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9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead." 10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, "Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?" 11 Jesus answered and said to them, "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands." 13 Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist. ~ Matthew 17:9-13
Today, we return to our study of Matthew 17 where the Lord Jesus Christ led three of His disciples up Mount Hermon to meet with two Old Testament figures who represent the Law and the Prophets. The presence of Moses and Elijah highlight the fact that the Lord Jesus is the fulfillment of all of the Old Testament. This is why God the Father said, "listen to Him" because He possesses all the answers we seek. I'm sure these three disciples thought life would be easier as a result of going up that mountain that day and I am sure in some ways it was. But, as we grow in our understanding of the culture of God, the greater the difficulties will become. This is primarily due to the fact that our faith does not grow apart from being made uncertain.
I am comforted by the fact that complete understanding is not necessary for following the Lord Jesus. In fact, it is the suspense of following the Lord that makes it so hard and yet life-giving. If we had certainty, we would have no need for faith. It is the nature of faith to be incomplete in our understanding of God and His ways. Faith in the God of the Bible is truly our heart's ability to see God. And, it is the nature of faith to anticipate the next revelation about Him. This is what deepens us in our walk with Him. And, I might add, knowing God and His ways means more than just a conscious effort to avoid sin. It is in the giving of our being to Him that propels us best in our walk with Him.
In v.9 of today's passage we read, "Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, 'Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.'"
Peter, James and John, all experienced the exact same event, but of the three, only Peter wrote about it. The Lord Jesus told them not to tell anyone about the vision atop Mount Hermon until His resurrection because after it the world would know that He didn’t come to conquer their political enemies, He came to conquer death. After His resurrection the disciples began seeing everything differently. In fact, they were granted the ability to see spiritual reality rather than the obvious.
The resurrection of the Lord Jesus didn't make any sense to the disciples because they had no room in their theology for His death on the cross. They believed He was going to usher in His political and economic kingdom with force and with might. But, God does not do things like we do them. His is a kingdom that is inside out and upside down. In fact, as is underscored in the gospel according to Mark, the Lord Jesus Himself is the Servant who rules and the Ruler who serves.
In v.10 of today's passage we read, "And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?'"
As they came down Mount Hermon that day, the disciples had a discussion. They entertained their questions, and eventually, they brought those questions to the only One with the real answers. This is discipleship when we are taught by the Lord Himself. Discipleship is not keeping a regimen that requires us to get up at 5:00 am to meet with the Lord. But, if you are wired to have the best discussions with the Lord at that time, go for it. But, do not allow that time to be the only time you have a conversation with Him in your day. We do best to get into the habit of talking with Him as often as we can during each day, for this is the context where He trains us in His ways.
In v.11-12 of today's passage we read, "11 Jesus answered and said to them, 'Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. 12 But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.'"
The Lord Jesus clearly stated that the coming of Elijah is two-fold with the first being past tense, he has come already. And, the second is yet to happen, he is coming. The first coming of Elijah was realized in the coming of John the Baptist. When John was being dedicated in the temple at his birth, the priest Zechariah quoted Malachi saying, "This is the one who comes in the spirit and the power of Elijah to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the hearts of the children back to the fathers. Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." John the Baptist was an Elijah-like forerunner of the Lord Jesus, but the prophet Elijah will come, according to Malachi 4, at the end of days "before the great and terrible day of the Lord" which will come at the end of the Tribulation.
In v.13 of today's passage we read, "Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist."
The timing of the Lord Jesus coming as their Messiah which means Savior didn’t fit the disciples theology. They expected Him to be in His first coming what He will be in His second. Their timing of the return of the Messiah to restore all things and set up His earthly kingdom was off by 2,000 years. This is the primary reason the religious leaders rejected the Lord Jesus as the Messiah as well. They were blinded by their theology. They also did not understand the unique characteristic of prophecy, that it can have duel meaning and fulfillment. It can relate to both the first and the second return of Christ.
Biblical prophecy is designed to require of us to walk by faith and not by sight. It always makes sense when looked at in the rear view mirror, but looking ahead is like driving into dense fog. Down in the valley of life we determine to live by that which we experience on the mountain with the Lord. This, I am sure, was the thought of these three disciples. But, following the Lord Jesus is hard, and sometimes, this is good, because if we were so successful at it we would lose sight of our dependency upon Him.
Dethroning and denying self leads us to the most important revelation of all: the determination to walk with the Lord Jesus. And, we must operate out of the fact that without the cross and the resurrection, there is no good news, there is no salvation, and there is no kingdom. What we love, we worship. When we marry these two ideas of worship and love, we discover the key to discipleship or following the Lord. Learning to love and worship Him is the tool God uses to solidify our souls in relationship to His Son. The deepening relationship that follows provides for us the moorings that enable us to go deep in a love relationship with Him. Discipleship is the deepening of our faith in Him which is learning to see Him with our hearts.
