Glory Revealed

Theme: The transfiguration of Jesus

Objectives:

Know: Jesus’s transfiguration revealed the divine glory that was His in Heaven.

Think: Obeying and glorifying God through my life are second nature to me.

Do: Bring glory to God by listening to and obeying the risen Christ.

Scriptures: Matthew 17:1-13

Notes and questions:

B1 The parallel verses are Mark 9:1-13 and Luke 9:28-45.

B2 Both Matthew and Mark read 6 days but Luke has 8 days. A contradiction? No. Consider Adam Clarke’s explanation: After six days - Mark 9:2, has the same number; but Luke says, Luke 9:28, after eight days. The reason of this difference seems to be the following: Matthew and Mark reckon the days from that mentioned in the preceding chapter, to that mentioned in this; Luke includes both days, as well as the six intermediate: hence, the one makes eight, the other six, without any contradiction. The bottom line is the different way of counting. Matthew and Mark are more literal, while Luke is counting part of the days as days, so about 8 days.

B3 Why did the Lord Jesus only take Peter, James, and John up on the mountain?

B4 Why did the Lord Jesus have an “inner circle?”

B5 The high mountain mentioned by Matthew has been guessed at, but nobody knows for sure.

B6 Matthew 17:3,

• What’s going on with the Lord Jesus’s face and clothes? Why?
• Why are Moses and Elijah there? Why Moses and Elijah anyway? Does this tell anything about the erroneous doctrine of soul sleep?
• Does this have anything to support the resurrection?

B7 Matthew 17:4,

• Most versions have “Let me make” or “I will make” rather than the KJV, NKJV, WPT, WEB, which have “Let us.” Wilbur Pickering has a note from his study—Instead of "let us", perhaps 0.5% of the Greek manuscripts, of inferior quality, have "I will" (as in NIV, NASB, LB, TEV, etc.).
• What is Peter talking about here?
• He probably is referring to the Feast of Tabernacles. Israel built small tents/temporary living quarters as they traveled the 40 years in the wilderness.
• Also, per Adam Clarke—That is, when he saw Moses and Elijah ready to depart from the mount, Luke 9:33, he wished to detain them, that he might always enjoy their company with that of his Lord and Master, still supposing that Christ would set up a temporal kingdom upon earth.

B8 Matthew 17:5,

• Who was speaking from the bright cloud?
• Why did He say, “Listen to Him?”
• Why does the Father state that He is well-pleased with His Son?

B9 Matthew 17:6: Why were the Apostles afraid? Is this a different fear than what is recorded in James 2:19 You believe that there is one God; you do well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

B10 Matthew 17:7,

• Why did Jesus come and touch them?
• What character trait is Jesus showing?

B11 Matthew 17:8, Why the change? Before they heard the voice from the cloud, Jesus was transfigured and talking with Moses and Elijah?

B12 Matthew 17:9, Why couldn’t they tell anyone this glorious happening until after the Lord Jesus had risen from the dead?

B13 Matthew 17:10-13,

• Why did the Apostles ask about Elijah coming before Messiah?
• It was a common teaching (correct) that Elijah was to come before Messiah.
• The Apostles were convinced that Jesus is the Messiah.
• There was a conflict in their mind. This is the answer Jesus gave to them.
• Compare Luke 1:17
• Does this passage hint at more than one coming?

B14 Read—1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself [fn] purged our [fn] sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. (Hebrews 1:1-4)

• How does this verse apply to our study?
• How does this testify to the greatness of the Lord Jesus?

B15 Read—16 For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. 17 For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 18 And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. 19 And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, [fn] which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts;20 knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, [fn] 21 for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God [fn] spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:16-21)

• For how long did the transfiguration affect Peter?
• How should it affect us?

B16 Do we need experiences to confirm our faith?

B17 Next time:

• Written in stone
• Theme: Rules to live by
• Scriptures: Exodus 20:1-21

Remember the reason for celebrating Christmas

O come, O come, Emmanuel

And ransom captive Israel

That mourns in lonely exile here

Until the Son of God appear

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Rod of Jesse, free

Thine own from Satan's tyranny

From depths of Hell Thy people save

And give them victory o'er the grave

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Day-Spring, come and cheer

Our spirits by Thine advent here

Disperse the gloomy clouds of night

And death's dark shadows put to flight.

Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel

Shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,

And open wide our heavenly home