August 12, 2010
NOT HOME YET
Luke 9:28-45
Steven Sanders
Central Truth
We must persevere until God's kingdom is here.
Key Verse | Luke 9:35
Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" (Luke 9:35)
Luke 9:28-45
The Transfiguration
28 Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, 1 9:31 Greek exodus which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. 32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they became fully awake they saw his glory and the two men who stood with him. 33 And as the men were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah”—not knowing what he said. 34 As he was saying these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; 2 9:35 Some manuscripts my Beloved listen to him!” 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.
Jesus Heals a Boy with an Unclean Spirit
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.
Jesus Again Foretells His Death
But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus 3 9:43 Greek he 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.
Dive Deeper | Luke 9:28-45
Following Jesus can be like driving in the rain. In Luke, the disciples have been on the road with Him for a while. They have experienced storms, angry mobs, exorcisms, and more. They just keep following Him.
Luke 9:28 connects this story to the previous one. Jesus had said that His road led to the cross and that some of the disciples would see God's kingdom before death. What is God's kingdom? Simply put, God's kingdom is where God reigns on earth. The Bible describes God's kingdom as both a future hope in the age to come and a reality quietly begun in this present evil age through Jesus' work in His followers.
Today's passage fulfills verse 27 from yesterday. For a moment, God pushed away the darkness and allowed them to see what His kingdom will look like in the age to come. They saw Jesus in His full glory, confirmed as God's unique Son, the future King. The Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah) witness to Christ.
Three applications:
1. Jesus' road leads to God's kingdom (9:28-36). It is both a present reality (already begun in Jesus' followers) and a future promise (not yet consummated). The full establishment of God's kingdom is our ultimate hope. That's where we're driving.
2. Jesus is more than His followers realize (9:44-45). The disciples thought "Messiah" meant an eternal king of Israel (and eternal kings don't die). They struggled to accept the road to the cross. We want Jesus to make our road sunny and scenic. However, we're following Him through this present evil age, and it's a full-blown monsoon.
3. We're not there yet (9:37-43). They left the mountain and found work to do. We expectantly await God's future kingdom, but the age to come isn't here yet. Until then, we will face chaos, struggles, sin, and death. Until then, we must represent Jesus to desperate people. Until then, we will struggle to follow Jesus. Until then, we must focus on Him, especially when the road is dark and confusing.
Until then, we're all rain-drivers just trying to make it home.
Discussion Questions
1. You just won the lottery: $100,000,000. Congratulations, you deserve it! Be honest (this ain't MoneyWise--Watermark's ministry for those seeking financial guidance), how will you use the money?
2. What will you do today, now that you have so much money? How does this differ from what you will actually do after you discover that I'm lying about the money?
3. The previous answers reflect what you wish God would do. Do they indicate that your hope is in God's coming kingdom?
4. How can you develop greater expectancy for God's coming kingdom?
5. How can you develop greater dependence upon Christ to lead you through difficult times?
FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever blurted out your thoughts without thinking?
2. What did Peter say in verse 33? Although the whole Bible is God’s Word, this is one of those rare places in the New Testament in which God actually speaks. What did He say to Peter?
3. When speaking this week, think about whether what you are saying reflects who Jesus is.