The Transfiguration was an assurance to Jesus of His glory, mission and identity. It was through this event like that Jesus was prepared to suffer for our salvation. The Transfiguration also reminds us of the importance of hearing Jesus and hoping in Jesus. It’s because of Him that we’re assured and destined for glory; destined to step from the foyer of this world into the spectacular, all-consuming, indescribable beauty of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

In a culture that believes self-denial is a morally wrong and lives by the creed ‘our chief purpose is to glorify and enjoy ourselves for all the time we have,’ Jesus' call in this passage is a hard sell. What exactly, then, does being Jesus' disciple look like? Jesus explains that to follow Him, our life will look like daily dying and unashamed living.

Our entire destiny - heaven and hell - hinges on how we answer the question Jesus asks: who do you say that I am? Jesus is both the Son of Man and the Suffering Servant; the One who brings salvation through suffering, dying and rising for His people. 

What are your defaults in finding satisfaction? To find satisfaction in Jesus alone will look like remembering His power and provision, asking Him to supply what we need without presuming we know best and resting in His ability to satisfy us with more of Himself.

We've all experienced on-the-job training. Jesus' apostles are no different. After a period of watching and listening to Jesus, they are sent out to preach, cast out demons and heal. As followers of Jesus, we are also on a mission to proclaim the arrival of God's kingdom in the Person and work of Jesus. This mission has a particular message (the gospel), means (God's Word and Spirit) and effect (accept or reject).

Who can you depend on to come through for you when you’re faced with difficulty? Whoever or whatever we lean on, things like disease and death leave us helpless and hopeless. In Luke's account of the bleeding woman and the bereaved man, we learn that when circumstances are overwhelming, when the situation goes from bad to worse and when all hope is lost, only those who put their faith in Jesus will never be let down.

The most dangerous men are those who have power with no restraint. In Luke 8, Jesus comes face to face with the demonic powers of darkness that have possessed a man. We see that all powers bend their knees to Jesus and Jesus uses His authority to save.

The disciples find themselves in danger in the place they felt most confident. Similarly, suffering has a way of revealing just how weak, vulnerable and dependent we are. Yet, faith's strong light in our stormy nights is Jesus. When your life hits the fan, Jesus’ settled sovereignty is the solid ground for your feet.

Jesus presses on the question of whether we’re serious about Him. In our relationships, someone reveals they’re serious by making the other person a priority and following through on what they say. In other words, being serious and committed is an issue of priority and practice. Jesus explains, similarly, that we show we’re serious about Him by the priority and practice of His Word.

Jesus tells us in the parable of the sower that how we hear God's Word is critically important. Good listening is needed as much as good preaching! The parable encourages us to ask if God's Word has taken root in our hearts and is bearing fruit in our lives.

Great forgiveness ought to lead to great change; to complete surrender and gratitude. If we’ve truly received God’s forgiveness we will be profoundly, truly changed. We see in Jesus’ interaction with a sinful woman and a Pharisee that His forgiveness changes how we see ourselves, we respond to Him and we relate to others.

To be human is to have expectations. We expect certain behaviour from our children, particular treatment from the waiter at a restaurant and definite quality in the purchases we make. What are our expectations of Jesus? What are our expectations of His messengers? In John the Baptist's question to Jesus and Jesus' teaching the people about John, we learn that Jesus may not do what we expect, but we are blessed when we trust Him.

Have you suffered the loss of someone close to you? When the ground has been pulled out from under you and grief is overwhelming, what truths can steady you in your pain? In Luke 7, Jesus comes face to face with the a grieving widow about to bury her only son. Through this account we see the three truths we need for every funeral: the horror of death, the heart of Jesus and the hope of the Gospel.

A Roman centurion's faith causes Jesus to marvel. What is it about his faith that causes Jesus to respond in this way? What can we learn about faith from the centurion? We're taught that faith accepts, receives and rests on Jesus. Faith sees with the ears through placing confidence in Jesus communicating His presence and power through His Word.

Jesus finishes the sermon on the plain with a call to self-examination. What fruit are we bearing? What do our mouths reveal about our hearts? What foundation do we build on? It is one thing to profess Jesus as 'Lord', but do we actually do what He says? Looking at our fruit and our foundation reveals wether we are truly in step with Jesus.

All our lives are lived under the scrutiny of others. We also judge others according to our standards of what is right or wrong. Jesus teaches that His followers also judge, but that their judging is to be measured. We are to look at ourselves first and remember God's own mercy toward us before trying to remove the specks from others.

Whitney Houston sang, "Bring me a higher love...where's that higher love I've been thinkin' of?" Jesus teaches His disciples that they are called to this higher love. Those who belong to Jesus' kingdom love their enemies, do good to those who hate them and give generously to anyone in need. This demanding and distinct love is ultimately divine love - the love that the Father displayed in sending His Son and the Son displayed in dying on the cross for His enemies. It's only as followers Christ who have begun to grasp the love of Christ that we will begin to show this same love to others.

Life lived outside of God's kingdom is a cursed life. Jesus explains that a cursed life is to find your comfort in riches, satisfaction in the here and now, joy in the suffering of others and identity in the praise of others.

Who would you describe as being truly blessed? Someone have a particular career? Millions in the bank? A clean bill of health? At the beginning of the Sermon on the Plain, Jesus explains that to be blessed isn't based on one's circumstance; nor is it a condition to be met. Instead, it is a status that He declares on all those who belong to His kingdom.

The apostles are interesting because of their ordinariness. They weren't the smartest, wealthiest or most influential people. Yet, they were purposefully and deliberately chosen by Jesus to be His messengers and witnesses. The ministry of the apostles gives us certainty regarding the gospel and clarity regarding the makeup and mission of the local church.