through the pen of Luke. The miracle is a sign. The disciples' inability is a warning. The passion prediction is the point. The glory of Christ finds its fullest expression not on the mount of transfiguration, but on the hill of Calvary. Luke clearly wants us to see the glory of CHRIST. The MAJESTY of GOD in Christ. The grand splendor of God is demonstrated for all to see. And it is best displayed in the gospel of His Son! Not merely in creation but in the new creation. Not merely in the healing ministry of Jesus, but in the redemption that He brings. Not merely in the transfiguration, but in His death, burial, and resurrection. That is where you see the glory of Christ, the majesty of Christ, best, in His gospel.   And so what’s your point? My point is that the gospel comes to bear clearly in all of these pivots and turns here. That when the disciples are sent with power to heal and proclaim the gospel, they are confronted with the reality of a spiritual oppression they are unable to overcome. And they are unable and too weak to bring about the deliverance needed. It’s not just that they couldn’t perform the task, but the salvation required for true redemption could only be accomplished in Christ. There is a form of oppression, a form of darkness, a form of bondage too powerful to be overcome in the flesh. And in our weakness, we are unable to bring salvation. It is a glimpse and reminder in the shadow of the coming cross, the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of man. Romans 5:6-8

Romans 5:6–8 ESV

6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

And in the same way – think about how it is that Jesus heals this young boy. He rebukes the unclean spirit, He heals the boy, and gave him back to His father. That’s no accident by Luke! THEY MARVEL AT THIS….and AS THEY MARVEL!! JESUS SAYS THESE WORDS – THE SON OF MAN IS ABOUT TO BE DELIVERED INTO THE HANDS OF MEN!!....BELOVED, what Jesus does for us in the gospel is this – He doesn’t just save us. He’s freed us from spiritual oppression and bondage! He rebuked sin’s grip. He conquered Satan’s power and destroyed the work of the DEVIL. And He healed us. AMEN? He cleansed us. He forgave us! He SAVED US!!....and He restores us to the Father!  This is the gospel of our redemption! When we were helpless, unable to save ourselves. Our only hope was what – TO COME UNTO CHRIST!! AND BE AMAZED at the MAJESTY – the righteous, kingly rule of GOD!!

And when we couldn’t understand, because our sin blinded us. It was the Spirit of God who opened our eyes to see the beauty of the cross of Jesus. To bring to our remembrance and the GLORY of the TRUTH TO SINK into our EARS – That CHRIST has given His life to save.

See what Luke is doing is dialing in our attention to the climax of God’s Glory. At every turn, we see human weakness against the backdrop and display of the glory of God, seen most clearly in the Cross of Christ, where the majesty of God is on full display!  

So church—come to Him. Come in your weakness, your confusion, your spiritual inability. Come to the One who alone delivers, restores, and saves. Behold the majesty of Christ—not only shining on the mountain, but bleeding on the cross. And marvel.

Sermon Summary:  Christ’s Glory is Revealed in Our Weakness.