Matthew 17 Jesus God's Glory

SLIDE 1 Matthew 17  Each day reminds us that life is but a vapor. Cancer is rampant in our world claiming our loved ones young and old. Yet Jesus has promised us life without end if we only believe. Do you believe Jesus is the only way to life everlasting? Be sure before you leave tonight; we are not promised tomorrow. Let us Pray

SLIDE 2 Imagine these headlines in the Hebrew Herald

·        Jesus Transfigured:  Witnessed by Three

·        Jesus Cast Spirit out of Deaf and Mute Boy

·        Peter Pays Temple Taxes with a Fish?

Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Would these get the attention of today’s media? SLIDE 3 Think of the last sensation taunted on television or newspaper. Panthers make it to Super Bowl.

SLIDE 4 Jesus revealed to his disciples in 16:28 Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom." Why have I never connected this statement to the transfiguration?

Matthew 17 ¹ And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. (Probably Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi) ² And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 

SLIDE 5 How did Jesus decide who to take with Him on the mountain? Peter, James and John must have had a special relationship with the Lord because of the many times the Bible talks about those three to the exclusion of the other disciples. Chosen as His first disciples along with Andrew, Peter’s brother, these three are often named together as some type of inner circle. Jesus allowed Peter, James, and John to witness the raising of Jairus’ daughter (Mark 5:37), to be experience the glory at the transfiguration, and later they will accompany Him further in the garden of Gethsemane.

³ And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.” 

SLIDE 6 What a remarkable sight it must have been on that mountain! The sum of Old Testament revelation Moses represents the Law and Elijah the Prophets came to meet with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration. Moses could represent those who die and go to glory, and Elijah could represent those who are caught up in heaven without death.

No wonder Peter wanted to stay. He may have been thinking of temporary shelters where Jews spend the Festival of Booths during Sukkot. But again he is thinking of the moment at hand and not toward Jerusalem. As great as Moses and Elijah were in the Old Testament, Jesus is the Messiah. The one they had been looking for; Jesus is fulfillment of prophecies and foreshadowed events.

SLIDE  7 The word transfigured speaks of a transformation , not merely a change in outward appearance. The effect was extremely striking; Jesus became so bright in appearance that He was even difficult to look at (like the sun ).
“The verb metamorphoo (‘transfigure,’ ‘transform,’ ‘change in form’) suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible.” (Carson)

Paul reminds us as Chrisitans “be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Romans 12:2

SLIDE  8 The real miracle was that Jesus, most of the time, could keep from displaying this glory.

A Dottie Rambo song says it so well.  "If That Isn't Love"
He left the splendor of heaven
Knowing His destiny
Was the lonely hill of Golgotha
There to lay down His life for me

Jesus Christ laid aside His glory when He came to earth (John 17:5).

SLIDE 9 ⁵ (Peter) 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.

Terrified! Not seeing Jesus transfigured or the sight of OT prophets, but hearing the voice of God the Father and the cloud of God’s glory, called the Shekinah in the Old Testament. From this cloud of glory, God the Father spoke.

Exodus 24:17 And to the eyes of the sons of Israel the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the mountain top.

Exodus 33: But He answered, "You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live." 
SLIDE 10 Because of His finished work on the cross, Jesus has received back His glory and now shares it with us.  John 17 ²⁴ Father, I desire that they also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory that you have given me

SLIDE  11  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.

But Jesus is definitely enough!  God sent His son to be the redemption of His people. The disciples were shown the glory of Jesus so they could look beyond the present day.  They needed to renew their minds to include the resurrection.

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.” 

The disciples had just seen Elijah but Jesus was already here with them.¹⁰ (they) 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. (Elijah is also said to be one of the two Witnesses in Revelation.) 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.

SLIDE  12 Many famous artists painted the Transfiguration of Jesus. Raphael was commissioned by Cardinal Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici in 1815. The modello included God the Father and His angels above Jesus and Moses and Elijah. The painting shares the artist’s unique point of view. It included the three disciples and Jesus but it also shows what is happening to the other 9 disciples down the mountain. It was his last masterpiece left unfinished when he died in 1850. Currently it is housed at the Vatican.

