In Luke 9:26, Jesus says one day He will return in His full glory. Additionally, Jesus says some will get a taste of Jesus’ glory soon. Jesus wants to show His glory (John 1:14). The transfiguration is like a movie trailer giving a snippet of the full upcoming movie. This preview of His upcoming glory shows us how amazing He is and how we will be left speechless when He comes. Many people were already impressed by His miracles and teachings (Matthew 14:33; Luke 7:16). However the Transfiguration is incomparable to what Jesus revealed before.
Why did Jesus reveal His glory? The reason is that soon He will head to Jerusalem to suffer and die. He will not be the political and militant Messiah they thought. Matthew 16:21-23. So He shows them who He truly is so they would remember His glory. It is also to teach the disciples and produce an active faith. He reveals His glory in the kingdom of God, which is proof that Jesus will fulfill His promises. This is the foundation of our faith and obedience (Genesis 15:6). We cannot live merely religiously or like the worldly, but personally knowing Jesus because He has revealed His glory to us.
The Transfiguration is not a myth or vision or metaphor. It really happened. The Bible is infallible and inerrant. It is right in both history and spirituality. In ancient times, true scientific evidence was based on eyewitness accounts (Deuteronomy 17:6). Jesus took three men (Peter, James, and John) with Him up the mountain to be His witnesses (2 Peter 1:16). Based on their testimony we know the Transfiguration really happened.
Many commentaries differ on what Luke 9:27 applies to. Some say this verse is unrelated to what is said in verse 26. Based on the context and the connecting word “But” we know that these two verses are related. “But I say to you” can be translated as “Thus says the Lord”. Luke’s top is not the second coming but Jesus’ glory (Isaiah 42:8). Jesus is saying that some of them will get to see His kingdom, meaning His glory, as an anticipatory statement for what will happen next.
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain to pray. They are Jesus’ close disciples and key leaders of the early church. It is significant to point out that they didn’t go read or learn but to pray. Prayer is the key to God’s glory. If you wish to see Christ’s glory then we must pray and if we would glow with the glory of Christ, we must be much in prayer (Spurgeon).
It says, “While He was praying”. Jesus is continually praying. He prayed for Peter when Peter denied Him. He prays in the garden before facing the cross. Jesus prayed because He was a man completely dependent on the Heavenly Father. But this time, while Jesus was praying, Jesus “became different”. Matthew and Mark say Jesus was transfigured (Matthew 17:2, Mark 9:2). The word is transformed, metamorphosis. It describes a change in nature, like a caterpillar to a butterfly. His change was not superficial but a complete change. Neither was His change was caused by an external force but within Himself.
The transfiguration proves Jesus is truly God, omnipotent, omniscient, eternal, and glorious (John 17:24, Philippians 2:6). He is dazzling and unable to be gazed upon without going blind. “His clothing became white and gleaming”. His glory and brilliance come from His nature and shines brilliantly. It is not reflective but emanates from His divine being. He is truly holy and we are unable to be in His overwhelming presence (Isaiah 6:5, Revelation 1:17, Ex 34:29) Without a doubt, Jesus is God glorified. He is the Light (1 John 1:5). All light and the light of all things come from Him (Gen 1:3, John 1:3-5). We must follow Him unless we perish in the darkness (John 8:12). We must be in Jesus Christ or we are not saved. For those who are saved, when we are in heaven, we will not need a sun or moon because Jesus will be all the light we need (Rev 21:23). Jesus will come one day in full glory. This is our hope and joy.
How do we respond to the glory of Jesus Christ? We worship Him always and above all else. He is our Lord and we worship Him. Our lives must center around Him. We do all things under Him and for His glory. Lastly, we must live differently. Our lives must be problematic to this world because we follow the light of Christ. We go against the culture and its darkness. Our lives are an enigma to the world because we are different from them. The difference is our Lord, the glorified Jesus.
BIBLE COMMUNITY CHURCH 
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