The Transfiguration

The Transfiguration 

A Sermon on Luke 9:28-36

Theme: Jesus shows us his glory so we can trust his voice as he leads us through the valley.

ME: Mountain-tops and valleys

Hiking in the mountains is never flat. Every trail involves some combination of climbing and descending—mountain-tops and valleys. You reach a summit, take in the view, catch your breath. But you can't stay there. The trail leads back down.

WE: The valleys we walk through

Our lives work the same way. We have moments of clarity, moments where God feels close, where faith feels strong. And then we descend back into ordinary life—into difficulty, confusion, suffering. We have our joys and our sorrows. Our ups and downs.

We want to stay on the mountain-top. We want the clarity, the closeness, the glory. Those weekend retreats, or concerts, conversations around a campfire or coffee that light the fire of Christ in you. 

But that's not how life works, and if we're honest, that's not how following Jesus works either.

We struggle to see and understand who Jesus really is and what following him requires of us. We want a savior on our own terms: one who keeps us on the summit and spares us the valley.

GOD: The Transfiguration

Our text this morning comes at a turning point in Jesus' ministry. It's going to be a difficult road ahead. Jesus has just told his disciples about his coming suffering and death. And Just after this passage, he sets his face toward Jerusalem. Luke places this story here in the middle of these two to show us who Jesus is before he walks into the valley of the cross.

Jesus goes up the mountain to pray (v. 28)

About eight days after Peter's confession, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain to pray. 

What happens next is for Jesus himself—and for the disciples who would need to remember it later.

Jesus is transfigured (v. 29)

While Jesus is praying, his appearance changes. 

His face, his clothes become dazzling white. 

This is a glimpse behind the veil. A revelation of who Jesus truly is.

Moses and Elijah appear (vv. 30-31)

Moses and Elijah appear in glory, speaking with Jesus. 

Why these two? According to Jewish tradition, both were expected to return before the coming of the kingdom. Moses was buried by God himself; Elijah never died but was taken up. 

They represent the Law and the Prophets, and both point to Jesus.

What do they talk about? Luke tells us they spoke of Jesus' "exodus"—his departure that he would accomplish in Jerusalem. That word, exodus, connects Jesus' coming death to Israel's great salvation story. His passion is the new exodus. His suffering and death are not a defeat but the very means of deliverance.

Peter misses the point (vv. 32-33)

The disciples were drowsy and nearly slept through the whole thing. But Peter sees enough to respond—and he gets it wrong. He wants to build three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elijah. He wants to stay. He wants to capture the moment.

Luke tells us plainly: "He did not know what he was saying.”

Thank God for Peter. How many of us would say the same thing? We see glory and we want to hold onto it. We want the mountain-top without the valley. Peter puts Jesus alongside Moses and Elijah as if they were equals. But that's not what's happening here.

The Father speaks (vv. 34-35)

A cloud envelops them—the cloud of God's presence. And from the cloud comes a voice: "This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”

Jesus is not equal to Moses and Elijah. He is greater. He is God's Son. He is God's final and definitive revelation. And the command is simple and direct: listen to him.

Not "stay here." Not "build something." Listen to him. Trust his voice. Follow where he leads—even when he leads through the valley.

Jesus alone remains (v. 36)

When the voice finishes, Moses and Elijah are gone. Only Jesus remains. The disciples keep silent. They don't fully understand yet. But they have seen something they will not forget.

The disciples thought Jesus' coming passion ruled out his glory. But actually, the passion is the route to glory. The cross is not a detour—it is the way.

Jesus shows us his glory so we can trust his voice as he leads us through the valley.

YOU: Listen to him

God gave this experience to Jesus and to the disciples not so they could stay on the mountain, but so they would have strength for the valley ahead.

The same is true for us. God gives us glimpses of glory—moments of clarity, answered prayers, experiences of his presence—not so we can camp out there, but so we can trust his voice when the road gets hard.

What does God require of us in this passage? Trust in who Jesus is and listen to him.

Where are you wanting a savior on your own terms? Where are you resisting the valley Jesus is calling you to walk through? Where do you need to stop building shelters and start listening?

Jesus shows us his glory so we can trust his voice as he leads us through the valley.

WE: Strength for the journey

We can trust and listen to Jesus when we know who he is and the love he has for us. He is God's Son, who walked through his own exodus, his own death, for you.

As we enter the season of Lent, we walk with the one whose glory we have glimpsed. The road leads through the wilderness, through suffering, toward Jerusalem. But we follow the one who has already walked that road and come out the other side.

The assurance of who God is and our saving grace in him gives us strength to keep walking through the valleys of this life. We don't walk alone. We walk with the one the Father has revealed. And we listen to him.