Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain shows Jesus revealing His glory to an inner circle, not for retreat but for preparation. Peter wanted to stay, but Jesus had to move forward. Moses and Elijah confirmed fulfillment, pointing to the cross. The Father spoke, commanding them to hear His Son. Glory was real, but purpose required descent. True discipleship moves beyond encounters into obedience and mission.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Audio
.
Scriptures used in this lesson:
Peter 1:16-17, Matthew 17:1, Matthew 17:2, 2 John 1:4, Matthew 17:3, Luke 9:31, Matthew 5:17, Luke 24:27, Luke 24:44, Matthew 17:4, Matthew 17:5-8, Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Matthew 17:9, Matthew 17:10-13, John 1:19–23, Matthew 11:14, Luke 1:17,
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Matthew Chapter 17 — The Transfiguration and the Inner Circle
We’re looking at Matthew chapter 17. Jesus has an inner circle. This was not a click, but rather intense leadership training. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up the mountain of transfiguration. Jesus is metamorphosed before them. Moses and Elijah appear with Him. Peter says it is good to stay there, and church history has echoed that same response. The covenantal cloud appears and speaks, as it did with Abraham, Moses, and Solomon.
The question of Elijah is raised. Wasn’t he supposed to come and restore all things? Jesus presents a paradox. Elijah shall come, and Elijah has come. The answer is both. This creates tension and confusion, but it is intentional. Understanding comes as the passage unfolds.
Chapter 17 is divided into four parts. Verses 1-13 cover the transfiguration. Verses 14-20 cover the healing of the epileptic boy. Then, verses 22 and 23 record the second prophecy of the crucifixion and resurrection. Verses 24-27 show that Jesus paid His taxes.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
The Transfiguration of Christ
Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain and is transfigured before them. His face shines as the sun, and His clothing becomes white as the light. Moses and Elijah appear talking with Jesus. Peter offers to build three tabernacles. A bright cloud overshadows them, and a voice speaks. The disciples fall on their faces in fear. Jesus touches them and tells them not to be afraid. As they descend, He commands them to tell no one until after the resurrection. He explains that Elijah has already come, speaking of John the Baptist.
This event follows a special season after Jesus taught about the church, the keys of the kingdom, and binding and loosing (Matthew 16:13-20). It was a unique time set apart with His disciples.
Matthew 17:1
1 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Jesus deliberately separates Peter, James, and John from the others and spends time alone with them. This pattern recurs throughout His ministry.
In Mark 5:37 and Luke 8:51, only Peter, James, and John are present when Jairus’ daughter is raised. In Matthew 26:37 and Mark 14:33, these same three accompany Jesus in Gethsemane. Then, in Matthew 17:1, along with Mark 9 and Luke 9, they alone witness the transfiguration. This shows a distinct relationship marked by closeness and preparation.
Intensified Training, Not Favoritism
Jesus had a special attachment to Peter, James, and John. It was not favoritism, but intensified training. This closeness prepared them for future leadership and suffering. Their role required exposure to moments others were not yet ready to see. And then in Matthew 26:37 and Mark 14:33, Jesus went to Gethsemane. He had Peter, James, and John with him about a stone’s throw away. In Matthew 17:1, where we’re at now, Mark 9, and Luke 9, they go with Jesus to the transfiguration.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
For some reason, there was a special attachment that Jesus had with Peter, James, and John that went beyond the others. There was a real bond between these four men. I spent time thinking about that and meditating on it.
Personal Reflection on the Inner Circle Principle
Not long after I was saved, I found myself in a similar inner circle. There were three of us with our pastor, and we went everywhere with him. Others joined us at times, but we were always there. We were accused of being a clique and frowned upon, yet all three of us entered leadership and ministry. Two became pastors, and one remained active in evangelism.
Those times with my pastor and the other two were the most formative experiences of my preparation for ministry. Many things were discussed that could not be discussed openly. It was a deep season of preparation. Though we were accused of taking all the pastor’s time, that was not the case. No one planned it, and even he did not fully understand it.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
We all came along at the same time, and God raised us up through that ministry. Many were saved and filled with the Holy Spirit through us. Many lives were changed. When I look back, it all traces to those times alone together.
That reflection led me to think further. Moses had Joshua. Joshua had Caleb. Elijah had Elisha. Jesus had Peter, James, and John. Peter preached at Pentecost and opened the door to the Jews and later to the Gentiles (Acts 2:14–41; Acts 10). Thousands came through his ministry because he knew Jesus personally.
James became the first martyr and died by Herod’s sword (Acts 12:2). He learned how to die with Jesus. John became the revelator and received the revelation while on Patmos (Revelation 1:9). These men played vital roles in church leadership.
