Mateus 17
Warren Wiersbe · Citado em PreceptAustin
Mateus 17
Wiersbe - The Transfiguration revealed four aspects of the glory of Jesus Christ the King. The glory of His person. As far as the record is concerned, this is the only time Jesus revealed His glory in this way while He was on the earth. The word translated transfigured gives us our English word “metamorphosis.” A metamorphosis is a change on the outside that comes from the inside. When a caterpillar builds a cocoon and later emerges as a butterfly, it is due to the process of metamorphosis. Our Lord’s glory was not reflected but radiated from within. There was a change on the outside that came from within as He allowed His essential glory to shine forth (Heb. 1:3). Certainly this event would strengthen the faith of the disciples, particularly Peter who had so recently confessed Jesus to be the Son of God. Had Peter made his confession after the Transfiguration, it would not have been so meaningful. Peter believed, confessed his faith, and then received assurance (see John 11:40; Heb. 11:6). Many years later, John recalled this event as the Spirit guided him to write: “And we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). In his Gospel, John emphasized the deity of Christ and the glory of His person (John 2:11; 7:39; 11:4; 12:23; 13:31–32; 20:31). Jesus Christ laid aside His glory when He came to earth (John 17:5). Because of His finished work on the cross, He has received back His glory and now shares it with us (John 17:22, 24). However, we do not have to wait for heaven to share in this “transfiguration glory.” When we surrender ourselves to God, He will “transfigure” our minds (Rom. 12:1–2). As we yield to the Spirit of God, He changes (transfigures) us “from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). As we look into the Word of God, we see the Son of God and are transfigured by the Spirit of God into the glory of God. The glory of His kingdom. At the close of His sermon about cross-bearing, Jesus promised that some of the disciples would see “the Son of man coming in His kingdom” (Matt. 16:28). He selected Peter, James, and John as witnesses to this event. These three friends and business partners (Luke 5:10) had been with Jesus in the home of Jairus (Luke 8:51), and they would go with Him into the Garden of Gethsemane before His crucifixion (see Matt. 26:37). Dr. G. Campbell Morgan has pointed out that these three occasions all had to do with death. Jesus was teaching these three men that He was victor over death (He raised Jairus’ daughter) and surrendered to death (in the Garden). The Transfiguration taught them that He was glorified in death. The presence of Moses and Elijah was significant. Moses represented the Law and Elijah the prophets. All of the Law and Prophets point to Christ and are fulfilled in Christ (Luke 24:27; Heb. 1:1). Not one word of the Old Testament Scriptures will be unfulfilled. The promised kingdom would be established (Luke 1:32–33, 68–77). Just as the three disciples saw Jesus glorified on earth, so God’s people would see Him in His glorious kingdom on earth (Rev. 19:11–20:6). Peter caught this message and never forgot it. “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty … And so we have the prophetic word made more sure” (see 2 Peter 1:12ff). The experience Peter had on the mount only fortified his faith in the Old Testament prophecies. The important thing is not seeing wonderful sights, but hearing God’s Word. “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him” (Matt. 17:5). All who are born again belong to the kingdom of God (John 3:3–5). This is a spiritual kingdom that is separate from the material things of this world (Rom. 14:17). But one day, when Jesus returns to this earth, there will be a glorious kingdom for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1–7) with Jesus Christ reigning as King. Those who have trusted Him shall reign on the earth with Him (Rev. 5:10). The glory of His cross. The disciples had to learn that suffering and glory go together. Peter had opposed His going to Jerusalem to die, so Jesus had to teach him that, apart from His suffering and death, there could be no glory. Peter certainly learned the lesson, for in his first epistle he repeatedly emphasized “suffering and glory” (1 Peter 1:6–8, 11; 4:12–5:11). Moses and Elijah talked with Jesus about His “exodus” that He would accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). His suffering and death would not be an accident, but an accomplishment. Peter used the word exodus in describing his own impending death (2 Peter 1:15). For the believer, death is not a one-way street into oblivion. It is an exodus—a release—from the bondage of this life into the glorious liberty of the life in heaven. Because Jesus died and paid the price, we have been redeemed—purchased and set free. The two Emmaus disciples had hoped that Jesus would set the nation free from Roman bondage (Luke 24:21). What He died to accomplish was not political freedom, but spiritual freedom: freedom from the world system (Gal. 1:4); freedom from a vain and empty life (1 Peter 1:18); and freedom from iniquity (Titus 2:14). Our redemption in Christ is final and permanent. The glory of His submission. Peter could not understand why the Son of God would submit to evil men and willingly suffer. The Transfiguration was God’s way of teaching Peter that Jesus is glorified when we deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. The world’s philosophy is “Save yourself!” but the Christian’s philosophy is “Yield yourself to God!” As He stood there in glory, Jesus proved to the three disciples that surrender always leads to glory. First the suffering, then the glory; first the cross, then the crown. Each of the three disciples would have a need for this important truth. James would be the first of the disciples to die (Acts 12:1–2). John would be the last of the disciples to die, but he would go through severe persecution on the Isle of Patmos (Rev. 1:9). Peter would experience many occasions of suffering and would, in the end, give his life for Christ (John 21:15–19; 2 Peter 1:12). Peter opposed the cross when Jesus first mentioned His death (Matt. 16:22ff). In the Garden, he used his sword to defend Jesus (John 18:10). In fact, even on the Mount of Transfiguration Peter tried to tell Jesus what to do. He wanted to build three booths for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah so that all of them could remain there and enjoy the glory! But the Father interrupted Peter and gave other directions: “Hear Him!” The Father will not permit His beloved Son to be put on the same level as Moses and Elijah. “Jesus only” (Matt. 17:8) is God’s pattern. As Jesus and His three disciples came down from the mountaintop, He cautioned them not to reveal what they had seen, not even to the other nine disciples. But the three men were still perplexed. They had been taught that Elijah would come first to prepare for the establishing of the kingdom. Was the presence of Elijah on the mountain the fulfillment of this prophecy? (Mal. 4:5–6) Jesus gave a twofold answer to their question. Yes, Elijah would come as Malachi 4:5–6 promised. But spiritually speaking, Elijah already came in the person of John the Baptist (see Matt. 11:10–15; Luke 1:17). The nation permitted John to be killed, and would ask for Jesus to be slain. Yet God’s program would be fulfilled in spite of the deeds of sinful leaders. When will Elijah come to restore all things? Some people believe that Elijah will be one of the “two witnesses” whose ministry is described in Revelation 11. Others believe that the prophecy was fulfilled in the ministry of John the Baptist so that there will be no future coming of Elijah. (Bible Exposition Commentary)
Mateus 17
Wiersbe - When you analyze this section...you can better understand why Jesus spoke those words: He was grieved over the failures of His followers. He had given His Apostles authority over Satan (Ed: cf Lk 9:1+), yet they were too weak to cast out a demon (Luke 9:37-45). In feeding the 5,000, Jesus gave them an example of compassion, yet they persisted in manifesting selfishness and lack of love (Luke 9:46-56). He taught clearly what it meant to follow Him, yet the volunteers turned out to be "me first" disciples (Luke 9:57-62). No wonder He was grieved! (Borrow Be compassionate) Bring (present imperative) him here to Me - Command in present imperative. Jesus will now rectify what His disciples were unable to handle. "the command was a promise. Fully conscious of His power, He indicated that He would act where weakness had failed. The present imperative bring, “be bringing,” has a plural subject; it was directed to the crowd generally. The boy was now not with the father; he had been taken to a place of safekeeping not far away." (Hiebert Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) Spurgeon's Commentary - 17. The whole generation among whom he lived caused the Saviour suffering by their want of faith, and the absence of that straightforward confidence in God which would have secured them the greatest blessings. His own disciples—he had been with them, and yet they had not learned to have faith in him. The scribes and Pharisees—he had suffered from them many times already, and now they must make a poor lunatic the centre of conflict with him. He had been in fellowship with heaven, and it was a terrible jar to his heart to come down among such an unruly and unbelieving company. They were both “faithless and perverse”, the two things commonly go together: those who will not believe will not obey. What a trial was all this to our Lord’s holy and gracious mind! “How long shall I be with you?” Must I continue in such unworthy company? “How long shall I suffer you?” Must I always be thus tried by your ill manners? It was a moment when his triumphant foes and unbelieving friends alike deserved rebuke. But the word once spoken, Jesus will not leave the poor sufferer before him to endure the malicious attacks of the evil spirit. See how our royal Captain turns the tide of battle with a word! He transferred the fight from the disciples to himself: “Bring him hither to me.” Once in the circle of our Lord’s own power, all is done. “Bring him hither to me.” Never let us forget this precept. When most self-despairing, let us be Christ-confiding. Put up with (430)(anechomai from aná = in, up + echomai, the middle voice of echo = to have, to hold) means literally to hold one’s self up, erect, upright and by extension firm against a person or thing. Thus anechomai means to put up with, to bear with (equanimity or evenness of mind especially under stress), to tolerate, to forbear, to be patient with. Unbelieving (571) apistos rom a = without + pistos = believing, faithful) means lacking in faith, without faith, disbelieving, unbelieving. Most NT uses describe those without faith, not trusting, unfaithful. In secular Greek use apistos described reports, etc as incredible. BDAG gives a example of an ancient secular use of apistos in the description of "a patient (who) sneers in disbelief at healings recorded in a shrine of Asclepius and subsequently receives the sobriquet (a descriptive name) : "Apistos"" APISTOS - 21V - Matt. 17:17; Mk. 9:19; Lk. 9:41; Lk. 12:46; Jn. 20:27; Acts 26:8; 1 Co. 6:6; 1 Co. 7:12; 1 Co. 7:13; 1 Co. 7:14; 1 Co. 7:15; 1 Co. 10:27; 1 Co. 14:22; 1 Co. 14:23; 1 Co. 14:24; 2 Co. 4:4; 2 Co. 6:14; 2 Co. 6:15; 1 Tim. 5:8; Tit. 1:15; Rev. 21:8 Perverted (1294)(diastrepho from dia = separation, in two, throughout + strépho = turn, English = diastrophism = the process of deformation that produces in the earth’s crust its continents and ocean basins) is literally to twist throughout or to distort thoroughly. To turn different ways. To twist about. Diastrepho is used metaphorically in the NT meaning to pervert or to distort. The idea is to cause one to depart from an accepted standard of oral or spiritual values. In the perfect tense it describes a permanently distorted condition (literally the perfect tense pictures permanently "turned aside") (see parallel description in Mt 17:17; See Paul's uses in Acts 20:30+; Php 2:15+). As an aside, the verb epistrepho which means "be converted" uses the same root, but the different prefix makes it mean "to turn" around instead of "to be twisted". the perverted need to be converted! The twisted are going in the wrong direction (to hell) and need to be turned around (toward heaven) by the Gospel! DIASTREPHO - 7v - make crooked(1), misleading(1), perverse(1), perverse things(1), perverted(2), turn...away(1). Matt. 17:17; Lk. 9:41; Lk. 23:2; Acts 13:8; Acts 13:10; Acts 20:30; Phil. 2:15 POSB - Power, Lack of: What happens when the servants of God have no power? What are the results of a powerless life and ministry? ⇒ No power causes embarrassment and shame. ⇒ No power causes the world to question and ridicule and belittle. ⇒ No power questions the deity (validity) of Christ and God. ⇒ No power causes the questioning of God and His ability to deliver. (See The Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible) C H
Mateus 17
Wiersbe - When you study all three reports (Matt. 17; Mark 9), you discover what was lacking in their lives. First on the list was faith (Matt. 17:19-20); they were part of an unbelieving generation and had lost the confidence that they needed in order to use their power. But prayer and fasting were also lacking (Mark 9:29), which indicates that the nine men had allowed their devotional disciplines to erode during their Lord's brief absence. No matter what spiritual gifts we may have, their exercise is never automatic. (Borrow Be compassionate) Spurgeon's Commentary - This was a very proper question. When we make a failure, let us own that we have failed, take the blame of it to ourselves, and apply to our Lord for his gracious intervention. When we are beaten, let it be said of us, “Then came the disciples to Jesus.” Let us make a private, personal matter of it: “They came to Jesus apart.” Let us sit humbly at our Lord’s feet to receive rebuke or instruction as he sees fit. Andrew
Mateus 17
