Matthew 17
17
The Transfiguration
Mk 9:2–13; Lk 9:28–36
1#Mt 26:37; Mk 5:37After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and brought them up to a high mountain alone, 2#Ps 104:2; Mt 28:3and was transfigured before them. His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as the light. 3Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
4#Lk 9:33Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If You wish, let us make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
5#Mt 3:17; Isa 42:1While he was still speaking, suddenly 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#2Pe 1:18When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were filled with awe. 7#Da 8:18; 10:10But Jesus came and touched them and said, “Rise, and do not be afraid.” 8When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9#Mk 8:30As they came down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”
10#Mt 11:14; Mal 4:5–6His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11#Lk 1:16–17; Mal 4:6Jesus answered, “Elijah truly does first come and will restore all things. 12#Mt 16:21But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but did to him whatever they pleased. Likewise, the Son of Man will also suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
The Healing of a Boy with a Demon
Mk 9:14–29; Lk 9:37–43
14When they came to the crowd, a man came to Him and knelt before Him, saying, 15#Mt 4:24“Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not heal him.”
17#Jn 20:27Then Jesus answered, “O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18#Mt 9:22Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him. And the child was healed instantly.
19Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast him out?”
20#Lk 17:6; Mt 13:31; 21:21Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For truly I say to you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. And nothing will be impossible for you. 21#Mk 9:29But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”
Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection
Mk 9:30–32; Lk 9:43b–45
22#Mt 16:21; 20:17–18While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, 23#Mt 16:21; Zec 13:7and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were extremely sorrowful.
Payment of the Temple Tax
24#Ex 30:13; 38:26; Mk 9:33When they came to Capernaum, those who collected tax money came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the tax#Dt 25:5.?”
25#Mt 22:17; 22:19He said, “Yes.”
And when he came home, Jesus stopped him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take custom or taxes? From their own sons or from strangers?”
26Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27#1Co 8:13However, lest we offend them, go to the sea and cast a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open its mouth, you will find a coin. Take it and give it to them for you and Me.”
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Matthew 17: MEV
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Military Bible Association
Matthew 17
17
Sunlight Poured from His Face
1-3Six days later, three of them saw that glory. Jesus took Peter and the brothers, James and John, and led them up a high mountain. His appearance changed from the inside out, right before their eyes. Sunlight poured from his face. His clothes were filled with light. Then they realized that Moses and Elijah were also there in deep conversation with him.
4Peter broke in, “Master, this is a great moment! What would you think if I built three memorials here on the mountain—one for you, one for Moses, one for Elijah?”
5While he was going on like this, babbling, a light-radiant cloud enveloped them, and sounding from deep in the cloud a voice: “This is my Son, marked by my love, focus of my delight. Listen to him.”
6-8When the disciples heard it, they fell flat on their faces, scared to death. But Jesus came over and touched them. “Don’t be afraid.” When they opened their eyes and looked around all they saw was Jesus, only Jesus.
9Coming down the mountain, Jesus swore them to secrecy. “Don’t breathe a word of what you’ve seen. After the Son of Man is raised from the dead, you are free to talk.”
10The disciples, meanwhile, were asking questions. “Why do the religion scholars say that Elijah has to come first?”
11-13Jesus answered, “Elijah does come and get everything ready. I’m telling you, Elijah has already come but they didn’t know him when they saw him. They treated him like dirt, the same way they are about to treat the Son of Man.” That’s when the disciples realized that all along he had been talking about John the Baptizer.
With a Mere Kernel of Faith
14-16At the bottom of the mountain, they were met by a crowd of waiting people. As they approached, a man came out of the crowd and fell to his knees begging, “Master, have mercy on my son. He goes out of his mind and suffers terribly, falling into seizures. Frequently he is pitched into the fire, other times into the river. I brought him to your disciples, but they could do nothing for him.”
17-18Jesus said, “What a generation! No sense of God! No focus to your lives! How many times do I have to go over these things? How much longer do I have to put up with this? Bring the boy here.” He ordered the afflicting demon out—and it was out, gone. From that moment on the boy was well.
19When the disciples had Jesus off to themselves, they asked, “Why couldn’t we throw it out?”
20“Because you’re not yet taking God seriously,” said Jesus. “The simple truth is that if you had a mere kernel of faith, a poppy seed, say, you would tell this mountain, ‘Move!’ and it would move. There is nothing you wouldn’t be able to tackle.”
22-23As they were regrouping in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed to some people who want nothing to do with God. They will murder him—and three days later he will be raised alive.” The disciples felt scared to death.
* * *
24When they arrived at Capernaum, the tax men came to Peter and asked, “Does your teacher pay taxes?”
25Peter said, “Of course.”
But as soon as they were in the house, Jesus confronted him. “Simon, what do you think? When a king levies taxes, who pays—his children or his subjects?”
26-27He answered, “His subjects.”
Jesus said, “Then the children get off free, right? But so we don’t upset them needlessly, go down to the lake, cast a hook, and pull in the first fish that bites. Open its mouth and you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to the tax men. It will be enough for both of us.”
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.