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Well, as we noticed when we went 
into chapter 16, the end of the Galilean portion of the ministry, 
Jesus and his disciples go up into Caesarea Philippi and there 
he asks the question, who do men say that I, the Son of Man, 
am? And of course they report, some 
say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of 
the prophets. And then Jesus says, who do you 
say that I am? And Peter makes that lofty confession 
of faith when he declares, you are the Christ, the Son of the 
living God. He confesses the person, the 
being, the glory, and the majesty of Christ. And then Jesus details 
his specific work, what he has to do. He must go to Jerusalem. He must suffer at the hands of 
godless men. He must be killed and He must 
be raised the third day. On the heels of that, He tells 
His disciples what discipleship will look like. It will follow 
the exact same example. It will be the cross and then 
the crown. And then in chapter 17, Jesus 
takes His disciples up to reveal His glory, to show His majesty. And this was the primary focus. And Luke 9 says that they saw 
His glory. And later reflecting upon this 
in 2 Peter chapter 1 verses 16 to 18, that is precisely what 
Peter says. We were eyewitnesses of His glory. But interestingly enough there 
are a lot of parallels between 16 and 17. In 16 we have Simon 
Peter confess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living 
God. And then on the heels of that Jesus announces His suffering. 
and his death. Likewise, here in chapter 17, 
on the Mount of Transfiguration, God the Father confesses that 
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the one in 
whom He is well pleased. And on the heels of this, when 
they descend from the mountain, Jesus again announces his suffering. The reality is that glory for 
Christ is obtained through his suffering. And this is the constant 
refrain and emphasis from here on out in Matthew's Gospel. So 
as we saw two weeks ago, they go up onto the mountain, He is 
transfigured before them, and now they come down from the mountain, 
and the disciples ask a specific question. So we're going to consider 
three things. First, Jesus commands to them 
to keep silent, in verse 9. Secondly, the question concerning 
Elijah in verse 10 and then the interpretation of Malachi in 
verses 11 to 13. They essentially get a Bible 
study with our Lord Jesus Christ who properly interprets for them 
the meaning of the prophet Malachi with regard to Elijah and with 
regard to the messenger of the covenant. But note first His 
command to them to keep silent. We've already seen this in chapter 
16 at verse 20. He commanded His disciples that 
they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ. Why? Because people weren't ready 
at this particular time. When Jesus announces the fact 
that he must suffer, Peter tries to withstand it. Peter rebukes 
him as a result of this, and then Jesus says, get behind me, 
Satan. The people were not ready at 
this particular time. If they would have come down 
from the mountain, and Peter, James, and John said, we saw 
his glory. It was manifest before us. It 
was amazing. It was absolutely otherworldly. There would be one of two things 
that would happen. There would be a press to make 
a political messiah. In John chapter 6, when Jesus 
fed the multitudes, what happened? The people wanted to seize Him 
and make Him a king. Why? Because He had come to save 
His people from their sins? No, because He fed them. And 
they were looking for that sort of deliverance, political messianism. Or as well, it would just be 
simply misunderstood. People weren't ready, people 
would not get it. In fact, as we continue in Matthew's 
Gospel, we see that the disciples themselves still struggled from 
time to time. They were not at this perfect 
plane of knowledge where they properly understood everything. 
But when Jesus makes this command to them, notice in verse 9, as 
they come down from the mountain, or 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. It's another blessed 
reminder of that reality that He is going to rise. Again, I 
think they only hear the death part as Peter does, in chapter 
16. Notice in verse 21, from that 
time Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go to 
Jerusalem, he must suffer many things from the elders, he must 
be killed, and he must be raised the third day. Peter only hears 
the fact that he's going to be killed. Peter doesn't stop to 
consider the reality that he's going to rise from the dead. 
And here in verse 9 we have a blessed reminder that the songs that 
we just sang, the reality that there is an Emmanuel's land, 
the reality that there is a glory beyond this present suffering 
state, ought to encourage the people of God. That is something 
we must take from the Mount of Transfiguration. We must seize 
this lesson that there is life beyond the grave. that there 
is an eternal state. There is bliss by grace to be 
gained, and there is hell by nature to be suffered. There 
is something beyond this lower world, and sometimes people struggle 
with this, and sometimes people don't understand this, and sometimes 
people only think as far as their next meal, or their next job, 
or their next lesson, or their next big event in life. We need 
to take seriously that what Jesus manifests on the mount is there 
for us in the future because of the reality that He will die 
and He will rise again. This passage of Scripture underscores 
everything that we've seen in chapter 16. That's why I've taken 
pains to remind us about 16. Look at verse 24 in chapter 16. 
If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself and 
take up his cross and follow me. For whoever desires to save 
his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will 
find it. For what profit is it to a man 
if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul? Or what will 
a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will 
come in the glory of his Father with his angels, and then he 
will reward each according to his works." You see what he says? 
In this world you will have tribulation. In this world there will be suffering. 
When we as Christ's people identify with Christ who is Himself truth, 
in a world filled with lies, in a world filled with deceit, 
in a world filled with rage and murder and all the sorts of things 
that the Bible clearly describes, We will suffer. 2 Timothy 3.12, 
all those who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer 
persecution. Not be given trips to the beach. 