Wiersbe - Jesus compared faith to a mustard seed, one of the smallest seeds known (Matt. 17:20). But the size of the seed is immaterial; it’s the life within the seed that counts. Plant the seed and eventually you will have a large plant (Mt 13:31–32). Faith is like that tiny seed: if the seed is planted in the heart and nurtured, it will produce the plant. The Bible is “the words of faith” (1 Tim. 4:6), and the more we feed on God’s truth, the stronger our faith will become. As we claim God’s promises in prayer, our faith will mature. "According to your faith let it be done to you." Matthew 9:29 TNIV (See New Testament Words for Today: 100 Devotional Reflections) And nothing will be impossible (adunateo) to you - With God and faith, in Him an impossibility can become a "Him-possibility!" Be careful here. This is not a "carte blanche" promise that you can do anything or get anything you ask for. Everything we ask for is ultimately governed by the good, and acceptable and perfect will of God (cf 1Jn 5:14-15). Have you any rivers that seem to be uncrossable? Have you any mountains you cannot tunnel through? God specializes in things that seem impossible. He knows a thousand ways to make a way for you. —OSCAR C. ELIASON D A Carson - Removal of mountains was proverbial for overcoming great difficulties (cf. Isa 40:4; 49:11; 54:10; Matt 21:21–22; Mark 11:23; Luke 17:6; 1 Cor 13:2). Nothing would be impossible for them—a promise that, like its analogue in Philippians 4:13, is limited by context, not by unbelief. Here it refers to the accomplishment of the works of the kingdom for which they had been given authority.....At a superficial level the disciples did have faith: they expected to be able to exorcise the demon. They had long been successful in this work, and now they are surprised by their failure. But their faith is poor and shoddy. They are treating the authority given them (Mt 10:1, 8) like a gift of magic, a bestowed power that works ex opere operate. In Mark, Jesus tells them that this case requires prayer—not a form or an approved rite, but an entire life bathed in prayer and its concomitant faith. In Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that what they need is not giant faith (tiny faith will do) but true faith—faith that, out of a deep, personal trust, expects God to work. (See Matthew) Charles Swindoll addresses a dangerous teaching related to the phrase nothing will be impossible to you noting that "Jesus’ promise in Mark 9:23 (All things are possible to him who believes.”) is often misquoted by false teachers of the “Word of Faith” movement. This heretical system of teaching declares that God has given the power to believers to “name and claim” virtually anything, including health and prosperity, and that people only need to exercise enough belief in order for their wish to come to pass. But this is not what Jesus taught. Here, the object of faith is crucial. He calls us to believe in God’s power and goodness. Regardless of what we desire to have, we surrender our will to His, trusting that God knows what we need better than we do. Trust in His power and goodness means we trust that God will do everything He desires to do in us and through us. Very few of us doubt God’s ability to do anything He pleases to do; we more often struggle with His willingness to be kind or merciful because, in our selfishness, we think that getting what we want is a sign of God’s kindness and that being denied our desires indicates God’s displeasure. Personally, I have lived long enough to thank God for unfulfilled requests! Gaining the benefit of twenty-twenty hindsight has often revealed that what I thought I wanted would have been disastrous for me. (See Insights on Mark). John
Mateus 17
Wiersbe - Faith is the Glue See: Jeremiah 17:5-8; Matthew 17:20. The people who jest about faith don't realize how big a part it plays in everyday affairs. It takes faith to get married because marriage vows are basically promises. It takes faith to send children off to school. It takes faith to get a prescription filled. It takes faith to eat in a restaurant, deposit money in a bank, sign a contract, drive on the highway, or get on an airplane or an elevator. Faith isn't some kind of religious experience for the elite; it's the glue that helps hold people's lives together. But remember, faith is only as good as its object. If we trust people, we get what people can do; if we trust money, we get what money can do; if we trust ourselves, we get what we can do; if we trust God, we get what God can do. —Warren Wiersbe, author and speaker. BORROW Men of Integrity PAGE 78 Vance Havner - According to Your Faith Because of unbelief: Israel was set aside nationally (Rom. 11:20). The generation that came out of Egypt failed to reach the Promised Land (Heb. 3:19). Christ could do no mighty works in Nazareth (Matt. 13:58). Christians and churches are powerless before a demonized world (Matt. 17:20). O Ye of Little Faith Faith and care (Matt. 6:30). Faith and fear (Matt. 8:26). Faith and doubt (Matt. 14:31). Faith and spiritual stupidity (Matt. 16:8). "...Lord, I believe; help Thou mine unbelief" (Mark 9:24). Streams in the Desert - “Nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matt. 17:20.) IT is possible, for those who really are willing to reckon on the power of the Lord for keeping and victory, to lead a life in which His promises are taken as they stand and are found to be true. It is possible to cast all our care upon Him daily and to enjoy deep peace in doing it. It is possible to have the thoughts and imaginations of our hearts purified, in the deepest meaning of the word. It is possible to see the will of God in everything, and to receive it, not with sighing, but with singing. It is possible by taking complete refuge in Divine power to become strong through and through; and, where previously our greatest weakness lay, to find that things which formerly upset all our resolves to be patient, or pure, or humble, furnish today an opportunity—through Him who loved us, and works in us an agreement with His will and a blessed sense of His presence and His power—to make sin powerless over us. These things are DIVINE POSSIBILITIES, and because they are His work, the true experience of them will always cause us to bow lower at His feet and to learn to thirst and long for more. We cannot possibly be satisfied with anything less—each day, each hour, each moment, in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit—than to WALK WITH GOD.—H. C. G. Moule. We may have as much of God as we will. Christ puts the key of the treasure-chamber into our hand, and bids us take all that we want. If a man is admitted into the bullion vault of a bank, and told to help himself, and comes out with one cent, whose fault is it that he is poor? Whose fault is it that Christian people generally have such scanty portions of the free riches of God?—McLaren. Adrian Rogers - John 11:40 Jesus said to His disciples that the least amount of faith is greater than the greatest amount of difficulty. He said to them, "If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matt. 17:20). If you want your faith to be strong, do not put your faith in the size, amount, or strength of your own faith. Put your faith in God. That's the way to grow a strong, living, vibrant, and enduring faith. As you find out more and more who God is, your faith will know no bounds. See his sermon on Mt 17:20 - Mustard Seeds and Mountains—Learning to Think Small (scroll down to page 1343) -- I’m speaking today to some people who have some difficulties; I mean, some mountains: mountains of heartache, mountains of debt, mountains of despair, mountains of satanic opposition. And you say, “Oh, God, what am I going to do with this mountain that is facing me?” Well, today, we’re going to have a lesson in how to remove mountains. Ron Dunn - Borrow his book Don't just sit there - have faith! to read the entire sections quoted below. EXCERPT - An Amazing Promise: "All Things Are Possible" To the questioning father of the demon-possessed boy, Jesus said, "All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23). Whatever obstacle stands between us and the will of God can be uprooted by the command of faith. Just think of it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, that can keep us from doing the will of God—if we believe. Behind the will of God is thrown the power of God. When God commands us to be or do something, he places at our disposal all the resources of heaven. And faith is the key that releases those resources into our situation. If I know God's will in a given circumstance, I can be assured that he stands ready to supply whatever is needed to accomplish that will. (ED COMMENT - NOTE THE REPETITION OF GOD'S WILL - 6 TIMES IN THIS SHORT EXCERPT) ANOTHER EXCERPT - A Surprising Requirement: "To Him Who Believes" This kind of power, power to move mountains, is released only by faith. The father of the demon-possessed boy cried out to Jesus, "If You can do anything..." to which Jesus replied, "'If You can'? All things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:22-23). The question is not, "Can God do it?" but, "Can I believe?" It is never a question of his ability but of our faith. Let's take a closer look at the incident involving the boy and his father. Jesus, you remember, was on the Mount of Transfiguration with three of his disciples. The other nine waited in the valley below. While they waited, a father appeared with his son and asked them to deliver the boy from his tormented condition. It was not a far-fetched or surprising request, for since Jesus had bestowed upon them the power to cast out demons they had seen