Luke 9:37-45
The glorious Son descends to deliver the helpless and announces that He Himself will be delivered up.
37 On the next day, when they had come down from the mountain, a great multitude met him.
38 Behold, a man from the crowd called out, saying, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child.
39 Behold, a spirit takes him, he suddenly cries out, and it convulses him so that he foams, and it hardly departs from him, bruising him severely.
40 I begged your disciples to cast it out, and they couldn’t.”
41 Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you and bear with you? Bring your son here.”
42 While he was still coming, the demon threw him down and convulsed him violently. But Jesus rebuked the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father.
43 They were all astonished at the majesty of God. But while all were marveling at all the things which Jesus did, he said to his disciples,
44 “Let these words sink into your ears, for the Son of Man will be delivered up into the hands of men.”
45 But they didn’t understand this saying. It was concealed from them, that they should not perceive it, and they were afraid to ask him about this saying.
The glorious Son descends to deliver the helpless and announces that he himself will be delivered up.
Luke records Jesus descending from the mountain to deliver an only son whom the disciples could not help, and then repeats that the Son of Man will be delivered into human hands, so that readers see both Jesus’ unmatched authority over evil and the disciples’ continuing slowness to grasp the suffering path of the glorious Son.
The day after the transfiguration, Jesus, Peter, John, and James come down from the mountain and meet a large crowd. A man cries out for Jesus to look at his only son, who is seized by a spirit that throws him into convulsions, makes him foam at the mouth, and scarcely leaves him. The father had begged the disciples to drive the spirit out, but they could not. Jesus rebukes the unbelieving and perverse generation, commands that the boy be brought, rebukes the unclean spirit, heals the boy, and gives him back to his father. While everyone marvels at God’s greatness, Jesus tells the disciples to listen carefully: the Son of Man is going to be delivered into human hands.
The Christ Revealed, the Cross Announced, and the Jerusalem Road Begun
Jesus is the Christ of God, the glorious Son who must suffer, and the resolute Lord who calls His followers into kingdom mission, daily cross-bearing, humble service, and undivided allegiance on the road to Jerusalem.