Not be given big houses. Not be given big cars. What your 
lot is in this life, and by the way, I'm not condemning those 
things. If you've worked hard and God's blessed you and you've 
done everything you're supposed to do, it's not necessarily evil, 
but the promise of God is not your best life now. The promise 
of God is your best life in the age to come. Your best life isn't 
cars, it isn't houses, it isn't clothes, it isn't hair, it isn't 
appearance, it isn't peers, it isn't fun, it isn't friendship, 
it is Christ in glory! That is our best life and it 
is to come. And what Jesus does in Matthew 
17 is, as it were, peels back for a moment. the humanity, and 
reveals His deity, and shows His disciples that, though I 
bear the cross, I will receive the crown. And that, in turn, 
encourages the disciples that, though you bear the cross, you 
will receive the crown. The Transfiguration points us 
to the reality that our blessed Christ who died and rose again 
ascended on high. He led captivity captive and 
he gave gifts to men. And he has entered into his current 
session where he rules and he reigns over all things for his 
church. And from whence he will come 
again in glory to judge the living and the dead. And the righteous, 
righteous not because they're good, righteous not because they're 
better, righteous not because they're wise or good boys and 
girls, but those who are clothed in the righteousness of Christ 
will look forward to that blessed day. The glorious appearing of 
our great God and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, when He will 
then usher us into that place wherein There is no more sorrow, 
there is no more suffering, there is no more pain, there is no 
more death, there is no more trial or travail. It will be 
in the presence of the Lamb who is all the glory of Emmanuel's 
land. You see, what Jesus tells His 
disciples here is to discourage them from revealing this until 
the reality of His death and resurrection have occurred. and 
they go about the task of interpretation. And certainly Peter, in 2 Peter 
1, reveals this vision. John says, "...we beheld His 
glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full 
of grace and truth." That Word that he spoke of in John 1.1, 
"...in the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, 
and the Word was God." John 1.14 he says, "...and the Word became 
flesh." We We beheld His glory. John repeats this in 1 John chapter 
1. We saw Him. We saw Him in His 
majesty and in His excellence. Well, He's in His majesty and 
excellence because He bore the cross of shame and suffering 
for wretches like us so that we may participate in that glory 
by His grace. Now, notice the question that 
they ask. Verse 10, His disciples asked 
Him, saying, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must 
come first? Now, the background here is Malachi. 
Pastor Cam read this at the outset of worship. Just to refresh you 
and go back to Malachi, chapter 3 first, and then chapter 4. In Malachi chapter 3 at verse 
1 we read, This is spoken of concerning John the Baptist and 
we will see this as we proceed in our study this morning. Matthew 
11. The Lord Jesus interprets this for us very clearly and 
very candidly that Malachi wrote concerning John the Baptist. 
I will send my messenger. And it's interesting. Note who's 
speaking here. We would identify this as Yahweh 
of hosts. So as we proceed in our study 
this morning, we will see the identity of Christ is on par 
with, is equal to Yahweh of hosts. But 3.1, Behold, I send my messenger, 
and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord, whom you seek, 
this is speaking of Messiah, will suddenly come to his temple, 
even the messenger of the covenant. Now don't be confused, there 
are two messengers here. The messenger at the beginning 
of verse 1, the one who announces the coming of the Lord, and then 
secondly this messenger of the covenant. He's identified as 
the surety of a better covenant in the book of Hebrews. This 
is the Lord Christ. He is the mediator of the new 
covenant. So they had an expectation that 
there would be a messenger who would come to announce the messenger 
of the covenant, the one whom God would send to bring salvation 
to his people. Now notice in chapter 4, verse 
4, Remember the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded 
him in Horeb for all Israel. with the statutes and judgments. 
Behold I will send you Elijah the prophet." Interesting how 
both these men are referenced in the last chapter in the Old 
Testament and both these men appear at the Mount of Transfiguration 
to our Lord Jesus Christ. But verse 5, I will send Elijah 
the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day 
of the Lord. Now go back to Matthew 17 Verse 
10, His disciples asked Him, saying, Why then do the scribes 
say that Elijah must come first? You see what they're reflecting 
upon. You see what is in their mind. Malachi 3, Malachi 4, Elijah 
is coming as a forerunner of the great day of Yahweh of hosts. 
3.1, Behold, I will send my messenger, and the Lord whom you seek, the 
messenger of my covenant, will come to his temple. As far as 
the disciples are concerned, they have been with the messenger 
of the covenant. They have been with the Messiah. 
