Luke 9

Luke 9 brings Jesus' Galilean ministry to a close. Following the raising of Jairus's daughter in Luke 8, the chapter opens with Jesus sending out the Twelve. From verse 51 onward, the long journey to Jerusalem unfolds.

Outline

• Verses 1–6 Jesus gives the Twelve authority and sends them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
• Verses 7–9 Herod the tetrarch hears the reports, is perplexed, and desires to see Jesus.
• Verses 10–17 Jesus withdraws to Bethsaida and feeds the five thousand men who had followed him with five loaves and two fishes. Twelve baskets of fragments are left over.
• Verses 18–22 Peter confesses Jesus as "The Christ of God." Jesus foretells his suffering and resurrection for the first time.
• Verses 23–27 Jesus teaches that one must deny himself and take up his cross daily.
• Verses 28–36 About eight days later, Jesus is transfigured on a mountain, and Moses and Elijah appear. A voice is heard from the cloud.
• Verses 37–43 Jesus heals a demon-possessed only son whom the disciples had been unable to heal.
• Verses 44–45 Jesus foretells his passion a second time. The disciples do not understand.
• Verses 46–50 When the disciples dispute over which of them is the greatest, Jesus sets a little child beside him. He tells them not to forbid a man who casts out demons in his name.
• Verses 51–56 Jesus firmly resolves to go to Jerusalem. He rebukes James and John, who want to destroy a Samaritan village that will not receive him.
• Verses 57–62 Jesus speaks about the demands of discipleship to those who say they will follow him.

Key Verses

• Luke 9:20 "The Christ of God" — This confession of faith is the turning point of the chapter.
• Luke 9:23 "Take up his cross daily" — The word "daily," absent from the parallel passages in Mark and Matthew, portrays discipleship as a matter of everyday life. See Luke 9:23.
• Luke 9:51 "He stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem" — This verse opens the section narrating the journey to Jerusalem.

People and Places

• Peter, John, James (son of Zebedee)
• Herod — Here this refers to Herod Antipas, tetrarch of Galilee. A tetrarch was a ruler who governed a portion of a kingdom.
• John the Baptist, Moses, Elijah
• Bethsaida — a town on the north side of the Sea of Galilee
• Samaritans — inhabitants of the region of Samaria, who were on poor terms with the Jews
• Jerusalem

Points for Reflection

• The text does not name the mountain of the Transfiguration. Tradition identifies it as Mount Tabor, though some hold it to be Mount Hermon. The word "decease" in verse 31 translates a Greek term meaning "departure," and some interpreters see in it an allusion to the Exodus.
• Interpretations differ as to what verse 27 refers to. Proposed views include the Transfiguration that immediately follows, the Resurrection and Pentecost, and the destruction of Jerusalem.
• The saying in verse 50 is compared with Luke 11:23: "He that is not with me is against me."
• Some manuscripts add further words in verse 55, such as "For the Son of man is not come to destroy men's lives, but to save them." The King James Version includes these words, but the Korean Revised Version (Gaeyeok Hangeul) text does not.
• Verse 54 recalls Elijah calling down fire from heaven in 2 Kings 1. Verse 62 is compared with the calling of Elisha while he was plowing (1 Kings 19).
• Peter's confession and the Transfiguration are read alongside Mark 8 and 9 and Matthew 16 and 17. The feeding of the five thousand is recorded in all four Gospels.

In the Korean Church

• Verse 23 is frequently cited in sermons emphasizing discipleship training and commitment.
• The feeding of the five thousand is a story often taught in Sunday school.