Sunday: The Glory of Christ — Matthew 17:1-5; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-31
The transfigured Christ was not a reflection of the glory of God—the glory of God was within Him. The word “transfigured” comes from the Greek “metamorphoomai,” meaning to transform. Something that morphs does it from out of itself (like a caterpillar into a butterfly), it is not forced from an external power. The very nature of God came from within Jesus. He was being revealed as He really was. It wasn’t something that had to be given to Him on the mount. The glory was something He possessed already, not something bestowed on Him. In a sense He showed His true heavenly nature; everything else He did on earth was masked.
Monday: Peter, James, & John — Matthew 17:6-9; Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:32-36
Peter, James, and John were the “inner circle” of Jesus’s disciples. There were many times when they were given privilege to experiences that the other disciples were not privy to. Peter was the only disciple who walked on water. James and John were close enough to Jesus that their mother asked that they be allowed to sit at His sides in the Kingdom. The three of them were also taken apart from the other disciples at Gethsemane. In this passage, the three men were allowed to see a visage of the glory of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God.
Tuesday: The New Elijah — Matthew 17:10-13; Mark 9:9-13
The disciples understood clearly that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist, who was the foreteller of the coming Messiah. Jesus comments that even as Elijah restored right concepts about God during ancient times, John the Baptist would also restore the Jewish thinking about the Messiah, who was Immanuel (God with us). The Jews during Jesus’s day rejected the claims that Jesus was the Messiah because they said that the “new Elijah” had not yet come. Here Jesus puts that argument to rest, declaring that John truly was the new Elijah.
Wednesday: A Boy is Healed — Matthew 17:14-18; Mark 9:14-27; Luke 9:37-43
The most dynamic part of this story is that the disciples seemed unable to address the problem. Jesus called them faithless, saying that they were just as capable. We ourselves are not personally able to heal, but God is. He has ordained that faith be the catalyst to the need. Does God heal 100% of the time? No. We pray believing but realize that He is sovereign and may not heal in every situation.
Thursday: Prayer and Fasting — Matthew 17:19-21; Mark 9:28-29
Many people have the idea that the church has to call a weeklong prayer meeting before being able to tackle a difficult problem. Notice that Jesus said, “This kind comes out by prayer and fasting,” yet He immediately cast it out. We need to be just as ready to confront every situation. Prayer and fasting should be a discipline of our lives—a lifestyle—keeping us always connected to God.
Friday: Predictions — Matthew 17:22-23; Mark 9:30-32; Luke 9:44-45
The closer to His death, the more often Jesus spoke to His disciples about what was to come, preparing them for the sorrow and challenges ahead. They were deeply grieved, but not so much that they were willing to set aside their dispute over which among them was the greatest!
Saturday: Paying the Temple Tax — Matthew 17:24-27
The temple tax was a voluntary offering. Jesus approved of paying the tax and did so because He didn’t want to offend the religious leaders. We can see also that God can provide—even miraculously—for our financial needs, as well as our spiritual ones.