Matthew 16:24-28
16:24 a give ... take ... follow: These three imperatives use different images to speak of the same radical commitment of confessing one’s sinfulness before God in humility, surrendering one’s personal ambition to God, and living according to his will (see also 5:20 b; 10:34-39 c; 18:1-5 d; 20:20-28 e).• Take up your cross is a metaphor for devotion (see Luke 9:23 f) rather than a call to martyrdom, although martyrdom is an ever-present possibility for Jesus’ disciples (Matt 5:10-12 g; 10:21 h).
• In Matthew, follow is used both literally (9:19 i; 26:58 j) and metaphorically. Metaphorically, it indicates interest in a teacher (4:25 k; 8:1 l, 10 m; 12:15 n; 14:13 o; 19:2 p; 20:29 q; 21:9 r) or personal allegiance to Jesus involving a call, a commitment, and great ongoing costs (4:20 s, 22 t; 8:19 u, 22-23 v; 9:9 w; 10:38 x; 16:24 y; 19:21 z, 27 aa).
16:25 ab Jesus’ disciples must relinquish control of their lives, even to the point of being willing to suffer and die for Christ. Jesus promised that those who follow him with such radical abandon, though they may suffer now, will be vindicated at the final judgment (see 1 Pet 2:23 ac).
16:26 ad your own soul? “Soul” and “life” (16:25 ae) both translate the same Greek term (psuchē) and refer to the essence of a person—the self.
16:27 af The exhortation to deny oneself and follow Jesus is rooted in the fact that Jesus will return to judge all people according to their deeds (see 19:28 ag; 24:29-31 ah; 25:31 ai; Ps 62:12 aj; Prov 24:12 ak).
16:28 al This saying has been taken to refer either to (1) the transfiguration that follows (17:1-13 am); (2) the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (27:50-53 an; 28:1-10 ao); (3) Pentecost (Acts 2:1-47 ap); (4) the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 (Matt 24:1-31 aq); (5) the second coming of Christ in the future (24:29-31 ar); or (6) an unfolding revelation of God’s Kingdom in various ways, including the evangelism of the world. In the fourth view, coming would mean “coming in judgment” upon sinful Israel.
• The expression Son of Man (16:27-28 as) forms an inclusio (bracketing expression) with 16:13 at, unifying 16:13-28 au around the theme of the identity of the Son of Man. He is the Messiah who would suffer and then be exalted by God and return as Judge.
Matthew 17:1-13
17:1 av Peter ... James and John later accompanied Jesus at Gethsemane (26:37 aw; 2 Pet 1:16-19 ax).• It is impossible to determine the exact location of this high mountain. The traditional site, Mount Tabor, is only about 1,900 feet (580 meters) high and is out of the way for a trip from Caesarea Philippi (Matt 16:13 ay) to Capernaum (17:24 az). Mount Hermon, another possibility, is about 9,200 feet (2,800 meters) high and located in Syria, forty miles north of Capernaum. It is unlikely, however, that “teachers of religious law” (Mark 9:14 ba) would have congregated at the foot of a mountain in Gentile territory. A strong candidate is Mount Meron, about 4,000 feet (1,220 meters) high and situated between Caesarea Philippi and Capernaum.
17:2 bb Jesus’ appearance was transformed: Jesus’ inner, divine nature, previously veiled, was now disclosed so that the three caught a glimpse of his glory (see Exod 34:29-35 bc; Ps 104:2 bd; 2 Cor 3:12-18 be; Rev 1:16 bf). Jesus’ followers will one day share in this glory (Matt 13:43 bg).
17:3 bh Moses symbolizes the law and Elijah the prophets. They appeared as witnesses to Christ, to demonstrate that Jesus, God’s Son, is the fulfillment of everything written in the Law and the Prophets (see 5:17-20 bi; 11:2-6 bj; 12:28 bk).
17:4 bl three shelters as memorials: Peter probably thought that the Kingdom was about to be ushered in with full glory (cp. Acts 1:6 bm), and he desired to memorialize the moment.
17:5 bn a bright cloud overshadowed them: Such an occurrence accompanied God’s presence among the ancient Israelites during Moses’ ministry (see Exod 24:15-18 bo; 25:8 bp; 29:45-46 bq; 40:34-38 br).
• my dearly loved Son: The Father was confirming what Peter had previously affirmed (Matt 16:16-17 bs).
• They should listen to him because Jesus is God’s Son, who, as a prophet, reveals God’s will (11:27 bt; see Deut 18:15 bu, 18 bv; Acts 3:22-23 bw; 7:37 bx).
Summary for Matt 17:6-7: 17:6-7 by Such a response is typical for encounters with God’s glory (e.g., Isa 6:5 bz; Dan 8:17 ca; 10:9 cb, 15-19 cc; Rev 1:17 cd).
17:9 ce Jesus could not be fully understood until all of his work was accomplished, particularly his death and resurrection.
Summary for Matt 17:10-13: 17:10-13 cf Elijah’s presence at the transfiguration prompted a question about the view that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes (see Mal 4:5-6 cg). In pointing to John the Baptist, Jesus reinforced the unexpected idea that the Messiah must suffer, even as his precursor had suffered (Matt 14:3-12 ch).
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