The Transfiguration: A Preview Of Christ’s Glory (Matthew 17)

Verses 1-13:

J. Vernon McGee, teacher and author of the “Through the Bible” commentary, called the transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ a “miniature” portrait of the Kingdom of God, later confirmed by Simon Peter in his second letter to the churches (2 Peter 1: 16-18). Dr. W.A. Criswell, former pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas, referred to it as a type of “metamorphosis “(change), referring to the “metamorphosis “ of Jesus, the appearance of Moses and Elijah, and the Voice from the cloud. The purpose of the Transfiguration was to strengthen Jesus for His coming death and encourage the disciples for the trials and hardships they would soon face.

Dr. Criswell stated that Moses and Elijah represented the Law and the Prophets. The Law required sacrifice. Blood makes atonement for the soul (Leviticus 17:11). The substitute for the transgressor must die. Every rite, ritual, and ceremony performed by the priests of God as prescribed by the Law of Moses pointed to the final work of sacrifice in the person of the Lord Jesus, the Lamb of God who took was the sins of the world, never to be repeated or needed again ( John 1:29, 19:30; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:6-11, 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 7:25). The prophets of Israel and Judah called for the expiation of sin through the death of the “Lamb”, or as Isaiah called Him, the “Suffering Servant” ( Isaiah 53:1-12). This was fulfilled by the work of Christ on the cross, along with His resurrection, ascension, and promised return to “make all things new” (Revelation 21:5). Even though the Transfiguration spoke of Christ’s death, it also was a forerunner of the glory to come.

Peter, scared and awestruck by what he witnessed on the mountain, started saying things that made no sense (v. 4). Jesus Christ is not equal to Moses and Elijah, but their King and Lord. God the Father affirmed His Son’s glory by an audible voice, causing further fright from the three disciples. These verses present a small picture of the absolute holiness of God the Father and Son.. God the Holy Spirit, the Coming Teacher, would empower them to proclaim the Gospel, including this encounter, and later write it down as part of Holy Scripture (John 16:5-15; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21). After this Divine encounter, Jesus gave them words of comfort, telling them to not be afraid.

John, in his old age, would see the Lord Jesus in His role as the Triumphant King returning to the world to claim it and His people in a future time( Revelation 1:17-19). For the present moment, the three disciples were to keep what they had witnessed to themselves until the set time when Jesus had been raised from the dead. A question arose concerning the prophet Elijah, who was to announce the arrival of the Messiah at a future time. Jesus stated that Elijah had arrived in the form of John the Baptist, who had suffered at the hands of evil men. Jesus knew that the same fate awaited Him.

Verses 14-27

Jesus goes from glorified to irritated not long after coming down from the mountain. He encountered the rest of His disciples who had been trying to cast a demon out of a boy. He showed signs of what is known now as epilepsy, brought on by the malevolent spirit. The boy’s father, upon seeing Jesus, implored Him for help. By this time, the disciples should have known how to cast out demons. They had been given the authority to do so (Luke 9:1-6). Their faith should have been strengthened by this time, but it seems that this was not the case. Jesus cast out the demon and healed the boy of his epilepsy. It was time to take the disciples back to school. They later asked Jesus why they weren’t able to cast this particular demon out of the boy.

Verse 20 teaches a valuable lesson on faith in God and to not trust in our own efforts. Unbelief will always cripple us and render us ineffective for service to the Lord. We must keep our focus on the Lord Jesus and be ready to follow His lead. Faith in Jesus leads to salvation (Romans 10:9-10, 13) and He is sufficient to handle our problems, great and small (Proverbs 3: 5-6; Isaiah 1:18; 1Peter 5:7). Figurative mountains that would overwhelm us in our physical sight and strength are able to be moved in the will of God in order that He may be glorified. The demons leave in the presence and name of Jesus. Some do not leave without a fight and here is where prayer and fasting play a part, giving power and stability to our spiritual growth and dependence on the Lord. The final verses of this chapter conclude with another prediction from Jesus concerning His impending death and resurrection, causing concern from His disciples. He is preparing them for what they will see as a tragedy and later witness the triumph of the resurrected Christ who fulfilled His mission of redemption for fallen humanity. The mission of redemption includes you, friend. Give your life to Jesus Christ today while you still have breath in your body.

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