The Glory Before the Cross

Based on Luke 9:28-36

Opening Scripture

Now about eight days after these sayings he took with him Peter and John and James and went up on the mountain to pray. And as he was praying, the appearance of his face was altered, and his clothing became dazzling white... And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” (Luke 9:28-29, 35)

Where We Are in the Story

Yesterday was Transfiguration Sunday, the last day of Epiphany before we enter Lent on Ash Wednesday. For the past seven weeks, we’ve watched the light of Christ break into the darkness - revealed to the Magi, proclaimed at his baptism, demonstrated in his first miracle, extended to Samaritans and Gentiles.

Now, on a mountain, three disciples get a glimpse behind the veil. They see Jesus as he truly is: glorified, radiant, conversing with Moses and Elijah about his coming “departure” in Jerusalem. This is the summit of Epiphany, the brightest revelation of Christ’s glory before the darkness of the cross.

This is the hinge. The turning point. The moment when glory meets suffering, when revelation gives way to crucifixion, when the light prepares to be swallowed by darkness - but only for a time.

Why This Moment Matters

Peter, James, and John have just heard Jesus predict his death for the first time (Luke 9:22). He told them plainly: “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

But they didn’t want to hear it. I know I wouldn’t. Peter tried to rebuke him (Matthew 16:22). The idea of a suffering Messiah didn’t fit their categories. They wanted a conquering king, not a crucified servant.

So Jesus takes them up the mountain. He lets them see who he really is. For just a moment, the glory he laid aside to become human blazes through. His face shines like the sun. His clothes become dazzling white.

Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets, and they’re talking with Jesus about his “exodus” - his departure, his death - in Jerusalem. What a conversation that must have been!

This is Jesus saying to his bewildered disciples: “I know what I’m walking into. And I’m going willingly. But don’t forget who I am. When you see me hanging on a cross, remember this mountain. Remember that the one who suffers is the one who is glorious.”

The Voice from the Cloud

Then the Father speaks: “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!” Not just “believe in him” or “admire him” or “study him.” Listen to him.

And what has Jesus just said? He said he must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23).

The path to glory goes through suffering. The way to resurrection runs through death. The road to the Kingdom passes through Gethsemane and Golgotha.

This is what the disciples needed to understand. This is what we need to understand as we prepare to enter Lent.

The Christian life isn’t an escape from suffering. It’s not prosperity, health, and wealth. It’s not climbing the ladder of success while holding a Bible. It’s following a crucified King on the narrow road that leads through death to life.

The Glory That Sustains

But here’s the gift of Transfiguration Sunday: We enter Lent having seen the glory.
When the road gets hard, when the cross gets heavy, when Lent feels long and dark, we remember the mountain. We remember that the one we follow isn’t just a suffering servant, he’s the glorified Son of God. The one who sweated blood in Gethsemane is the same one whose face shone like the sun. The one who hung on the cross is the one Moses and Elijah bow before.

The suffering is real. But it’s not the end of the story.

The cross is coming. But so is the resurrection.

Lent is necessary. But Easter is guaranteed.

This is why the church gives us Transfiguration Sunday before Ash Wednesday. We need to see the glory before we walk into the darkness. We need to hear the Father’s voice, “This is my Son,” before we hear the crowd’s voice, “Crucify him!”

We need to know that the one we’re following knows where he’s going, and that the path through suffering leads to glory.

Preparing for Lent

So here’s what Transfiguration Sunday is calling us to do as we stand on the edge of Lent:
First, listen to Jesus. The Father’s command is clear: “Listen to him!” That means we don’t get to edit Jesus, to take the parts we like and ignore the parts that make us uncomfortable. We listen to all of it. The Sermon on the Mount and the predictions of suffering. The call to love enemies and the call to take up our cross. The promise of abundant life and the warning about the narrow gate.

Second, remember the glory. When Lent gets hard, and it will, when you’re confronted with your sin, when you’re called to repent, when you’re asked to let go of something you’ve been clinging to, remember: this is the path to glory. You’re not doing this to earn God’s favor. You’re doing it because God is making you like Christ, and the path to Christlikeness goes through the cross.

Third, follow him into the darkness. Jesus didn’t stay on the mountain. He came down. He set his face toward Jerusalem. He walked knowingly, willingly, into suffering and death. And he invites us to follow. Not to stay on the mountaintop of spiritual highs, but to come down into the valley, to walk the hard road, to embrace the cross.

Because on the other side of the cross is the empty tomb. On the other side of Lent is Easter. On the other side of death is resurrection.

The Road Ahead

On Sunday, we stood at the hinge between Epiphany and Lent, between glory and suffering, between light and darkness.

On Wednesday, we’ll hear the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

For the next forty days, we’ll walk with Jesus toward Jerusalem. We’ll confront our sin. We’ll examine our hearts. We’ll practice repentance, fasting, prayer. We’ll feel the weight of the cross.

But we’ll do it knowing what Peter, James, and John knew after the Transfiguration: the one we follow is glorious, even when he’s suffering. The one who calls us to the cross is the one who conquered it. The one who leads us through death is the one who rose from the dead.

So don’t be afraid of Lent. Don’t shrink back from the hard work of repentance and self-examination. Don’t avoid the cross.

Instead, listen to Jesus. Follow him. Trust that he knows the way. And remember that the glory you’ve seen in Epiphany is the glory that’s coming in Easter, and the glory that will one day be revealed in you.

Reflection Questions

1. What has this Epiphany season revealed to you about who Jesus is? How will that sustain you through Lent?
2. Where in your life are you trying to have glory without suffering, resurrection without death, Easter without Good Friday?
3. What is one thing God is calling you to surrender, to let die, as you enter this season of Lent?

Prayer
(Based on 2 Corinthians 3:18 and Luke 9:35)

Lord Jesus, you who were transfigured in glory on the mountain, help me to see you rightly - not just as a suffering servant, but as the glorified Son of God. As I prepare to enter Lent, give me courage to follow you into the darkness, trusting that you know the way through death to life. Teach me to listen to you - to all of you, not just the comfortable parts. Transform me from one degree of glory to another as I behold you, even in the valley of the shadow of death. In your name, Amen.

Action Step

Today or tomorrow, before Ash Wednesday, spend 30 minutes in quiet reflection. Ask God:

• What do I need to see about who Jesus is before I enter Lent?
• What do I need to let go of this season?
• What cross am I being called to take up?

Write down what you sense, and carry it with you into Lent as your focus for the next forty days.

Benediction
(Based on 2 Peter 1:16-19)
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May you remember the glory you have seen. May you hold fast to the prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. And may you follow the one who was transfigured in glory, trusting that he will lead you through the cross to the resurrection. Go in peace, and prepare your heart for the journey ahead.