A Glimpse of Glory - Jan. 25th, 2026

Passage: Luke 9:28–36

Central Idea of the Text (CIT): Jesus was transfigured before three disciples, revealing His glory, confirming His cross, and previewing His kingdom.

Sermonic Proposition: When Christ’s glory grips us, we must hear Him, trust His cross, and follow Him through every valley.

Statement of Purpose: Consecrative. I want my hearers to give Jesus their full attention, wholehearted trust, and obedient followership.

Introduction

If you have ever stood on a ridge line in the mountains, you know what happens to your perspective. The climb takes effort. The air gets thinner. You feel the weight of every step. But then you reach a place where the trees open up, and you can see farther than you’ve been seeing. The valleys you came through look different from up there. The road ahead looks different too.

You cannot live on that ridge line. You’ll freeze if you try. You’ll run out of strength if you camp there. The mountain is not where you build your house. The mountain is where God sometimes gives you a view you needed, so you can walk the path He has set in front of you.

That is what happens in Luke 9:28–36.

In the verses just before this, Jesus said things that would shake a man to his core. He spoke plainly about His suffering and death (Luke 9:22). He called His followers to deny themselves, take up their cross daily, and follow Him (Luke 9:23). He warned them about gaining the world and losing your soul (Luke 9:25). Then He promised that some standing there would not taste death till they had seen the kingdom of God (Luke 9:27).

Now “about an eight days after these sayings,” Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up into a mountain. He takes them to pray. He takes them to steady their faith. He takes them to prepare them for the road to Jerusalem (Luke 9:28). The Father is going to speak. The Son is going to shine. The disciples are going to learn one simple command that settles a thousand questions: “This is my beloved Son: hear him” (Luke 9:35).

Let’s read our text.

(READ) Luke 9:28–36 (KJV)

Luke 9:28–36 KJV

And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

As we walk through these verses, keep one thought in mind: God gave them a glimpse of glory so they would not stumble at the cross. And God gives us a clear view of Christ in His Word so we can follow Him faithfully, even when the path drops into a hard valley.

I. We meet the Savior on the mountain of prayer (Luke 9:28–29)

A. The timing matters.

The Bible says, “And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings…” (v. 28). Luke ties this moment to what Jesus had just said. This is not a random miracle. This is God’s answer to the disciples’ confusion and fear.

Jesus had spoken of rejection, suffering, and death. The disciples were still trying to fit Jesus into their expectations. They were still imagining a kingdom without a cross. So the Lord gives them a view of His glory that will stay with them the rest of their lives.

B. The company matters.

Jesus “took Peter and John and James” (v. 28). These three will be present at some of the most intense moments of Christ’s earthly ministry. They will watch Him raise Jairus’ daughter. They will watch Him agonize in the garden. Here, they watch Him in glory.

There is a leadership lesson here. Christ prepares His people before He places weight on their shoulders. He strengthens before He stretches. He reveals Himself before He sends you back down the mountain to serve.

C. The purpose matters.

Luke says Jesus “went up into a mountain to pray” (v. 28). Don’t skip that. Jesus did not climb so the disciples could collect a religious thrill. He climbed to pray.

Luke often shows Jesus praying at major turning points. Prayer is not an accessory in Christ’s life. Prayer is communion with the Father. It is fellowship. It is dependence. It is worship.

And verse 29 says, “And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered…” The change happened “as he prayed.” Glory shines in the context of communion.

Now, we need to be careful here. We do not measure spirituality by mystical experiences. God has given us something steadier than a moment on a mountain: the written Word of God. Peter himself, who stood on this mountain, later said we have “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19). Yet it is still true that spiritual clarity often comes when God’s people draw near to Him in prayer.

Application

If you are spiritually dull, start with prayer.

Some of us are trying to fight temptation with willpower while neglecting the place where strength is renewed. Some of us are trying to endure sorrow with noise and distraction while neglecting the place where comfort is found. You don’t have to be loud to be close to God. You have to be near.

If you are leading others, you cannot lead them farther than you are going with the Lord.

Peter, James, and John will soon be asked to carry heavy burdens. Before that, Jesus takes them to pray. A man that will not pray is a man that will eventually run dry.

If you are lost, you can begin here.

Prayer is not a magic ritual. You are saved when you turn to Christ in repentant faith. But you can call on the Lord right where you are. The thief on the cross prayed a simple prayer: “Lord, remember me…” and Jesus saved him (Luke 23:42–43).

Transition

They climbed the mountain to pray. On that mountain, God did not merely give them words. God gave them a sight.

II. We behold the brightness of His glory and the certainty of His cross (Luke 9:29–31)

A. His glory was unveiled.

Verse 29 says, “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.”

The glory did not come from outside Him, like light shining on Him. The glory came from who He is. For a moment, the veil is pulled back. The disciples see what has always been true: Jesus is the eternal Son clothed in true humanity. God in flesh.

John later wrote, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us… and we beheld his glory” (John 1:14). On this mountain, Peter, James, and John beheld it with their own eyes.

B. The Law and the Prophets testified.

Verse 30: “And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias.”

God did not send Moses and Elijah because Jesus needed help. He sent them as witnesses. Moses represents the Law. Elijah represents the Prophets. And together they stand with Christ, showing that all the Old Testament points forward to Him.

If you want to preach Christ, you do not have to apologize for the Old Testament. The Bible is one story. One redemptive thread runs through it. Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus tells you that the Law and the Prophets were meant to lead us to Him.

C. The conversation centered on the cross.

Verse 31 is the heart of the scene: “Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.”

Let that sink in. In the brightest moment of visible glory, heaven talks about Calvary. The subject is “his decease… at Jerusalem.”

Luke uses a word that carries the idea of a departure—an “exodus.” The cross is pictured as a redemptive departure, a deliverance that Jesus would “accomplish” in Jerusalem. The wording stresses purpose. This is the saving work Jesus fulfills on schedule, by design, according to the plan of God.

Now think about the beauty of it. Moses once led Israel out of bondage under the blood of the Passover lamb. Elijah once stood against idolatry and called God’s people back to the Lord. Now both men speak with Jesus about the greater deliverance He will accomplish by His death and resurrection.

This is good news. Jesus did not come merely to impress you. He came to save you. He came to redeem you. He came to accomplish our deliverance.

Illustration

When Stephen stood before a hateful crowd in Acts 7, the Bible says he looked up and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. That sight strengthened him to suffer faithfully, even to pray for his murderers (Acts 7:55–60). A glimpse of Christ’s glory gave him courage in the hardest moment of his life.

God does that. He gives a sight of Christ that steadies the soul.

Application

If you are saved, learn to interpret the valley by the mountain.

Your suffering is not random. Your obedience is not wasted. Romans 8:18 says, “the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”

Some of you are carrying burdens that no one else sees. You feel the weight of responsibilities. You feel the sorrow of broken relationships. You feel the heaviness of sickness or grief. Keep your eyes on Christ. There is glory ahead.

If you are discouraged, remember that Jesus “accomplished” redemption.

He did not leave salvation half-done. When He cried, “It is finished” (John 19:30), heaven agreed.

If you are lost, your deliverance is in the cross.

The same Jesus who shone in glory went to Jerusalem in humility. He bore the nails. He bore the shame. He bore the wrath your sin deserved. He rose again. And He offers forgiveness and eternal life to all who will hear Him and believe.

Transition

The mountain shows us Christ’s glory. It also shows us our weakness. The disciples are about to teach us something about ourselves.

III. We must guard against sleepy souls and misguided worship (Luke 9:32–33)

A. We can be near holy things and still be dull.

Verse 32 says, “But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep…”

They were in the presence of the Son of God, and their eyes wanted to close. That is not just a detail about their physical state. It is a picture of how easily our flesh grows dull.

You can sit in church and drift. You can hold a Bible and never hear the Lord speaking. You can be around spiritual activity and still be half-asleep inside.

But I thank God for the next phrase: “and when they were awake, they saw his glory…” (v. 32). God did not cast them off for their weakness. He woke them. He opened their eyes. He let them see.

B. We can have sincere words and still miss the point.

Verse 33: “Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles… not knowing what he said.”

Peter is overwhelmed. He is speaking from zeal. But zeal without understanding can lead you into error.

Peter wanted to preserve the moment. He wanted to build something permanent on the mountain. He wanted to honor Jesus, Moses, and Elijah together.

But the moment was meant to strengthen him for obedience. And Jesus is not honored as one among equals. Moses and Elijah are glorious servants, but they are still servants. Jesus is the Son.

Application

Watch your spiritual alertness.

If your prayer life is drifting, don’t excuse it as “busy season.” If your Bible reading has become rare, don’t call that normal. If your attention in preaching and teaching has grown cold, don’t accept that as your new baseline. Ask God to wake you up.

