Bible Study – A Cloud Descending
Share: Your highs (something that made you happy) and lows (something that made you sad) this week with others around you or write them down.
Epiphany: Shimmering glimpses of the abundance of the Kingdom of God. Perhaps we, too, noticed a star and followed it. Or maybe someone led us to the gift of faith. Now we take the Light – the Good News – out into the world. Will others see the light shimmering in us? Will they risk taking a journey into faith with us?
Jesus takes three of his disciples with him to the mountain to pray. They hear a voice again! This time it is not a dove descending, but a cloud. And even Jesus' clothes become dazzling white. What must have been going on in the minds of the three disciples, as they kept silent about all that they had seen?
Think of examples to affirm the following statement. The statement: We tend to start to looking like what we spend the most time doing. For example: a little boy who loves baseball and is often striking the pose of a batter or a pitcher. What do you think people look like who are always in a bad mood, or those who are always hopeful.
Opening Prayer: Thank you, God, for sending Jesus to teach us who he was, by what he said and what he did. Amen.
Please open your Bibles to Luke 9:28-36 and read or read the scriptures below.
Luke 9:28-36
The Transfiguration
28 About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. 29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. 30 Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. 31 They spoke about his departure,[a] which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As the men were leaving Jesus, Peter said to him, “Master, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” (He did not know what he was saying.)
34 While he was speaking, a cloud appeared and covered them, and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 A voice came from the cloud, saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.” 36 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.
Reflection Questions: (Answers at bottom of page)
- Today's passage acts like the a second half of a pair of book ends — the first half being the passage we had the First Sunday after Epiphany Luke 3: verses 21-22. Use your Bible, and keep a bookmark at today's passage and then find the first passage and mark that one also. (Both passages are found in the scripture below as well.)
- Who is the "voice" speaking to, primarily, in Luke 3:21-22?
- Who is the "voice" speaking to in today's passage from Luke 9?
- If the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove in the first passage, in what way might the Holy Spirit be represented in today's passage?
- Check out Moses and Elijah but keep the two Luke passages marked and then find Exodus 34:29-35 for Moses and II Kings 2: 1-12 for Elijah.
- In what ways did both Moses and Jesus "change" as they made time and space to listen to God? Moses: (Exodus 34:29b); Jesus (Luke 9: 29)
Click her for the young learner’s lesson
Videos (Click on the words or url)
Daily Gospel Reading Video - St Luke 6:28-36: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuMw2OvZiHM
Gospel of Luke Summary: A Complete Animated Overview (Part 1) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XIb_dCIxzr0
Song: I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRkj9f7ZJyo
Activities
Think about how Peter, James, John and the other disciples (include Mary, Mary Magdalene, and Suzanna) when they are all sitting together at a table. It is after Pentecost. Jesus has been crucified, died, buried, risen and ascended. And now we are looking back at these two events (Jesus’ baptism and Jesus’ transfiguration) to figure out what WE are supposed to be doing. What are some doubts as well as assurances. Do you think this “voice” is available to you also?
“Write” a paragraph describing what happened and what this means. Or be creative and write it as a “news release” or “story of the day” as if you were telling others about what happened. You could also be creative in art, song, or poem, etc.
What is a Mountain Top Experience – A sense of peace, fullness and happiness. A time of feeling especially close to God. Like the disciples, an experience of seeing Jesus as never before.
Mountain Top Painting: Draw a mountain on a piece of 8 1/2 by 11 inch poster board and color it using markers. Title the art work “Mountain Top Experiences” and write “mountain top experiences” around your drawing that you may have had or would like to during camping, church service, reading the Bible, outside on a quite summer night, mission trip, climbing a mountain, rising sun etc. God might have planned that mountain top experience for us if we turn our life over to HIM! (God knows the plans He has for us, Jeremiah 29:11)
Transfiguration – Multiple Choice: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/transfiguration-5
Transfiguration – Fill in the Blank: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/transfiguration-4
Transfiguration - Word Search: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/transfiguration-2
Transfiguration – Crossword: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/the-transfiguration
Transfiguration – Maze: https://sermons4kids.com/activities/transfiguration-1
Prayer: Thank you, God for showing us what you want us to do and for staying with us as we do it. Amen.
Answers to the Reflection Questions:
- Today's passage acts like the a second half of a pair of book ends — the first half being the passage we had the First Sunday after Epiphany Luke 3: verses 21-22. Use your Bible, and keep a bookmark at today's passage and then find the first passage and mark that one also. (Both passages are found in the scripture below as well.)
- Who is the "voice" speaking to, primarily, in Luke 3:21-22? (To Jesus: to assure him that he does understand the work he has been given to do.)
- Who is the "voice" speaking to in today's passage from Luke 9? (To the disciples, and therefore also to us, to keep the faith after Jesus is no longer here in person.)
- If the Holy Spirit is represented by a dove in the first passage, in what way might the Holy Spirit be represented in today's passage? (The cloud, perhaps?)
- Check out Moses and Elijah but keep the two Luke passages marked and then find Exodus 34:29-35 for Moses and II Kings 2: 1-12 for Elijah.
- In what ways did both Moses and Jesus "change" as they made time and space to listen to God? Moses: (Exodus 34:29b) he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.; Jesus: (Luke 9: 29) As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.
