Luke 9, a visual study from The Lampstand Project.
Who do you say that I am?
The twelve sent out. Five thousand fed. Peter’s confession. The first passion prediction. The transfiguration. The failure in the valley. The second passion prediction. The dispute about greatness.
Four movements. Mission, confession, transfiguration, the road.
Luke 9 is the hinge of the Gospel. Everything before it builds to Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi. Everything after turns toward Jerusalem. The transfiguration confirms the identity. The valley failure exposes the limits of the disciples’ power. The second passion prediction is not understood. The dispute about greatness reveals how far the disciples still have to travel.
A chapter in 4 movements.
Tap any numbered marker to read its part
“And he said to them, ‘You give them something to eat.’”
The twelve sent. Five thousand fed.
Jesus calls the twelve and gives them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases and sends them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal. When the apostles return they tell him what they have done. He takes them and withdraws privately to Bethsaida. The crowds learn of it and follow. He welcomes them and speaks about the kingdom and cures those in need.
Evening comes. The twelve: send the crowd away. Jesus: you give them something to eat. They have only five loaves and two fish. He says: have them sit down in groups. He takes the five loaves and two fish, looks up to heaven, blesses and breaks them, and gives them to the disciples to set before the crowd. All eat and are satisfied. Twelve baskets of leftovers.
“Jesus said, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’”
“The Christ of God.”
Peter’s confession. The passion predicted. The cross daily.
Once when Jesus is praying alone, with the disciples nearby, he asks: who do the crowds say I am? They answer. He asks: but who do you say I am? Peter: the Christ of God. He strictly charges them to tell no one, saying: the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected and killed and on the third day be raised.
Then he says to all: if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. You have said who I am. Now here is what following me looks like.
“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
“This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!”
The transfiguration. Moses, Elijah, the cloud, the voice.
About eight days after these sayings, Jesus takes Peter, John, and James up on the mountain to pray. While he is praying the appearance of his face is altered and his clothing becomes dazzling white. Two men are talking with him — Moses and Elijah — who appear in glory and speak of his departure, which he is about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
Peter and those with him are heavy with sleep, but when they become fully awake they see his glory and the two men. As the men are parting, Peter says: let us make three tents. Not knowing what he says. A cloud comes and overshadows them. A voice: this is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him. When the voice has spoken, Jesus is found alone. The disciples tell no one in those days anything of what they have seen.
“And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.”
“Let these words sink into your ears.”
The valley, the dispute, the road toward Jerusalem.
Coming down from the mountain a man cries out: teacher, I beg you to look at my son, my only child. A spirit seizes him. The disciples could not heal him. Jesus: O faithless and twisted generation. He rebukes the unclean spirit and heals the boy and gives him back to his father. All are astonished at the majesty of God. But while they are marveling, Jesus says: let these words sink into your ears — the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. They do not understand. They are afraid to ask.
An argument arises as to which of them is the greatest. Jesus takes a child and puts it by his side: whoever receives this child in my name receives me. For the one who is least among you all is the one who is great. When the time comes for him to be taken up, he sets his face to go to Jerusalem. A Samaritan village refuses them. Disciples want to call down fire. Jesus rebukes them. Three would-be followers offer conditions. Follow me, Jesus says, looking toward Jerusalem.
“So the last will be first, and the first last.”
Luke adds one word Matthew and Mark do not have: daily. The cross is not a single dramatic gesture but a daily practice of self-denial. The command comes immediately after the first passion prediction. Jesus turns it into a definition of discipleship: what I am about to do is what following me looks like.
The chapter of the turning point.
Jesus sends the twelve out with authority over all demons and to cure diseases. Herod hears and is perplexed. The twelve return. Jesus withdraws with them. The crowds follow. Evening comes. The disciples say: send the crowd away. Jesus: you give them something to eat. Five loaves and two fish. He blesses and breaks. Five thousand men eat and are satisfied. Twelve baskets left over.
He is praying alone with the disciples nearby. He asks: who do the crowds say I am? Then: but who do you say I am? Peter: the Christ of God. He warns them strictly to tell no one, says: the Son of Man must suffer and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then: if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily. Six days later: the transfiguration. Moses and Elijah. The voice from the cloud. Then into the valley: a boy the disciples could not heal.
“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”Luke 9:24 ESV
All scripture quoted from the English Standard Version (ESV). A study from The Lampstand Project.