They have been with the Christ of whom Malachi prophesied. But as far as they are concerned, 
they're just now having seen Elijah. You see their problem? Think about it. There's an inverted 
order. They were taught Elijah, Messiah. They had experienced 
Messiah Elijah. Is that clear enough to everybody? Why, then, do the scribes say 
that Elijah must come first? Perhaps they heard this from 
some of the scribes. These men, by small baby steps, 
were coming to the realization that Christ, or Jesus, was in 
fact the Christ, the Son of the living God. Perhaps if they would 
have uttered that outside of their small circles, the scribes 
would have said, well, that cannot be, because we haven't seen Elijah 
yet. You see, in Malachi's prophecy, Elijah must precede the coming 
of Messiah. And if you are claiming that 
Messiah is with you, then where has been Elijah? So, descending 
from the mountain, they're starting to roll through this scribal 
interpretation. They're starting to reflect upon 
the prophet Malachi, and they're starting to connect the dots, 
saying, wait a minute, Malachi said, Elijah, then Messiah. We 
have experienced Messiah, then Elijah. How do you explain this? What's going on? You know, what's 
very intriguing is that how Jesus answers this tells us that Malachi 
was right. The scribes, insofar as they 
understood the order, were right. And the significance of this 
ought to cause us to stand amazed for just a moment. What is Jesus 
saying? What is Jesus revealing? What 
is Jesus telling them? That I'm Malachi's messenger 
of the covenant. that I am the Messiah. Again, 
they're not putting all the dots together at this particular time. 
It is by step, step, step, step, they are making these connections. 
And so as questions arise, they ask the Lord Jesus, wait a minute, 
we've seen you, but now we've seen Elijah. We thought the order 
was supposed to be the other way around. And so how Jesus 
answers this describes for them that Malachi was right, obviously. That's never been an issue. and 
that the historical order has been right as well, because the 
Elijah prophesied by Malachi comes in the person of John the 
Baptist, and he preceded the Lord Jesus Christ. He was the 
forerunner, he was the messenger who announced his arrival, and 
he was the one that testified concerning the glories of Jesus 
Christ. Robert Raymond highlights the 
significance of this situation, just in case I'm not getting 
it through to you. He says, the implication of their question 
for the identity of Jesus must not be lost. The disciples saw 
Jesus as Malachi's Lord who was to come, the Yahweh of the Old 
Testament. But the order of the historical 
appearances, Jesus had first appeared, then Elijah, seemed 
to them to be the reverse of what Malachi had predicted. This 
seeming inversion of the prophet's order was creating for them the 
quandary which provoked their question. Jesus solved their 
problem by informing them that Elijah, in the person of John 
the Baptist, had indeed come first, whom Jesus had then followed 
as that Elijah's Lord. By his exposition of Malachi's 
prophecy here, Jesus laid unmistakable claim to being the Lord of hosts. You see, we need to appreciate 
this. How does Jesus refer to himself 
later in this passage? son of man." Now, unfortunately, 
people take that and say, well, that refers to his humanity. 
It refers to his Godhood, to his deity, to his glory. Daniel 
7, the son of man, comes to the Ancient of Days and then he presents, 
or rather, the Ancient of Days gives him universal sovereignty 
and dominion over all things. When Jesus uses the terminology, 
son of man, it is to underscore the reality that he is that Son 
of Man prophesied by Daniel who will reign over the kingdom that 
God gives to him. So while we ought not to ever 
diminish the humanity of Christ, and I'm not suggesting that we 
do, when he uses the title Son of Man, more often than not it 
bespeaks of his glory. You see, when we come to the 
Mount of Transfiguration, Matthew will not let us escape the reality 
of who Jesus Christ is. Matthew wants his readers to 
be crystal clear that every prophetic word uttered concerning our Lord, 
that every statement underscoring His glory, that every magnificent 
promise that was ever uttered by men through the power of the 
Holy Spirit is here fulfilled in this one. Malachi's messenger 
of the covenant is here. Raymond says, by his exposition 
of Malachi's prophecy here, Jesus laid unmistakable claim to being 
the Lord of hosts, the messenger of the covenant, who had promised 
he would come after Elijah. After Elijah, his messenger had 
come. So that's the nature of their 
quandary. Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Because we've seen Messiah and 
then Elijah! Let's notice, thirdly, the interpretation 
of Malachi, given by our Lord in verses 11 to 13. The first 
thing is he affirms the scribes. He affirms what they say and 
then does give a bit of a contrast. Notice, he says, Jesus answered 
and said to them, indeed Elijah is coming first and will restore 
all things. Insofar as the scribes have uttered 
this, they've been right. Elijah is coming first and will 
restore all things. Now the future tense verbs have 
suggested to some in the history of interpretation that not only 
does Elijah come in the person of the Baptist, but Elijah will 
come again in eschatological, in the eschaton. I do not believe 
that's what Jesus is teaching here. But John Chrysostom held 
this particular view. I'm not going to suggest that 
it's a radical. But the future tense verbs are 
given to us from the scribal perspective. The scribes say 
Elijah is coming and Elijah will restore all things. As well, 
the future tense verbs are used here by Jesus from Malachi's 
perspective. Malachi prophesied that this 
one is coming, that he will restore all things. It is Jesus' present 
tense in Matthew 17.12 that underscores the reality that Jesus is speaking 
about John the Baptist. Listen to R.T. Frantz. He says, 
the tenses, is coming, will set are these of the scribal perspective 
still looking for the coming of Elijah and for his future 
work of reconciliation. It is Jesus' past tenses in verse 
12a which will subvert that future expectation by stating what has 
actually happened already. You see that contrast here in 
verse 12. He says, the scribes are right 
