Matthew 17:1-13: The King's Glory

Matthew 17:1–13 ESV

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. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 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.” 5 He 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. 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. 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.” 10 And the disciples 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. 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.

Introduction: When Glory Distracts

I once went to the Grand Canyon, and as you could see from the video I just showed you, I wasn’t exactly excited to go see what I somewhat irreverently dubbed “The Big Pit.” But don’t get me wrong, I was very excited to be there.

I was specifically excited to re-enter the park after the sun went down and I got the boys to sleep.

As a certified dark-sky park, the park stays incredibly dark, making it one of the best places in the world to witness the glory of the heavens. I remember standing there, staring up in amazement. The sheer number of stars, the brightness, the vastness of it all—it was overwhelming. I had never seen anything like it.

As I gazed at their brilliance, I took slow, careful steps forward, hardly aware of what I was doing. I was so caught up in their beauty that I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. Step by step, I kept moving, lost in the moment—until suddenly, I felt a horizontal bar press against my thighs.

At first, I was confused. What was this bar doing there? Then it hit me. I had reached the very edge of the canyon. In the darkness, and in my distraction at the glory above me, I had nearly walked straight over the edge without realizing it.

Glorious things can sometimes distract us from what we should actually be focusing on. And that’s exactly what happened to the three disciples on the mountain of Transfiguration. They saw Jesus in His radiant glory—but instead of fully understanding what they were witnessing, they got caught up in the moment and missed the deeper significance of what God was revealing.

Today, as we look at Matthew 17:1-13, we are going to see what the Transfiguration teaches us about the glory of Christ—not as a distraction, but as a call to listen to Him, trust Him, and follow Him.

Sermon

I. The Glory Revealed (Matthew 17:1-3)

Imagine being one of the disciples. Just a few days earlier, Jesus had told them something shocking: that He must suffer, die, and rise again. That’s not what they expected from the Messiah. And now, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain—away from the crowds, away from the noise.

And then it happens.

"He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became white as light." (Matthew 17:2)

This is not just a convenient sunbeam breaking through the clouds.

This is the unveiled glory of Christ breaking through His humanity.

For a brief moment, Jesus pulls back the curtain and allows these three disciples to see Him

not just as the carpenter from Nazareth

not just as a teacher,

but as the eternal, divine Son of God.

And this isn’t some new glory placed upon Him where suddenly He became Divine—this was an unveiling, showing them who He truly is: infinitely, marvelously glorious.

Before Jesus was born in Bethlehem, before the very world began, He had this glory! (John 17:5)

John 17:5 ESV

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

The writer of Hebrews tells us that Jesus is “the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature” (Hebrews 1:3).

The disciples are catching a glimpse of who Jesus has always been.

And then, as if this moment wasn’t incredible enough, two men appear: Moses and Elijah.

Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets—and both are now standing next to Jesus. Why? Because Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the Law and the Prophets pointed to (Luke 24:27).

In fact, everything in the Old Testament was leading to Him.

Every call to righteousness, every sacrifice, every miraculous deed, every prophet, every priest, and every king were all pointing to Jesus.

And while the shining face of Jesus is a bit of a callback to Moses’ face shining in Exodus 34 after he caught a glimpse of the glory of God, Moses’ face was shining in reflection of the glory of God, but Jesus’ face is shining as the expression of the glory of God. It was emanating out from Him.

Jesus is the King within whom all the glory of God was contained. And Peter, James, and John were shown a glimpse of this truth.

And this moment was meant to strengthen the disciples' faith, to prepare them for what was coming. They would soon see Jesus suffer, be rejected, and crucified. All that Jesus promised would come to pass. He really would suffer before returning to His glory. His followers really would suffer too, but they now knew exactly what the promised glory looked like.

Application

And this moment also has something to teach us.

1. For those who do not believe—Jesus is not just another teacher. There are many opinions about Jesus today. Some say He was just a wise man, a moral teacher, a religious leader. But this passage destroys all those weak ideas. Jesus is the glorious Son of God.

He alone fulfills the law. He alone holds divine glory. If you have not yet bowed to Him, now is the time. Do not wait until the day when His glory is no longer veiled but fully revealed at His return.

2. For Christians—are we captivated by the glory of Christ?

Jesus is glorious—our Savior, our God, our King. But like the disciples, we often get distracted. We catch glimpses of His greatness, but we don't fully take it in. Instead, we chase what we want Jesus to be—someone who fits our expectations or helps us fulfill our own plans for finances, family, or comfort.

But when our hearts are set on earthly desires, our vision shrinks. We forget the glory of our King and end up chasing things that, in the end, are worthless in His Kingdom. And if we persist in that path, the sobering reality is that we may find our days—no matter how pleasant—were just the waiting room for Hell.

