Matthew 17:3-4 3And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah talking together with him. 4And answering Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you want, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, behold, a radiant cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice from the cloud saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6And when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were extremely terrified. 7But Jesus came and touching them said, “Rise, and do not fear.” 8And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but only Jesus himself.
Matthew introduces the next part of the mountain top experience with a behold: look and take notice what happened next to add to the mystery and glory of the moment. Moses and Elijah were two significant heroes in the Old Testament through whom God did mighty miracles. Both received special revelations of God on mountains. Both also received special confirmation of their mission. It is a mystery how Peter, James, and John knew the identity of these two Bible characters, but somehow it was revealed to them. It is often suggested that Moses represents here the Law and Elijah the Prophets. Jesus came in fulfillment of both parts of the Bible (5:17).
Peter stepped up with his own answer to the situation. Jesus never asked a question, but Peter seemed to have figured things out on his own. We all have a bit of this characteristic of Peter in us–rushing ahead on our own to figure out the mystery of God’s revelations in the world. The first thing Peter says is rather selfish. He likes the experience and wants to dwell in it for a while. He was experiencing a bit of heaven on earth and wanted to preserve it. The word for tents could be interpreted as booths or something with a bit more structure than a camping tent of today. Peter was ready to stay for a while. He really did not know what was going on and just blurted out the first thing on his mind. He seemed to have missed the whole point.
Verse 5 indicates how the experience got even more overwhelming with a radiant cloud that came over them. The bright cloud represented God’s holy presence. There is no mention anymore of Moses and Elijah who may have been caught up in the cloud. The identity of the voice is not given, but it is clear that it is God speaking. The voice from the cloud gives further confirmation of Jesus’ identity. The voice gives the same response as the voice at Jesus’ baptism in 3:17.
The voice spoke not to Jesus, because Jesus knew his identity, but to the disciples. God helped the disciples realize that Jesus was more than a human descendant of David but the divine Son born through the power of God to a virgin. The Son and Father love one another and define what love is. The Father is pleased with the Son. Jesus was obedient in all things and without sin. Even with temptation or threat to his life, he remained faithful. This statement is also important on this side of the suffering of the cross. The path was marked out for him, and he did not deviate from it. Finally, the voice tells the disciples to listen to Jesus. He had the message of eternal life. The word listen assumed also obedience, which requires faith. This powerful revelation answered many questions for the disciples, though it may have taken much time to reflect on it.
The only response anyone can give to this type of experience is to fall down in worship and fear. The human response to God’s holy presence is fear. The physical touch of Jesus brought assurance and peace. As the final form of revelation with this experience, it communicated love and compassion. One of the most awesome experiences of all time came to an end with assurance that Jesus was there. This was a once in time experience that further confirmed the authority of Jesus. Those who accept the witness of these three disciples will find their faith growing as well as we reflect on the identity of Jesus as the only begotten Son of God.
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