From Majesty to a Mess
One of the things I love about the Gospels is how relevant they are to our lives today. They map right onto our lived experience, even though we live two thousand years after the events they describe.
For example, in the Gospels, Jesus goes up the mountain and is transfigured and becomes radiant with the glory of God, but then he comes down the mountain to find a mess. He’s on the mountain with the glory of God! But then he comes down to find his disciples arguing with the religious leaders, a dad desperate to find help for his son, an evil spirit who’s harming this son, and the disciples who were unable to do anything about it. Jesus went from majesty on the mountain to a mess in the valley.
But after Jesus intervenes and heals the boy, the amazing thing is how Luke describes what happened (v. 43). There was majesty on the mountain and majesty in this mess. Jesus reveals the majesty of God in the transfiguration and in this act of compassion.
But even this beautiful display of mercy isn’t the main event. Jesus again insists that his story will not end the way his disciples think it should, telling them that he’ll be defeated eventually (v. 44).
In this text we see more majesty (vv. 37-43a) and more confusion (vv. 43b-45). We see the majesty of God in the mercy of Jesus, a mercy pointing us to his death.
In this episode, we come off the mountain with Jesus into a valley of confusion and despair and evil, into the kind of place we often find ourselves. Yet, even in this valley, we see the majesty of mercy at work.
More Majesty
In verses 37-43a, we see more majesty of Jesus, namely, the majesty of his mercy. The language in verse 37 of Jesus “coming down from the mountain” signals a connection to Moses coming down from Mount Sinai in Exodus. He’s been meeting with God and comes down to find that the people have created a golden calf to worship. He comes down to find a “faithless generation.” This is exactly what Jesus finds as well.
Verse 38 says there’s a man in crowd who’s crying out for Jesus to help his son, his “only child.” He’s making a passionate and heart-rending appeal, saying, “I beg you!” The situation is dire. The son is being attacked by a demonic spirit that “seizes him” and shakes him and throws him down. The demon causes him to have seizures so that he foams at the mouth. Mark’s account says that the demon has been attacking him like this for some time, even trying to kill him by throwing him into fire and water (9:21-22). Luke says that the demon “shatters him” (CSB says, “bruising him”). And that it “will hardly leave him.”
There’s nothing harder for a parent than to see your child suffer. One of the scariest sufferings a parent can have is when their child begins to seize. This happened to our sweet Lidia several years ago when her fever spiked so high and so fast that it caused her to begin to seize in Suzy’s arms. I was out of town and felt utterly helpless. Suzy was understandably terrified and thought she was watching our baby girl die in her arms. The paramedics came and Lidia came out of it okay. But I can understand why this father was literally begging Jesus to help.
This dad actually started by begging the disciples to help because Jesus was still up on the mountain (v. 40). But they “could not.” Luke is setting up a contrast between the disciple’s inability and Jesus’ power, a contrast between apprentice and Master.
Jesus responds to the situation in verse 41. These seem like rather harsh words, but Mark’s account tells us that Jesus comes down to find the disciples arguing with the teachers of the law (9:14), so Jesus’ rebuke is for the disciples and the larger crowd, many of whom are opposed to his ministry.
The reference to a “faithless and twisted (or “corrupt”) generation” echoes something Moses says about Israel in Deuteronomy 32:5, “They are a crooked and twisted generation.” The people at the foot of this mountain are not much different than the people at the foot of Mount Sinai. Neither trusted the Lord, which always leads to following a “crooked” path.
What Jesus finds at the bottom of the Mount of Transfiguration is yet more indication that the spiritual condition of Israel was not good. Their lack of faith and twisted ways are a wearisome thing to Jesus. He longs for a people who’ll trust him. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Heb. 11:6).
As the father and his son make their way to Jesus, the demon tries to flex his muscles one more time to intimidate Jesus and scare the crowd (v. 42a). But this demon has no power compared to Jesus. All it takes is one word of rebuke and the boy is instantly healed (v. 42b). There’s no sense of struggle. Jesus’ word of rebuke is instantly effective.
