Matthew chapter 17

Jesus is transfigured. He meets Moses and Elijah. He heals a demon-possessed lad. He predicts his own execution. Peter pays the temple tax.

 


 

JESUS IS TRANSFIGURED

 

VERSE 1. After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John his brother, and brought them up into a high mountain by themselves.

After six days:

Luke 9:28. About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.

Peter, James, and John. Within the disciples, they constitute an inner circle.

a high mountain. Jesus went up a high mountain to deliver the Sermon on the Mount.

 

VERSE 2. He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his garments became as white as the light.

He was transfigured. Jesus was transformed to reveal a tiny fraction of his future glory.

His face shone like the sun. That happened to Moses as well:

Exodus 34:29. When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in Moses’ hand, when he came down from the mountain, Moses didn’t know that the skin of his face shone by reason of his speaking with him.

white as the light. The Bible sometimes associates fire with the presence of the Most High God. Read more »

 

VERSE 3. Behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them talking with him.

Moses. Moses represents the Law of the Old Testament.

Elijah. Elija represents the Prophets of the Old Testament era.

 

VERSE 4. Peter answered, and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, let’s make three tents here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Lord. This is an interesting title for Peter to use, in light of Matthew chapter 7:

Matthew 7:21. Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

let’s make three tents. This is a very strange thing to say.

Peter tends to say things without thinking first.

 

VERSE 5. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them. Behold, a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.”

a bright cloud. We want to see God. But we are unable to apprehend the LORD God in all his glory. So at the great moments of biblical history, he appears in the hidden form of a Cloud. Read more »

This is my beloved Son. God the Father describes Jesus as his beloved Son.

 

VERSE 6. When the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces, and were very afraid.

were very afraid. This was a paranormal experience, and naturally they were overcome with fear.

 

VERSE 7. Jesus came and touched them and said, “Get up, and don’t be afraid.”

don’t be afraid. Fear is a natural emotion. We can’t turn it off. Most people are held back by fear. But the Bible says “Do not be afraid.” That means to move forward anyway. Read more »

 

VERSE 8. Lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus alone.

they saw no one, except Jesus alone. They are experiencing the ideal. They had eyes only for Jesus Christ!

We pray this be true of us as well. Let’s be single-minded for Jesus Christ!

 

VERSE 9. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Don’t tell anyone what you saw, until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.”

 

VERSE 10. His disciples asked him, saying, “Then why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

 

VERSE 11. Jesus answered them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and will restore all things,

 

VERSE 12. but I tell you that Elijah has come already, and they didn’t recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted to. Even so the Son of Man will also suffer by them.”

 

VERSE 13. Then the disciples understood that he spoke to them of John the Baptizer.

 

JESUS HEALS A DEMON-POSSESSED LAD

 

VERSE 14. When they came to the multitude, a man came to him, kneeling down to him, and saying,

 

VERSE 15. “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is epileptic, and suffers grievously; for he often falls into the fire, and often into the water.

 

VERSE 16. So I brought him to your disciples, and they could not cure him.”

they could not cure him. The disciples were unable to drive out a demon. They were powerless. Why was this?

 

VERSE 17. Jesus answered, “Faithless and perverse generation! How long will I be with you? How long will I bear with you? Bring him here to me.”

Faithless. Jesus begins to tell the disciples why they were powerless to drive out this demon. The first reason is that they were faithless.

In our day, very few of us Christians are able to drive out demons. We have lots of clever ways to justify our lack of power:

  • The time of deliverance from demons ended with the apostles
  • Deliverance ministries do not fit into a dispensationalist theory of salvation history
  • The demons in the Bible are just myths

However, the best explanation for our lack of power is that we lack faith.

How long will I bear with you? It is no delight for Jesus Christ to put up with our lack of faith.

 

VERSE 18. Jesus rebuked him, the demon went out of him, and the boy was cured from that hour.

 

VERSE 19. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”

 

VERSE 20. He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Because of your unbelief. How many times do we not see answers to prayer, simply because we do not believe that God can answer us?

nothing will be impossible for you. This is a remarkable statement! There is nothing that will be impossible for us. There is nothing that will be impossible for you.

Can you let these words of Jesus sink into you? What if it is true? What would this mean for you? How would it change your life?

 

VERSE 21. But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”

by prayer and fasting. In some situations, belief-filled praying is not enough. We need to add fasting. How do you know when to add fasting? Perhaps you would like to explore our many articles on fasting.

 

JESUS PREDICTS HIS OWN EXECUTION

 

VERSE 22. While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

What was the mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? How did he himself define it? Here are the verses we find in the four gospels »

 

VERSE 23. and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” They were exceedingly sorry.

the third day. The Lord Jesus predicted that he would be killed, spend three days in the tomb, and then be raised up. Read more »

 

JESUS PAYS THE TEMPLE TAX

 

VERSE 24. When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?”

 

VERSE 25. He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”

 

VERSE 26. Peter said to him, “From strangers.” Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt.

 

VERSE 27. But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.”

 


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MATTHEW

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Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations on this page are from the World English Bible and the World Messianic Edition. These translations have no copyright restrictions. They are in the Public Domain.