Luke 9: What the Mountain of the Transfiguration Reveals

Introduction

For a little over two years, almost every Sunday, the preacher at Igreja Evangélica Baptista da Parede has been walking through the Gospel of Luke. On this day, he returns to chapter 9, verses 28 to 36. In his series on the summits of the Bible, he invites the congregation to climb a mountain that has marked the story of many believers: the mountain of the transfiguration. "I love to imagine what must have happened there," he confides.

Before entering the text, he asks a question, not to be answered aloud but to be pondered: what has been the most defining experience of your walk with Jesus? He is not talking about an answered prayer, but about a moment that drew you closer to God and helped you understand who the God you follow really is.

Peter, James, and John lived such a moment with Jesus. The preacher draws four lessons from it: the importance of prayer, the divine glory of Christ, the centrality of Christ in the Scriptures, and the centrality of the cross in the plan of redemption.

Outline of the Message

1. An Experience That Changes a Life

The account in Luke 9:28-36 is also found in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. John, who lived it, does not tell it, but he alludes to it right at the start of his Gospel.
We do not know exactly which mountain it was. Some think of Mount Tabor, others of Mount Hermon: "opinions are divided."
What matters is that these three men were with Jesus and that it marked their lives. So the question is: what was revealed to them, and what is revealed to us today on this mountain?

2. The Importance of Prayer

"He took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray." Everything happens during a moment of prayer.
Jesus did not go up to present God with a list of requests and thanks. "Thank you, Lord, for this, thank you for that," and then comes the list. It is good to praise God, but prayer is much more than that: a time of intimacy in which you pour out your soul before him.
Often we pray in a hurry, to ease our conscience: "I haven't prayed yet today." We find a corner, the edge of a table, and pray on the run. If we pray like this, without taking time to rest in God's presence, we will not live an experience like the one on the mountain.
The great men and women of God prayed. Hannah, in her bitterness, received a son. Daniel prayed three times a day. David poured out his heart, confessing his sin, and knew forgiveness. Paul and Silas sang and prayed in prison, the chains fell off, and the jailer at Philippi was saved. Jesus, our great model, withdrew to be in communion with the Father.
We often excuse ourselves for lack of time: "I can pray at any moment, while walking." But when you need to have an important conversation with someone who matters to you, you set everything aside: "Come, let's have lunch together." "Why must it be on the run with God?" God wants a moment of intimacy with you, and in that moment, things happen.

3. The Divine Glory of Christ

"As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling." The disciples see the glorious Jesus, the divine Jesus.
To them, Jesus was the teacher, the rabbi they walked with, perhaps a prophet. They knew Jesus the servant, the man of sorrows foretold by Isaiah, a man who was thirsty, who was hungry, who grew tired and fell asleep in the boat.
Here they see what John would later write: "We saw his glory, such glory as of the only born Son of the Father," full of grace and truth (John 1:14).
To Lazarus' sister, Jesus said: "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see God's glory?" (John 11:40). We must draw near to God with faith, as Hebrews 10:22 says: let us draw near with a sincere heart, in the fullness of faith. An open heart and an open mind, and you will see the glory of God.

4. You Never Leave God's Presence the Same

Moses, on the mountain, was in no hurry: he stayed many days in the presence of God. When he came back down, his face shone so brightly that people could not look at him, and he had to wear a veil.
When we spend time with God, his image remains in us and others see God's glory through us. The preacher asks: what do others see in me, especially unbelievers? Someone who walks with God, or someone who reflects the anger, dissatisfaction, and sadness of the world?
"I don't know how much time you spend in God's presence. I know only one thing: if you spend little, spend more. If you spend a lot, spend much more."
Our God is not a distant God of stone or wood, but a God who acts in our lives. Whoever spends time with him always comes out transformed: sin comes to light and we confess it in tears, the grace we have received grows, the heart leaves full and grateful, and bitterness and anguish are calmed.
This is the promise of Philippians 4:6-7: in everything, make your needs known to God, and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your thoughts in Christ Jesus. "If we come out the same, it is because we were not in God's presence."

