Matthew 17: The Law, The Prophets & Jesus Christ
“And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. 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. 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. And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.” (Matthew 17:1-6 KJV)
What is this all about? Was it just to show the disciples that Jesus was who He said He was? Or is there something more to this passage of Scripture?
First, who appeared with Jesus? It was Moses and Elijah. Elijah was a prophet found in the Old Testament and it is through Moses that God gave the Law written on stones.
So here is Moses, Elijah and Jesus. Basically here is ‘The Law’, ‘The Prophets’ and ‘Grace’. Now we are seeing it right?
Peter said lets make some tents for each of you. By doing this Peter either knowingly or unknowingly was making the three equal because they were all shining and transfigured before him.
And then God the FATHER weighed in quite sternly actually. We know this because after God The Father spoke the disciples were very fearful and covered their faces.
God said… “THIS is my BELOVED SON, in whom I am well pleased; HEAR YE HIM!”
Some people take what the prophets wrote and did in the Old testament and some take the law and try to put them on equal plateaus as Jesus and the grace of God. God the Father steps in and puts an end to that idea in quite a remarkable and stunning manner in Matthew 17.
GRACE is far beyond the Law and the Prophets!
Jesus is FAR ABOVE Moses and the prophets! Listen to JESUS and the Gospel HE taught which is Salvation by believing Jesus is the Son of God who bore our sin punishment and forgave the sins of the whole world. ALL the sins of ALL time – even future sins in your life. REST in your Salvation!
“For by GRACE are ye saved THOROUGH FAITH; and that NOT of yourselves: it is the GIFT of God: NOT OF WORKS, lest any man should BOAST.” (Ephesians 2:8-9 KJV)
“For there is ONE God,and ONE mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself A RANSOM for all, to be testified in due time. ” (1 Timothy 2: 5-6 KJV)
“Now to the one who WORKS, his wage is NOT RECKONED on the basis of GRACE, but as what is DUE. But to the one who DOES NOT WORK, but BELIEVES in Him (Jesus) WHO JUSTIFIES the ungodly, his faith is reckoned as RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
(Romans 4:4-5 KJV)
“Knowing that a man is NOT JUSTIFIED BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW, but BY THE FAITH OF JESUS CHRIST, even we have BELIEVED in Jesus Christ, that we might BE JUSTIFIED by the FAITH OF CHRIST, and NOT BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW: FOR BY THE WORKS OF THE LAW SHALL NO FLESH BE JUSTIFIED.. But if, while we seek to be justified BY CHRIST, we ourselves also are FOUND SINNERS, is therefore Christ the minister of sin? God forbid. For if I build again the things which I destroyed, I make MYSELF a transgressor. For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God. I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but CHRIST LIVETH IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. I do not frustrate the grace of God: for IF RIGHTEOUSNESS COME BY THE LAW, THEN CHRIST DIED IN VAIN.” (Galatians 2:16-21 KJV)
“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.“ (John 3:14-18 KJV)
Just as the Hebrews bitten by deadly snakes in the desert in Moses time had only to look up and upon the lifted up serpent in the desert and were healed instantly, so are we saved by beholding Jesus on the cross which took our sin penalty against us, away. We were MADE clean, Holy, Righteous and Redeemed by the New Covenant. From the day we believe and accept the atonement Christ provided fro our sins we became the very righteousness of God, in Christ. The New Covenant of GRACE is FAR above the Law and the Prophets!
“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.“ (Hebrews 10:16-17 KJV)
NO MORE OFFERINGS IN SACRIFICE! IT IS ALL GRACE!
THE GRACE OF GOD is the ONLY thing that can save us from our sins against a Holy God. It is not by our own works in self righteousness. It is not by following the Ten Commandments. It is not by penance or by being a good person. It is only through God’s amazing grace and grace is a person and that person is the Lord Jesus Christ.