This was not a click. It was Jesus who trained these three men intensively. I believe we will see this pattern again. I know it is in me. The Lord will draw certain people close for preparation. That is intensified training, and that is why I am bringing this out. When someone says it is a click or that someone is the pastor’s favorite, I point to the Peter, James, and John principle. There must be intensified training before someone is thrust into ministry.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Matthew 17:2
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
In verse two, Jesus is transfigured before them. His face shines as the sun, and His clothing becomes white as the light. This is central to the passage and deserves emphasis because it defines the entire section.
The word transfigured comes from the Greek word metamorpho. It means a complete transformation. It is a change of form, substance, and appearance. This is not partial or inward only. It is total and visible. Something happened to Jesus that was visible. This was not an inward experience. It was outward and physical. They watched Him change before their eyes.
Various translations agree that His appearance changed. The point is clear. This was not a dream or imagination. It was not merely a vision in the sense of something unreal. Although the word ‘vision’ is used later, the emphasis is on the fact that they literally saw Him change. Matthew explains it in two parts. His body shone like the sun, and His clothing became as bright as light.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
If I were to describe it simply, He began to glow like a great light. It was like looking at the sun on a bright day. This is what happened, and it happened in plain sight before them. This is why He went up the mountain. He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John. They needed to see it. Peter would later testify to this glory in Peter chapter 2.
2 Peter 1:16-17
16 For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
17 For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
18 And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.
In verse three, John 1:4 also comes to mind.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
John 1:4
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
What John later wrote reflects what he saw on the mount. I think John was reflecting on what he saw on the Mount of Transfiguration. In Him was life, and that life was the light of the world. John saw the brightness and the glory of Jesus Christ, and that experience shaped how he later spoke of Him.
Matthew 17:3
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
In verse 3, Moses and Elijah appear talking with Him. Luke says they spoke of His decease, which He would accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). The focus of their conversation was His coming death.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Luke 9:31
31 Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem.
He spoke of his decease. The reason that he went to the mountain was to speak of his decease. The word decease ” is derived from the Greek word exodos, meaning exit or departure. It is the same word as the book of Exodus. It speaks of His exit, which is His death. The purpose of Moses and Elijah’s appearance was to speak with Him about His death.
That leads to the question: why Moses and Elijah? Moses represents the law, and Elijah represents the prophets. Jesus had to fulfill both the law and the prophets. Moses would know the law better than anyone, and Elijah stands as the epitome of a prophet. Moses and Elijah came to confirm that the law and the prophets had been fulfilled. Jesus Himself said this in Matthew 5:17, that He did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Matthew 5:17
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
In Luke 24:27 and 24:44, it says, all these things must be fulfilled that were written about me from the law and the prophets and the Psalms.
Luke 24:27
27 And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.
Luke 24:44
44 And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
All things written about Jesus Christ had to be fulfilled. Moses and Elijah came to speak with Him about His exodus, which is His death. They spoke to Him because everything was fulfilled except the death. There was a way He had to die.
They talked with Jesus about His death because He could not make His exodus until the law and the prophets were fulfilled. What remained could only be accomplished on the cross. From this point forward, everything moves toward the cross. He will speak again in this chapter about the cross. The law is fulfilled. The prophets are fulfilled. All that remains is His exit.
Moses and Elijah speaking with Him was a statement to Peter, James, and John. It showed that the law and the prophets were fulfilled and that Jesus now had to die. They did not understand this because they believed Elijah was supposed to come first. That brings us to verses 4-8.
Matthew 17:4
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Peter was excitable and spoke up. He suggested building three tabernacles. He receives the blame, but I believe he was speaking for the others as well. Peter was the leader, but they were just as involved as he was. Peter said to build three tabernacles, one for Jesus, one for Elijah, and one for Moses. The word tabernacle means a hut or a tent. His desire was to build three tents.
Elijah was expected to come before the Messiah and remain to restore all things. There, Elijah stood with Jesus and Moses. The moment seemed complete. Peter wanted to settle there and stay. He thought there was no need to go further. Peter proposed building three huts and settling in. He wanted Jesus, Moses, Elijah, and the three disciples to remain there. It felt like everything they needed was present.
Jesus never answered him. That pattern has repeated throughout church history. People want to build a hut and stay where the glory is. Peter was speaking for the others. They thought the glory and the presence would remain there for a while.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
The Danger of Settling Instead of Moving Forward
People want to settle when they reach a powerful moment with God. Elijah was there. Moses was there. Jesus was there. It felt complete. Church history shows this same pattern. People reach a place and say, ‘This is good enough.’ However, Jesus could not stay. He had to come down the mountain in Matthew 17:1-9. He had to heal the epileptic boy in Matthew 17:14-18. Jesus had to go to the cross He spoke about in Matthew 16:21.
