192 The Clarification of Christ's Identity

In chapter 17 Jesus follows his declaration of six days earlier when he told them of his impending death, with this trip up the mountain to meet with God. Three disciples are accompanying him as he is suddenly transformed with God's presence. The disciples see Jesus talking with Moses and Elijah and Peter exclaims his willingness to build three shelters for them. In doing so he reveals his idea they are on par with each other as to importance. Then the voice of God is heard declaring that Jesus is His son and they should listen to him. Implied in that statement is the realization that Jesus is to be held with greater importance than Moses, who brought the law and Elijah, one of the prophets. Join us as we continue on this journey of listening to Jesus.

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SHOW NOTES

The Transfiguration or Clarifying (Luther) of Jesus

(Matthew 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-14; Luke 9:28-35)

17 Six days later Jesus took Peter and the two brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain to be alone.

Why only 3 disciples? Nine disciples are not ready for the revelation. Peter, James and John o cope with the implications of this event. These three might be able to understand the apprehension of Jesus in boing to Jerusalem. Jesus is facing his passion and he needs to draw strength from his Father and his friends to endure the rejection, torture and execution on which the throne of love depends.

2 As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.

This is what happened to Moses on a lesser scale on Mount Sinai (Exodus 34:29-35). It is evidence that Jesus is in the presence of God. In this moment Jesus us being charged with love. He is lifted above the rejection he experienced on earth by the presence of God and the Spirit.

3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared and began talking with Jesus.

Moses, the great lawgiver, and Elijah, the great prophet, are the heroes of Judah. Their appearance with Jesus means they are supporting him. They are suitable companions because both endured trauma and trials in their ministries and understand to a limited extent what Jesus is going to have to cope with. Their appearance also identifies Jesus as Messiah not a Galilean want-to-be-prophet who could also do miracles.

4 Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Peter is ecstatic and would want to tell everyone who showed up on the mountain (17:9). Moses and Elijah are heroes of Israel. Moses is the great liberator from slavery and ignorance of God’s will. Elijah is the great reformer who delivered Israel from Baal worship. They both appeared and Peter wanted to memorialize this revelation forever by monuments. This was common from Jewish history. Abraham erected altars/monuments. Jacob erected a stone memorial after God appeared at the apex of a ladder, Israel erected a stone monument after crossing the Jordan. Peter was also sure that with the triumvirate of Moses, Elijah and Jesus the Romans would soon be past tense in Israel. The equivalence of the monuments or shelters meant Peter equated Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. He was wrong and a voice from heaven immediately corrects him.

5 But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.”

Moses and Elijah have had their day. Now Jesus, who is God himself as a human being, has come. The voice from heaven clarifies the pre-eminence of Jesus over Moses and Elijah (17:5). The six “but I say” statements in chapter 5 have already indicated the primacy of Jesus over all other prophets. John the disciple also understands this uniqueness of Jesus (1:17). Luke also points out the supremacy of Jesus over other prophets (16:16).

Jesus says John the Baptist was the greatest of the prophets (Matthew 11:9-15). The Baptist asserted that Jesus was his master or superior (John 1:15, 17, 27). The hierarchy has been established. It is confirmed in the book of Hebrews.The author of Hebrews will assert the superiority of Jesus in many ways (1:1-3; 3:3-6; 8:6).

It is a law of our being that we become like our heroes. Moses struck the rock (Jesus). Elijah slaughtered the false prophets, suffered PTSD and ran to the desert. They are not meant to be our hero’s. Look to Jesus—in his compassion and mercy (glory) for sinners—for your hero.

Jesus clearly supersedes all the other prophets before him and after him. He is the Word of God. He sits at the right hand of God, he created the world. No other prophet can claim this distinction. The New Testament supersedes the Old Testament because the Messiah speaks repeatedly.

At the same time the Old Testament is not redundant. It records the relationship between man and God. It contains the prophecies of Messiah which validated his death and resurrection. Also take an issue like slavery. Neither the OT nor the NT speak against this practice. Both are histories, the first of the Hebrew people and the second of Christian people. There are practices that we no longer follow from the OT such

as stoning people for any number of reasons. There are practices in the NT which we also no longer follow such as women covering their hair when worshiping. We must not make either testament a rule book. The writers were inspired to write down part of the history they experienced.

6 The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground.

This response confirms that they had heard the voice and were overcome by the sense of God’s presence. As traditional Jews they expected to die for being in God’s immediate presence.

7 Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus.

The fear of God’s presence was not necessary according to Jesus’ witness about his Father. One does not fear being in the presence of a good Father. There is no fear in love (1 John 4:18). Repeatedly Jesus will call the disciples from being afraid of God or himself both before and after his resurrection.

9 As they went back down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Don’t tell anyone what you have seen until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.”

Jesus had enough trouble escaping the greedy crowds who wanted healings, food and any other miracles Jesus had to offer. He did not want additional attention. He knew the fickleness of humans (John 2:23- 25). This laconic statement “raised from the dead” means this event had centered on the imminent rejection, torture, death and resurrection of Jesus.

10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”

They have witnessed the divinity of Jesus. Messiah has come. This puzzles them because of the prophecy of Elijah appearing before Messiah comes (Malachi 4:5-6).

11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready. 12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.” 13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.

The writer of Hebrews is certain Jesus is the ultimate revelation of God (1:1-3). Only Jesus can solve the problem of suffering (Revelation 5:1-10).The voices which say, “turn or burn,” “obey or die,” “earn forgiveness by confession,” “be perfect so Jesus can come,” need to be transfigured or clarified high up on the mountain, close to God and in the

presence of Jesus.

Jesus Heals a Demon-Possessed Boy

14 When they came to the crowd, a man approached Jesus and knelt before him. 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son,” he said. “He has seizures and is suffering greatly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. 16 I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him.”

17 “You unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with

you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” 18 Jesus rebuked the

demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus in private and asked, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small

as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will

move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

In the context of this situation the mountain the disciples faced was doubt or a lack of faith in the power of God which prevented them from healing the possessed boy. Jesus also uses the metaphor of a mountain because he is faced with the mountain of the fear of rejection, torture and execution. He has conquered this mountain of fear by going up the mountain, that is staring his fear in the eye, and being empowered by God, Moses and Elijah, Peter, James and John.

21 He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.”

Prayer is opening the heart to God as to a trusted friend. It calls for honesty and transparency before God. We trivialize prayer when we make it an exercise in trying to persuade God to do our will for someone else. The disciples had not dealt with their desire for position and power over which they loved to argue with each other. They would have wanted to exorcise the boy to demonstrate their power to their fellow disciples. We seldom are authentic and think we can pull the wool over God’s eyes too. This is pathetic insult to God. Our prayers are information sessions where we inform God of what he knows and where we pretend we are more interested in peoples welfare than he is.

Some translations add “fasting.” Fasting is not in the oldest manuscripts and we think a copyist added it at a time when the early or medieval church was in favour of fasting and giving up pleasures to convince God of our repentance and humility. Fasting is also added in Mark 9:29 and 1 Corinthians 7:5.

Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time

22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be

delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be

raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Grief is an appropriate response but it is an inadequate response. Grief needs to reach out for a resolution by asking questions and attempting to understand the cause of the grief if it is possible. Grief is often inconsolable. There are no answers and then it is time to grieve with the mourners.

The Temple Tax

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma

temple tax came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”

25 “Yes, he does,” he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?”

26 “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him. 27 “But so that we may not cause offense, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”

Jesus does not do miracles for miracles sake. He is teaching Peter and saving Peter from

embarrassment.

Ian Hartley, November 2024