5. Moses and Elijah: Christ at the Center of the Scriptures

"Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah." These two figures often puzzle people. The preacher stresses that they are not speaking to Peter, James, and John: they are speaking with the glorified Jesus.
Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets, that is, the Scriptures. Jesus himself spoke of what is written "in the law and the prophets."
Moses and Elijah come to speak of Jesus. "You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me" (John 5:39).
Jesus is the central figure of the Bible. When you read the Old or the New Testament, look for Christ in it, because it is in him that you find life. Every story has a purpose, and that purpose is centered on Jesus Christ.

6. The Cross at the Center of the Plan of Redemption

Moses and Elijah "appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to fulfill at Jerusalem" (verse 31). They are near Caesarea Philippi, and they speak of Jesus' death in Jerusalem.
From Genesis, after the fall, God announces that the offspring of the woman will crush the serpent's head, and that the serpent will strike his heel. The suffering is already there, barely perceptible. Then the whole Old Testament says more and more about it, and Isaiah goes as far as describing the crucifixion.
Peter proposes building three tents, one for Jesus, one for Moses, one for Elijah, putting everyone on the same level. But the text says he was "not knowing what he said" (verse 33). Jesus is the equal of neither Moses nor Elijah.
The voice comes out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the chosen one. Listen to him!" Moses and Elijah disappear, and "Jesus was found alone." This is how the letter to the Hebrews begins: God, having spoken long ago by the prophets, has spoken to us in these last days by the Son.
"The Scriptures are not about me, they are about Christ. They are not about my suffering, they are about the suffering of Christ." The Bible reveals who we are, but the central figure is Jesus, and the main work is his death on the cross for you.

7. Waking Up to See His Glory

The text says that Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep, but that when they became fully awake, they saw the glory of Jesus.
The preacher's desire is that everyone wake up "today." If you do not yet see the importance of being in God's presence, of centering your life on Christ, and of understanding that you are saved and forgiven by the cross and not by your own merits, you are still asleep.
"May the Lord awaken our hearts," because an awakened heart sees, lives, and reflects the glory of God.

Key Takeaways

The transfiguration happens while Jesus is praying. Prayer is a time of intimacy with God, not a hurried list of requests.
On the mountain, the disciples see the glorious and divine Jesus, and not only the tired teacher asleep in the boat.
You never leave God's presence the same. Whoever stays there reflects his glory to others.
Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets, bear witness to Christ. All of Scripture points to him.
The cross is at the heart of the plan of redemption: we are saved and forgiven by the death of Jesus, not by our merits.

Personal Application

What has been the most defining experience of your walk with Jesus, the one that helped you understand better who he is?
What do your prayer times look like right now: a moment of intimacy with God, or a list recited on the run?
When others look at you, especially those who do not believe, what do they see: the peace of God, or the anger and sadness of the world?
When you open the Bible, do you look first for what speaks about you, or do you look for Christ?
If you spend little time in God's presence, what specific moment can you set aside this week to spend more?

Verses Cited

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on the mountain of the transfiguration?

Jesus goes up the mountain to pray with Peter, John, and James. While he prays, the appearance of his face changes and his clothing becomes white and dazzling. Moses and Elijah appear and speak with him about his death in Jerusalem, then a voice comes out of the cloud: "This is my Son, the chosen one. Listen to him!" The account is found in Luke 9:28-36, as well as in Matthew and Mark.

Why do Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus?

According to the preacher, Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophets, that is, the Scriptures. They do not speak to the disciples but to Jesus, and they speak of his death. All of Scripture bears witness to Christ (John 5:39) and announces the cross as the heart of the plan of redemption.

Why was Peter wrong to want to build three tents?

By proposing one tent for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah, Peter was putting everyone on the same level. The text says he did not know what he was saying. Jesus is not the equal of Moses or Elijah: they disappear, Jesus is found alone, and God says to listen to him.