insofar as they say that Elijah is coming and will restore all 
things. But notice in verse 12, but I 
say to you. A convention Jesus uses in the 
Sermon on the Mount. You have heard that it was said 
by those of old, whatever it was. And then he says, but I 
say to you. Jesus is not correcting them 
in the sense that they were absolutely and utterly wrong. They were 
wrong on the identification. They were wrong on the specific 
time. They were wrong on the particulars 
of that event. And so Jesus is interpreting 
Malachi for them to show how indeed it was and is fulfilled 
in him. Now I should suggest to you that 
D.A. Carson takes a different approach. He says that what the 
disciples were questioning was not the timing per se, but the 
nature of Elijah. Because Elijah is said, by Jesus 
here, as the one who will restore all things. And so Carson says 
the disciples are thinking this. Well, if Elijah restored all 
things, he probably didn't do a very good job of it. I mean, 
because after all, he got killed, or he got murdered. And Jesus, 
you keep announcing that you're going to get killed or you're 
going to get murdered. You see, that's not what they 
question. I believe Carson is wrong in 
this instance. They question the timing. It's 
very conspicuous. The restoration of all things 
isn't mentioned by them. It's mentioned by Jesus. And 
this whole idea of Elijah restoring all things in this particular 
convention. Calvin says this does not mean 
that John the Baptist restored them perfectly, but that he conveyed 
and handed them over to Christ. who would complete the work which 
he had begun. Hagner says it is a preparatory 
work of repentance and renewal, as in the Malachi passage. So 
just so that we're clear, what they are asking is concerning 
the timing. It's not the nature of this restoration 
of all things. But even if Carson is right, 
what he says is consistent. If Elijah restores all things 
and he ends up getting put to death in the person of John the 
Baptist, then shall Messiah fare any better? How would that still 
be a surprise to them? This is the means by which God 
ordained for the messenger of the covenant to bring many sons 
to glory. It would be through suffering. 
It would be through death, as we heard in the last hour. We 
don't go to heaven apart from the active obedience of our Lord 
Jesus. We don't go to heaven apart from 
one who is perfect. One who always did what the Father 
told him. One who fulfilled the law every 
step of his life. And we certainly don't go to 
heaven without the imputation of the passive obedience of Christ. We need blood atonement. We need 
to be washed. We need to be purged. We need 
to be cleansed and purified. And in that active and passive 
obedience of Christ, it answers to the demands of the Father 
such that all of the elect are forgiven of their sins and given 
a righteousness to them, which is received by faith alone. You see, brethren, this was the 
path of restoration. This was the means by which Jesus 
makes all things new. He doesn't come down from heaven 
in a Humvee. He doesn't come down from heaven 
in a tank. He doesn't come down from heaven 
with rifles ablazing. He comes down from heaven in 
our flesh. He comes down from heaven into 
a manger. He is a man of sorrows and He's 
acquainted with grief. We did not have any regard for 
Him whatsoever. He was despised, He was rejected, 
He was forsaken by man and then ultimately by His Father. This 
was the means, according to the purpose and plan of God, by which 
He would bring us to glory. Restoration in the Christian 
system does not come by guns blazing. It comes through the 
lowly one of Israel, the one who came into Jerusalem on a 
donkey. The one who heard, instead of, 
let's hail him and praise him, he heard, away with him, away 
with him, crucify him. The path to glory, brethren, 
is through the cross. The path to victory is through 
the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. So the disciples 
question our Lord, and then he gives them this specific answer 
in terms of explanation. He says four things concerning 
Elijah. Four things concerning Elijah, 
beginning in verse 12. But I say to you that Elijah 
has come already. Elijah has come already. He shifts from the future tense 
to the present tense. He shifts from Malachi and the 
scribal representation to what has actually occurred. Such that 
the disciples, once they've been instructed and they connect the 
dots according to verse 13, and they realize that he's talking 
about John the Baptist, they see the proper interpretation 
of Malachi. They see that in fact they have 
been witnesses of his glory and of his majesty. That there has 
been no inversion in the order. That Elijah had come first, and 
then Messiah, the messenger of the covenant. Notice, specifically, 
the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy. I've already indicated 
this. In Matthew chapter 3, the outset of the Baptist ministry, 
we are to see him there functioning in that capacity. A parallel 
passage with the Malachi one is Isaiah 40 verse 3. The voice 
of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. 
make his path straight. Even the description of John 
the Baptist in verse 4 hints at this connection between him 
and Elijah. What manner of man was Elijah? 
He was a verse 4 manner of man. Now John himself was clothed 
in camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist and his 
food was locusts and wild honey. That's essentially how we are 
given to understand Elijah. Both these men preached repentance. Both these men were fearless 
contenders for the truth. Interestingly enough, both these 
men operated outside of the power structure in Israel. Who is John 
the Baptist's primary target according to Matthew 3.7? It 
is the Pharisees and the Sadducees. Who is Elijah's primary target 
when it comes to Israel and its doings? It's Ahab. As I mentioned 
before, it's just one of those ironic statements of Holy Scripture 
that Ahab would call Elijah the troubler of Israel. Ahab, who 
set a benchmark for wickedness in the land, calls Elijah a troubler 
of Israel. And what is the first area of 
importance for Elijah? It's not political reformation. 
It's not political corruption. It's not political dealings and 
doings within the rank and file of the leaders in Israel. Elijah 
is there to call the nation back. He is there to challenge them. 