His work was not finished. If He had stayed, His purpose would not have been fulfilled. The same thing happens when people stop at a single experience, such as water baptism or the baptism of the Holy Spirit. They build a hut and stop moving.
We do this as well. The church does this. We want to build right where the glory is. Church history proves that settling ends purpose. Staying at one visitation misses the point of why we exist. God does not want us to build a hut in Matthew 17:4. We are born in a specific time to walk in what God is revealing in that day. He wants us to keep going with Him.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
God’s Ongoing Work Through History
Throughout history, God restored truth in stages. In the 1500s, justification by faith was advanced by Martin Luther. In the 1600s, water baptism was restored. Then, in the 1700s, holiness was emphasized through John Wesley. Healings followed in the 1800s. In the 1900s, baptism in the Holy Spirit, spiritual gifts, laying on of hands, and fivefold ministry were restored. God never told anyone to build a hut, not even on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17:4-5. He keeps moving forward and continues restoring His church.
Many people stopped at one move of God and built huts. Others moved on with Jesus and fulfilled their purpose. Every denomination has built a hut somewhere. We do not want to build a kingdom hut. We want open minds and hearts so we can move with God. He is still speaking. He is still building. Jesus said He would build His church, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18). God always moves beyond what we think we have figured out.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Peter never received an answer to his request. The Lord would have allowed them to build huts if that had been their purpose, but it was not. Peter was called to preach at Pentecost and lead thousands to Christ in Acts 2:41. James was called to die as a martyr in Acts 12:2. John was called to Patmos to receive the revelation of Jesus Christ in Revelation 1:9. Each had a destiny beyond the mountain. We also have a purpose and a glory yet to be revealed. We can move forward with God, or we can build a hut.
The Lord has shown me that He never builds huts and that He is always moving. When I first began serving Him, there was the faith message, and I moved into it as it grew. Later, He began speaking about kingdom things, and I moved into restoration, prophetic words, prophecies, and the restoration of the five-fold ministries in Ephesians 4:11.
All of this has happened in just the last few years. We are on the cutting edge of what Jesus Christ is saying to His church today. I do not want to stop. I do not want to build a hut. People may accuse and criticize, but as long as I know I am hearing the Lord and moving with Him, I want to keep going.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Matthew 17:5-8
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
Then the cloud came and overshadowed them in Matthew 17:5. The cloud symbolizes the Father’s glory and presence and serves as a covenantal sign. To one, it is a blessing, and to another, it is a curse. In Revelation, this same principle appears. To Egypt, it was a curse, and to Israel, it was a blessing. The cloud protected the children of God from Pharaoh in Exodus 14:19–20. It opened the Red Sea in Exodus 14:21–22 and shut off the light so Pharaoh could not reach them. The cloud represents God’s covenantal protection. I love being in the cloud, but that is not where we stay. We must move on.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Holy Fear and Covenant Comfort
The cloud appeared, and a voice came forth in Matthew 17:5. When this happened, the three fell on their faces and were afraid in Matthew 17:6. The word afraid comes from the Greek word phobia. They fell because they knew whose presence they were in. Everyone in Scripture who encountered the presence of God responded the same way. Gideon did in Judges 6:22. Isaiah did in Isaiah 6:5. Daniel did in Daniel 10:7–9. Habakkuk described it in Habakkuk 3:16. The fear came from recognizing the presence of the Lord.
The voice that spoke was the Lord God Himself. He spoke the same words He spoke at Jesus’ baptism, but with an addition, as recorded in Matthew 17:5. Those words inaugurated Jesus’ ministry. At His baptism, the Father said the same thing in Matthew 3:17, and it launched Him into ministry. Now the same words are spoken again with the added command to hear Him, and those words move Him toward the cross.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Matthew 3:17
17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.
Matthew 17:5
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
After they fell to the ground in fear, Jesus came to them and told them not to be afraid (Matthew 17:7). The Lord does not want us to be afraid of the Father. He wants reverence, love, and what I call covenant comfort. That comfort includes total respect. A father shows both grace and severity. Children know the boundaries. Once those boundaries are crossed, they enter the severity phase. Romans 11:22 shows these two aspects of God. God is both, and a good father reflects both.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Jesus teaches that we are not to be frightened of the Father but to live in covenant comfort. When we are walking in covenant, there should be no phobia. Respect Him for who He is. He is not a Santa Claus or a servant sent to fetch things. God is beyond that. He is raising up a people who understand covenant and can walk with Him in maturity.