And then notice the sweet moment at the end of verse 42, “and Jesus gave him back to his father.” The father’s longing is fulfilled by the word of Jesus. His heart-rending appeal to Jesus is met by Jesus’ tender mercy. This boy is whole again, and this father has his son back. What a beautiful picture of how the healing power of Jesus can not only destroy evil strongholds but also reconcile us with those we love.
God’s Majesty Revealed Again
Then there’s Luke’s summary statement in verse 43, telling us that everyone there was “astonished at the majesty of God.” Luke could’ve picked lots of words to describe what just happened, but he chose to say that this was a display of God’s “majesty.”
I think he does this to link what happens here to what happened up on the Mount of Transfiguration. Peter later says that he was an “eyewitness of Jesus’ majesty” during the transfiguration, and the “Majestic Glory” spoke to Jesus on the “holy mountain” (2 Pet. 1:16-18).
The majesty of God was revealed up on the mountain. Here, the majesty of God is revealed down in the valley. This exorcism is a revelation of the glory of Jesus’ mercy. Jesus’ person is glorious and Jesus’ work is glorious!
Luke is telling us that the transfiguration and the mercy ministry of Jesus reveal the majesty of God. God is praised through the revelation of Jesus’ glory and in Jesus’ repairing of human brokenness. Jesus’ majesty is multi-faceted.
A Healing Power Still Available
Let me offer two points of application here. First, Jesus’ healing power is still available to you. People all over the world are still being freed from evil, healed, and restored through the power of Jesus’ merciful word.
To receive this ongoing majestic ministry of Jesus, you must do four things: understand your need, come to Jesus, commit to community, and seek reconciliation.
Jesus’s mercy is available for those who know they need it. As long as you think your anger or addiction or abuse is not that big a deal, you won’t change. Jesus says it this way, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance” (Lk. 5:31-32).
Once you understand your sickness, you must go to the doctor. Those who know their need also need to go to the One who can meet their need. Jesus is the only One who can truly heal.
And those who go to him must go to him in the context of community. Jesus doesn’t have isolated cases, or people he’s healing all by themselves. In fact, the healing he offers us ordinarily comes to us through his people. It’s often said that we’re hurt in relationships and healed through relationships. To want Jesus’ healing power means you must open your life to brothers and sisters who’ll love and care for and walk with you.
And when Jesus begins to heal someone, there can be reconciliation that follows. Broken relationships are mended as broken people are healed. Friendships and marriages and parent-child relationships can be restored as we seek the Lord’s healing power. There’s no guarantee here, however. But, as Paul says, “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (Rom. 12:18).
Life, and Ministry, is Lived in the Valley
A second application is that life is normally lived in the valley of human need. From the mount of communion with God, Jesus descends to the world of human need.
It means ministry flows out of communion with God. It means Jesus came for ministry, not for isolation. Yes, he spends time with God, but he doesn’t withdraw indefinitely.
Raphael’s last painting is called The Transfiguration and it depicts the chaotic scene of human need below the mountain of transfiguration. It reminds us that Jesus didn’t come to stay on the mountaintop. Rather, he came to mend a broken world. As Professor Darrell Bock says, Jesus came “to touch the needs of people and heal their pain.” And he does so by opposing the dark forces “that stand opposed to humanity.”[1] Jesus is a visitor from another world come to heal the wounds of this world.
This means that we should expect much of our life to be lived in the mundane and even misery of the valley. Of course there are still mountaintops and sweet seasons of peace and joy when all is right. But suffering is a normal, not abnormal, part of life on this cursed planet. This means that doubt and despair and despondency and depression and deconstruction and darkness of all kinds are to be expected. And in these seasons, we must not give up. We must ask our questions, wrestle with our doubts, don’t believe the lie that what’s happening to us is unusual, and keep fighting the good fight of faith.
