Matthew 17 & Mark 9
Common Theme
Jesus reveals His divine glory and authority through the Transfiguration, affirming His identity as the beloved Son of God and preparing His disciples for His coming suffering and resurrection. The disciples are reminded to listen to Him above all others and to trust His power, even when faith is weak.
Questions
- What does the Transfiguration teach us about who Jesus truly is?
- How does Jesus respond to the disciples’ lack of faith, and what does that reveal about His patience and power?
God Shot
God reveals Himself as glorious, compassionate, and sovereign—He is the Father who declares Jesus as His beloved Son and commands that we listen to Him. Jesus, radiant with divine glory, shows the majesty of God made visible and the power of God working through perfect love and authority.
Deeper✝
Matthew 17
Matthew 17:1–27 describes significant events in the life of Jesus, including the Transfiguration, the healing of an epileptic boy, and the payment of the temple tax. The Transfiguration occurs on an unspecified high mountain, likely Mount Hermon, where Jesus is transformed, revealing his divine glory. Moses and Elijah appear, symbolizing the law and the prophets, affirming Jesus’s superiority. Peter suggests building memorials, but the voice of God declares Jesus as His Son, emphasizing His unique role in salvation.
Following this, Jesus instructs the disciples to remain silent about the event until after His resurrection to prevent misunderstandings about His mission. He clarifies that John the Baptist fulfills the prophecy of Elijah, but both he and Jesus faced rejection.
The narrative shifts to the healing of an epileptic boy, where the father expresses faith in Jesus’s ability to heal. Jesus rebukes the demon, highlighting the disciples’ "little faith" and teaching that even small faith, when focused on Him, can achieve great things.
The chapter concludes with Jesus predicting His betrayal and death, causing the disciples grief. Regarding the temple tax, Jesus explains that as the Son of God, He is exempt but chooses to pay to avoid causing offense. This passage emphasizes Jesus’s central role in salvation, the nature of true faith, and the concept of freedom in serving others rather than asserting personal rights.
Mark 9
Mark 9:2–13 describes the Transfiguration of Jesus, highlighting its connections to Moses and the significance of this event. The narrative begins with a chronological note, paralleling Moses’s six-day preparation before encountering God on Mount Sinai, suggesting a typology that casts Jesus as a king. This event follows Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Messiah and his subsequent revelation of suffering, linking the transfiguration to the promise of resurrection glory. The presence of Moses and Elijah during the transfiguration evokes Jewish hopes for Israel’s redemption, indicating that the kingdom of God is near. Peter’s misguided response reflects a human perspective, failing to recognize Jesus’s unique glory. God affirms Jesus’s identity, urging the disciples to understand the necessity of suffering.
As they descend, Jesus instructs the disciples to remain silent about the transfiguration until after his resurrection, revealing their confusion about his teachings on suffering. Jesus clarifies that Elijah has already come, referring to John the Baptist, and challenges the disciples’ expectations of a triumphant Messiah. The application emphasizes the contrast between the mountaintop experience and the struggles of daily life, urging believers to remember Jesus’s teachings on self-sacrifice and suffering. The Gospel of Mark stresses that true discipleship involves embracing humility and the cross, rather than seeking only glory and happiness.
In Mark 9:14–29, Jesus encounters a crowd filled with astonishment upon his return from the mountain, highlighting the disciples’ failure to exorcise a demon from a boy. Jesus expresses concern over the disciples’ hard-heartedness and the crowd’s unbelief, emphasizing the urgency of their need for faith. The narrative centers on the struggle for faith rather than the exorcism itself. The boy’s father, witnessing his son’s torment, pleads for help, expressing doubt about Jesus’s ability to heal. Jesus responds by affirming that "everything is possible for one who believes," indicating that faith should not limit God’s power.
The father, representing an unbelieving generation, seeks faith despite his doubts, contrasting with those who refuse to believe. Jesus successfully commands the spirit to leave the boy, using resurrection language to signify the boy’s new life. Later, the disciples inquire about their failure, and Jesus explains that their lack of prayer contributed to their inability to heal. He emphasizes that a life of prayer is essential for effective ministry and receptiveness to God’s action.
The text underscores that faith can be challenging, especially in times of suffering. The father’s humble plea illustrates that Jesus does not require perfect faith but rather a willingness to trust. Faith is portrayed as a gift sustained by Jesus’s power, and the combination of faith and prayer is shown to be transformative, capable of changing reality.
In Mark 9:30–50, Jesus teaches his disciples about the necessity of suffering and humility. Despite their confusion and fear to ask questions, the disciples argue about who is the greatest among them. Jesus addresses their misunderstanding by emphasizing that true greatness comes from being a servant to all, illustrated by placing a child among them, symbolizing the humble and insignificant.
John reports an outsider casting out demons in Jesus’s name, which the disciples obstructed. Jesus rebukes their exclusivity, stating that anyone not against them is for them, highlighting the importance of unity in the fight against evil. He warns his disciples about causing others to stumble, using hyperbolic language to stress the need for self-examination and the urgency of removing sin from their lives to avoid severe consequences.
Jesus concludes with teachings about salt, suggesting that enduring trials purifies believers, and emphasizes that true discipleship requires manifesting distinctive characteristics. He advocates for peaceful fellowship among believers, urging them to value all members of the community, especially the marginalized.
The application of these teachings encourages humility, service, and unity among Christians, regardless of denominational differences. It warns against attitudes of superiority and promotes cooperation in the mission against evil, emphasizing that all who follow Christ, despite their differences, are part of the same body. This unity reflects God’s power to combat chaos in the world.
✝Deeper summary excerpt from NIV Application Commentary, One-Volume Edition.