”Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves.’ (1) Mosaic imagery seems densest at the Mount of Transfiguration. Much of Matthew’s detail recalls images of Moses in the Exodus 24 and 34 narratives. The transfiguration, to begin with, takes place on a ‘high mountain’ (17:1, cf. Exod 24:15–16). While the mention of a mountain does not necessarily indicate a new Moses theme, [43— Contra Allison, The New Moses, 170.] when placed in the right context (cf. the Sermon on the Mount) it can contribute to Mosaic-Sinaitic imagery. The mention of ‘six days’ (v. 1) is reminiscent of Exod 24:16, where ‘the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai for six days.’ That Jesus took Peter, James, and John up to the mountain would seem to be reminiscent of Moses taking Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu up Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 24:1, 9). Matthew says that Jesus’ face ‘shone like the sun’(v. 2). This wording is strongly dissimilar from the parallels: Mark does not mention anything about Jesus’ face, and Luke states only that his face was changed (cf. Mark 9:3 and Luke 9:29, respectively). Hence, Matthew’s account is more suggestive of Moses, whose face was said to be radiant. [44— Exod 34:30 reads: ‘When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant.’ Philo draws a connection between Moses’ face and the sun, when he writes that after Moses descended from the mountain the people were filled with awe and could not stand to ‘look at the radiance of the sun flashing from him’ (Life of Moses 2.70; cf. 2 Cor 3:7-13).” (Mosaic Imagery In The Gospel Of Matthew by Wayne S. Baxter)
Click link to the next study in my sequential chapter study through the Gospel of Matthew. https://www.mymorningmanna.com/post/matthew-18
“‘And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.’ (2) The glory of the Saviour when on earth was veiled in him humanity; but on the Mount of Transfiguration it shone forth above the brightness of the sun; and as a full view of it, if continued, would unfit his people for their duties on earth, they must wait for this till they see Him in heaven.” (Justin Edwards) Now we see the son of man coming in glory. Jesus is the Lawgiver of Sinai and the Rabbi of the law of God in the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the Judge. “’And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. And Peter answered, and said unto Jesus, ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, I will make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’…(3-4) The suggested tabernacles were small booths used by the Jews for the feast of tabernacles. It was in tents or booths that the Israelites tabernacled in the wilderness waiting for the redemption of their bodies at the consummation. But the waiting was soon over. Peter “was proposing some kind of EQUALITY for Jesus to share with Moses and Elijah… Moses the great lawgiver, and Elijah the great prophet, were there summoned from the dead to resign their commissions and to lay their homage at his feet.” (Burton Coffman) “While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, evoking “images of the cloud that covered Sinai (Exod 24:15–18)…. and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, 'This is My beloved Son,in whom I am well pleased.Hear Him!' (5) The voice of the Father, then, declares that Jesus is not just another prophet in Israel’s line of prophets. He is the Prophet like Moses (cf. Acts 3:22; 7:37), and hence, is to be preeminently heard above the likes of even Moses and Elijah. Moses… seems to function typologically in the narrative. Moses was a prototype of the final Prophet, viz., Messiah (Deut 18:15, 18). Just as Moses commanded obedience to this future Prophet, so God himself now commands similar allegiance to Jesus (v. 5). The respective ministries of Moses and Elijah, then, anticipate and find their ultimate fulfillment in the ministry of Jesus.” (Mosaic Imagery In The Gospel Of Matthew by Wayne S. Baxter)
”And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid.’ (6) - So Daniel, Daniel 8:17, and Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9:4. ‘But Jesus came and touched them’— Exactly parallel to this account is Daniel 8:18, I was in a deep sleep, i.e. (a trance) on my face towards the ground; but he Touched me, and set me upright.” (Adam Clarke) “We can compare this with the fear that Israel of old had known when God spoke to them directly (Exo. 20:19-20; Deut. 5:24-27). Here were the foundations of the new Israel experiencing the same problem. And thus they fell down to the ground and buried their faces. They did not want to see or hear any more. It was all too much for them.” (Peter Pett)- And said, ‘Arise, and do not be afraid.’ (8) Christ therefore… casts them down, that He may revive and raise them in the opportunity of time (Hos 6:1-2, 1 Pet 5:6): not so the devil, that destroyer, that hath not his names for nought, Apollyon and Abaddon. "When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.’(9) To teach them that Moses and Elias, the law and prophets, vail bonnet to Christ; that there is but one Mediator, even the man Christ Jesus; that there is sufficient in Him to satisfy the soul, to comfort the conscience.” (John Trapp)
“Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.’ (9) There is somewhat very blessed in this prohibition of Jesus, concerning making known the vision… Peter insists upon it much, after the Lord's return to glory, but not before. And the reason seems evident. The Lord's purposes are for his Church. They shall have, in due season, evidences enough, but to others, there is nothing that will carry conviction. So the Prophet declared, and so the Scriptures all along have shewn. Isaiah 6:9; Acts 28:22, to the end. Nothing can be more plain and evident, from this explanation of Christ, that the prophecy of Malachi 4:5 concerning the corning of Elijah, had been grossly perverted by the Scribes.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)
“And His disciples asked Him, saying, ‘Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they did not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.” (10-13) He told them yet again. “Different measures of light and grace are given at several times, as God pleaseth to dispense, John 12:16; John 2:22; John 10:41-42. Joseph understood not his own dreams, nor the eunuch what he read, till afterwards. Wait at wisdom’s gates, wear out her threshold: then shall we ‘know if we follow on to know the Lord,’ Hosea 6:3. Beg and dig for understanding, and thou shalt be sure of it, Proverbs 2:3-5.” (John Trapp)
Again He prepares them for the time of His absence. “’And when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, ‘Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is an epileptic and suffers severely; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. So I brought him to Your disciples, but they could not cure him.’ Then Jesus answered and said, ‘O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him here to Me.’ And Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, ‘Why could we not cast it out?’ So Jesus said to them: Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.’ And “that faith which was necessary to work such a miracle, could not be obtained without much self-denial and prayer.” (Justin Edwards)
“Now while they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the third day He will be raised up.’ And they were exceedingly sorrowful. (14-23) “The Lord Jesus seemed to delight in the prospect of his great accomplishment of redemption. Every feature in his character marks this. In proof, see Matthew 16:22-23; Luke 2:48-49; Luk_12:50; John 12:27-28; Joh_13:27.” (Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary)
“When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, ‘Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?’ This tribute, consisting of the didrachma or double drachma, was not paid to the Roman government, but to the Jewish collectors for the use of the temple service. It was permitted in the law of Moses (see Exodus 30:11-16) that in numbering the people half a shekel should be received of each man for the services of religion. This was in addition to the tithes paid by the whole nation, and seems to have been considered as a voluntary offering …. He said, ‘Yes.’ And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, ‘What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?’ Peter said to Him, ‘From strangers.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Then the sons are free. Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.’” (24-27) In paying that temple tax, Jesus did so out of charity and good will, not out of obligation. Trench wrote: ‘Christ was a Son over his own house, not a servant in another's; the head of the Theocracy, not one of its subordinate members - so that it was TO HIM in his Father that offerings were to be made, not FROM HIM to be received.’ [8— Richard C. Trench, Notes on the Miracles (Westwood, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell, 1953), p. 409.] Christ's submission to this tax reminds one of His request for baptism at the hands of John the Baptist. There, He might likewise have claimed an exemption, which fact John strongly affirmed, but He did not claim it. It was His perfect observance of all obligations and, as in the case here, His going beyond all true obligations in order to do that which was becoming, thus leaving no cause for offense, that enabled Him to say that he had come to ‘fulfill’ the law and the prophets. Born under the law, He came not to destroy, but to fulfill, its every provision in the most perfect and exacting sense.” (Burton Coffman)
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