Hope of Glory (Matthew 17:1-13)
To begin our story, we see Jesus grabbing three disciples and walking up a high mountain. Jesus has gone up a high mountain on many occasions. Usually, he goes up alone to pray, but this time he brings three disciples with him. Why is he bringing them up this mountain?
Jesus Changes
Matthew 17:2--3 (ESV) --- 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
Transfigured means that he was changed. Up until this point, Jesus was nothing to look at. If we were to see him on the road, we would pass by him and think nothing of him. He was just another man. But now Peter, James, and John see his face shining like the sun, and his clothing is white from the light coming out of his body. What a glorious image that would be!
Then, as if that wasn't enough, Moses and Elijah are there. These two men are the prophetic leaders of Israel. Moses brought Israel the Law. He was there at the beginning trying to help Israel to see God and follow his commands. Elijah began a series of prophets who would reveal God's plan of redemption. These two men are said to represent the Law and the Prophets.
Peter Doesn't See
Matthew 17:4--6 (ESV) --- 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.
Peter is always the outspoken one. If you have ever been afraid of speaking up in Bible class, take note of Peter. He says, "It's good that we are here." Peter wanted to encourage Jesus. He tried to train Jesus and let Jesus know that he needs to show this to everyone! Here is how we will dominate everyone and subjugate them. Should we build a tent for all three? Peter wants Moses and Elijah to stay. These three men together can set Israel on the right path. Peter can just see everything falling into place now, and he wants to be a servant for these three men.
But verse 5 tells us that God interrupted him. His bright cloud overshadowed them and spoke. He says, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." This is odd. Why would God say this? Moses and Elijah are here! We want to hear all three of them. But the voice from the cloud was so terrifying that there was no arguing with it. All three disciples fell on their faces when the words came out.
Jesus Helps Them Up
Matthew 17:7--8 (ESV) --- 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
He comes over to help these guys get up, and he reassures them, telling them not to be afraid. These men are terrified after hearing the words of God. They had fallen on their faces as men have always done in the presence of God. Isn't it interesting that after Jesus lifts them up, he is all alone? Oh no! Where are Moses and Elijah? They need these men for their cause.
Confused Disciples
Matthew 17:9--13 (ESV) --- 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Then, Jesus tells them, "Tell no one the vision." Can you imagine being commanded not to tell anyone what you just saw? How hard would that be?
But the disciples don't argue with him about that. Instead, they have a question about Elijah. They ask, "Why do the scribes say Elijah must come first?" According to Malachi's book, the last book of the Old Testament, Elijah must come back after being taken up into heaven. The last words of the Old Testament foretell Elijah's return. They want to know why Elijah did not stay. He was supposed to return before Jesus comes in glory. How could he leave?
Malachi 4:5--6 (ESV) --- 5 “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. 6 And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
What does Jesus say? Elijah has come. He came, and they did not recognize him. They refused to submit to his preaching, and they did to him whatever they wanted. Then, Jesus says that they will do the same to him. The disciples understand that he was talking about John the Baptist.
What Is This About?
As I read and studied this story, I couldn't help but feel like there is more to this than meets the eye. To understand the transfiguration, we need to look at the immediate context, the Old Testament references, and the big picture.
Immediate context
In the last Chapter, we went from Jesus asking, "Who do others say that I am?" to, "Who do you say that I am?" Peter said, "You are the Christ!" Then, Jesus revealed that he must die and be raised again before he could return in glory. Do you remember how Peter responded to that idea? He rejected it. He refused to believe that Jesus would ever suffer and die. He is the Messiah, the Lord's anointed. God would never let anything happen to him. But Jesus rebukes Peter and insists that he must die to return in glory. Then, he says that his disciples should take up their cross and follow suit.
Now, Jesus wants to ask them one more question, "Who does God say that I am?" God wants to reveal an important message to three of his disciples. Jesus is transfigured before them to give them a hint of his divinity. God is inside of the human body. The disciples needed to see that, though they probably didn't fully understand it yet. He chose three most likely because there must be three witnesses to prove that something happened later on. He wants them to explain this event after Jesus has been raised from the dead.
Old Testament References
But there is more to this story than meets the eye. Knowing the Old Testament brings up many different references that paint a picture of who Jesus is for the disciples.
1. God's Radiance
Remember how Moses would go into the tabernacle and speak with God face to face. Being in the presence of God resulted in his face shining like the sun. He had to veil that temporary glow from the people so that they wouldn't be afraid.
God is revealed to Ezekiel, Isaiah, and Daniel as a radiant human form like burning metal (Esp. Ezek 1:26-28, 8:2). Through the prophets, we are given an image of light pouring out of his being. Isn't that what we see in Jesus?
2. God's Presence
Jesus' radiance should remind us of when God comes down to dwell among his people? In the tabernacle, the glory of the Lord fills the tent (Exodus 40:34-38). In Solomon's temple, the glory of the Lord fills the temple and the court (1 Kings 8). But in Ezekiel, God shows us that his glory is leaving his people. Then, in Ezra, they try to build another temple. His glory never appears there. Notice where the radiant glory of God is in this text. It is inside of Jesus. All of God's glory is contained inside of this human body, and he lives among his people.
3. God's Character
Jesus living among his people is the very thing Moses and Elijah both wanted to see. These men were seeking God's glory and trying to understand him better. We might remember Moses asking God in Exodus 33 to let him see God's glory. That was up on a high mountain. Then, in Exodus 34, God passes by Moses and proclaims his name before him.
Exodus 34:5--7 (ESV) --- 5 The Lord descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed the name of the Lord. 6 The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, 7 keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”
Later, Elijah also went up on a high mountain where God revealed himself. Remember, he did not appear to him in the earthquake, the fire, or the strong wind. God was in the still, small voice. Then, he reveals to Elijah the same thing he revealed to Moses, the nature of his being. These men wanted to see what God was like, and now they are brought face to face with God in human form. They can see in Jesus who God is. But the disciples don't understand Jesus.
4. God's Word
There is a third reference found in the Old Testament is of the cloud of God. God comes with a bright cloud around him and speaks out of it. In the Old Testament, this bright cloud was common. It would lead the stubborn, hard-hearted people in the wilderness. This scene looks like Exodus 20, where God spoke the Ten Commandments to his people out of the fiery mountain. All of the people were terrified and asked God not to do that anymore. Notice that God doesn't give the disciples Ten Commandments. He gives them one, "Listen to Jesus."
The Big Picture
Throughout the Bible, God reveals who he is to mankind, but they don't get it. No one understands who God is or what he is doing. Now, we have a man who is bursting at the seams with God's radiant glory. God himself has come to earth in human form, and he is attempting to walk men through the proper way to live. This whole story is God's attempt to prepare these three disciples for what is about to happen.
The disciples have not understood. They see that Jesus is the Messiah, but they aren't listening and understanding what he has come to do. They don't understand God's character, like Moses and Elijah.
Why Do We Care?
This is a picture of who Jesus was and of how the disciples failed to see it. We need to ask ourselves two questions, "Do we see who Jesus is, and are we listening to him?" Do we see the radiance of the glory of God in the face of Jesus? This was a preview of the future glory of Christ. Jesus wanted these three fishermen to see and have great hope for their future. But he also wants them to put their trust more fully in what he is saying. They need to give themselves entirely to the truth about Jesus. They should be saying, "If he is going to die on the cross, we will follow him."
We might think, "Why didn't Jesus show it to all of his disciples?" All disciples of Christ need to understand the coming glory of Christ so that they can hear these words from God, "This is my beloved son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him!" We, too, need to see him and hear these words. But how?
We have to rely on their testimony and have faith. After Jesus dies and is resurrected, two of these disciples tell everyone about this event.
John 1:1--14 (ESV) --- 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. 6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. 9 The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. 11 He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. 12 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
John tells us that Jesus was God and that he revealed God's word for man.
2 Peter 1:16--19 (ESV) --- 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts,
God has shed light and given us hope through Jesus Christ. Although we don't physically walk and talk with him as they did, we have a greater hope ahead. In the future, we will be with Jesus in that glorious state all the time. He will be robed in majesty, and we can call him our brother. Also, through these men, we can hear the teachings of Jesus and decide to follow him. His suffering led to glory, and ours will as well.
Application
God dwelled among men and revealed himself to them, but they rejected him and refused to believe in him. We need to follow Jesus with our eyes fixed on the radiance of his glory. Everything he says and does will reveal to us the nature of God. Our mission is to listen to him. Then, we can become like him in our nature.
2 Peter 1:3--10 (ESV) --- 3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, 4 by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. 5 For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. 8 For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 10 Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to confirm your calling and election, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall.