Today’s reading is Matthew 17.
Peter, bless his heart, sticks his foot in his mouth once again. He tried hard, and sometimes he was praised and blessed for being the one who stepped out on a limb. However, on occasions such as this one, he missed the mark entirely.
“Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” That sounds good, doesn’t it? Peter’s being very respectful. Moses and Elijah are two of the, if not the two, most important people in Israel’s history. They represent the Law and the Prophets. They deserve respect and honor. On top of that, Peter is saying Jesus deserves just as much honor as those two men of greatness.
But then God jumps into the conversation. A bright cloud overshadowed them and God spoke from the cloud: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” He called to mind Psalm 2 and the King whom God has installed on His holy Mt. Zion.
All this explains that Jesus is not just a lawgiver on a level of the greatest lawgivers. Jesus is not one great prophet among many great prophets. Jesus is above all these others. We must listen to Jesus. The author of Hebrews drew this out, saying, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:1-3, ESV). This passage is actually driving home the entire point of the Transfiguration episode.
There are many voices out there vying for our attention. Some of them had even been from God and were the authority for a time. But now, Jesus is the manifest expression of God, His mind, and His will. If Jesus said it (and of course that includes saying it through His Holy Spirit to the apostles and prophets of the New Testament), then we must listen. The rest may be honorable and respectable, but do not hold a candle to the glory and majesty and authority of Jesus Christ.
Let’s listen to Jesus today.
Tomorrow’s reading is Matthew 17.
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Discuss the Following Questions with Your Family
- What are your initial reactions to the chapter and the written devo above?
- Very practically, if we are supposed to listen to Jesus over Moses and Elijah, what does this mean about how we view the Old Testament?
- Does this mean we should ignore the Old Testament? Why or why not?
- How would you have responded if you had been Peter?
- What do you think we should pray for and about in light of this chapter and today’s post?
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