Hey everybody! Thank you for joining me in daily Bible reading as we seek to glorify Jesus, know Him more, and interpret the truth of His Word.
If this is your first time going through the Bible, I am incredibly excited to have you here. If this is your 5000th time, I am humbled that you are here and hope you grow in your relationship with Jesus along with me. May we all seek to know Him more and apply what we learn to further our mission of spreading the gospel. If you missed a day and want to catch up, visit the archives page HERE! But there is no shame if you start today! Day 193, Matthew 17:1-3— The Transfiguration Matthew 17:1-3 (NASB1995) “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” Discussion Yesterday, we read how every person will account for their lives on judgment day and got our first look at Jesus’ second coming. When He returns in glory, Jesus will reject those who are ashamed of Him and reject Him now. It does not matter how successful or famous or powerful one becomes; all will face the LORD and account for every one of their deeds. Those who put their faith in Christ will be welcomed into eternal life with Him at His second coming while those who deny Him will face eternal judgment for their sins. On that day, Jesus will also fully establish His kingdom on earth, and some will even remain alive to see it. Today, we read about the transfiguration. Matthew writes, “Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.” Matthew (Matt. 17:1-6), Mark (Mk. 9:2-13), and Luke’s (Lk. 9:28-36) accounts all mention that around a week has passed since our previous passage. I find it hilarious that Luke, which was written last, says “one week” while Matthew and Mark say “six days” and “eight days” respectively. It is as if Luke could not decide and simply accepted the middling number. Anyway, this gap in time could be for various reasons, and maybe even symbolic, but it is likely because of how long it took to travel to the site of this event. Jesus and His disciples had been in the region of Caesarea Philippi which is around 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee. They likely took the long way to this mountain because they were still avoiding Jerusalem until the proper time. We do not know which mountain it is but many believe it to be Mount Hermon or Mount Miron. Unless noted otherwise, many unnamed ‘mountains’ in Scripture were actually just large hills or mounds in open land (e.g., the Sermon on the Mount was on a hill). Thus, the verifiable location of this ‘mountain’ is unknown. Regardless, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with Him. Notably, these three were the closest to Him, likely because they were the first disciples chosen by Jesus. They were also the only disciples present for Jesus’ resurrection of Jairus’ daughter (Matt. 9:18-26). It is as if Jesus selects them to join Him in His biggest moments. What happens next is arguably the most incredible moment in all of history. Matthew adds, “2 And He [Jesus] was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.” Any lingering doubts about Jesus' identity were silenced at this moment as Jesus transformed in front of their eyes. His face shone as bright as the sun and His clothes glistened in white light, exuding the breathtaking glory of God. Mark 9:3 describes it this way, saying, “His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” Other translations (KJV) add that Jesus shined “as white as snow.” Furthermore, this light did not shine upon Jesus but from within Him as He was completely irradiated, in a blaze of celestial glory.[1] What Peter, James, and John are witnessing is Jesus’ true divine nature as the Son of God manifest in all its eternal glory. This moment forever impacts each of them as John and Peter write about it (Jn. 1:14; 2 Pet. 1:16-18). I want to clarify that Jesus still has a human-shaped body, as humans are created in God’s image. The transformation that is happening to Jesus is not some fantastical shapeshifting into a different being but the magnificent glory of heaven and Jesus’ divine nature reflecting through Him. This is how God is described in His heavenly glory (Ezek. 1:28; Is. 60:19) and how Jesus will shine in eternity alongside the Father in New Jerusalem (Rev. 1:16). As incredible as this moment was, another unbelievable thing happened next. The following verse says, “3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.” The appearance of Moses and Elijah, two of the biggest heroes in ancient Judaism, must have blown the three disciples' minds. This moment bridges the Old and New Testaments as Jesus speaks with them. Moses and Elijah encountered the radiant glory of God on Mount Sinai, also called Mount Horeb (Ex. 24:15-16; 1 Kings 19:8). Additionally, Moses’ face shone, reflecting God’s glorious light as bright as Jesus’ here after spending time in God’s presence (Ex. 34:29-30). Their appearance also put away any doubts the disciples had regarding the afterlife. Both of their stories were well-known in ancient Jewish tradition as Moses eventually died of old age (Deut. 34:5) and Elijah was taken into heaven while still living (2 Kings 2). Furthermore, some scholars reference how each symbolizes the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).[2] Another interesting note about this interaction is Jesus’ conversation with them. Remember, Jesus has existed eternally throughout all of time, so the three likely already know each other. Mark 9:31 tells us that Jesus was telling them about His plans to die and accomplish His goal in Jerusalem. I just cannot fathom how incredible this moment must have been to hear this conversation. It is mind-bending to me as I cannot even comprehend Jesus telling Moses and Elijah about His coming death and resurrection, which will fulfill all things and provide salvation to all people. We will continue reading about the transfiguration tomorrow. Application Before writing this I never really took the time to deeply study this passage. In the past, I would simply read right through and perhaps thought, “Oh, this is cool.” Now, it is hard to even type as I sit in awe of God’s inexplicable glory. We have nothing to directly apply from this passage other than reveling in Jesus’ great glory and majesty. But really, take a moment to pause. Either right now or after finishing this short application, take some time to simply rest in God’s presence and think about what we just read. We just got a picture of how beautiful Jesus will look for all of eternity. His face will shine bright as the sun and He will radiate bright light white as snow. I am simply in awe. May we praise, worship, honor, and glorify Jesus every day in all that we do while continually pursuing righteousness, holiness, and forgiveness as He forgave us. Looking Ahead Thank you for joining today’s daily Bible reading! Next, we read Matthew 17:4-8. I hope you join me! I have made commenting available, so please feel free to discuss the reading and ask questions. If you do not want to discuss publicly, you can reach out to me privately. We are on this journey together. References [1] Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown, “Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary.” [2] Ibid.
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