Matthew 17:1-8 ~ transfigured

Matthew 17:1-8

English Standard Version, David Cochran Audio

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. ²And 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."


One of my best things is conversation. Which means ~ I am a talker. And I can Really appreciate Peter being faced with God's Glory and .... talking. And I have to say, this is one of the reasons I adore the Lord.....

It will be very interesting to know what God will say to me when I get to Heaven. Like the movies.... all that dialog and what did the LORD get out of it. Of one thing I am sure. My next reply to Him after He tells me is... not going to be - "For Sure. "

So.... faced with the supreme majesty and overwhelming Glory of God Almighty, Maker of the Heavens and the Universe - how did the disciples do?

Well, let's face it - what Peter said was a bit humorous. If I were God, I think I would have had a hard time not smothering a laugh.

What might have God have thought, in His God VOICE -

Acts 7:48
Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made by hands, as the prophet says, “‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?’

Remember, God is a Father to all of us. He has to get a kick out of all of these out-takes. It's a family reunion and there are the funny moments.

And John - how did John do with the Supreme Glory of God.... Picture John not saying a word and as they go down the mountain - Jesus tells John not to say anything about it (v. 9). At that point, John must have just nodded with that glazed Deer in the headlights look - because - John took Jesus quit literally and all of the Gospel of John, John 1,2,3 and Revelation ..... John is not Telling. But John doesn't stop thinking about it and 18 Times Referring to God's Overwhelming Glory in his Gospel alone. John 1 is my favorite passage in the Bible and it goes a little like this:

John One - Notice, here, this is how John ... Begins
¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹²But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. ¹⁵( John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'") ¹⁶And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. ¹⁷For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side he has made him known.

Wow. Wow. And more wow.

And how did James do with the overwhelming vision of God's glory? James did like the Magi and brought Jesus a valuable gift - James thought so much of what he saw - he gave his life to God when cruel men asked him to recant his faith.

And how did Peter, the talker, do with the overwhelming vision of God's glory?

Peter later wrote of it:

2 Peter 1:16-21
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, [Or my Son, my Beloved] with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.


I feel blessed to read Peter go on to describe the vision as a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

You know that you know. In your heart. It is difficult to put the assurance into words, but I remember the first hour I believed and it was exactly a light shining from within in my soul.


1 John 4:16
And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.



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