Beware of building “tabernacles” to freeze a moment God meant to strengthen you for movement.

Sometimes God gives blessing, and we start chasing the same exact feeling again. We try to repeat a moment instead of obeying the Lord in the next assignment. God gives light so we can walk.

Keep Jesus in His rightful place.

It is possible to admire great men of God and lose sight of the greatness of the Son of God. God uses people, and we thank God for them. But our faith does not rest on a personality. Our faith rests on Christ.

Transition

Peter is still talking when heaven interrupts him. God will not let His Son be placed on the same shelf with anyone else.

IV. We must let the Father settle the matter: “Hear him” (Luke 9:34–36)

A. God’s presence overshadowed them.

Verse 34: “While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud.”

That cloud is not ordinary weather. In Scripture, the cloud often marks the manifest presence of God—His glory drawing near, yet veiled in mercy. The disciples feared because they understood that they were being brought close to the holy presence of the Lord.

There is something we have almost lost in our day: reverence. We can talk about God as though we are chatting about a neighbor. This scene reminds us that the living God is holy. His presence produces awe.

B. God’s voice identified Jesus.

Verse 35: “And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

The Father does two things in one sentence.

1. He declares Christ’s identity.

“This is my beloved Son.” That is not poetry. That is doctrine. Jesus is not one prophet among many. Jesus is the unique Son, loved by the Father, worthy of worship.

2. He commands our response.

“Hear him.” That is not a suggestion. That is a command.

It reaches back into the Old Testament. Moses said, “The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee… unto him ye shall hearken” (Deut. 18:15). Now the Father says, “Hear him.” The promised Prophet has come. The final Word has arrived. Give Him your ear. Give Him your obedience.

And notice the timing: this command comes right after Peter’s confused plan for three tabernacles. Heaven corrects him. Jesus stands above Moses and Elijah.

C. God left them with “Jesus… alone.”

Verse 36: “And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone.”

Moses is gone. Elijah is gone. The cloud lifts. And the disciples are left with Christ.

That is the point. When God speaks, He centers our faith on His Son. When the other voices fade, Jesus stands alone as the One you must hear, trust, and follow.

And the disciples “kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen” (v. 36). They did not walk away joking about it. They did not treat it as trivia. They carried it like a holy weight.

Later, Peter would testify, “We were eyewitnesses of his majesty” (2 Peter 1:16). But in that moment, the right response was reverent silence.

Illustration

In John 2, at the wedding in Cana, Mary said something simple to the servants: “Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it” (John 2:5). That is a good summary of “Hear him.” When Jesus speaks, obedience is the proper reply.

Application

Choose whose voice will govern your life.

You will hear many voices this week. Some will be loud. Some will flatter your flesh. Some will stir fear. Some will promise comfort at the cost of compromise. The Father’s command still stands: “Hear him.”

If you are a husband, hear Him about loving your wife as Christ loved the church. If you are a wife, hear Him about godly respect and faith. If you are raising children, hear Him about teaching them diligently in the way. If you are fighting sin, hear Him about confession and repentance. If you are carrying anxiety, hear Him about casting your care on Him. If you are called to witness, hear Him about going into all the world with the gospel.

Let Scripture be the steady place where you behold Christ.

We may never see what Peter, James, and John saw with their physical eyes. But every believer can behold the glory of Christ by faith as we look into the Word of God. “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17).

If you are not saved, hear Him today.

Jesus said, “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (John 5:24). He also said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28). The Father says, “Hear him.” What will you do with that?

Conclusion

On that mountain, Christ’s glory shone. The Law and the Prophets stood in agreement. The cross was set at the center of the conversation. The Father spoke from the cloud and gave a command that still governs the church: “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”

So here is the question for every heart.

Are you hearing Him?

Are you hearing the Son in such a way that it shapes what you believe, what you love, what you do, and where you go?

And are you trusting His cross?

That “decease” He would accomplish at Jerusalem is not a footnote. It stands at the center of God’s redemptive plan. It is the door of salvation. If you have never repented and believed the gospel, come to Christ today. Hear Him. Trust Him. Call on Him.

And if you are saved, take what the mountain teaches you and carry it into the valley. When discipleship costs you something, remember His glory. When obedience is hard, remember His voice. When you are tempted to drift, remember that the Father has already told you what to do.

“This is my beloved Son: hear him.”