They're pursuing idols. There are Baal worshippers and 
Asherah worshippers. And so by God or under God, Elijah 
concocts this particular event or contest. He doesn't concoct 
it. It is put in place in order to show Baal is God, we'll serve 
him. Yahweh is God, we'll serve him. 
You see the parallels just between these men in terms of their character 
and conduct. And the hint here in verse 4 
is even of their appearance You'd see Elijah, and you'd see John 
the Baptist, and you'd say, yeah, those are interesting fellows. 
It's nice that he's out there in the wilderness. We don't want 
him sitting in the front row of our churches, because he might 
stand up and give us one of those John Knox fingers that we don't 
want to see. That picture of John Knox preaching 
looks like this. Imagine that, brethren, if I 
start pointing at him. He'd be like, wait a minute. 
John Knox didn't care. Notice the express teaching of 
our Lord in Matthew 11. How do we know that he's speaking 
about John the Baptist? Matthew 11, we've already been 
in this passage before, I'll just refresh your mind. John 
is doubting, not that Jesus is the Messiah. John is questioning 
the messianic agenda. So those great promises in the 
Old Testament concerning Messiah indicated justice and righteousness 
and vindication of God's holy people. Well, John's languishing 
in a prison at this particular time. He hears that Jesus is 
doing all these good things, but he's probably curious as 
to the fact that he's still sitting in a prison cell. And so they 
ask Jesus, and Jesus sends these men back, and Jesus takes the 
occasion to teach concerning the Baptist. In 11.7, as they 
departed, Jesus began to say to the multitudes concerning 
John, What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed 
shaken by the wind? That's not John the Baptist. 
He's not one of these limp-wristed preachers that goes up and makes 
a few suggestions for your happy day. He called people broods of serpents. He told men to repent of their 
sin. He called men to live consistently. If they profess allegiance to 
the kingdom of God, then they better operate consistently with 
that profession. He wasn't a reed shaken by the 
wind. What did you go out to see? A 
man clothed in soft garments. Indeed, those who wear soft clothing 
are in king's houses. This was not a court profit. 
You want to see soft clothing wearing persons go back to Ahab's 
table. These were federally subsidized 
false prophets. They ate from their table. Do you imagine that? In Israel 
they federally subsidized the prophets of Baal and the prophets 
of Asherah. Those are the kinds of prophets 
that Jesus is probably thinking of. Well, I don't know what he's 
thinking about, but these prissy prophets that will do whatever 
they're told by the leaders in Israel. What he says. But what 
did you go out to see? Verse 9, a prophet. Yes, I say 
to you, and more than a prophet, for this is he of whom it is 
written," notice the text, it's Malachi 3.1, "...behold I send 
my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before 
you. Assuredly I say to you among those born of women there has 
not risen one greater than John the Baptist but he who is least 
in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he and from the days of 
John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence 
and the violent take it by force." If you are interested in the 
exposition, it's probably on sermonaudio.com, for all the 
prophets in the law prophesied until John. Now notice, and if 
you are willing to receive it, he is Elijah who is to come. You see, you cannot have a more 
firm foundation for the interpretation of Malachi 3.1 and Malachi 4.5 
than our Lord Jesus Christ. The nature of John's fulfillment. 
Luke 1.17 tells us he will also go before him in the spirit and 
power of Elijah. You see, when we look at John 
the Baptist, he's not a reincarnation of Elijah the Tishbite. He's 
not a reincarnation of Elijah the Tishbite, but Luke 1 tells 
us that the way that we are to understand this. He will also 
go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah. So Jesus speaks in 1712 of the 
advent of Elijah. Notice secondly, he speaks of 
the failure to recognize him as Elijah. Notice in verse 12, 
and they did not know him. Some have cited John 1, where 
John the Baptist is specifically asked, are you Elijah? And he 
says no. Well there it is, he can't be 
Elijah. John's speaking humbly. John perhaps himself still feeling 
his way about. John the Baptist himself, who 
would later in Matthew 11 say, send or go to Jesus and ask him, 
are you the coming one? Or are we supposed to look for 
another? Again, who do we take? We take Jesus' authoritative 
interpretation of this particular situation. What was probably 
the case is that there was a carnal expectation amongst Israel at 
the time. Malachi says Elijah's going to 
come, then Elijah's going to come. We can't accept the reality 
that John the Baptist is Elijah. Calvin says this concerning it. 
He says, as John the Baptist was to resemble Elijah by restoring 
the fallen condition of the church, the prophet Malachi had even 
given to him the name of Elijah. And this had been rashly interpreted 
by the scribes as if Elijah the Tishbite were to return a second 
time to the world. Thirdly, notice the rejection. Not only did they not recognize 
him, but they rejected him, didn't they? You say, but the Pharisees 
and the Sadducees and the scribes didn't actually kill John the 
Baptist. Notice in verse 12, they did 
not know him, but did to him whatever they wished. According 
to Matthew 4.12, we find John in prison. As we've already seen 
in Matthew 11, John is in prison. And then it's in Matthew 14 that 
we get the record of his murder. And in Matthew 14, it is not 
the Pharisees and the scribes and the religious leaders. It 
is Herod the Tetrarch. Remember the dance that Herodias' 
daughter engaged in. And that woman who exceeds Jezebel. See what Jezebel wanted to do 
to Elijah the Tishbite, Herodias actually did to the one who comes 
in the spirit and the power of Elijah. You see that? Connections even in their death 
or in their lives and the fact that people hated them. But it 
was not the religious leaders. Again, I think France is right 
here. He says, John's ultimate fate 
was not at the hands of those same religious authorities. And 
he cites Matthew 14, 3 through 12. Listen now. But it is unlikely 
to have displeased them. Do you think that the scribes, 
the Pharisees and the Sadducees that had not been spoken to favorably 
by John, I mean, Brute of Serpents, Sons of Hell, things like that. 
