God Speaks
Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone. 2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light. 3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.
4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.
7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.
9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”
10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”
11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.
14 At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”
17 Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.
19 Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”
20 “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.”
22 After they gathered again in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. 23 He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” And the disciples were filled with grief.
24 On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”
25 “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.
But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”
26 “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.
“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! 27 However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.”
Source: BibleGateway.com
We Respond
Reflection: Consider the following questions regarding Matthew 17:
1. What does this chapter tell me about God?
2. What does this chapter tell me about the human beings He created?
Here is one possible answer to each of these questions. Ask the Holy Spirit if there are any others for you personally to ponder.
1. God the Father knew, approved of, and directed Jesus’ mission here on the earth.
2. People are astounded when they see God’s glory displayed in such events as the transfiguration or the healing of the demon-harassed boy.
Prayer:
3. How might I pray regarding Matthew 17?
Thank You, Father God, for giving Peter, James, and John a glimpse of Jesus in His glory in the transfiguration. Moses and Elijah were there as well, which Peter acknowledged, but it was Your voice, Father God, from the cloud that was most important. You affirmed Jesus’ life and mission when You said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” Then, Jesus, You assuaged the disciples’ fear and explained how John the Baptist fulfilled the hopes of the Jews that Elijah would herald the presence and ministry of the Messiah. You tried to warn them that You would suffer as John did, but they didn’t understand. When You came down from the mountain, You healed an epileptic, demonically harassed boy, and taught his frantic father (as well as the disciples and all who witnessed it) about faith. It is not the size of our faith that matters (small as a mustard seed), but the size and power of the object of our faith-–You, LORD. The temple tax incident is an example of how You provide what Your children need in unexpected ways. Please help me to keep turning to You so that You will be glorified. AMEN.
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
4. What action does the LORD want me to take in response to Matthew 17?
- I will spend at least 15 minutes meditating on what Jesus’s glorified body looks like, using the book of Revelation as a reference.
- I will look in a commentary, concordance, bible dictionary, or other references to learn more about Moses and Elijah. Why were they the ones speaking with Jesus at His transfiguration?
- I will seek to answer the question: Why did Jesus (whom most people would say was exceptionally good) have to suffer? Does that help to explain why bad things happen to “good” people?
- I will make a list of ways Father God has provided for me in unexpected ways, thank Him for each one, and share them with _______ (a specific person). This is one way to glorify God.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.