Matthew Chapter 17 {Chapter 17 really begins with Chapter 16:27} 17:1~~Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John, his brother, and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. {Note: The six days are analogous to the first 6 years of the tribulation.} {Note: Taking the 3 disciples with Him is analogous to the Jewish remnant alive on the earth at the 2nd advent.} {Note: This mountain is probably Mt. Tabor in the Herman range since it was in the vicinity of Caesarea-Philippi, where our Lord was ministering} 17:2~~And He was transfigured {Changed His external form into how he will be in the 2nd Advent} before them {for a short time and it would not last}. His face shone {Gloriously animated} like the sun, and His clothes became as transparent as light. 17:3~~Then Moses and Elijah {the two heralds/witnesses of Revelation11:3-12} also appeared to them, conversing with Him. 17:4~~Then Peter spoke up and said "Lord it is good/pleasant {free from defects - wonderful environment} to be here. If you wish - and I know you do {Peter is trying to 'lead the Lord'} - I will make three tents here, one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah." {Note: Peter wants perfect environment. He is trying to 'bribe the Lord'! I will make you a great home if we can stay here! Some people try to bribe God today with for example 10% of your income or a vow to 'never do it again'! Ridiculous and blasphemous!} 17:5~~While he was still speaking {Peter is interrupted by God}, a bright cloud surrounded them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This keeps on being My Beloved Son, in Whom I 'am well pleased'/'take great delight'. YOU {Peter} KEEP ON LISTENING TO HIM!" 17:6~~When the disciples heard this, they were terrified and fell down with their faces to the ground. 17:7~~But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," He said. "Stop being afraid - to your advantage." 17:8~~When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone. 17:9~~As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Do not tell anyone about what you have seen until the Son of Man has been resurrected from the dead." {Failure to understand doctrine - Verses 10-13} 17:10~~The disciples asked Him {Jesus}, "Why then do the scribes/'experts in the law' say that Elijah must come first?" {Note: The disciples are in a hurry to understand it all. They start to pick on a little doctrinal points where Jesus teaches one thing, but the scribes say something else. Malachi 4:5-6 says Elijah must come before Jesus but they saw on the Mount of transfiguration that Christ came first then Elijah!} 17:11~~He received an answer and said {idiom meaning 'an answer based on thought' - He thought about it first}, "Elijah shall come and restore all things." {Note: This means there are TWO advents not just one. And for the 2nd Advent, Elijah WILL come first as the herald - John the Baptist was the herald of the 1st Advent}. 17:12~~"And I tell you that Elijah {John the Baptist} has already come. Yet they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever their emotions dictated {they killed John the Baptist}. In the same way, the Son of Man will suffer at their hands." {Note: Similar to John the Baptist, Jesus will be convicted and crucified based on emotional reasoning not objective thinking}." 17:13~~Then the disciples understood that He was speaking to them about John the Baptist. {Note: The disciples finally catch a point of doctrine!} {The Disciples' Failure to Apply Doctrine - therefore a failure in the Faith Rest Technique} {Verses 14-21 - a 'meanwhile back at the ranch' section} 17:14-15~~ When they came to the crowd, a man came to Him, knelt before Him, 17:15~~ and kept on saying, "Lord, have mercy on my son, because he is a lunatic {seleniazomai} and has it bad, for he often falls into the fire and into the water. {Note: This man is on the right track. He is apparently a believer because he recognizes the deity of Jesus and approaches Him oriented to grace and requests 'mercy' which is God's grace in action.} {Note: Seleniazomai comes from 'moon-struck' and describes a mental illness or maybe epilepsy. In context here is a demon-induced illness. The picture is of the earth under the control of Satan during the tribulation - especially the last three years.} 17:16~~I brought him to YOUR disciples {while Jesus, John, James and Peter were on the Mount of Transfiguration}, but they were not able to heal him." {Note: The disciples could not use their Faith to heal this boy. They could not apply doctrine to this demon induced illness.} 17:17~~Jesus answered, "You faithless {lack of Faith Rest Technique} and corrupted/distorted {distortion of doctrine neutralizes it} generation, how much longer must I be with you? How long must I endure you? Bring him to Me NOW." {Note: The point here is Jesus is teaching and teaching yet they are way behind in their learning. Any good teacher with less than receptive students understands what Jesus is feeling here.} 17:18~~Then Jesus rebuked the demon {told the demon to get out and go away} and it came out of him . . . and the child was healed at that moment. {Note: Jesus went to the source of the problem first - the disciples who should have been able to handle this now with what He has taught. Then he solved the problem itself. OUT!} 17:19~~Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why weren't we able to cast it out?" 17:20~~He {Jesus} told them, "It was because of your little faith. A point of truth/doctrine {making a point of doctrine}, if you have faith as a grain a mustard seed - maybe you will, maybe you will not - you will say to this mountain, 'Go away,' and it will. Nothing will be impossible for you." {Note: The mountain is an analogy to the demon. 'Go away' in both cases.} {Note: This also was for Peter's benefit. Peter had wanted to stay on the Mount of Transfiguration. Jesus is saying the hardest thing for a human is to keep happiness in the frontal lobe. But having the 'mountain of happiness' in our frontal lobe through bible doctrine is better than physically being on the mountain.} 17:21~~ {Verse not found in the original and oldest manuscripts.} {Doctrine is the only way to happiness - Verse 22-27} {The Cross must come before the Crown} 17:22-23~~When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men, 17:23~~ and they will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised." And they received great distress {received it from their emotions - The REACTED choking out doctrine . . . instead of letting doctrine RESPOND to the input}. {Note: This is an example of how NOT to be happy without even really trying - let your emotions be your master! They were . . . sincere and emotional and this equals stupidity.} {The Temple Tax} 17:24~~After they arrived in Capernaum, the tax collectors came to Peter and said, "Your teacher pays the taxes {double drachma tax}, doesn't He?" 17:25~~He {Peter} said, "Yes." {Peter was worried about whether he gave the right answer or not} When Peter came into the house, Jesus stopped him {Peter}, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect taxes-from their children {the King's royal family} or from strangers {citizens}?" {Note: Jesus is part of the royal family of David and is actually exempt from taxation, but He is going to pay them anyway so Peter can STOP BEING WORRIED - no Relaxed Mental Attitude (RMA)!} 17:26~~After he {Peter} said, "From the citizens," Jesus said to him, "Then the royal family is free {from paying taxes}." 17:27~~"But so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw out a hook. Take the first fish that comes up, and when you open its mouth, you will find a piece of money {four drachma coin}. Take that and give it to them for Me and you." {Note: Principal: Pay your taxes and do NOT worry about it. We do have a responsibility to our National entity. But, put the matter in the Lord's hands. RMA. The battle is the Lords!} ************************************************ This page is sponsored by Kenneth Sidley, CPA, an Orange County California CPA (949) 706-3133. Please call Ken for high quality, low cost CPA services in Orange County California. This includes audit, review, compilation, tax returns, Quickbooks, and business consulting services. This page is sponsored by Moxxor For Pain Free Living. Moxxor is a highly concentrated Omega 3 product that has reduced inflammation in this writer. Please go to this website to read more about Moxxor.