Somebody said those things to you and you found out they fell 
off a building and died? Now, I'm just being honest. Would 
you just spend, you know, 24 hours in lamentation for them? 
Probably be everything in you to say, you know, don't say they 
deserved it or good riddance or I'm glad it happened. John 
the Baptist was not a well-received figure amongst the religious 
leaders. Again, listen to France. It is 
unlikely to have displeased them as it disposed of a troublesome 
and too popular challenge to their authority. Note how in 
3.7 it is the Pharisees and Sadducees who are the immediate target 
of John's invective. And they did not know him, but 
did to him whatever they wished." And then notice the last thing 
that Jesus says concerning Elijah in this passage. He says, likewise, 
the Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands. The forerunner, John the Baptist, 
foreshadows the execution of the one he announced to come. 
That's the reality of it. And Jesus makes that link here. 
Jesus indicates that here. That's why it ought not to surprise 
us that Matthew 14, when it deals with the death of the Baptist, 
immediately precedes the section that is getting into the exposition 
of the death of the Messiah. The way they treated John is 
the way they will treat Jesus. The way that they despised him 
is the way that they will despise Jesus. If they hated the messenger, 
they will certainly hate the one who comes in fulfillment 
of the messenger. You must appreciate that. Jesus 
makes that connection here. Likewise, the Son of Man is also 
about to suffer at their hands. This track follows again with 
what we saw in 16. There is a revelation of His 
glory. Thou art the Christ, the Son 
of the living God. In 16, died by Peter. And then Jesus announces He must 
die. On the mount, the Father says, 
This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. But Jesus 
will not let us forget the reality that that glory will not be reached 
without first going through the cross. It's conspicuous in Matthew's 
Gospel. It is prevalent. Verse chapter 
17, notice in verse 22. Now while they were staying in 
Galilee, remember they go up to Caesarea Philippi, their next 
trajectory is down to Jerusalem. The Galilean ministry is done, 
but it's a bit of a travel from north to south. So they stay 
in Galilee, not to minister. The Galilean ministry is over, 
but on their way back to Jerusalem where he will enter into the 
Passion. Here, notice, 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. 
You see a theme emerging? He's preparing His disciples. 
He's preparing these brothers. He's preparing them not only 
for the eventuality that He's going to be violently taken from 
them, but that He's going to raise again from the dead, and 
that they will be His chief expositors. They will be His chief interpreters. 
It will be these men who, under the Spirit, will take pen to 
paper and expound on the significance of this death and resurrection 
theme. Jesus is preparing his disciples 
to publish abroad the glorious gospel of free and sovereign 
grace. Now notice the result of this 
interchange, they asked the question, Jesus answers the question in 
verse 13, the result, then the disciples understood that he 
spoke to them of John the Baptist. So let's just recount, what did 
they learn? They learned The true interpretation 
of Malachi's prophecy. It's always good to do that, 
isn't it? Don't you feel happy when you figure something out 
in the Bible and then you might check it against a Matthew Henry 
or a John Gill just to see if you're in the ballpark and you 
say, wow, they said it in different terms, but we're in the same 
ballpark. Doesn't that feel good? I hope 
you think it does. I hope you don't rejoice in an 
unorthodox and heretical interpretation. Wow, I've seen things that nobody 
else in the church has ever seen, nor will they ever see. Brother, 
that's not good. It's better to get checked by 
Henry or Gill and say, wow, I'm in the ballpark, praise God. 
It's always good to understand the Word, isn't it? Isn't it? Isn't that what the Saint of 
Christ desperately needs? Isn't that why Solomon says, 
buy the truth and sell it not? Isn't that why Paul writes 1st 
and 2nd Timothy and Titus? Paul, in essence, is saying to 
those two men, this world is wicked. This world is evil. And you two men hold the power 
of the truth of God. Hold it. Retain it. Fight for it. Guard it. Don't 
manipulate people. Don't try to bypass truth. Do not just seek to cultivate 
some warm, friendly environment, but rather preach the Word. Be 
ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort with 
all long-suffering and teaching. Why? Because the time will come 
when men will not endure sound doctrine. What is the answer? To coddle them? To pander to 
them? To tell them that your needs 
are more important than what God says? No, preach. That's 
what they need. When the time comes that men 
will not endure sound doctrine, that doesn't change anything 
in the divine program. God's message is still the same, 
preach my message. So I suggest that the disciples 
here were probably pretty happy that they had understood Malachi's 
prophecy. A second thing that they had 
learned that day was who John the Baptist really was. John 
the Baptist was a significant figure in biblical prophecy. John the Baptist, according to 
chapter 11, was a great man. John the Baptist was Elijah who 
is to come and has come already according to our Lord Jesus. 