From the breathtaking scene on the mountaintop down to the arguing crowds.

Remember the other nine were left out of this special event. How do you think they felt? Maybe their faith was wavering, as they argued with the scribes. From Mark’s account when they saw Him the crowd was amazed and ran toward Jesus.

SLIDE  13 Jesus Heals a Boy with a Spirit-Matthew 17:14-18 Mark 9:14-27
¹⁴And when they came to the disciples, they saw a great crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them.¹⁵ And immediately all the crowd, when they saw him, were greatly amazed and ran up to him and greeted him.¹⁶ And he asked them, "What are you arguing about with them?"¹⁷ And someone from the crowd answered him, "Teacher, I brought my son to you, for he has a spirit that makes him mute.¹⁸ And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams and grinds his teeth and becomes rigid. So I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they were not able." Hint, hint!
SLIDE 14 ¹⁷ Jesus is disappointed and frustrated. “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? How long am I to bear with you? Bring him here to me.” 

The writers of the Harmony of the Gospels commented this was the only instance when Jesus showed momentary impatient with people in the crowd. Maybe the father was connected with the scribes and his son was planted in crowd to embarrass Jesus and discredit His disciples. Especially when the man said, “If you can,” seems to be a taunt. Since he said faithless and twisted generation, this would not describe His disciples. Notice the well dressed men standing slightly out of the crowd, these seem to be the scribes watching the drama play out.

Marks gospel had so much detail. The spirit even has a starring role. Notice the crowd plays a part in this account.

SLIDE  15  From Mark 9:20-27 ²⁰ And they brought the boy to him. And when the spirit saw him, immediately it convulsed the boy, and he fell on the ground and rolled about, foaming at the mouth. And Jesus asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” And he said, “From childhood. ²² And it has often cast him into fire and into water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 23 And Jesus said to him, "'If you can'! All things are possible for one who believes." 24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, "I believe; help my unbelief!"25 And when Jesus saw that a crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."26 And after crying out and convulsing him terribly, it ( the spirit)came out, and the boy was like a corpse, so that most of them said, "He is dead."

CLICK 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

 Matthew 17:18 says “the boy was healed instantly.” 

SLIDE  16 ¹⁹ Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?”²⁰ He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.21 not in ESV HCBS KJV

Instead of conforming to the world they needed to be transformed by renewing their minds through prayer and fasting.

SLIDE  17 22 Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, ²³ and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed. This time they heard him ³² But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. Mk. 9:32

 Jesus is leading them by baby steps, they are ready to accept the brutality of the whole truth.

SLIDE 18 This is the only gospel with this miracle. Matthew was a tax collector for the Roman government. These collectors were sent from the priests to gather taxes for the ministry of the temple. It was a sign of their redemption from slavery in Egypt. We are redeemed by the spotless blood of the perfect lamb, Jesus Christ.

²⁴ When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?” ²⁵ He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do kings of the earth take toll or tax? From their sons or from others?” ²⁶ And when he said, “From others,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.

SLIDE  19 ²⁷ However, not to give offense to them, go to the sea and cast a hook and take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth you will find a shekel. Take that and give it to them for me and for yourself.” Jesus may not abide by all the man-made rules, but Jesus obeyed the laws of the God.

Peter was called Simon before he became a disciple; John 1:42 Jesus said “You are Simon the son of John. You shall be called Cephas” (which means Peter). Peter’s name is listed over 100 times in the Gospels and 58 times in Acts. The dialogue between Peter and Jesus allow us to know the type of man Peter his, but Jesus saw the potential in Peter as a leader and one of the foundation stones in His church. Warren Wierbe-Peter trying to build tents on the mountaintop was interrupted by God the Father, telling them to LISTEN to Jesus. Peter would probably have fixed the problem of paying taxes, but Jesus interrupts him with a question, What do you think Simon?

SLIDE 21 Peter bold, caretaker, fixer; I admit I am like that. Are you? If only we would cast our cares on him and allow Jesus to meet our needs for His glory. Be transformed by the renewing of your mind.