Yet when we set our hearts on the glory of Jesus—seeing Him as the God of the universe and letting that truth reshape how we live—we discover something greater. Even the deepest suffering will prove worth it when we stand before His throne.

That’s why we must daily remind ourselves of His glory—through the Word, through prayer, through gathered worship. Because when we see Him clearly, everything else falls into place.

3. For the church—our message must be centered on Christ’s glory. The world tells us that people need practical solutions—better habits, better mental health, better relationships. But the greatest thing the church has to offer is Jesus Himself. If we are not constantly pointing people to the glory of Christ, we are failing in our mission.

Illustration

But we also see in this passage that an awareness of glory can actually be a distraction to those who are not mature enough to understand it.

Have you ever had an experience where you completely lose yourself in a moment of awe? A time like my total lack of awareness when looking at the stars?

Maybe standing at the foot of a giant waterfall, or looking at a mountain range, or watching a storm roll in over the hills. Have you ever seen something so vast and powerful and glorious that thinking of anything else seems impossible?

The disciples encounter the glory of the One Who created those glorious things that cause us to pause in awe and wonder, and while the men are certainly captivated by Christ’s glory, they end up missing the point of the revealing of that glory.

Instead of simply worshiping, they got distracted.

Peter, as we’ll see in the next section, gets caught up in what he thinks should happen, rather than simply bowing before the glory of Christ.

And if we’re not careful, we can do the same thing.

Transition: We have seen the glory of the King revealed. But now, God Himself will make it clear how we are to respond to His Son.

II. The Response to Glory (Matthew 17:4-8)

Introduction to the Point

When I stood at the edge of the Grand Canyon that night, mesmerized by the stars, I had no idea how close I was to falling into the depths of that Great Chasm. The glory above had distracted me from the reality below.

Something similar happened to Peter, James, and John at the Transfiguration. They saw Jesus in dazzling glory, but instead of responding rightly, they became distracted—not by fear, but by their own misunderstanding.

Peter, in particular, reacts in a way that seems well-intentioned, but completely misses the point of what is happening.

Exegesis of the Passage

Matthew 17:4 says: “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.’”

Peter sees this magnificent moment, and his first instinct is to make it last.

His suggestion to build tents (or tabernacles) shows that he wants to capture the moment, to hold onto the glory he is witnessing.

He likely sees this as the arrival of the kingdom of God in its fullness—that the reign of Christ has now begun and that Moses and Elijah are there to stay.

But Peter’s response, though passionate, is deeply misguided.

First, he places Moses and Elijah on the same level as Jesus by offering tents for all three.

Second, he tries to contain the moment, rather than understanding that the glory he sees is meant to point to something greater—the suffering and exaltation of Jesus.

And third, Peter just starts throwing his own ideas on what they should do, based on his own human wisdom.

He’s just been shown the Divine Essence of Jesus, and instead of worshipping and waiting for further explanation, instead of even asking questions to gain better understanding, he mistakenly starts making suggestions.

God Himself responds to Peter’s mistake.

Matthew 17:5: “He 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.’”

Notice that Peter is literally interrupted by God!

As Peter speaks, trying to make his plans for what he thinks the moment needs instead of resting in the presence of Christ and awaiting further instruction, the glory of God overshadows them—just as the cloud overshadowed Mount Sinai when God met with Moses. The Father’s words here echo what He said at Jesus’ baptism (Matthew 3:17), but this time, He adds a command:

“Listen to Him.”

Moses and Elijah disappear, and only Jesus remains (Matthew 17:8). The message is meant to be clear: Jesus is the fulfillment of all that Moses (the Law) and Elijah (the Prophets) pointed to.

They are not equals, and their time has passed.

The Law, even the ten commandments, though good, are not going to save people from their sins.

The prophets, though impressive in their displays of God’s power and character, will not save people either.

The Law and the Prophets are pointers, not the point.

The disciples must fix their attention on Christ alone because he is the point of all their history and belief.

Gospel Connection: Listening to Jesus in Light of the Cross

The Father’s command to “listen to Him” points forward to what Jesus has been teaching—that He must suffer, die, and rise again. Glory will come, but not yet. First, the cross.

The disciples wanted the kingdom without the cross. They wanted the crown without suffering. But Jesus had already made it clear: to follow Him means to follow Him into suffering before glory.

Application: How Do We Respond to Christ’s Glory?

Like Peter, we often respond to Jesus in the wrong way—not by rejecting Him outright, but by misunderstanding what He is doing.

Christians: Trust in Jesus, Not Just the Experience

Some seek spiritual highs—conferences, worship nights, emotional moments—but fail to trust Jesus in the ordinary and difficult moments of life.

The disciples had a mountain-top moment, but soon they had to go back down into the valley, where suffering and struggle awaited.

Actionable step: Strengthen your daily walk with Christ through consistent Scripture reading, prayer, and obedience, not just emotional experiences.

For the Church: Exalt Christ Alone

Some churches elevate tradition, experience, or personalities alongside Jesus—just as Peter tried to honor Moses and Elijah equally with Him.

In talking with my Roman Catholic friends, I’ve noticed that while they affirm Jesus’ perfection and glory, they often see Him as too holy, too distant to approach in weakness.

So instead, they turn to Mary and the saints—more relatable figures—believing they can better understand and sympathize. But in doing so, they miss the beauty that Jesus, though fully God, is also fully human—without sin—and He does sympathize with our weaknesses. That’s not meant to drive us away from Him, but to draw us near with confidence (Hebrews 4:15–16).

But let’s not judge unequaly. In the American Evangelical church, we tend to make a different mistake. Ours isn’t a view of Christ that’s too high—it’s often far too low. We treat church as a means to personal fulfillment. When choosing a church—or whether to go at all—we often ask, “What do I want?” instead of “What will glorify Christ the most?” We shape ministry around our preferences, expectations, and comfort, but we rarely start by listening to Christ in His Word with repentance and faith.

We chase the “glory days” of tradition, nostalgia, or personal experience. But our rallying cry must be: “To the glory of Christ alone!” More than our opinions, our favorite songs, speakers, or traditions, our focus must be on Jesus—the glorious Son of God, slain for His people—and on listening to Him and obeying with humble, grateful faith.

And while I am far from perfect, I pray you can see that my desire as your pastor is to lead us there—to see Christ’s glory more clearly, to listen to what He says, and to obey Him together. Because when our faith is set on Christ alone, even our weaknesses and imperfections can be used for His glory.

Actionable step: Evaluate what is central in our worship. Are we exalting Jesus alone, or are we holding onto thoughts, traditions, opinions, ideals, or even resentments that distract from Him?

For the Public Sphere: Listen to Christ Over the Culture

Many voices demand our attention—political leaders, influencers on social media, and even our own personal opinions. But the Father’s command is “Listen to my Son.”

Actionable step: When faced with cultural pressures, ask, “What has Jesus said about this?” and act accordingly, even when it’s unpopular to our own tribe.

Illustration: Missing What Matters Most

Charles Finney, one of the most influential figures in modern evangelicalism, is remembered as a revivalist—but his approach to revival fundamentally changed how many understand the movement of God’s Spirit. Finney believed revival could be engineered. Stir the emotions—through passionate preaching, gripping music, altar calls—and people would respond. In his mind, that response was revival.

But in doing so, he shifted the focus from God’s sovereign work to human emotional experience. Like Peter on the mountain trying to preserve the glory by building tents, Finney tried to capture and reproduce glory through technique. He missed the point—glory isn’t something we manufacture; it’s something God reveals. When we chase the feeling more than the God behind it, we risk missing His glory entirely.

Charles Spurgeon, another pastor of the same era, pushed back against this. He admitted that emotion often accompanies the Spirit’s work—but warned that emotion is not the goal. He compared it to dust kicked up by a moving carriage: it’s a natural result of movement, but if you focus on creating dust, you’re not going anywhere.

Spurgeon’s warning still stands today: emotional experiences, moving music, and full altars may be present when God moves, but they are not proof that God is moving. If we pursue the dust and miss the carriage, the tears and miss the truth, the moment and miss the glory—we’ve missed everything.

In many ways, up on the mountain, Peter was like Charles Finney.

He was so caught up in his own view of glory and salvation, desiring to capture it here on earth, that he nearly missed the point entirely—the glory of Jesus is not just to be admired, or captured, or even reproduced on our terms, but to be heard and obeyed.

Transition to Point 3

Jesus does not rebuke Peter directly, but God Himself does—showing us how serious this misunderstanding was. But there’s another reason Jesus tells them not to speak of this yet: because His glory is not complete until His suffering is complete.

This leads us to the final point: The Fulfillment of His Glory. What does this moment ultimately point toward? It points toward the cross, the resurrection, and the heavenly throne room where the slain Lamb is worshiped forever.

III. The Fulfillment of His Glory (Matthew 17:9-13)

Introduction to the Point

The Transfiguration was an overwhelming display of Jesus’ divine glory, but as they came down from the mountain, Jesus gave them an unexpected command:

“Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” (Matthew 17:9)

Why keep it a secret? Why not proclaim this glory immediately? Because the fullness of Jesus’ glory would not be seen until the cross and resurrection. The disciples had witnessed a preview, but the ultimate revelation of Jesus' glory was still to come.

Exegesis of the Passage

As they descend, the disciples ask about Elijah’s coming, referencing Malachi 4:5-6, which prophesies that Elijah will come before the great and terrible day of the Lord. Jesus explains:

“Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased.” (Matthew 17:11-12)

Here, Jesus clarifies that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah. But just as John suffered at the hands of Herod, Jesus, too, would suffer. The Messiah’s path to glory would not bypass suffering; it would go through it.

