Matthew 17

Matthew 17:4

When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi. Compare Mr 8:27-38 Lu 9:18-22. This city was located near the base of Mt. Hermon, at a source of the Jordan, and in the northeast extremity of Palestine. It was called Caesarea Philippi by Herod Philip, who rebuilt it in honor of Tiberius Caesar, and added Philippi after his own name, to distinguish it from Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. It has now about fifty houses, many ruins of columns, towers, temples, a bridge, and a remarkable castle. Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? The original Greek is more specific, and means, “Who do the common people say that I am”? He does not ask for the opinion of the scribes, Pharisees, or priests, but of the people.

Matthew 17:5

Some [say that thou art] John the Baptist. Who had been killed by Herod a few months before. That was one popular notion regarding him, circulating, no doubt, chiefly among those who had never seen him. Herod Antipas entertained it (Mr 14:1). Elijah. It was very generally expected that Elijah was to return to the earth in connection with the Messiah’s advent (Malachi 4:5). One of the prophets. The Jews believed that at the coming of the Messiah the prophets were to rise again.

Matthew 17:6

But whom say ye that I am? This is the great and smaller catechism, the one great and essential question. Christ is the one object of the Christian’s faith. We say we believe in him; but in whom do we believe? The hour had not come for the settlement of what should constitute the Christian confession.

Matthew 17:7

And Simon Peter answered. With the impetuosity and impulsiveness that were ever manifested in him, Peter replied at once and expressed the faith of all the apostolic band. Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. This confession not only sees in Jesus the promised Messiah, but in the Messiah recognizes the divine nature. The confession of Peter is the one Christian confession of the New Testament and of the apostolic age, and the very foundation of the church, into which all saints are built as living stones of the temple.

Matthew 17:8

Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona. Happy are all lips that make this confession, for such shall be confessed before the Father in heaven. For flesh and blood hath not revealed [it] unto thee, but my Father. This holy and blessed confession no one can make from the heart unless he is moved by the Spirit. See 1 John 4:1,2.

Matthew 17:9

Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church. This is the first time Jesus speaks of his church, and here, as not yet founded. Three terms are to be noted: (1) “Peter”, in the Greek, “Petros”, meaning a single stone; (2) “Rock”, in the Greek, “Petra”, which means the solid, immovable bed-rock, a great mass like a cliff, and (3) “church”, Greek, “ecclesia”, those “called out”, the fellowship of believers, the organized society of Christ, the kingdom of heaven on earth. There is probably no passage in the word of God that has called forth more discussion. The Papal church insists that Peter is the rock upon which Christ founded his church. The Catholic position is based upon the fact that Peter means a stone, and the Savior’s language might be rendered, “Thou art a stone and upon this rock I will build my church” (see John 1:42).

The Catholic view is untenable, for (1) The Savior does not say, “Thou art a stone, and upon thee I will build”, etc., or “Thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build”. He changes the word in the Greek from “Petros” (Peter, a stone) to “Petra”, a rock, or ledge of rock–a solid bed-rock. (2) Every saint is a stone (see 1 Peter 2:5). The Lord declares that Peter is one these living stones, made such by his confession of faith, and ready to be built into the church, the spiritual temple, formed of living stones, and built upon the rock. So is every confessor of Christ. In order to settle what the Savior does mean by the “rock”, we must consider Matthew 16:18,19 together, and keep in mind the entire figure. This figure portrays (1) a Builder, Christ; (2) a temple to be built, composed of lively stones, the church; (3) a foundation for that temple, the rock; (4) the gates of an unfriendly city or power which shall seek its destruction, hell, or more correctly, Hades, the unseen abode of the dead, the grave; (5) a door-keeper of the church, or spiritual temple, with his keys, Peter.

Peter’s place in the figure is not that of the foundation, but that of the key-holder, or turnkey. The only difficulty is in settling what the Lord means by the “rock”. Since this rock is the foundation of the church, the central principle, the fundamental idea, we are aided to a correct decision by the teachings of the Word elsewhere. We learn [through Paul] “That other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ”. This excludes Peter or any human platform (1 Corinthians 3:11). Christ is often called a stone: (1) “the stone that the builders rejected” (Matthew 21:42 Mr 12:10 Lu 20:17); (2) “the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20); (3) “the stone that is the head of the corner” (Matthew 21:42 Mr 12:10 Lu 20:17 Acts 4:11 1 Peter 2:7); (4) “the spiritual rock which is Christ” (1 Corinthians 10:4).

