Luke 9:36 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent and told no one in those days anything of what they had seen.

NIV: When the voice had spoken, they found that Jesus was alone. The disciples kept this to themselves and did not tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

NASB: And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.

CSB: After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They kept silent, and at that time told no one what they had seen.

NLT: When the voice finished, Jesus was there alone. They didn’t tell anyone at that time what they had seen.

KJV: And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen.

NKJV: When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone. But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

Peter, James, and John followed Jesus up a mountain and fell asleep. When they awake, Jesus is talking with Moses and Elijah. Then a cloud envelopes them all and God the Father speaks, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" (Luke 9:28–35). Suddenly, the cloud is gone, and Moses and Elijah are nowhere to be found (Mark 9:8).

Jesus tells them to remain silent about what they had witnessed until His resurrection (Matthew 17:9; Mark 9:9). It's easy to understand why. The last time Jesus told the disciples He was going to die, Peter rebuked Him (Matthew 16:21–23). Before long, Jesus will tell the disciples again that he is going to be killed in Jerusalem and they still won't understand (Luke 9:44–45). No one in that era fully grasped that Jesus the Messiah must die for the sins of the world and be resurrected on the third day. After Jesus fed the thousands, some of the men were so enthusiastic they tried to force Jesus to be king (John 6:15, 26). If the crowds know what had happened on that mountain, they might revolt against the Roman government, leading to the deaths of thousands.

Peter, James, and John remain silent "in those days," but they obviously tell people or else Luke wouldn't have known. Peter wrote about it, reminding his audience how "they" had told them before (2 Peter 1:16–18). John wrote, "And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world" (1 John 4:14). When it occurred, the event was for Peter, James, and John, but Luke includes it to give Theophilus assurance, as well, "that [he] may have certainty concerning the things [he has] been taught" (Luke 1:4).

Luke 9:28–36 comes amidst calls to follow Jesus more deeply. This reveals why He is worthy of allegiance; it also resolves Herod's question and Peter's answer about Jesus' identity. Peter, James, and John follow Jesus up a mountain. Jesus' clothes become bright white, and Moses and Elijah arrive to speak with Him. When the two prophets leave, a cloud descends, and God the Father affirms Jesus. This transfiguration fulfills the promise Jesus made that "there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God" (Luke 9:27). The story is also in Matthew 17:1–8 and Mark 9:2–8.

Luke 9 completes Jesus' Galilean ministry and begins describing His journey towards Jerusalem. Jesus gives His disciples miraculous power and commissions them to preach. The empowerment thrills the disciples but confuses Herod Antipas. A hungry crowd of thousands and hard teachings about following Jesus, however, shows the disciples' faith is short-lived. The transfiguration and the demonized boy precede stories of the disciples' continued confusion. They still struggle to accurately represent Jesus. Luke 9:51–62 begins the "travelogue" (Luke 9:51—19:27) with examples of the patience and sacrifice needed to represent Jesus as His followers.

Luke 9 straddles the two major sections biblical scholars call "Jesus' Galilean Ministry" (Luke 4:14—9:50) and "The Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27). The Galilean ministry alternates calls to discipleship with stories on Jesus' authority and teachings. The travelogue records what Jesus did and taught to prepare the disciples for His crucifixion. After a final group of stories on how to respond to Jesus (Luke 9:51—11:13) and several examples of how the Jewish religious leaders reject Jesus (Luke 11:14–54), Luke presents Jesus' teaching on the kingdom of God (Luke 12:1—19:27).

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.