Matthew 17
17
The Transfiguration
1After six days#Mk 9:2–8; Lk 9:28–36 Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.#Mt 26:37; Mk 5:37 2He was transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.#Ps 104:2; Dn 7:9; Mt 28:3; 2Co 3:18; Rv 1:16; 10:1 3Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up#17:4 Other mss read Let’s make three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”#Mk 9:5; Lk 9:33
5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered#17:5 Or enveloped; Ex 40:34–35 them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!” #Is 42:1; Mt 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22; Ac 3:22; 2Pt 1:16–18 6When the disciples#Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.
7Jesus came up, touched them, and said, “Get up; don’t be afraid.”#Dn 8:18; 9:21; 10:10; Mt 14:27 8When they looked up they saw no one except Jesus alone.
9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,#Mk 9:9–13 “Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised#17:9 Other mss read Man has risen from the dead.”
10So the disciples asked him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” #Mal 4:5; Mt 11:14
11 “Elijah is coming # 17:11 Other mss add first and will restore everything,” he replied.#17:11 Other mss read Jesus said to them#Mal 4:6; Lk 1:16–17 12“But I tell you: Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him. On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”#Mt 14:3,10; 16:21 13Then the disciples understood that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
The Power of Jesus over a Demon
14When they reached the crowd,#Mk 9:14–29; Lk 9:37–43 a man approached and knelt down before him. 15“Lord,” he said, “have mercy on my son, because he has seizures#17:15 Lit he is moonstruck; thought to be a form of epilepsy and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”#Mt 10:1; Mk 6:7; Lk 10:17
17Jesus replied, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long will I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.”#Jn 14:9; 20:27; Php 2:15 18Then Jesus rebuked the demon,#17:18 Lit rebuked him, or it and it#17:18 Lit the demon came out of him,#Zch 3:2; Mt 8:26; Mk 1:25; Lk 4:35; Jd 9 and from that moment#17:18 Lit hour the boy was healed.
19Then the disciples approached Jesus privately and said, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”
20 “Because of your little faith,” he#17:20 Other mss read your unbelief, Jesus told them. “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of #17:20 Lit faith like a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move.#Mt 21:21–22; Mk 11:23; Lk 17:6; Jn 11:40; 1Co 13:2 Nothing will be impossible for you.”#17:20 Some mss include v. 21: “However, this kind does not come out except by prayer and fasting.”#Mk 9:23,29; 13:31
The Second Prediction of His Death
22As#Mt 16:21; 20:17; Mk 8:31; 9:30–32; Lk 9:44–45 they were gathering together#17:22 Other mss read were staying in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.
Paying the Temple Tax
24When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” #Ex 30:13; 38:26; Mk 9:33
25“Yes,” he said.
When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first,#17:25 Lit Jesus anticipated him by saying “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes? From their sons or from strangers?” #17:25 Or foreigners#Mt 22:17,19; Mk 12:14; Rm 13:7
26“From strangers,” he said.#17:26 Other mss read Peter said to him
“Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. 27“But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin.#17:27 Gk stater, worth 2 double-drachmas Take it and give it to them for me and you.”#Mt 5:29; Jn 6:61
Currently Selected:
Matthew 17: CSB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
© 2017 Holman Bible Publishers
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.”
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
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.