Matthew 17:1-3 Shining Like the Sun
Format for Your Devotions
Instructions: Do not read my example devotion until you have completed your own devotional time in the scriptures. Reading my thoughts first may limit your own understanding. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you alone before looking to see what anyone else has to say, whether it is me, a Bible commentary, or a friend. Let God speak to you before you let another person speak to you. I have provided a format, but modify it to fit your needs. For example, I usually combine my application and prayer together talking to God about the application to my own life. You can go through this devotion process mentally, speaking out loud, or in writing as you wish. Don’t worry if you are not following this process exactly. Sometimes, I add extra information and sometimes I emphasize one part more than others. However, you should always think about what you learn about God from this passage.
Step 1: Pray–Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance first of all and that God may reveal the lessons that He wants you to have that day. Request that God protect you from Satan’s distractions (and the devil will try to distract you whether it is pinching the baby or putting you to sleep). Ask to see God more clearly as you read and think about the passage.
Step 2: Read the passage–Read to get an overview of the information first. Then start looking at specific parts after the first reading. You may read a larger or smaller section than I have here because you do not have to follow my organization at all.
Step 3: Understand the passage–You can summarize, ask and answer your own questions about the passage, visualize the story, analyze the characters, and relate this passage to other scriptures and personal experiences.
Step 4: What does this reveal about God?–What do you learn about the Father, Son, and/or Holy Spirit from this passage?
Step 5: Apply this to your own life.
Step 6: Prayer
My Example Devotion: May 2, 2019 Matthew 17:1-3
Note: In the devotion examples, I leave my questions and thought processes in the text because I am trying to demonstrate that a devotional time is a dialogue with God about what you are reading from His word. As such, any questions or ideas that you have should be explored by talking it out with God. These example devotions are not my attempts to teach you what the meaning of a particular scripture is. They are an attempt to teach you the process of devotions, which is a combination of prayer and Bible study where you explore ideas with God as you read His word.
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.
(Understanding the Text) Jesus knew about the transfiguration beforehand. He announced that it would happen six days before. He had probably traveled to this area specifically for this appointment. Why this area? I think it may have been one of the few places that Jesus could get enough privacy. Maybe trying to go to a deserted place in Galilee was about trying to find a private place? Galilee was out because it was too crowded with people looking for Jesus. On the coast, they had been found out also, but here Jesus was able to find a private place on a mountain away from people.
It always comes back to Peter, James, and John seeing and hearing stuff that the others didn’t. Matthew is writing about this, so the three must have told him about it after Jesus’ resurrection. I wonder if they were the most physically fit of the disciples. They hiked up a high mountain. During the six days between Jesus’ announcement and this hike, they must have stocked up on provisions for the journey. The disciples must have wondered what was going to happen when they reached their destination. They were climbing a mountain, and mountains had importance in their history as places where significant events happened: the non-sacrifice of Isaac, the giving of the law. They had to know that this was an unusual journey, so they must have been curious about the purpose.
(Revelation of God) Was this the first time that Jesus was transfigured? Or had He been transfigured before when no one was around? Why was He transfigured? What purpose did it serve? Why was it needed? What did it symbolize? God never does anything just for show. There had to be some greater purpose in the transfiguration than simply turning up the lights in front of the disciples. They were part of something greater than they understood.
(Understanding the Text) I understand why Moses and Elijah were there. They represented the people who would be taken from earth to heaven at Jesus’ second coming. Moses represented the dead who would be resurrected and Elijah represented the translated living. However, I don’t understand the importance of those symbols, except that they were encouraging Jesus to go forward to the finish of His mission. Was this a choice? Was Jesus given a chance to stop here? Was He being given a taste of heaven before He had to go through the final steps that would irrevocably change everything including Him? Was this about choice? Not a temptation, but full-disclosure. Was this an appointment that had been decided upon long before Jesus ever became human? Were heavenly presences besides Jesus, Elijah, Moses, and the Father present at this conference, but unseen by the disciples? Was the presence of the three disciples necessary for this meeting as representatives of the Jews who were about to be judged? Was there significance in the three? Jesus, Moses, and Elijah made three transfigured humans. Peter, James, and John made three untransformed humans. I think that in a way, this may have been a legal ceremony of some kind with the heavenly courts where Jesus and the two humans from heaven were being examined about the necessity and their willingness to go through with the plan. Was the universe being given a glimpse of what was at stake and what the rewards were? Have Elijah and Moses been representatives and interpreters of the human race to heavenly beings all this time? The beings could see the possibilities in the human race through Elijah and Moses (and Jesus) while they could see the beginnings in Peter, James, and John.
How long did the transfiguration last? What did they talk about? What did Peter, James, and John overhear? They had to overhear enough to know the names of the other two men.
(Application / Prayer) My application for myself is that there is a lot more going on in the universe than I, with my limited capacity to understand, can know. There are important far-reaching events happening that I am part of but that I cannot see the significance of. I need to trust God that He knows what’s going on and will take care of it and me. Secondly, Jesus is my brother and my Savior and my Friend and my beloved, but I need to also be aware that He is also full of glory and grand and imposing. I need to see the whole person as much as I can and never try to limit Him to the box of my understanding. I need to study who He is and try to understand more than I do now. I pray to see You more and more clearly.