Matthew 17:1–13
Jesus was preparing for his death. He chose three of his disciples for something special. He let them see how strong and how wonderful he was. (He let them see his glory.)
Peter had declared that Jesus was the Messiah. (Read Matthew 16:16.) Jesus told his disciples not to say anything about it. (See Matthew 16:20. Compare 17:9 too.) There was a reason for this. Jesus wanted to explain things to them more completely. They still had much to learn. They knew that he was the Messiah. Now they must learn what that meant. They must learn what it meant to be his disciples too. This teaching began in Matthew 16:21–28.
Here, in Matthew 17:1–13, Jesus continued this teaching. He did it in a very special and wonderful way. Matthew saw it as a way to teach. But it would have helped Jesus too. It would have confirmed his task to him. Bad things were going to happen to him. And it would have given him strength for that time.
Jesus was the prophet of God. Peter believed that. But he still argued with Jesus. (Read Matthew 16:22.) Yet, Jesus chose Peter to climb the mountain with him. Jesus took only two other disciples with him.
Two very important things happened on the mountain. First, Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah. For the Jews, they were the greatest OT men of God. God used Moses to give his laws to the Jews. (The first 5 books of the OT are called The Law. Moses wrote them.) Elijah was a great prophet. The prophets wrote many books of the OT. ( Jews called these books The Prophets.) So, it is clear that both the Law and the Prophets spoke about Jesus. (Compare Luke 9:31 too.)
Then, the disciples heard a voice that came from heaven. The words were similar to those that are in Deuteronomy 18:15. It was how Peter spoke in Matthew 16:16 too. So, the voice that came from heaven emphasised the truth about Jesus. Jesus was (and is) the person whom God has chosen. Jesus speaks for God. There was a lesson for Peter here. It was: ‘Do not argue. Listen to him.’
Read again Matthew’s account of this great event. It reminds us about other verses in the Bible. First, there was the time when Moses met with God. (Read Exodus 34:29–35.) Moses’ face shone because he was so close to God. Jesus, too, shone all over. Then, read Revelation 1:13–16. There is a description of Jesus’ glory in heaven. Several things are similar to the event that is in Matthew 17. This is probably not a surprise. John wrote the book of Revelation. He was also with Jesus on the mountain.
But there was more than that. The disciples saw Jesus’ glory on the mountain. It suggested Jesus’ future glory. That would be when he had finished his work. In the days ahead, Jesus would die on the cross. The disciples would see this happen. Then they should remember this great event that happened on the mountain.
Peter had argued with Jesus (Matthew 16:22). He probably thought that Jesus would establish a kingdom on earth. It was hard not to think about that sort of glory (Matthew 17:4). But this event on the mountain was special. It showed what Jesus’ kingdom was really like. The disciples saw Jesus’ glory. It should make them think about greater things. It should affect their ambitions, too. Before this, they may have been looking for a kingdom on earth. Now, they should look for God himself. They should enjoy him.
Of course, Peter wanted to stay on the mountain. But Matthew concentrated on something else. It was the discussion between Jesus and his three disciples. This was when they returned from the mountain. Again, Jesus asked them not to speak about what had happened. The time was not yet right (Matthew 17:9). The disciples could not understand the event completely yet. The time would come when they would understand it. That would be when Jesus came back to life again.
The section ended with a question. It also gave Jesus’ reply. The disciples asked about Elijah. The prophets had said that Elijah would return. He would announce the Messiah. (Read Matthew 11:14.) Jesus had said that John the Baptist was this ‘Elijah’. Now the three disciples had seen Elijah! This was hard to understand. So, they asked Jesus about it (Matthew 17:10).
Jesus had been talking with Moses and Elijah. They spoke about Jesus’ death. The subject was not his great kingdom. Jesus repeated what he had said before. John the Baptist was the man who was like ‘Elijah’. The OT had said that he would come. Then Jesus said something that was important. John the Baptist had suffered. (Read Matthew 14:1–12.) And Jesus must suffer too (Matthew 17:12).
There is another lesson to learn from this event. Jesus had said a strange thing. (Read Matthew 17:16:28.) It was about some people who were there with him. They would not die until they had seen Jesus in his kingdom. This passage explained his words. These people saw his glory there on the mountain. His glory continued to show too. Jesus came back to life again. He returned to heaven. Then he sent his Holy Spirit to live in all his people.
So the kingdom of Jesus advances all over the world. His kingdom grows in men and women. They all wait to see the full glory of Jesus. Satan (the devil) has not won. (Read Matthew 16:18.)
Questions
- We have read a description of Jesus and his glory. How can this help us as disciples today?
- The kingdom of God has already begun to come. Can you think of any examples of this truth? Perhaps there are some examples in your own church? In what ways can we see God’s power?
- Imagine something. Jesus shows himself, as he did on the mountain. But he shows himself to each person in the world. What difference would that make? Think about the newspapers, television and radio. How would they report it? What would governments’ reactions be? Think about the different sections of society. What might their reactions be? After 5 years, would the world be a different place?
