Listen to Jesus – Matthew 17:1-13

I was talking with a friend about our mission trip experiences and I recalled a trip I had made to Ecuador, where we were doing house-to-house evangelism using the Evangecube. We came to one house and the woman invited us in to share the gospel with her and she believed. She told us that the Jehovah’s Witnesses had visited her prior to us and preached their views, but she somehow just knew that what they were saying was not right. What we had shared about Jesus, that was the truth that resonated with her heart.

Jesus said his sheep hear his voice and follow him. This woman heard the voice of Jesus in the gospel as we shared it with her. Listening to Jesus is critical, as Jesus’ inner circle of disciples, Peter, James and John, discovered.

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. And Peter said to Jesus, “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.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist. (Matthew 17:1-13 ESV)

Jesus had said six days earlier that some of them would not taste death until they saw the Son of Man coming in his kingdom and now three of them get a glimpse of the glory of that kingdom as Jesus is transfigured.  Moses’ and Elijah’s bodies are dead so this is their spirits given form to allow the disciples to see them.  Of course, they would not recognize these men personally so somehow their identity is revealed another way.  Peter speaks (he can’t help it) foolishly, trying to make some sense of this for himself, but the Father voices what is most important to take from this experience:  Listen to Jesus.

Afterwards they question Jesus about the scribes’ teaching that Elijah must come before the kingdom arrives, a teaching taken from Malachi 4:4, which Jesus confirms.  But showing how prophecy is often fulfilled in stages he signals that John the Baptist was the Elijah for this day, announcing the kingdom, and suggesting that if the people had really listened to him and embraced Jesus as Messiah, the kingdom could have come in its full glory after Jesus was crucified and resurrected. 

Of course, Israel did not accept Jesus as her Messiah at his first coming.  Her future conversion and embracing of the kingdom awaits still.  In the meantime, the gospel is still being offered to Jews and now Gentiles. We urge people to listen to Jesus.  He is the one worth listening to. He is the glorious king whose coming again will be like the brightness of the sun. To fail to listen to him is a ticket to outer darkness. Oh please, oh please, listen to Jesus.