Introduction
For the past two weeks we have been asking an important question: How do we make sense of Jesus? Through this series we are learning what it truly takes to understand Him.
So far we have discovered:
- Making sense of Jesus requires change.
- Making sense of Jesus requires a covenant.
This series is not merely about gaining knowledge. It is about training.
What is the difference?
- Teaching gives knowledge.
- Training prepares someone for deployment.
The disciples were learning the most essential training for their roles as followers of Christ—soon to become apostles. In the same way, we are not simply receiving information. We are being deployed.
To understand Jesus—truly to make sense of Him—requires recognizing Christ’s authority and the way He delegates responsibility to advance the Kingdom of God.
From the Mountaintop to the Valley
As Jesus comes down from the mountaintop experience of the Transfiguration, He immediately encounters a ministry opportunity.
Luke records:
“The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him.”
(Luke 9:37)
Light in the Darkness
I love what Jesse recently put on our church sign:
“The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.”
When we seek God’s light, we discover truth—truth that helps us overcome challenges and live victoriously. In Christ alone we find hope, grace, mercy, and the promise of God’s Kingdom.
Sometimes the answers we need are hidden in darkness—but when we bring them into the light, they are revealed.
Authority Over Darkness
In this passage the disciples are learning how to minister—how to heal, cast out demons, and represent the authority of Christ.
Jesus reminds us that He has overcome the world. We are on the winning team. Yet we must live according to faith, walking in the Spirit rather than the flesh.
Jesus is not merely:
- an activist
- a teacher
- a doctor
- or simply a good man
He is God.
And He gives authority to those who follow Him.
Scripture reminds us that spiritual truth is discerned spiritually (see 1 Corinthians 2:14). Jesus was helping His disciples understand that their calling was a spiritual calling.
Immediately after the mountaintop experience, Jesus encounters darkness. A desperate father comes seeking help for his son. Luke uses the word “exeplēssonto,” meaning to be amazed—a theme we will revisit.
1. People Long for Jesus in the Valley
(Luke 9:37)
Our calling as followers of Jesus is to meet the deep spiritual longing in people’s lives.
Jesus’ first ministry opportunity after descending the mountain is to help someone in the valley.
Over the years I have taught a concept that guides my ministry: Crisis Evangelism.
This means meeting people at the point of their need. We represent Jesus by being present during times of loss, despair, and hardship.
A few Fridays ago I met Holly while visiting Chicago. I also saw Katrina, another former foster child from our home. Holly’s mother had just passed away, and I stopped by the funeral to offer my condolences.
Years ago Holly lived in our home as a foster child when we cared for teenagers in crisis. When she saw me she called out, “There is my foster dad!”
We hugged and wept.
In that moment my hope was not that they would see me—but that they would experience the presence of Christ through me.
That raises an important question:
Are people better off because they encountered us?
Do we carry the presence of Christ into the world?
2. People Anticipate Hope and Healing Through Christ
(Luke 9:38–40)
As Jesus and the three disciples come down from the mountain, they encounter a desperate father.
Mark also records this story, but Luke adds an important detail: this was the man’s only son.
The child was suffering from seizures and was also demon-possessed. The father hoped Jesus could bring healing.
Matthew Henry wrote:
“How deplorable the case of this child! He was under the power of an evil spirit… What mischief Satan does where he gets possession.”
The father’s complaint was simple: the disciples could not help his son.
This raises important questions for us:
- What does this reveal about the disciples?
- What does it reveal about us?
The disciples were being sent out by Jesus. Their ministry was part of their training—on-the-job training for deployment.
3. People Expect Ministry from Christ’s Disciples
(Luke 9:41–43)
When believers interact with the world, there are reasonable expectations others have of us.
One way to summarize this is the word HOPE.
H — Honesty
We follow God’s commands and live with integrity.
O — Optimism
We view the world through the lens of God’s love and redemptive plan.
P — Promise
We help people see their potential through Christ.
E — Exeplēssonto
People should be amazed by the work of God in our lives.
HOPE should be visible in the life of a believer.
Authorized Representatives
We also operate under Christ’s authority.
Think about what it means to be authorized:
- You receive credentials.
- You gain access to places others cannot enter.
- You receive training.
- You are delegated authority by the owner or leader.
Followers of Jesus carry delegated authority from Christ Himself.
Yet the natural person cannot understand spiritual things (1 Corinthians 2:14). Without faith, people remain skeptical—like Thomas in John 20, who refused to believe until he saw proof.
Jesus told him:
“Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”
Even though we are human, we can know God personally and deeply. Through Christ we are lifted beyond the limitations of this world into the reality of His presence.
4. People Receive What Jesus Has to Give
(Luke 9:43–45)
After rebuking the unbelief around Him, Jesus heals the boy.
There is something deeply moving about seeing the impact of healing on a child.
My wife and I spent several years in foster care ministry. We witnessed firsthand how hopelessness and despair affect children and families.
Often people are not looking for someone to solve their problems immediately. Instead, they long for someone who will walk with them through their struggles.
Sometimes problems have taken years—even decades—to develop. What people often need most is compassion, presence, and faithful friendship.
When we walk with people through the valley, joy eventually follows.
The Kingdom of God comes near when we minister to those who are:
- hurting
- hopeless
- harassed
- humiliated
- helpless
When someone is grieving, we do not simply promise that God will remove the pain. Instead, we remind them God walks with them through it.
When someone receives a devastating diagnosis, we do not pretend to control the outcome. Healing belongs to God’s authority. Our role is to walk beside them in faith.
Matthew Henry continues:
“Happy are those that have access to Christ… A word from Christ healed the child.”
Delegated Authority
Disciples are representatives of Jesus and His authority.
What we give to others can only come from what we ourselves have received through Christ.
We are not magicians performing tricks.
We are servants of the Most High God.
The Eternal Hope
Jesus also pointed His disciples to something beyond the present moment—the eternal Kingdom.
Revelation reminds us of the ultimate promise:
“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more… neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore.”
(Revelation 21:4–5)
This is the hope we carry.
We can know God fully. We can experience heaven touching earth through prayer and obedience.
We encounter God on the mountaintops and serve Him faithfully in the valleys.
And in those valleys, people are waiting—hoping—that Christ’s disciples will help carry their burdens.
Because the truth is simple: We need Jesus every hour.
