This Is My Beloved Son
A Sermon on Luke 9:35
Originally preached Jan. 8, 1956
Scripture
35And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.
Sermon Description
In this sermon on Luke 9:35 titled “This Is My Beloved Son,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones preaches about the Mount of Transfiguration where God declares who Jesus is. God tells that Jesus is His Son and all must listen to Him. Human merit nor worldly wisdom is at the heart of Christianity, but it is the real historical person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is not like many other religious figures because He is a real man of whom we have historical record. What makes Jesus the Savior is that He really lived, died, and has risen from the dead. The Christian faith is grounded not in myths or fables but in the historical Jesus Christ. The message of Jesus is as vital as it has ever been. People are still sinners who are alienated from God and self-deceived. Jesus frees them from sin through His gospel of truth. He not only makes them right before God, but He transforms them and gives them new desires. While people are naturally deaf to the truths of God, Jesus can heal sinful people and give them new life in the Spirit. Those who are saved then must imitate Christ by taking up their cross and following Him wherever He may lead.
Sermon Breakdown
- The passage being preached on is Luke 9:35 - "And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him."
- The main point of the sermon is that we must listen to and obey Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
- Three reasons are given for why we should listen to Jesus:
- Because of who He is - the beloved Son of God
- Because of what He says - He is the light of the world, He came to save the lost, He gives rest, He calls sinners to repentance, He is the only way to the Father
- Because of what He has done - He healed the sick, calmed the storm, transformed the lives of the apostles and many others, died and rose again
- If we do not listen to Jesus, we will remain as we are - in our sins and without hope. But if we listen to Him, we can have salvation, forgiveness, and new life.
- We must hear Jesus telling us that He died for our sins so we can have salvation and be delivered from sin. We must deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him.
- The sermon concludes with a call to listen to and obey the Son of God, our Savior.
Sermon Q&A
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on the Transfiguration: Key Questions and Answers
What is the central message of Christianity according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, the central message of Christianity is Jesus Christ Himself. He emphasizes that "the christian message is about Jesus Christ" and that the entirety of the message is summarized in the words from the Transfiguration: "Hear Him." Christianity isn't primarily about philosophies, moral teachings, or social reforms, but about the person of Christ. Lloyd-Jones states: "Christianity is Christ."
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones differentiate Christianity from other religions and philosophies?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christianity is fundamentally a historical religion, unlike other belief systems. He says: "Christianity is an historical religion. That's where it's so different from Muhammadanism and Hinduism and Confucianism and all the rest of them. They are not historical religions, they're philosophies, they're teachings. The whole case here depends upon a series of historical events and facts." Christianity stands on the reality of specific historical events, particularly the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.
What does the voice from heaven at the Transfiguration reveal about Jesus?
The voice from heaven reveals Jesus' divine identity with the words: "This is my beloved Son, hear Him." Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that this divine declaration establishes that Jesus is not merely a carpenter or a human teacher, but God's own Son. This divine affirmation is central to understanding who Jesus is and why we should listen to Him. The Transfiguration provides visible evidence of Christ's divine nature as "he was transfigured before them and his face did shine as the sun."
Why should people listen to Jesus according to Dr. Lloyd-Jones?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones gives several reasons why people should listen to Jesus: 1. Because of who He is - God's beloved Son 2. Because of what He says - "I am the light of the world," "Come unto me," etc. 3. Because of what He does - healing the sick, transforming lives 4. Because He is God's final word to humanity - "God has spoken finally in him" 5. Because our eternal destiny depends on it - "if you don't listen to this son of God, you will continue as you are"
What evidence does Dr. Lloyd-Jones present for Christ's divine identity?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents multiple lines of evidence for Christ's divinity: 1. The Transfiguration itself - where Christ's appearance was transformed 2. The voice from heaven directly identifying Him as God's Son 3. The fulfilled prophecies from the Old Testament 4. His miracles and teachings 5. His resurrection from the dead - "The resurrection declared to be the son of God with power" 6. His transformative impact on people like Peter and Paul
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the world's greatest problem?
The greatest problem according to Lloyd-Jones is that people will not listen to Christ. He states: "Isn't this the supreme tragedy? That men and women are not listening to him?" He argues that the troubles of the world stem from sin and humanity's alienation from God, and that despite all our advances, nothing will be right until people return to God through Christ. The fundamental issue is not political, economic, or social, but spiritual.
How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones describe the transformative power of Christ?
Dr. Lloyd-Jones illustrates Christ's transformative power through examples like Simon Peter and Paul. He describes how Peter went from being impulsive, self-confident yet weak-willed, to becoming "a rock, stable and dependable, bold and fearless." Similarly, Saul the persecutor became Paul the apostle. Lloyd-Jones extends this pattern through church history with figures like Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Wesley - all transformed by hearing and obeying Christ.
What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say is the result of not listening to Christ?
For those who do not listen to Christ, Dr. Lloyd-Jones warns: "if you don't listen to this son of God, you will continue as you are. You will die in your sins, and you will go to hell." He describes this as "a continuation of what you are now, but much worse, because there'll be no hope." The preacher emphasizes that there is no alternative salvation or hope apart from Christ, as He is God's final word to humanity.
Other Sermons
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.