Faith in Christ held in the heart, and confessed with the lips is the very foundation of the spiritual life and of the church. This constituted the fundamental difference in apostolic days between Christians and unbelievers, the church and the world. It does still. It is the essence of the teaching of the New Testament that the platform or foundation of the Christian society, the church, is this belief that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God” (see Matthew 16:16 John 6:69). It is then Peter’s grand confession, faith in the Spiritual Rock, the faith that lays hold of Christ, belief that he is the Anointed of God, the Divine Savior, that the Lord pronounces the rock upon which he will found his church. That this view is correct is shown by a correct understanding of the declaration. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. “The gates of Hades” (Revised Version). From the gates of the city always marched forth its armies. The powers of hades are represented by its gates. Hades is not hell (Gehenna), but the unseen abode of the dead that holds the departed within its gates. Just after these words the Lord talks of his death, or entering hades. Six months later the Sanhedrin sent him to death for making the same confession Peter had just made.

See Matthew 26:64-67. They expected to demonstrate that the confession of his divinity which he had made was false by sending him to hades, which they supposed would hold him and prevail against the confession of the ROCK. He was sent there from the cross, but the gates of hades did not prevail, for they could not hold him, and the living Savior, rising triumphant from the tomb, was the unanswerable argument that his own and Peter’s confession was a rock that could never be moved. His resurrection demonstrated that he is the Rock. Hades did not prevail.

Matthew 17:10

I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heaven. That is, of the church. The office of the keys is to open the doors, or close them. On Pentecost, Peter first opened the doors and declared the conditions of which men could have their sins forgiven, be bound or loosed, and thus enter into the church. Seven years later at Caesarea he declared the same conditions to the Gentiles. While Peter took the lead the keys were given to all the apostles, and to no other mortal. See Matthew 18:18 John 20:19-28 All that is here said to Peter is said to all the apostles.

Matthew 17:12

From that time forth began Jesus to shew to his disciples. They were not strong enough to bear this teaching until they were convinced of his divinity. And suffer many things. In this strange way carrying out the true idea of the Messiah (Isaiah 53:1-12). Of the elders and chief priests and scribes. The three constituents of the Sanhedrin.

Matthew 17:13

Peter . . . began to rebuke him. He could not bear the thought of the crucifixion, and still expected Christ to become a worldly king.

Matthew 17:14

Get thee behind me, Satan. Christ saw in the words of Peter a suggestion not so much of his as of Satan’s. It was a temptation to shrink from the work for which he came. It was the same temptation that called out from him the same rebuke once before (Matthew 4:10).

Matthew 17:15

If any [man] will come after me. Compare Mr 8:34-38 Lu 9:23-27. The conditions of discipleship are presented. Let him deny himself. Let him be prepared to say “no” to many of the strongest cravings of his nature, in the direction more particularly of earthly ease, comfort, dignity, and glory. Take up his cross. Luke adds “daily” (Lu 9:23); not once, but all the time. The cross is the pain of the self-denial required in the preceding words. The cross is the symbol of doing our duty, even at the cost of the most painful death. And follow me. To follow Christ is to take him for our master, our teacher, our example; to believe his doctrines, to uphold his cause, to obey his precepts, and to do it though it leads to heaven by way of the cross.

Matthew 17:16

Whosoever will save his life shall lose it. He who refuses to deny himself, and makes saving and ministering to his present life his chief object, shall lose his life eternally.

Matthew 17:17

What is a man profited? etc. All the wealth, glory, pleasure and power of earth are worthless to the dying man. If he should gain them all and lose his own soul, he has lost all. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? What would a man not give? What is there that he can give, if in life he has not followed Christ?

Matthew 17:18

For the Son of man shall come. Then all shall receive their deserts; those who lose their lives shall gain life; those who choose the world shall lose all. As Christ begins to teach of dying on the cross, he begins to give prominence to his coming again.

Matthew 17:19

Shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man. The reference is not to his final coming to judge the world, but to his spiritual coming to establish his kingdom. This was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost. Mark shows the meaning by substituting, “Till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power” (Mr 9:1). The “coming of the Son of man in his kingdom” means, therefore, the same as “the kingdom of God come with power”. Compare Acts 1:8 Lu 24:49. The kingdom came with power on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1).

Matthew 17:21

The Transfiguration SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 17: The Transfigured Lord. Moses and Elias. The Voice from the Cloud. The Lunatic Healed. The Son of Man to Be Betrayed. Slain and Raised the Third Day. The Tribute Money. And after six days. Compare Mr 9:2-8 Lu 9:28-36 John 1:14 2 Peter 1:18. Six days after the conversation recorded in the last chapter. Luke says, “about an eight days” (Lu 9:28). “About”, not exactly. Luke’s “eight days” include the fractional days at the beginning and end of the day of the conversation and the day of transfiguration. Matthew’s “six days” are the six complete days intervening between them. Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John. The three apostles who were chosen to be nearest to the Lord. Into an high mountain. Not Mt. Tabor, for, as we learn from Josephus, who lived in that time, the top of Mt. Tabor was then occupied by a town and fortress. On the other hand, the Lord was in the vicinity of Mt. Hermon. See PNT Matthew 16:13. Hermon was a “high mountain”, ten thousand feet high, visible over most of Palestine.

Matthew 17:22

He was transfigured before them. That is, transformed, changed in form. The great object was to reveal to the disciples his Divine glory before they beheld his humiliation upon the cross, in order to sustain their faith in the hour of trial. His face did shine as the sun. Thus John describes the glorified Savior when he beheld him on Patmos: “His face as the sun when he shineth in his strength” (Revelation 1:16). His raiment was white as the light. Mark says, “white as snow” (Mr 9:3). The comparison may have been suggested by the snow of Hermon. It was a vision of supernatural splendor.

Matthew 17:23

There appeared unto them Moses and Elijah. (1) Among all the prophets and saints of the Old Testament, these were the two, of which one had not died (2 Kings 2:11), and the other had no sooner tasted of death than his body was withdrawn from under the dominion of death and of him that had the power of death (Deuteronomy 34:6; Jude 1:9). Both, therefore, came from hades, but from hades conquered. (2) Again, these two were the acknowledged heads and representatives, the one of the law, the other of the prophets Compare Matthew 7:12. Talking with him. The subject of their conversation is given in Luke. It was “the decease” (exodus, departure, referring to his death and ascension) “which he should accomplish at Jerusalem” (Lu 9:31). In this brief interview between the greatest worthies of the old dispensation and the Founder of the new dispensation their conversation would be confined to the most important theme of earth and heaven. That was the Savior’s death.

Matthew 17:24

Answered Peter. The words were spoken as they departed (Lu 9:33). Lord, it is good for us to be here. It is too brief, too transient a glimpse and foretaste of the heavenly glory. He would fain detain these august visitors. Let us make here three tabernacles. Three booths of boughs, like those of the Feast of the Tabernacles. It seemed to him that the hour for the long-looked-for reign had come.

Matthew 17:25

A bright cloud overshadowed them. Christ, Moses and Elijah are represented as in the cloud which separated them from the disciples’ sight; and out of this cloud the voice spoke to the disciples. By the disciples such a luminous cloud would be instantly accepted as a symbol of Divine presence. A bright cloud, the Shekinah, is throughout the Old Testament dispensation employed as a symbol of God’s presence, being very generally entitled “the glory”, or “the glory of the Lord”. (See, for example, Exodus 16:10 19:9 24:16,17.) This is my beloved Son. The same voice which had once before been heard at the baptism. Such a confirmation of the great confession of Peter was never to be forgotten. Almost a generation later, when he wrote his second epistle, the remembrance of this night was as vivid as ever: “For he received from God the Father honor and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory” (2 Peter 1:17). Hear ye him. The Divine voice that spoke at Sinai and the baptism is heard, declaring Christ’s superiority to Moses and Elijah, in that he is “the beloved Son”, and commanding all to “Hear Him”. Henceforth, not Moses, or Elijah, are the lawgivers of the people of God, but Christ. The saints are bidden to turn from every human teacher, even those as revered as Moses and Elijah, to listen to our Lord. To “hear Him” will lead from error and sin into truth, righteousness and fitness for heaven.

Matthew 17:26

They . . . were sore afraid. Like the children of Israel at Sinai, they were filled with awe at the Divine voice (Exodus 19:9,16).

Matthew 17:27

Arise, and be not afraid. So the Lord ever speaks to his disciples in danger or fear (Matthew 14:27 28:10 Mr 5:36 6:50 Lu 12:4 John 6:20 Acts 18:9).