Matthew: Glory and Grief (17:1-23)

This sermon was preached to Grace Church Guildford on 22 October 2023. The audio recording of the sermon can be found below along with the transcript.

Put your hand up if you like history [...]. Well, whether you are into history or not, there is one year in history that I know almost all of you will be familiar with. It’s the year that every British child learns about. What year is it? Well, of course it is 1066. The infamous events of that year began with the death of the King of England, Edward the Confessor, who had no direct successor. And so, immediately after his death, contenders for the crown began to consider how they could take his throne. One such contender, was William, Duke of Normandy, not Normandy on the outskirts of Guildford, but in northern France. Years earlier, Edward had allegedly promised William he could have the throne, claim the kingdom, after his death. And so, now Edward was dead, William was left with a dilemma: How could he claim the crown? Take the English throne? How was he going to conquer his kingdom? And that question William had to consider in 1066, is the same question that we must consider in our passage tonight. Not how William, Duke of Normandy, will claim his crown, but how Jesus Christ will claim his crown, conquer his kingdom, build his church and take up his reign and rule on earth.

Over the last two weeks, we have heard from Matthew 16, that Jesus is the Christ, the King of God’s people, and that he came to set up the kingdom of heaven on earth. At the end of last week, in 16:27, we read that one day Christ will return in the glory of his Father, rewarding all those who have been faithful to him. And yet, did you notice that in his final words last week, Jesus drew the focus of the disciples back from the brink of eternity in 16:27, to the here and now in 16:28. For in 16:28, Jesus tells his disciples: ‘Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.’ Here Jesus teaches the disciples that the coming of his kingdom is not something they must simply wait for in the future, but something some of them will start to see in their own lifetime. And so, as we finish chapter 16, and move into chapter 17, we are left asking: What does it mean that the disciples will see this in their lifetime? How will Jesus come in his kingdom?

It is significant that in every account of this promise, whether in Matthew, Mark or Luke, the author immediately goes on to record the story of the Transfiguration, where some of the disciples see Jesus in all his glory at the top of a tall mountain. Indeed, here in 17:1, Matthew explicitly connects the two events, telling us that six days after Jesus makes that promise in 16:28, he takes some of his disciples up a mountain. It seems then that Jesus’ promise is fulfilled in the Transfiguration. That on the mountain, Peter, James and John, saw Christ coming in his kingdom.

And yet, this evening we are going to see that we not only learn about the coming of Christ’s kingdom at the top of the mountain (17:1-8), but also on the way down the mountain (17:9-13) and at the foot of the mountain as well (17:14-20). For what we have here tonight is trilogy of stories, all three of which join together to tell us about the coming of this kingdom. I think Matthew clearly presents these three stories to us as a set. They all occur on the same mountain. And he places all three stories together, like a sandwich filling, between the two predictions of Christ’s coming death. The first prediction Jesus gave at the end of Matthew 16, and the second here in 17:22-23. If Matthew 16 leaves us asking: How will Christ's Kingdom come? How will he conquer? These three stories in Matthew 17 give us the answer: (1) In Power (17:1-8); (2) Through Weakness (17:9-13); (3) By Faith (17:14-20).

1.     IN POWER (17:1-8)

Of course, that is the answer William, the Duke of Normandy, came up with in 1066. On learning about the death of the King Edward, William immediately prepared for war. Sailing across the channel, he landed on the south coast and met the Saxon army of Harold Godwinson at the infamous Battle of Hastings. A battle that William won through the power of his cavalry, with 3000 charging knights breaking through the Saxon shield wall. And in the years after 1066, William consolidated his power by building castles across the country, from which his Norman army kept the Saxon citizens under control. Indeed, that is why a castle was first built here in Guildford almost 1000 years ago. It was built by William’s forces to secure his reign in this region. That is how William Duke of Normandy, came to be known as William the Conqueror, by using his power, his cavalry and castles, to conquer this kingdom. And 1000 years later, the same is true for the kingdoms of the world today. Of course, we no longer use cavalry and castles. We use nuclear weapons, cyberattacks, economic sanctions. And yet, even if the casing has changed, the fundamental currency has not. For kingdoms are still conquered or kept secure through the use of power. If you want to reign and rule on earth, you need power.

And in 17:1-8, we see this is exactly what Jesus has. Indeed, he has greater power and authority than anyone has ever had before. Our verses here are packed full of Old Testament imagery and allusions. And yet, Matthew shows us how this King surpasses all who came before him, by setting him alongside two significant servants of the past: Moses and Elijah. These two men are undoubtedly two of God’s greatest servants. They are the two prophets that performed the most miracles in the Old Testament. Both men were used to crush kings and conquer kingdoms, one of Egypt, the other of Ahab. And they are also the two men the Old Testament uses to picture what the Messiah will be like. For in Deuteronomy 18, we are told that the Messiah will be a prophet like Moses, a new Moses. And in Malachi 4, we are told that he will come after Elijah, when he reappears. These two men are the pinnacle of all God has done in history so far. They are the embodiment of the law and prophets. And they are also the two men who previously stood on mountains (Mount Sinai and Mount Horeb), and saw God’s glory pass by and spoke with him face to face.

And yet, here we see these two heroes of Israel are simply sideshows to the the one standing between them, spotlights shining on the one who said, in Matthew 5, that he had come to fulfill the law and the prophets, the one whom we heard earlier, in Hebrews 1, is ‘the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature’. And it is this radiance of God’s glory, that was revealed that day, as Jesus is transfigured in 17:2. that word translated ‘transfigured’ there is the Greek word from which we get our English word ‘metamorphosis’. It is the idea of being transformed or changed from the inside out. That day on the mountain, what Jesus was on the inside became visible on the outside. When his face shone as bright as the sun, when his clothes became whiter than white, it demonstrated Jesus’ deity. The veil of Christ’ flesh was pulled aside, and the glory of the divine Godhead was clear for all to see.

Or at least, it should have been clear. However, it seems Peter missed the meaning of all this, for in 17:4 he makes the strange suggestion of erecting three tents: one for Jesus, one for Moses and one for Elijah. By doing this, Peter shows he wants to honour all three men as servants of God. All three deserve to dwell together on the mountain. However, even while he was making this suggestion, we read in 17:5 that a voice came from heaven to correct him, declaring: ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ One writer points out that it is striking, that the voice doesn’t declare these are my three servants, but this is my Son. What we have here at the top of the mountain is not three servants of God speaking together, but two servants of God speaking with the Son of God. As Calvin explains, Peter’s mistake was to put these two servants on the same level as their Lord.

This voice stresses Jesus’ superiority not only by speaking of him as the Son, but also by stressing he should be the one that the disciples listen to. That is the difference, isn’t it, between what is said here and what is said by the voice at Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3? The only difference is the addition of those last three words in 17:5: ‘Listen to him!” Yes, Moses wrote the law and Elijah proclaimed many prophecies, but this is the Son, and so you must listen to him. It is Jesus that has absolute authority to speak for heaven on earth. And that is how Jesus wields his power, it is through his words. As the reformers and puritans used to say, Scripture is the sceptre by which Christ rules his church. Indeed, as we heard earlier from Hebrews 1, he ‘upholds the universe by the word of his power.’ Oh yes, William the Conquer conquered a kingdom using castles and cavalry, but Christ brought all creation into existence by a single word and sustains it forever by the power of his voice. And as we heard this morning, his word was powerful enough to overcome an empire, and build his church even in the midst of great persecution. And Christ’s word still has the power to build his church and change lives today.

Brothers and sisters, do you see then why the Bible is so central to all that we do here at Grace Church? Every time we come together for worship, we read and preach from the Bible. Not only that, but we sing songs based on the Bible, and pray prayers following the themes of the Bible. Everything we do is based on this book. Why? Why do we saturate our services with Scripture? Base so much on this book? Well, see here that it is because this book is literally the most powerful thing in the universe. Forget about nuclear weapons, this book has a power far beyond anything else, for it is how we listen to the Son speaking today. That is why this book has changed millions of lives and turned kingdoms upside down. For it is by his word that God is at work in this world. It is by listening to Jesus, that we see his kingdom come in power.

That day on the mountain, Peter didn’t initially understand. And yet, when he heard a voice from heaven, it seems to have clicked. For reflecting on it in 2 Peter 1:16, he recalls how he saw ‘the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power’ and was an ‘eyewitness of his majesty’ on the ‘sacred mountain’, and so goes on to speak of how this means the testimony of Scripture is sure, something to pay attention to. That we must listen to the Son as he speaks in Scripture, for this is how his kingdom comes, it is through the power of his voice that Christ conquers this earth.

2.     THROUGH WEAKNESS (17:9-13)

When the disciples heard they voice form heaven, Matthew tells us they fell flat on their faces in fear. However, when they look up in 17:8, it was just Jesus left standing there. The veil of his flesh had returned, and their glimpse at God’s glory was over. However, as they went back down the mountain in 17:9-13, we are told of a conversation they had with Christ, and particularly a question they had about Elijah’s appearance. As we thought earlier, in Malachi 4, it was promised that before the coming of the Christ, Elijah would reappear and restore all things. The scribes at the time knew this, and perhaps were even using it to argue that Jesus couldn’t be the Christ, for after all Elijah had yet to return. And so, the disciples seem to be wondering whether Elijah’s appearance on the mountain was the fulfillment of this prophecy. If so, surely they should be telling people that they have seen Elijah! That the prophecy has come true, Elijah has come and so confirmed that Jesus is the Christ.

And Jesus’ response is that they are asking the right question, but coming to the wrong answer. In 17:11-13, we read: [READ]. You see, while the Old Testament promised that Elijah would come first, we see this reappearance would not be in power, but in weakness. Yes, the scribes were right to look out for Elijah, but when he appeared in the person of John the Baptist, they failed to recognise him. Perhaps they expected him to return in the same chariot of fire that took him up into heaven. And so, when a prophet dressed like Elijah came preaching repentance and baptising in the wilderness, they overlooked his significance. They assumed he was simply an obscure teacher and treated him, that is John the Baptist, with scorn, allowing him to suffer and even be executed by the authorities.

What is more, Jesus explains that they will miss the Messiah in the same way. For in 17:12 we read, ‘In the same way...’. Just as they failed to recognise Elijah, they will fail to recognise the Messiah. For like John the Baptist, Jesus comes not in a chariot of fire, but in obscurity. He comes not in his majesty, but in his meekness. Yes, on the mountain some of his disciples saw him in his transfigured glory, but the crowds will never see that, they are not even to hear of that. Instead, it is the incarnation, not the transfiguration, that they see. And because of that, Jesus will suffer at their hands. He isn’t the kind of king they want. For he comes, not in power, but in weakness. And yet, surprisingly, it is through this very weakness that this king conquers, that Christ’s kingdom will come. 

In our passage tonight, we have heard of a mountain on which the power of Jesus Christ is revealed. And yet, this is not the mountain that dominates the rest of the biblical story, this is not the mountain from which Christ will conquer the world. [...] It will not be the mount of transfiguration that makes the difference, but the mount of crucifixion. That mountain which Matthew tells us about later in his Gospel, where the son of man suffers at their hands. Not when his clothes are whiter than white, but when they are ripped from him and he is left naked before the crowd. Not when his face shines brighter than the sun, but when it is so beaten by men that he is almost beyond recognition. Not when he is flanked by two great servants of God, but when he is placed on a cross between two thieves, and left to die in agony and shame. O yes, Christ’s kingdom comes in power, but it will also do so through weakness. It is the cross that conquers the world, suffering that secures this kingdom, his death that brings us life.

If you are here tonight, and are not yet following Jesus, are making the same mistake as those who mistook Christ and his kingdom during his time on earth? Are you looking for something spectacular or special to happen before you become a Christian? Maybe you are waiting for a certain kind of experience or encounter? Or some proof of his power? If so, see here that what you need is not the mount of Christ’s transfiguration, but of his crucifixion. Not a proof of his power, but a demonstration of his love. For Christ’s kingdom comes, his church is built, not through the proclamation of his power, but the declaration of his death. Sharing the story of how he suffered and died in place of his people, taking the punishment we deserve for our sins. Oh yes, God’s word works powerfully in this world, with greater power than any other force on this planet. And yet this word, is the word of his cross.

As Paul puts it in 1 Corinthians 1, it is the foolishness of Christ crucified that overcomes the wisdom of this world, the weakness of Jesus dying, that is greater than the strength of man. It is the Gospel that is the power of salvation for all who believe. If you have been coming along to Grace Church for a while, you have heard that Gospel, you know that if you turn from your sin and trust in Jesus, you will be saved. If you bow your knee to this king, you will be brought into his kingdom. If that seems like a simple message to you, it is because it is! Don’t let that stop you believing it! Don’t sit around waiting for something else. [...] This is the way God has decided to save his people. This is how he has chosen to conquer this world. Believe in Jesus. Trust him with your life. And see how he has power to save you through the weakness of his cross, how he can secure you forever through his suffering.

3.     BY FAITH (17:14-23)

Our final story in this trilogy is a healing story. And yet, it is unlike any healing story we have had in Matthew so far. For it is less about Jesus’ ability to heal, and more about the disciples’ inability to heal. It focuses not on Jesus’ success, but on their failure. In 17:14, we read that when Jesus, Peter, James and John, arrive at the foot of the mountain, they encounter the rest of the disciples, who have managed to get themselves in a bit of a mess. A man brought his son to them for healing, but they were unable to help. Despite driving out demons earlier in Matthew, here they seem to lack the power to do so. And so, in 17:19-20, after Jesus has cured the child, we read: [READ].

So far Matthew has shown us that Christ’s kingdom comes (1) in the power of his word, and (2) through the weakness of his cross. However, in this last story, we learn more directly what our role in all this is. Here we see how we can build Christ’s church, contribute to the coming of his Kingdom. As someone helpfully pointed out to me this week, we are like these nine disciples here who were left at the bottom of the mountain, we too are without Jesus’ physical presence with us, he has ascended not up a mountain, but into heaven, and we have been left to work for him in this world. How can we do that? How can we bring healing and hope to those around us today? Well, here Jesus tells us, we can do so by faith. That it is by believing that we can build up the church.

Often when people hear the word faith, all kinds of mystical and mysterious ideas come to mind. Maybe you are here tonight, and you think of faith as a kind of spiritual force, a superpower that some people seem to have, like in Star Wars! Or perhaps you see faith as a kind of feeling, which you have when you listen to an inspiring sermon or sing a moving song. And yet, the truth is that faith is neither a force nor a feeling. Faith is simply trust, reliance, belief. Not just believing there is a God, but believing God (believing what he has said, what he can do). And here Jesus says that if we believe God, nothing will be impossible, we will even be able to move mountains, a common proverb used to refer to doing the impossible, overcome all obstacles. Why can the disciples move this mountain that Jesus has just come down? It is not because they have force-like powers, like a Star Wars Jedi moving stuff with a wave of their hand. No, the disciples can move mountains, because God can move mountains. If they rely on him, nothing will be impossible for them, because nothing is impossible for him. Faith is not getting our hands on the power to do all things, rather, faith is putting ourselves into the hands of the one who can do all things.

And remembering that is really important if we are to avoid the mistake that people sometimes make when reading verses like these. For it can be easy to come away from this passage thinking: ‘If I just believe enough, then I will get what I want. And if I don’t get what I want, then I must not have believed enough...’. At the heart of that kind of reasoning is this idea of faith being a force by which the future is in our hands, rather than faith being a trusting the one who has our future in his hands. That false view of faith leaves us looking to ourselves, trying to summon up the strength we need to believe more so we can have what we want. While a true view of faith leaves us looking to God, yes telling him what we want, but then patiently waiting to see whether that is what he also wills for us. A false view of faith tells us that we can do the impossible, a true view of faith looks to God to do the impossible. And here Matthew tells us that it is by the latter, it is by relying on God, it is by faith, that Christ’s kingdom comes.

Brothers and sisters, this should be a challenge to all of us as we serve in Christ’s kingdom, build up the church. It doesn’t matter how many times you have led a Bible study, preached a sermon, taught at Sunday School, helped at Tiny Treasures. If you are to do any lasting good, you must have faith, go about that service relying on God. It is not our talents, but our trust that makes the difference. Not our experience, but our reliance that really matters. Yes, the disciples had driven demons out before, but they no longer can do so, for they lacked their former faith. And this should challenge us all to reconsider what we are really relying on as we continue to serve God today. How much of the work we do for Christ’s kingdom is done faithfully, but not in faith?

However, this truth should also be a great comfort to us. Brothers and sisters, what a comfort it is to know that we will never face an obstacle that God cannot overcome, never find ourselves in a situation that God cannot save. For our God can even move mountains, and if we trust him, we shall see him do all kinds of things that we never thought possible. For that is what faith does, it places us in the hands of the one for whom all things are possible.

It should also be a comfort to us when we feel overwhelmed. Maybe you are currently in a season where you feel like you don’t have much to give to God, there isn’t a lot you can currently do to contribute to Christ’s kingdom. Illness or age has left you unable to serve in the ways that you would like. Maybe you aren’t even here tonight, but you are having to watch this service online because you aren’t even well-enough to leave your home. Well, if that is you tonight, see here that what really matters in God’s kingdom is not our strength or health, but our faith.

You don’t need to have the physical strength to move mountains, you just need is faith in the one who can do that. You don’t need to have the health to help out at lots of church activities, all you need is enough faith to pray. You know, that is what Jesus goes on to say in Mark’s Gospel. In the longer version of this story in Mark 9, Jesus tells his disciples that is what the problem is. There their lack of faith is displayed through their lack of prayer. If they had only had enough faith, a mustard seed tiny amount of faith, to pray, then they would have cast this demon out, and indeed Jesus says they could even move the whole mountain. Brothers and sisters, as we seek to contribute to the cause of Christ’s kingdom in this world, the only thing that any of us need is faith, enough faith to just pray. For that is how, as Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 12, Christ’s power will made perfect through our weakness.

Here in Matthew 17, we see that this is how the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Messiah. This is how Jesus will be a far greater conqueror than William ever was! Not just because of his power, but through his weakness. Not because of his castles or cavalry, but because of his cross. Not by getting mighty men to fight in his army, but by getting us his little children to simply look to him, and live for him, by faith in this world.