Let me also offer a word of counsel to any young men who’re considering pursuing seminary or vocational ministry. Seminary is ordinarily for those pursuing some sort of teaching ministry in a local church and serving in a local church means serving people. The goal of seminary is not to isolate and cloister yourself and debate your days away, but to train for the work of ministry. God’s churches need shepherds willing to suffer alongside people in the valley, not scholars who only want to merely sit alone with Jesus on the mountain of glory. The former certainly flows out of the latter, but it’s important to understand what ministry is before training for it.
The rhythm of the gospel teaches lay people and ministers alike that suffering comes before glory. In this episode after the transfiguration, we see the majesty of God in the mercy of Jesus as he comes off the mountain to minister in the valley of human need.
More Confusion
The next thing we see is more confusion from the disciples in verses 43b-45. As the crowd marvels at what Jesus was doing, Jesus points them to something he will do. He sees beyond the great impression he’s made on the crowd to when he’ll be handed over by the crowd (23:23-25).
Matthew and Mark mention that Jesus will be killed and then raised three days later, but Luke just mentions Jesus being “delivered (or “betrayed”) into the hands of men” (v. 44). He’s highlighting the paradox between Jesus’ majestic works and his coming defeat. The popular praise won’t last. Jesus knows what’s coming.
The One who should be welcomed by men will instead be handed over to them so they can kill him. The man Jesus will be betrayed by men. The Son of Man will be rejected by those he came to serve. God’s work is often not appreciated by those he loves.
The contrast between the marveling and the betraying couldn’t be greater. The one everyone loves is about to be hated. Jesus is telling his disciples to not be misled by the popular attention he’s receiving. The crowds are amazed now but will betray him later. Oh how fickle is the crowd! Things seem to be going well for Jesus now, but things are going to change.
Verse 45 says that the disciples can’t comprehend how this could happen as part of God’s plan for his Chosen One (v. 35). Jesus is challenging their thinking about how God’s salvation would come. How could God’s Messiah be betrayed? How could he be God’s Son and destined for death at the same time? This is why Jesus tells them to let these words sink in (v. 44a).
A Gateway to Glory
We’ve seen Jesus’ glory on the mountain and in the valley. His person and works are majestic. But after the majesty of his mercy is seen, Jesus is quick to lift our eyes further downstream. He came to heal and restore the broken, but first and foremost he came to die.
Why does Jesus want us to look beyond these things he’s doing to his death? Why does his death seem to overshadow all these glorious things? Why is Jesus’ death such a big deal?
Because Jesus had to die to ultimately heal his people. When Jesus dies on the cross, he dies our death, the death we deserve to die. Why? Because we’ve sinned against God and our sin deserves punishing. If God just let our sin go, he’d be unjust. And if he were unjust, he wouldn’t be good. But he is good, and he is just, so he must punish sin.
This is why Jesus keeps pointing forward to his death. We couldn’t be reconciled to God unless our sins are paid for. A holy God couldn’t live with unholy people unless their sins are forgiven. So because God loves his people and wants to live with them, he sends his Son to die for them.
The Majesty of Mercy
One of my jobs in preaching is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. If you’re comfortable in your sins, I aim to make you uncomfortable because I love you and I want you to walk deeply with God.
Do you realize how big a deal your sins are? They separate you from God. They deserve to be punished. They invoke God’s wrath. They offend God’s goodness. They communicate our arrogance before our Maker. And if we die in our sins, we’ll receive God’s eternal justice in hell. Your sins of pride and lust and greed and gossip and selfishness are no small thing. Jesus had to be slaughtered like an animal because of them.
If you understand this and you hate your sin and you want to live a life pleasing to God, I want to comfort you with the good news that Jesus’ blood washes away your sins and makes you right before God. If you trust in Jesus, your sin is given to him and his righteousness is given to you.
Do you see the majesty of God’s mercy toward you in the death of Jesus? Jesus’ healing of this little boy shows us his majestic mercy, a mercy pointing us to his death.
[1]Darrell L. Bock, Luke, Volume 1: 1:1-9:50, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994), 880-1.