many such spirits flee at the mention of that name. But now something was wrong. In spite of all their efforts, they were powerless to free the boy. When Jesus returned, the father reported the disciples' failure; and Jesus, taking charge of the situation, commanded the demon to leave the boy. Afterwards the puzzled disciples came to Jesus privately (I don't blame them for coming privately—they must have been terribly embarrassed by their public failure) and asked why they had been unable to deliver the boy. Why were they suddenly unable to do what Jesus plainly promised them they could do (Matt. 10:1)? It was a good question, for them and for us. Does it ever bother you—this terrible discrepancy between what God says we are and what we really are? God has promised us power; yet we are weak. He has promised to supply all our needs; yet we are forced to beg at the world's back door for money to keep our religious machines running. He promised that sin would not have dominion over us; and yet we are being delivered again into bondage. He promised that we would reign in life through Christ; yet we live like slaves, imprisoned by the world, the flesh, and the Devil. Isn't it time we got alone with Jesus and asked why? What is the answer? What reason did Jesus give? I was more than mildly shocked by the explanation put forth by a well-known theologian. Commenting on this incident in one of his books, he claimed that the gift to cast out demons bestowed upon the disciples by Jesus was a temporary one. The only thing wrong with that explanation is it is wrong. That was not the reason given by Jesus. He didn't say, "You know, men, I knew there was something I forgot to tell you. That was a temporary gift and it expired yesterday at noon." Nor did he explain their failure by saying, "Well, fellows, demons are tougher than they used to be. Why, I remember the time when just a snap of the fingers would send them running for cover. But times have changed." Forgive me if I sound irreverent. I don't intend to be; but some of the reasons we offer for our tragic impotence are just as irreverent—and just as wrong. What did Jesus say? "Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you" (Matt. 17:20). In Mark's account Jesus answered, "This kind cannot come out by anything but prayer" (Mark 9:29). There is no real contradiction in the two answers, for prayer and faith are two sides of the same coin. Faith encourages us to pray, and prayer is the true expression of our faith (Mark 11:23- 24.) Jesus' answer is unmistakably clear—the secret of the disciples' failure was their lack of faith. No other reason is given, for no other reason exists. This calls to mind Matthew's comment concerning Jesus' ministry in his hometown of Nazareth: "And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief (Matt. 13:58). J Oswald Sanders - Unanswered Prayer Matthew 17:20 (See J. Oswald Sanders: Three Spiritual Classics in One Volume) Our Lord’s brother gives one reason for unanswered prayer: “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives” (James 4:3). God does not attempt to answer every self-centered petition, but He does promise to answer every prayer that is according to His good and perfect will. It may be that our prayer was not the prayer of faith but only the prayer of hope. Jesus said, “According to your faith will it be done to you” (Matthew 9:29), not according to your hope. Are many of your prayers only prayers of hope? Or we may have been substituting faith in prayer for faith in God. We are not told anywhere to have faith in prayer but to “have faith in God,” the One who answers the prayer. This is more than a matter of semantics. Sometimes we sigh, “Our prayers are so weak and ineffective!” or “My faith is so small!” Jesus anticipated this reaction when He said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20). The naked eye sees little difference between a grain of sand and a mustard seed, but there is a world of difference between the two. In the mustard seed is the germ of life. It is not the size of our faith that is important, but whether it is a living faith in a living God. Mature disciples will not become discouraged because of a delay in the answer to their prayer. They know that a delayed answer is not necessarily a denied answer. God’s timing is infallible. He takes every factor and contingency into account. We often want to pluck unripe fruit, but He will not be pressured into premature action. If He in His wisdom delays the answer to our prayer, that delay will in the long run prove to be for our good. (See Hebrews 12:10.) It will be either because He has some better thing for us or because there is something He desires to achieve in our lives that can come about in no other way. (SD Rob