I'm sure that was quite interesting for them. I'm sure that was a 
step in the right direction that made them feel encouraged that 
they had learned more, not only about Malachi, but they learned 
more about this messenger. But you know what they learned 
best of all? It was as if what they had learned 
in Matthew 16 had been underscored a hundred times. Peter says, 
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter is pronounced 
blessed, not because he has come to this in his own strength, 
but because my Father who is in heaven has revealed this to 
you. Peter now goes up onto the mount with James and John. And 
they get that lesson reiterated, Father, this is my beloved Son 
in whom I am well pleased. They get this lesson reiterated 
by the fact that Jesus again identifies himself as the Son 
of Man. And they get this lesson reiterated 
again by the fact that they say, why do the scribes say that Elijah 
must come first? And Jesus tells them, they were 
right in the sense that this is the procedure. They were wrong 
in the sense that they rejected the Baptist, because it was the 
Baptist who was the embodiment of Elijah. And so when they come 
down from the mountain, they get all of these indicators, 
all these affirmations, all of these things, plus the revelation 
of this glory that they were eyewitnesses of. So yes, I suggest 
that the interpretation of Malachi thrilled their hearts. The understanding 
of who John the Baptist was thrilled their hearts, but the fact that 
they were standing in the presence of the messenger of the covenant, 
the surety of a better covenant, the one in whom all the promises 
of God are yea and amen, the one whom all the prophets spoke 
of concerning the forgiveness of sins and a righteousness that 
would avail with God. These men had made the gracious 
discovery yet again that this Jesus is the altogether lovely, 
this Jesus is the chief among 10,000, this Jesus is the darling 
of heaven, come into this world to save us from our sins. That's 
what they learned on the Mount of Transfiguration. That's what 
they garnered from this venture to that place. Well, brethren, 
in conclusion, we see several things. First, the emphasis again 
on suffering and glory. He brings many sons to glory 
through his suffering. You're going to keep seeing this 
in this gospel record. It's going to culminate in the 
end when Jesus is crucified. But then Jesus is raised on the 
third day. And Jesus ascends on high. Jesus is received up in glory. And Jesus' people eagerly await 
for his coming again to judge the living and the dead. We see 
in this passage the fulfillment of Scripture. Well, we see it 
in the coming of the Baptist and in the coming of the Messiah. 
But we see interpretation of Scripture here done by our Lord 
Jesus Christ. So I think this is something 
that we don't often ponder. Jesus was a rabbi. He was a religious 
leader. He wasn't officially in that 
capacity in terms of he went through, you know, the rabbinic 
school of what not and, you know, got his degree and plunked it 
on his wall and engaged in a rabbinical ministry. But you know what, 
brethren, when Jesus teaches He teaches the Bible. He teaches 
the Old Testament. There is a lot more going on 
in Luke 15 than just the return of the prodigal. That's a glorious 
thing. I don't want to minimize that, 
but Jesus is talking in bigger categories as well. He's talking 
about Israel. He's talking about the Father 
who shepherds Israel. He's talking about redemptive 
plans and grace and majesty. The Lord Jesus Christ was a religious 
teacher. He was a rabbi for him to open 
up the scriptures and expound it. You would never be in fear 
of being taught wrong. You would never be led astray. 
You couldn't come down from the mountain saying, wait a minute, 
maybe he's wrong. John the Baptist really wasn't Elijah. No, they 
were convinced. What happens on the road to Emmaus 
when the risen Christ teaches those men? Did not our hearts 
burn within us? Again, brethren, we ought not 
to always look for a burning heart. I was thinking about this 
recently. We ought to walk by faith and not by sight. But even 
so, what we do as Christians is walk by experience and not 
by sight. I don't want to read my Bible 
because I don't get anything out of it. I don't want to sing boring 
old hymns and songs because I don't get anything out of it. That's 
walking by experience. Where in the Bible does God say, 
every single day as a Christian, you're going to be thrilled. 
Every single day as a Christian, you're going to have fun. Every 
single day as a Christian, it's going to be like every day is 
a Friday, or fireworks. Brethren, walk by faith, not 
by sight, and not by experience. Moat got this right. I dare not trust the sweetest 
frame. but wholly lean on Jesus' name." 
We are a culture of evangelicals and even Reform that crave sweet 
frames, crave Christ. And if you get the sweet frames, 
praise God Almighty, but you'll walk by faith, not by sight, 
not by experience, brethren. We've got to trust. We've got 
to believe that God is and He is the rewarder of them that 
diligently seek Him. Now, please don't leave here 
and say, Butler says that we'll never be thrilled in our study 
of the Bible. I'm not saying that at all. I'm 
saying, what is it you seek? Is it your personal fulfillment 
or is it the glory of Christ? Is it your personal affirmation 
or is it the majesty of God? Is it a better Monday situation, 
or is it seeking to be faithful to the Lord who died for me and 
rose again for me, who's called me to be holy in this unholy 
world? How many times have you said 
that? You know, I don't feel like it, I don't feel like it, 
I don't feel like it. Find in the Scriptures where 
that's a legitimate reason not to read your Bible, not to pray, 
and not to go to church. You know what? There's all kinds 
of people in this world that perhaps don't feel like doing 
certain things. Do you know what? They do it 
because it's right. They get out of bed, they face 
a miserable world, they strut on out there, and they are faithful, 
they come home, they get back in bed, and they do it again 
for 60, 70, or 80 years. I didn't feel like going to church. 
