Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary Luke 9:27

"But I tell you of a truth, There are some of them that stand here, who shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God." — Luke 9:27 (ASV)

This is a perplexing verse. “Some who are standing here” refers either to the disciples as a group as opposed to the crowd, or to some of the disciples as opposed to the rest of the disciples.

There have been a number of different proposals as to what specific experience Jesus had in mind when he said these words. He may have meant Pentecost, for the coming of the Spirit brought the dynamic of the kingdom. More likely, however, he meant the Transfiguration, which Luke is about to discuss. That event focuses even more sharply on the kingdom and is, among other things, a preview of the Parousia, which event is clearly connected with the reign of Christ (see comment on vv.28–36; see 2 Peter 1:16–18). If Jesus was referring to the Transfiguration here, then the “some” who would not die before seeing the kingdom were Peter, James, and John, who saw Jesus transfigured. Why Jesus said they would “not taste death” before participating in an event only days away is perplexing. But he may have chosen those words because most people despaired of seeing the glory of the kingdom in their lifetime.

This glorious transformation of the appearance of Christ is the most significant event between his birth and passion. Both the transformation itself and the divine commentary expressed in the Voice from heaven declare Jesus Christ to be the beloved Son of God. Luke emphasizes a further dimension of the event—the suffering that lay ahead of God’s chosen Servant (see comments on vv.30–31, 35). In addition to the main elements of the Transfiguration itself and the words from heaven, the narrative contains several motifs of deep significance: the eight-day interlude, the mountain, Moses and Elijah, Jesus’ impending “departure,” the shelters, and the cloud.

Two frames of reference, one past and one future, will help us understand these motifs. One is the Exodus of the people of Israel from Egypt with the events at Mount Sinai, especially Moses’ experience on the mount (Exodus 24). The other is the second coming of Christ, the “Parousia” (cf. v.26).