Glory, Confusion, and Compassion: Lessons from the Mountain and the Valley (Luke 9:28-45)
Have you ever had a moment where everything felt clear—like God was right there with you—and then suddenly, life got messy again? In this part of Luke’s Gospel, we see that same shift. Jesus shows His closest friends a glimpse of His glory on a mountain, but they come down to find pain, confusion, and struggle. Through it all, we see who Jesus really is and why we can trust Him.
Let’s explore what happened.
A Glimpse of Glory
Jesus took three of His disciples—Peter, James, and John—up a mountain to pray. While Jesus was praying, something amazing happened: His face changed, and His clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Suddenly, two famous figures from the Old Testament—Moses and Elijah—appeared and spoke with Him about His coming death in Jerusalem.
The disciples were tired and overwhelmed, but they woke up just in time to see the glory of Jesus and the two men with Him. Peter, not knowing what to say, suggested building shelters for them to stay. Then, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they heard a voice from the cloud say, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen. Listen to Him.”
It was a holy, unforgettable moment. The disciples were in awe—and silent afterward.
What can we learn from this?
Jesus is more than a good teacher or miracle worker. He is the chosen Son of God. And when God says, “Listen to Him,” it’s a reminder to pay attention—not just when things are going well, but always.
Back to Reality
The very next day, Jesus and His disciples came down the mountain—and walked right into a problem. A man in the crowd called out, begging Jesus to help his only son. The boy was suffering terribly, tormented by an evil spirit that would throw him into violent fits.
The man explained that he had asked the disciples to help, but they couldn’t do it.
Real life isn’t always peaceful or easy.
Even after experiencing something amazing on the mountain, the disciples came back to a broken, hurting world. That’s often how life goes—one moment feels full of faith and wonder, and the next we’re struggling with problems we can’t fix on our own.
Jesus Steps In
Jesus was frustrated by the lack of faith He saw around Him, but He didn’t walk away. Instead, He told the man to bring his son. As the boy approached, the spirit attacked him again. But Jesus rebuked the spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
The crowd was amazed. They saw the power of God in action.
When we feel helpless, Jesus isn’t.
Even when others fail, even when our faith feels small, Jesus has the power to heal, restore, and make things right.
Still Not Understanding
While everyone was still amazed, Jesus turned to His disciples and told them something serious: He was going to be handed over to His enemies.
But the disciples didn’t understand. In fact, they were afraid to even ask what He meant.
This wasn’t the first time Jesus had spoken about His suffering and death. But it didn’t fit their expectations. They wanted glory, not pain. Victory, not a cross.
Sometimes we don’t understand what God is doing.
But even when we’re confused or afraid, He still invites us to follow and trust Him.
From the Mountain to the Mess
This story is a powerful reminder that Jesus meets us in both the mountaintop moments and the messy ones. He shows us His glory, yes—but He also walks down into our pain, our confusion, and our weakness to bring healing and hope.
We may not always understand the plan, but we can trust the One who holds it all.
So here’s the question for you:
Are you listening to Jesus—not just when it’s easy, but also when life feels confusing or hard?
He’s still speaking. He’s still healing. And He’s still inviting us to follow Him.
Luke 9:28-45 (WEB)
9:28 About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became white and dazzling. 30 Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.32 Now Peter and those who were with him were heavy with sleep, but when they were fully awake, they saw his glory, and the two men who stood with him. 33 As they were parting from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let’s make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah,” not knowing what he said.34 While he said these things, a cloud came and overshadowed them, and they were afraid as they entered into the cloud. 35 A voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him!” 36 When the voice came, Jesus was found alone. They were silent, and told no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him. 38 Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only born child. 39 Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams; and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely. 40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”41 Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”42 While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father. 43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God.But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 “Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.” 45 But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.