“So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” (Matthew 17:12)

Jesus was showing them that His mission was not yet complete. He had displayed His divine glory, but the full revelation of that glory required the cross, the tomb, and the return of Jesus to the heavens.

The Heavenly Throne Room: The Ultimate Fulfillment of Glory

We see this ultimate fulfillment of Jesus’s mission in Revelation 5, where John witnesses the throne room of heaven. He sees a scroll that no one can open, and he weeps—until he hears these words:

“Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered.” (Revelation 5:5)

But when John looks, he does not see a lion. Instead, he sees a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain. (Revelation 5:6)

Jesus’ greatest glory is not just in His transfigured appearance—it is in His sacrificial death and triumphant resurrection. The King’s glory is revealed in the cross.

The suffering Servant is the reigning Lord!

And the response of heaven?

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)

The glory that Peter, James, and John glimpsed on the mountain is now fully revealed in heaven.

May we respond with similar worship.

Application: Living in Light of Christ’s Glory

For Non-Christians: Recognize Jesus for Who He Is

Many admire Jesus as a great teacher or moral leader, but fail to see Him as the crucified and risen King.

Actionable step: Consider the weight of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Will you continue to ignore Him, or will you bow before Him as King?

For Christians: See Suffering in Light of Future Glory

Just as Jesus had to suffer before entering glory, so too do His followers. We talked about this last week, though we suffer, we don’t suffer and grieve as people with no hope. We have been given the greatest hope in the throne room of God, where our King, our Great High Priest, our God!, is standing before the throne and speaking on behalf of His people. So we set our eyes on Him! We suffer without complaining for His sake because He suffered for our sake.

Actionable step: Set your eyes on the glory of Christ by listening to good teaching about His glory. Read Revelation 5 this week to set your mind on the reality of our glorious Christ in Heaven!

For the Church: Worship the Slain Lamb Above All Else

Worship is not about entertainment or personal preference, but about beholding the Lamb who was slain.

Actionable step: Shape church life around Christ’s glory, focusing more on Scripture, prayer, and worship than on programs or trends.

For the Public Sphere: Testify to Christ’s Glory in a Dark World

The world values earthly power, comfort, and recognition, but Jesus calls His followers to live for His eternal kingdom.

Actionable step: Boldly testify to Christ at work, in your neighborhood, and even when it’s costly. The Lamb who was slain is worthy of your life.

Closing: The Glory We Live For

Closing Illustration: The Deaths of the Three Disciples Who Saw His Glory

Peter, James, and John were given a glimpse of Jesus’ glory on the mountain—but when they came down, they still had to face suffering, persecution, and even death.

James was the first of the apostles to be martyred. In Acts 12, King Herod had him put to death by the sword—likely beheaded—for preaching the gospel. He saw Christ’s glory on the mountain, and he remained faithful to Him to the very end.

Peter was crucified in Rome. Church history tells us that he was crucified upside down because he did not feel worthy to die in the same way as His Lord. The man who would soon wrongly use the sword to defend Jesus leaned that true glory comes through following Jesus in suffering.

John, the only one who was not martyred, still suffered greatly. He was exiled to the island of Patmos for his faith, where he received the visions recorded in the book of Revelation—including the vision of Jesus in His full heavenly glory. He had seen Christ transfigured, and now he saw the slain Lamb reigning on the throne.

These three men glimpsed the glory of Christ, but their lives did not get easier because of it. In fact, their calling to follow Jesus led them through suffering and death. But they endured because they had seen their King’s Glory and they knew that Jesus is worth everthing.

Reflection and Challenge

Like them, we have seen Christ’s glory through His Word, and we are called to walk in faith until we see Him face to face.

What are you living for? Are you clinging to temporary comforts, or are you living for the eternal glory of Jesus?

Key Verse to Remember

Matthew 17:5 ESV

5 “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”

Living This Out: How Should We Respond to the King’s Glory?

For Non-Christians: Recognize the Glory of Christ as the

Crucified and Risen King

Action Step: Reflect on the glory of Christ displayed in His death and resurrection and respond by acknowledging Him as the King who calls you to repentance and faith.

For Christians: Live in the Light of Christ’s Glory

Action Step: Set your heart on the glory of Christ by meditating on passages like Revelation 5 this week, and let that vision of His glory strengthen you to endure suffering with hope.

For the Church: Root and Nourish our Worship in Christ

Action Step: In all aspects of church life, let the glory of Christ be the driving force—prioritize worship, prayer, and the Word so that everything we do magnifies His glory.

The King’s glory is not just something to admire—it is something to live for. Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and live for His eternal kingdom.