March 1, 2016
DON'T LET GOOD THINGS OVERSHADOW THE BEST THING
Matthew 17:1–13
Megan Daly
Central Truth
Never let your performance for Jesus replace your relationship with Jesus.
Key Verse | Matthew 17:5
He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him." (Matthew 17:5)
Matthew 17:1–13
The Transfiguration
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, 1 17:5 Or my Son, my (or the) Beloved with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
Dive Deeper | Matthew 17:1–13
Have you ever seen a caterpillar come out of its chrysalis as a butterfly? It has been transformed into a more beautiful state than before. The disciples witnessed this happen to Jesus. Jesus took Peter, James, and John to a mountain where Jesus was transfigured before them. This allowed the disciples to see Jesus in His fullness. He began to shine like the sun and became white as light. The disciples got a greater glimpse of Jesus’ deity and a better understanding of who He is.
His deity was confirmed when God spoke to the disciples and said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” (verse 5) God gave the disciples an even greater glimpse into who Jesus was and is. He is God’s Son, whom we are supposed to listen to. We are called to know and be obedient to Him. How do we do this? We spend time cultivating a personal relationship with Him through reading His Word, praying, sharing fellowship with other Christians, and faithfully walking in His ways.
Peter responded by offering to build three tents. While Peter had good intentions, God interrupted and told him to listen to Jesus instead. Oftentimes, like Peter, our doing things for God gets in the way of being with God. We try to earn His love through works and doing good things for Him. Unlike the world we live in, where acceptance is often based on performance, we as Christians should perform because we are accepted by Jesus. Unfortunately, our focus on performance can often hinder a greater relationship with God.
We see this principle in Luke 10:38-42 when Jesus was visiting with Mary and Martha. Mary was sitting at the feet of Jesus while Martha was "distracted with much serving." Although Martha’s intentions of serving may have been good, Jesus said Mary had chosen the better portion. We cannot effectively serve Jesus if we have not spent time with Him. Learn from the mistake of Peter and Martha. Stop choosing good things over the best thing. Choose today to slow down and listen up.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you believe Jesus is God's Son to whom He has given all authority? How do the patterns of your life confirm your belief?
2. Have you ever allowed the good things (fellowship, missions, family, community, etc.) in your life to overshadow the best thing (time spent giving Jesus your undivided attention to deepen your personal relationship with Him)?
3. What good things do you need to remove from your life so you can commit more time to better knowing and hearing Jesus?
4. Is your life marked by performance-based acceptance (performing for acceptance) or acceptance-based performance (performance because you are accepted)?