The Coming Glory of Jesus Christ

Luke 9.28-36

The Transfiguration of Jesus. This happened right after Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter gave the great confession, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." That was at Caesarea Philippi. A week later on top of Mount Hermon, Peter, James and John witnessed this incredible event.

They were going up this mountain to pray. (v.28) Mountains are great places to pray, beaches, secluded areas, away from noise and interruption.

I think we underestimate the power of prayer at times. This shows when we are surprised when God answers.

The Transfiguration appears to have taken place at night.
It was the prelude to His death, for from this point on He spoke plainly of His coming death. His face was now set toward Jerusalem. His glory was to come through suffering.

Primarily, the transfiguration was for the benefit of the three disciples. For them, it was a divine confirmation of Peter’s great confession. God attested what Peter affirmed. In addition, it was a confirmation of our Lord’s conception of His mission as Messiah. The popular expectation was that Messiah would come clothed in splendor and break the bonds of Rome. Jesus came first and foremost to redeem men from sin by dying on a cross. The literal and material aspects of the kingdom would come, but only after the necessary and preliminary spiritual preparations were complete.

Then, too, the transfiguration of Jesus was a divine commentary on the teaching of Jesus concerning His coming death, The disciples could not put together the seemingly contradictory threads of suffering and glory. The transfiguration let Peter, James ad John see that the glory which was to be our Lord’s (as well as theirs and ours) was to come through suffering (His exodus.).


The Kingdom of God coming in full force.
The Transfiguration was the fulfillment of these words of Jesus:
“I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.” Mark 9.1


Jesus was letting His the inner circle see what was ahead. The outward glory of Jesus Christ was momentarily displayed.
Peter writes:
2 Peter 1:16-18 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

Jesus’ entire appearance was transformed in a brilliant radiance of light. His face shone like the sun and His clothes had an appearance of lightening flashing out of them. For this brief time, Jesus took on an appearance of the King of Glory.

Psalm 24:7-10 Lift up your heads, you gates; be lifted up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors,that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory?nThe Lord Almighty—He is the King of glory.

At His Baptism, in the Beginning of His Ministry
Matthew 3:16-17 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

On the Mountain
Mark 9:7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”

During Holy Week
John 12:27-28 “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

Just before He was arrested
John 17:4-5 I have brought you glory on earth by finishing the work you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began.


Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.
-Luke 9:30-31 (NIV84)

Moses, the Law
Elijah, the Prophets
Talking with Jesus. I would have loved to be in on that conversation! One day we will! Glory- having things lie that revealed to us!

They spoke about His sufferings.
Moses and Elijah represented the Old Covenant.

Matthew Henry comments, “The shining face of Moses was so weak, that it could easily be concealed by a thin veil; but such was the glory of Christ’s body, that his clothes were enlightened by it.”


1. The Mountain
Mount Hermon

the sacred mountain. To rise. Jesus brings us up.
Perhaps today you need to be lifted up. Jesus can do it.

He took Peter, James and John up on a high mountain to pray.
Prayer lifts us up to heaven.
Psalm 28:2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward Your Most Holy Place.

Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer;he causes me to stand on the heights.

Psalm 42:6 My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon—from Mount Mizar.

David loved the place near Caserea Philippi, down from Mount Hermon, where the Jordan River formed from the melting snow on Mount Hermon.
He wrote in the next verse, Psalm 42:7 Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.
I have stood at that spot. It is beautiful. But Jesus takes us up higher than we can imagine,to the heights! He does this even as He speaks to our souls about death and suffering.
Gene Edwards was right when He wrote in A Tale of Three Kings, "How strange, is it not, what suffering begets?"

The Glory of God accentuates human suffering. Jesus was glorified in His death. God, the Father was glorified in His Son's death, the Hoy Spirit was poured out after Jesus made His exodus.

We do all we can to avoid suffering. Jesus calls us to embrace the cross.


2. His Departure
Grk exodus
exit i.e. departure, the close of one's career, one's final fate, departure from life, decease

When Peter wrote about it he was speaking if his own departure:
2 Peter 1:13-19 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things. For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain. We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

Our hearts ought to be so connected to heaven that we are longing to be there.

3. Fulfillment at Jerusalem

They spoke of Holy Week, particularly Good Friday.
Fulfillment of the law, Old Testament
Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

The sacrifices of Leviticus were about to find their fulfillment.
The Passover Feast was fulfilled.
1 Corinthians 5:7 Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Fulfill/accomplish
Outline of Biblical Usage:
to make full, to fill up, i.e. to fill to the full
to cause to abound, to furnish or supply liberally
I abound, I am liberally supplied
to render full, i.e. to complete
to fill to the top: so that nothing shall be wanting to full measure, fill to the brim
to consummate: a number
to make complete in every particular, to render perfect
to carry through to the end, to accomplish, carry out, (some undertaking)
to carry into effect, bring to realisation, realise
of matters of duty: to perform, execute
of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish
to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment

Finally, there is a great lesson for Christians in the matter of suffering. Suffering is an essential, inseparable part of the Christian faith. It is one of the basic prerequisites of discipleship. Suffering is the road to glory, not only for our Lord, but for us. It is suffering, then glory, so far as the Scriptures are concerned. The matter of suffering will never be explainable on a purely human level. It is only grasped from the divine perspective. So it was for the three on the mount of transfiguration. So it must be for us.

This tremendous event s seen best in the light of Christ's sufferings.that is the context. He was headed to Jerusalem to die on the cross. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote in The Cost of Discipleship, "When Jesus calls a man, He bids him, 'Come and die.'" Continue to follow Him on that path, on the Calvary Road. It leads to glory, now and eternally.