He is The Way Matthew 17:1-9

Main idea: While on earth, Jesus often instructed people to keep His true identity a secret. However, in this passage, Jesus transfigured before Peter, James, and John, allowing them to get a glimpse of who He really was. He reveals to them that He is the messiah, the savior of the world, and the son of God. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Through this passage we learn the importance of seeing Him for who He really is.

Prayer: “Lord help us to see you as you really are. Help us to honor you and to lead others to you. You are the way, and the truth, and the life. Use us to bring others to you.”

Scripture: Matthew 17:1-9, John 14:6, Isaiah 40:3, Acts 24:14

He is the way, the truth, and the life.

Introduction

Have you ever had to keep a secret? A surprise party, an engagement, a reunion… Whatever the occasion, secrets can be difficult to hold onto.

Story - Share about a time you had to keep a secret. What was the occasion? How did it work out? Or even better, share about a time you were supposed to keep a secret, but it slipped out somehow.

In our passage for the day Jesus asks his most trusted disciples to keep one of the most amazing “secrets” of all time. It’s one that biblical commentators have coined the “Messianic secret” and if you’ve spent much time in the New Testament you’ve read where Jesus forbids people from revealing His true identity to others. Usually it’s connected to a miraculous healing like the one seen in Mark 1:43-45/Matthew 8:1-4/Luke 5:12-16. We see this same motif in Matthew 17:1-9 when Jesus forbids Peter, James, and John from revealing His true identity.

Main Teaching

As we get into our passage for the day, I think it would be beneficial to read through it together…

Read Matthew 17:1-9

As you can see in this passage, Jesus reveals His true identity to three of His twelve disciples, the Father speaks from heaven, and they are forbidden from talking about what they’ve seen until after Jesus has been raised from the dead. There is a lot going on in this passage, so let’s take it one chunk at a time.

Revealed

Re-Read Matthew 17:1-4

The word transfigure means; “a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.” Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John. He was transformed from His human body into a glorious one. One commentator puts it this way, “The theological connotation is that Jesus' eternal divine nature broke through His human nature.”

In this moment, Jesus revealed His divine nature to the disciples…“His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light ... View this full sermon with PRO Premium