Matthew 17
The Transfiguration
1Six days later Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain.
Six days after Jesus predicted His death and resurrection, Jesus took His inner three disciples up to a high mountain.
2And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.
The Shekinah Glory of God shined through the skin of Jesus. The disciples were able to see the true appearance of God. This was the same representation of God that had appeared to Moses at the burning bush.
3Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him.
Moses finally was able to visit the Promised Land. Elijah had never died. He will return again before the Great Tribulation to prepare the Jews for their Messiah.
4So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters – one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
There was a prophecy in Zechariah that the Feast of Tabernacles would be celebrated by all Jews and Gentiles during the Messianic Kingdom. Peter was expecting Jesus to fulfill this prophecy at this time.
5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”
God the Father confirmed the deity of Jesus.
6When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.
The appearance of God always sends men to their knees in fear.
7But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.”
Jesus told them not to fear.
8When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone.
Jesus is omnipotent. He can reveal Himself or not reveal Himself at any time that He chooses.
9As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
The transfiguration of Jesus was not to be mentioned until after the resurrection of Christ. It might cause jealousy among the other disciples.
10The disciples asked him, “Why then do the experts in the law say that Elijah must come first?”
The prophet Malachi predicted that Elijah would come before the Great Tribulation. The Jews still set up an extra chair for him at Passover.
11He answered, “Elijah does indeed come first and will restore all things.
Elijah will come before the Great Tribulation and announce the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5), just as John the Baptist announced the Messiah at His first coming.
12And I tell you that Elijah has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
When John the Baptist was born, his father Zechariah had been told that John would go before the Lord “in the spirit and power of Elijah” (Luke 1:17). John and Elijah both possessed similar ministries. They were both to prepare the people for the arrival of the Messiah. They were to introduce the Messiah and offer the Messianic Kingdom. John introduced the Messiah and offered the Messianic Kingdom to the Jews of the first century, but they rejected the offer. Elijah will return and make the same offer to the Jews before the Second Coming of Christ. The Jews will accept this next offer. Therefore, both John the Baptist and Elijah possessed the same ministry, but they will receive different results. One offer will be rejected, but the same offer will later be accepted.
The Disciples’ Failure to Heal
14When they came to the crowd, a man came to him, knelt before him, 15and said, “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly, for he often falls into the fire and into the water.
The man recognized Jesus as deity. He asked for healing of his son.
16I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.”
The disciples were not able to heal the boy.
17Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me.”
Jesus was not a seeker-friendly teacher. He rebuked the crowd for their evil nature.
18Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment.
After rebuking the crowd, Jesus rebuked the demon. The seizures came from demon possession.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we cast it out?”
The disciples wanted to know why they could not cast out the demon.
20He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.”
The disciples did not have the faith of the centurion or the Canaanite woman. If the disciples had enough faith, and if it was the will of God, then they could accomplish anything that was in the will of God. Jesus was preparing the disciples for their post-resurrection ministry.
21However this kind goes not out but by prayer and fasting.
This verse is not in the Westcott-Hort Greek text, but it is in the Textus Receptus.
22When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men.
Jesus told the disciples that He was going to be betrayed. Betrayal usually comes from a friend.
23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised.” And they became greatly distressed.
Jesus predicted that He would be killed, but He would be resurrected from the dead on the third day.
The Temple Tax
24After they arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Your teacher pays the double drachma tax, doesn’t he?”
The Roman government was asking Jesus to pay taxes. The Roman government was corrupt. It was part of the satanic world system. Should Jesus pay the taxes to a corrupt government which was influenced by Satan?
25He said, “Yes.” When Peter came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tolls or taxes – from their sons or from foreigners?”
Jesus knew the answer. He used this opportunity as a teaching moment for His disciples. His question to Peter was “Does the King collect taxes from his own children or from the people living in the nation?”
26After he said, “From foreigners,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free.
Since Jesus was King and Peter was His son, then they did not have to pay taxes to Rome.
27But so that we don’t offend them, go to the lake and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. Take that and give it to them for me and you.”
However, Jesus did not want the Roman government offended. Jesus told Peter to use his fishermen skills to go catch a fish. The coins for the taxes would be found in the mouth of the first fish that he caught.