Matthew 17:5-8

Matthew 17:5-8

While He was still speaking, behold!  A radiant cloud overshadowed them.  And behold!  A voice, while speaking out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I took pleasure.  Listen to Him.”  And while the disciples listened they fell down upon their face and were being extremely frightened.  And Jesus drew near, and after touching them He said, “Be raised up and do not fear.”  And after lifting up their eyes they saw no one except only Jesus Himself.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Behold!  Twice Matthew uses this term to make sure we pay attention.  God is doing something extraordinary here.  A radiant cloud appears and then a voice comes out of the cloud.  Think back to another point in Israel’s history where a cloud was rather important.  Remember the Exodus story?  For 40 years God dwelled among the people in the cloud.  God led them when the cloud moved.  When the cloud settled the people would stop, assemble the tabernacle, and the cloud would enter the Holy of Holies.  Let’s not forget that Jesus’ name in the Aramaic is Yeshua, which is actually the name Joshua.  God led Him people out of Egypt by a cloud and through Joshua His people came into a literal Promised Land.  Now one more we have a cloud guiding God’s people and we have a spiritual Joshua getting ready to lead God’s people into a spiritual Promised Land.  The foreshadowing is incredible!

Have you ever connected this story with the Exodus story before?  Why is it a neat connection to make with respect to what God is doing in both stories?

Second Thought:

The message from the cloud is extremely important.  As we did yesterday, let’s not forget the context.  Jesus asks the disciples who He is.  They confess that He is God’s Messiah.  Jesus begins to clearly teach them that as God’s Messiah, He must go to die.  They – through Peter – reject that message.  In the very next story we hear God the Father reinforce that Jesus is correct in what He’s doing.  The transfiguration story is done immediately after Jesus begins to teach the disciples clearly about the crucifixion because from a human perspective the plan sounds so crazy.  What human being would ever consider a plan in which Jesus goes to Jerusalem to die a good thing!  In hindsight, of course, we realize it is an awesome thing.  But before it happened, Jesus’ plan had to sound absolutely ludicrous.  Thus, God comes to Jesus after sending Moses and Elijah to Jesus to make sure that the disciples understand.  This is God’s plan.  Jesus is following the plan.  It’s a crazy plan from a human perspective, but from God’s plan it is the most loving thing that He could ever do.

Do you think that it was important for the disciples to hear this reinforcement?  Do you think that this reinforcement was important to the disciples for their whole lives?

Third Thought:

Once more we see Jesus come when He is needed.  The three disciples fall down, afraid.  The presence of the Father has never been nearer in their life and they respond as we all should when God draws near.  They collapse in fear realizing that at this moment they are small and insignificant.  Yet, this is precisely the moment that Christ demonstrates what Christ came to do.  He goes to them.  He touches them.  And He causes them to be able to stand.  Isn’t that what He does for all of us?  Who among us can stand upon our own righteousness in the presence of God?  But because of Christ, we will all be able to stand.

How does this lesson make you appreciate the work of Christ?  When you think of Christ’s work, do you think of it in the broad perspective of all humanity or the personal perspective of how it changes your specific life?

Passage for Tomorrow: Matthew 17:9-13