Jesus wants reverential respect, not phobia fear. I fear the Lord in the sense that I know who He loves, He chastens in Hebrews 12:6. So, I know God loves me. I fear losing what He has given me. I hear the Lord, and I see things in the scriptures, and I have illumination. So, I do not want to lose that. I have brought my flesh into subjection as in 1 Corinthians 9:27. I am not afraid of God in fear, but I deeply reverence Him.
The Command to Silence and the Elijah Question
Matthew 17:9
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
This was because they would try to make Him king, as in John 6:15. He did not come the first time as king but as the Lamb in John 1:29. He will come again as King in Revelation 19:16. Later the command would change to go into all nations in Matthew 28:19. Then the disciples asked why the scribes said Elijah must come first.
Matthew 17:10-13
10 And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12 But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13 Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
To the disciples, Christ could not die until Elijah came. That was the teaching of the scribes. They expected Elijah in the flesh, Elijah the Tishbite of 1 Kings chapter 17. Jesus then explained that Elijah truly shall first come and restore all things, but Elijah had already come in Matthew 17:11–12. There is a future sense and a past sense. Elijah shall come, and Elijah has come. This is the paradox Jesus presents, showing both fulfillment and expectation.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
The translations present the same tension. Elijah will come and restore all things, yet Elijah has already come. Some translations emphasize the future. Others emphasize the past. The statements sound confusing, but both are true. He has come, and he will come.
What I see is this. In verse 11, the coming of Elijah is future in every translation. In verse 12, the coming is past. Jesus explains this clearly, and the disciples understand that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah who would precede Christ’s first coming. They understood that He was speaking about John the Baptist.
Jesus speaks in the past tense because John the Baptist came as the forerunner in Matthew 11:10. Yet there remains a future sense that Jesus is still projecting. That is why this needs to be understood carefully. John the Baptist is Elijah in fulfillment, but more is implied.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
The Spirit and Power of Elijah
St. John 1:19–23 shows the Pharisees questioning John and asking if he was Elijah.
John 1:19–23
19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
John said no, he was not Elijah. He was not Elijah in person. He was John the Baptist. The issue is not identity but spirit. John the Baptist was not Elijah himself, but he carried the spirit and calling of Elijah.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
Luke 1:17 says.
Luke 1:17
17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.
There will be people before the coming again of Jesus Christ who will have the spirit of Elijah. They will resemble John the Baptist and carry the same spirit and power.
Luke 1:17 shows that John the Baptist went before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah. His role was to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just. This was done to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. The emphasis is clear that John the Baptist carried the spirit and power of Elijah.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
That spirit turns the hearts of the fathers to the children, as spoken in Malachi 4:6. It does not say the hearts of the children to the fathers. This shows a restoration of responsibility and direction. It also turns the disobedient to the wisdom of the just and prepares a people for the Lord, as stated again in Luke 1:17.
John the Baptist was not Elijah himself, but he carried the same spirit. In the same way, we are not Jesus Christ, but we should have the Spirit of Christ, as taught in Romans 8:9. Jesus Himself said that John the Baptist was Elijah who was to come, as recorded in Matthew 11:14.
Matthew 11:14
14 And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come.
John the Baptist was Elijah in the past tense. Elijah came in the form of John the Baptist, and that is clear. That part is not a problem. There is also a present and future tense. Before the coming again of Jesus Christ, there will be another people with the spirit of Elijah. Elijah shall come again. There will be people who carry the spirit of Elijah and who precede Christ’s second advent.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13 How to Go Beyond the Mountain
The spirit of Elijah challenges moral society. John the Baptist preached repentance in Matthew 3:2. Elijah confronted Ahab in 1 Kings 17:1. This spirit confronts governing systems and binds and looses as seen in Matthew 16:19. It also challenges false religious systems as Elijah confronted Jezebel in 1 Kings 18:4.
The spirit of Elijah anoints new leaders in government and in the church, as shown in 1 Kings 19:15–16. There is a people being raised up. They will bring new leaders and a new wave of church glory. They will take the gospel of the kingdom to the nations as stated in Matthew 24:14.
Elijah was a man just like us, according to James 5:17. We are people like Elijah. We are to move in the spirit of Elijah. Jesus said in Matthew 17:11 that Elijah shall first come and restore all things. All things have not been restored yet. There must be an Elijah people who restore all things. That restoration is the kingdom of God. Jesus is Lord of all things according to Colossians 1:16–18.
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13
Matthew 17 Verses 1-13
Also see: