Matthew 17
July Memory Verse: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
Read: Matthew 17
Encounters with Jesus are special. They change things. We read about them all throughout Scripture. We experience them in our own lives. For some of us, we look back to a camp experience or a mission trip experience or a time in our life that was hard but God was with us through it the whole time. Regardless, encounters with Jesus are special and transformative.
When you read “encounter with Jesus”, what comes to your mind? When is a time you encountered Jesus in a special way?
Here we read a story about an encounter with Jesus, one unlike any other that would ever take place. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain after telling them of His death and resurrection. And when He took them up there, He allowed them to see Him in a way that no one else ever had. They saw Him in all of His glory. This must have been SPECIAL. This must have been TRANSFORMATIVE. Then they saw two of their faith heroes conversing with Jesus. They had no idea how to respond. They should have sat there and taken it in but they didn’t know what to do. They made tents. And as quickly as it started, it was over; but not before God spoke to them from heaven and told them who Jesus was - confirming all they understood to be true. They became afraid and Jesus comforted them.
Quite a story. We all desire meaningful encounters with Jesus and I think we see 6 principles of encountering Jesus from this story:
1) JESUS ALWAYS INITIATES… WE ALWAYS RESPOND. (v.1, 4)
Jesus is the one who took them up the mountain. He knew what was going to take place. He initiated the experience for them. They responded.
How does Jesus do that with us?
2) WE ALWAYS SEE JESUS FOR WHO HE IS. (v.2-3, 5)
In this encounter with Jesus, they saw Jesus in all of His glory. No part of His identity was covered up… “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.” Then God from Heaven, just like at His baptism, spoke and said “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.”
They saw Jesus for who He was. There were no more (or should have been no more) questions about who Jesus is and what He had come to do.
Think back to an encounter with Jesus in your life… How did you see who Jesus was?
3) WE ALWAYS SEE US FOR WHO WE ARE. (v.6)
They fell down and they were afraid. Whenever I read this, I think back to Isaiah 6 where Isaiah sees God for who He is in all of His glory and he falls down, afraid, because he realizes how sinful he really is. I think this is very similar to what is going on here. When we see God for who He is, we see us for who we are.
Thinking back to your encounters with Jesus, How did God show you who you were in that?
4) THEY ARE PERSONAL. (v.7)
We see the personal aspect of encounters with Jesus all over this story. Jesus took them up. Jesus transfigured before them. But going down to verse 7, when they are afraid, we see the personal side of encounters with Jesus on a whole new level. Jesus didn’t just comfort them with words… He bent down and touched them. He helped them get up and realize that there is nothing to fear.
Think back to a moment that you were overcome by fear because of your sinfulness, how did Jesus personally comfort you?
5) THEY DON’T LAST FOREVER… SO DON’T WASTE THEM. (v.8)
Their unique and special encounter with Jesus - the transfiguration - was over just as quickly as it came. It was just but for a moment.
Often we put Jesus on hold, thinking that we can come back to that exact moment as much as we please but this is not true. Jesus initiates, we respond & we experience.
How can you engage Jesus in those special moments?
6) THE ENEMY OF ENCOUNTERING JESUS IS BUSYNESS. (v.4)
Their response to this special encounter with Jesus always baffled me. They chose to build tents. This was (in their mind) how they were going to honor Jesus. As I read this story, I cannot help but think back to Mary and Martha and their vastly different responses to the presence of Jesus. One busied herself. The other sat in Jesus’ presence.
We need to learn to sit in the presence of Jesus more. We are told (in our minds) that if we do more things the better we will be. That is not always true. Sometimes we need to sit and rest. Busyness is the enemy of encounters with Jesus.
How does busyness in your life detract from your intimacy with Jesus?
How did God speak to you today?
By: Nick Parsons
Read: Matthew 17
Encounters with Jesus are special. They change things. We read about them all throughout Scripture. We experience them in our own lives. For some of us, we look back to a camp experience or a mission trip experience or a time in our life that was hard but God was with us through it the whole time. Regardless, encounters with Jesus are special and transformative.
When you read “encounter with Jesus”, what comes to your mind? When is a time you encountered Jesus in a special way?
Here we read a story about an encounter with Jesus, one unlike any other that would ever take place. Jesus took Peter, James, and John up the mountain after telling them of His death and resurrection. And when He took them up there, He allowed them to see Him in a way that no one else ever had. They saw Him in all of His glory. This must have been SPECIAL. This must have been TRANSFORMATIVE. Then they saw two of their faith heroes conversing with Jesus. They had no idea how to respond. They should have sat there and taken it in but they didn’t know what to do. They made tents. And as quickly as it started, it was over; but not before God spoke to them from heaven and told them who Jesus was - confirming all they understood to be true. They became afraid and Jesus comforted them.
Quite a story. We all desire meaningful encounters with Jesus and I think we see 6 principles of encountering Jesus from this story:
1) JESUS ALWAYS INITIATES… WE ALWAYS RESPOND. (v.1, 4)
Jesus is the one who took them up the mountain. He knew what was going to take place. He initiated the experience for them. They responded.
How does Jesus do that with us?
2) WE ALWAYS SEE JESUS FOR WHO HE IS. (v.2-3, 5)
In this encounter with Jesus, they saw Jesus in all of His glory. No part of His identity was covered up… “his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.” Then God from Heaven, just like at His baptism, spoke and said “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased, listen to Him.”
They saw Jesus for who He was. There were no more (or should have been no more) questions about who Jesus is and what He had come to do.
Think back to an encounter with Jesus in your life… How did you see who Jesus was?
3) WE ALWAYS SEE US FOR WHO WE ARE. (v.6)
They fell down and they were afraid. Whenever I read this, I think back to Isaiah 6 where Isaiah sees God for who He is in all of His glory and he falls down, afraid, because he realizes how sinful he really is. I think this is very similar to what is going on here. When we see God for who He is, we see us for who we are.
Thinking back to your encounters with Jesus, How did God show you who you were in that?
4) THEY ARE PERSONAL. (v.7)
We see the personal aspect of encounters with Jesus all over this story. Jesus took them up. Jesus transfigured before them. But going down to verse 7, when they are afraid, we see the personal side of encounters with Jesus on a whole new level. Jesus didn’t just comfort them with words… He bent down and touched them. He helped them get up and realize that there is nothing to fear.
Think back to a moment that you were overcome by fear because of your sinfulness, how did Jesus personally comfort you?
5) THEY DON’T LAST FOREVER… SO DON’T WASTE THEM. (v.8)
Their unique and special encounter with Jesus - the transfiguration - was over just as quickly as it came. It was just but for a moment.
Often we put Jesus on hold, thinking that we can come back to that exact moment as much as we please but this is not true. Jesus initiates, we respond & we experience.
How can you engage Jesus in those special moments?
6) THE ENEMY OF ENCOUNTERING JESUS IS BUSYNESS. (v.4)
Their response to this special encounter with Jesus always baffled me. They chose to build tents. This was (in their mind) how they were going to honor Jesus. As I read this story, I cannot help but think back to Mary and Martha and their vastly different responses to the presence of Jesus. One busied herself. The other sat in Jesus’ presence.
We need to learn to sit in the presence of Jesus more. We are told (in our minds) that if we do more things the better we will be. That is not always true. Sometimes we need to sit and rest. Busyness is the enemy of encounters with Jesus.
How does busyness in your life detract from your intimacy with Jesus?
How did God speak to you today?
By: Nick Parsons
1 Comment
This really spoke to me! I feel too often that during my quiet time I am just reading rather than interpreting it and applying it to myself. I need to be more present and focused during my quiet time and what God is trying to speak to me.