Sermon Tone Analysis

The following material is adopted from John MacArthur’s commentary on Matthew and his Study guide.

Additional material taken from sources listed at the end

Read and summarize

Look for

— Prayers ( Blue )

— Promises ( Green )

— Warnings ( Red )

— Commands ( Purple )

MacArthur

Jesus gathers His disciples and gives them a “final exam” of sorts, asking the ultimate question, “Who do you say that I am?”

Then, up on a mountaintop experience, God the Father reveals Jesus’ glory.

Jesus wraps up with some sobering words about what it will involve to live for Him until He returns.

Only those who tenaciously believe in Him and steadfastly follow Him will make a difference in a godless world.

As you study this lengthy passage, keep the big picture in mind.

Though evil is strong, Jesus is Lord.

Q: What affirmation did God the Father give to Jesus’ ministry ( 17:1-5)?

Preview of the Second Coming ( 17:1-13 )

( 17:1-13 ) Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.

3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

7 But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.”

8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things.

12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished.

Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.”

13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

— The transfiguration is a preview of His glory that Jesus promised that some of His disciples would experience before they died ( 16:28 )

— Six days after the promise was given ( Mark 9:2 )

— Luke says that it was “some eight days later” ( Lk 9:28 )

— As with the Shekinah manifestations of the OT, God here portrayed Himself to human eyes in a form of light so dazzling and overwhelming that it could barely be withstood

J. Vernon McGee

Peter, James and John—the inner circle.

Verse 1

— Note: Matt 16:28 refers to this transfiguration experience.

“Transfigured”: Three accounts of this event; here and also in Mk 9:2-13; Lk 9:28-36.

Luke mentions that this happens while He is praying.

His raiment became white and effulgent, it glowed.

Matthew notes that He was bright as the Sun (Ps 19:5,6).

“Transfigured”: appears twice more: Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18 (“transformed”).

Q: Why does the transfiguration only appear in three Gospels and not in the Gospel of John?

Possible answer – How does the gospel of John portray Jesus?

How do the other three Gospels portray Jesus?

How can this realization encourage us in our daily lives?

[Promise to become like Him! (1John 3:2)].

— 2 Peter 1:16-18 records Peter’s experience of the Transfiguration

2 Peter 1:16-18 (NIV) 16 We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.

17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.

— Jesus Christ changes idioms here and speaks parabolically.

Jesus points out in v. 11 that Elijah’s time is still yet future.

But then He says that Elijah has come already, He means in type or in spirit.

Missler.

— This raises a question in the minds of a great many folk regarding John the Baptist.

Was he really Elijah?

We have covered the same problem in Matthew 11.

What our Lord is doing in this chapter is trying to forestall the argument that Jesus had to die on the cross because John the Baptist was not Elijah -- and Elijah has to come before Christ returns to establish His Kingdom.

Our Lord is saying that if they would receive Him as King, John would be Elijah.

Don't ask

Q: What do Moses and Elijah represent ( 17:3-4 )?

The Testimony of the Saints ( 17:3-4 )

( 17:3-4 ) And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

— The transfiguration was a foretaste of heaven; the participants were doing something worth noting — talking together

— In God’s world, interactions count highly

— Make time and opportunities to talk to others; Good conversations act as training for eternity

— Moses and Elijah were the two greatest prophets in the OT

— Moses represented the Law and foretold of the coming of the great prophet ( Deut 18:15-19 )

— Elijah represented the prophets who foretold of the coming Messiah ( Malachi 4:5,6 )

— Just as God’s voice in the cloud over Mount Sinai gave authority to His law ( Ex 19:9 ), God’s voice at the transfiguration gave authority to Jesus’ words

Another Perspective

— The Transfiguration provided a picture of the coming kingdom of Christ

— Moses represents those who died in Christ ( Deut 34:6, Jude 9), Elijah represents those who will be raptured someday, as he was taken to having without dying ( 2 Ki 2:11)

— The three apostles represent redeemed Israel

— And Christ is King

( 17:4 ) “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

— Peter suggests that he build a memorial for Jesus, Moses and Elijah

— It is hard to escape the conclusion that Peter didn’t know what to say and was just babbling

Q: What were Jesus, Moses and Elijah talking about ( Lk 9:31 )?

Going Deeper

What were Jesus, Moses and Elijah talking about?

— From Luke we learn that these two great saints were talking with Jesus “of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” ( Lk 9:31 )

— They were talking to Him as friend to Friend about His departure, His imminent sacrifice, which was the supreme objective and work of His earthly ministry

The Terror of the Father ( 17:5-6 )

( 17:5-6 ) While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Hear Him!” 6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.

— God the Father spoke to them from a bright cloud

— The Father’s words are almost identical as those at Jesus’ baptism ( 3:17 )

— In calling Jesus His Son, the Father declared Him to be of identical nature and essence with Himself ( cf.

John 5:17-20; 8:19, 42; 10:30, 36-38 )

— The Father says, Listen to Him!

— If He says He must go to Jerusalem and suffer and die, believe Him

— If He says He will be raised on the third day, believe Him

— If He tells you to take up your own cross and follow Him, that is what you are to do

Rick Cambra

The Father let Peter, James and John know that He loved His Son Jesus and was pleased with Him.

And by the way, Jesus ought to be listened to,

So for the second time in two weeks let’s learn from Peter:

Here are a couple of applications that we can take away from Peter's experience.

1.

We can realize that it is not people, places or things that we should give special status or power to.