LUKE 9

JESUS TELLS THE DISCIPLES OF HIS EVENTUAL DEATH + RESURRECTION

Jesus chooses twelve apostles, men who are His disciples and devout followers. These men are given authority by Him to call for repentance, cast out demons, and heal the sick. He wants the disciples to rely on God for provision during their travels, instructing them to stay with those who receive and welcome them.

Jesus arrives in the town of Bethsaida and is met by a large crowd. He has compassion on the people and provides teaching and healing. Using only five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus blesses the food, creating an abundant amount that feeds over five thousand!

The crowds are unsure of Jesus’ identity and wonder if He is the reincarnation of Moses or the prophet Elijah. Jesus asks Peter, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter responds that he believes Jesus is the Savior and Son of God.

Jesus tells the disciples of His upcoming death, saying that He will suffer and be killed, but will rise from the dead on the third day. He later tells the disciples that the Son of man would be given over to the hands of men, but the disciples did not understand.

Jesus challenges the people to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him. Hesays that those who give their life to following God will gain their life and questions why someone would want to gain the things of the world, but not care for their soul. Jesus highlights the importance of the eternal over the temporary.

Peter, James, and John are with Jesus as He is praying upon the mountain. As He is praying, the appearance of Jesus and His clothes change and become dazzling white! He is no longer alone, but in the glorious presence of Moses and Elijah. Jesus, Moses, and Elijah speak of the departure of Jesus, which soon would be fulfilled in Jerusalem. Moses is known for delivering God’s law to the Israelites and Elijah was a great prophet who told of the coming of Jesus. These two men exemplify the main messages of the Old Testament, the law and the prophets, and their connection to Jesus shows His plan to fulfill their message.

During this divine interaction, God speaks, saying “This is my Son, my Chosen one,” instructing the disciples to listen to Jesus. This miraculous encounter is known as the transfiguration of Christ.

The disciples argue over who is the greatest among them. Jesus says that because they have accepted Him, they have all received the One who sent Him. He tells of God’s love for the disciples and foreshadows the coming of the Holy Spirit, telling the disciples that even the least among them will be great.

Jesus is not welcomed into a village in Samaria. The Israelites and the Samaritans have a longstanding history of conflict and the village rejects Him.

Jesus calls His followers into a life of surrender and selflessness. Telling a man who wants to be a disciple but first wants to bury his father that “the dead will bury the dead,” Jesus points to the spiritual death of those who do not follow Him.