I didn't feel like reading my Bible. Again, brethren, if you 
can promote or find one passage that justifies or validates that 
approach. Now this is a bet I'm going to 
win because I know there isn't one. I know there isn't one. Seek me only if you feel good 
about it and you shall find me. Read your Bible because I'll 
give you a good shot in the arm. Attend church because it'll be 
the most amazing experience you've ever had. If everything was the 
most amazing experience we ever had, nothing would be the most 
amazing experience we ever had. Do you get that? Amazing experiences 
stand out because they're not the normal and the ordinary. 
We considered this in 1 Samuel 7 on Wednesday night. If you 
think back for just a moment, what 1st Samuel 7 is about? There's revival in Mizpah! It's 
after the crisis concerning the ark. Chapter 4, the ark is captured. Chapter 5, the ark triumphs around 
Philistine territory, killing Philistines in some pretty nasty 
ways. Emeralds, blood, pain, itch, 
serious malady and problems. Chapter 6, the Ark of the Covenant 
is returned to Israel. The men of Beth-shemesh look 
into the Ark of the Covenant and God kills a great many of 
them. So the men of Beth-shemesh function 
like the Philistines. What do we do with this Ark? 
Get it out of here. They send it to Kirjath-Jerim. It's in 
Kirjath-Jerim for about 20 years. But the people are longing for 
Yahweh. This is good. You see their bales and their 
ashrams didn't satisfy them. This is a good snapshot in Israel's 
life. They're longing after Yahweh. 
So what does Samuel do? He comes and he preaches repentance. 
Repent. Serve the Lord with your whole 
heart. Put away the foreign gods from among you. And it says they 
did it! It's beautiful! He promises deliverance 
from the Philistines who are going to attack that. And sure 
enough, here come the Philistines. They hear that all the Israelites 
are out on Mizpah. And they're not out there practicing 
combat maneuvers. They're out there fasting. You 
certainly don't want to go into battle when you're fasting. Some 
of us just grumble and complain if we miss a meal, let alone 
go into battle. So the Philistines are thinking, 
this is easy picking. So what does Israel do? They 
cry to Samuel and say, pray, pray, pray. Chapter 4 they try 
to trot out the Ark of the Covenant to secure God's victory. God 
shows them that isn't the way it happens. I will not be manipulated 
and I am not a magic jar. But in chapter 7 they say, pray. 
So what happens? Samuel prays and God thunders 
against the Philistines. The Philistines literally start 
to run. The Israelites pursue them. We've given a summary statement 
that the Philistine territories, the cities that they had captured, 
had been taken back by Israel. And then it describes something 
very intriguing to us about Samuel. He continues to minister. And he makes this circuit. He 
goes from Bethel to Gilgal. The third place escapes me. It's 
the territory of Benjamin. And he does this year by year 
by year by year by year. You know what believers today 
want? Revival at Mizpah! You know what? Far exceeded the 
revival in Mizpah in terms of time or duration was it was the 
faithful, year-end ministry of Samuel the prophet. I'm not saying 
we shouldn't rejoice in revival at Mizpah. But we ought to rejoice 
in the normal and the ordinary use of the means of grace. God has given us Bibles. God 
has given us a church. God has given us like-minded 
people. God has given us people that 
pray. God has given us good gifts, and we're not to say, well, we 
want more or we want better or we want revival and misfire before 
we'll actually rejoice in you, Lord God. No, He's given us an 
abundance so that we will rejoice in Him, so that we will praise 
and prize Him, and so that we will value the things that He 
has given and use them for His glory. And then, as I mentioned, brethren, 
Christians, be encouraged. This passage instructs disciples 
that there are great things coming in our future. I mean, 599 as 
a whole is glorious. The idea that we're going to 
be with Jesus. The other hymn, though, there 
was a particular statement in there. I can't remember where 
that one was. Kim? 437. 437, listen to this one, firmly trusting 
in thy blood, nothing shall my heart confound. Safely I shall 
pass the flood, safely reach Emmanuel's ground. Safely reach 
Emmanuel's ground. See what the hymn writer says, 
I'm going to go through the flood. I'm gonna have floods. I'm gonna 
have trials. There's going to be affliction. 
There is going to be a cross. Consider Peter, James, and John. These men who went up onto this 
mountain and beheld his glory. You know, I was wrong one time. I mentioned that John the Apostle 
was boiled in oil and that killed him. I've read since, he didn't 
die. He survived the boiling in oil. Imagine that! You think you've 
got problems? Did people ever try to kill you 
by boiling you in oil and then you survived? What quality of 
life is there post boiling in oil? What happens to this James? This James gets his head cut 
off in Acts 12. What happens to this Peter? Peter 
gets crucified. As history tells us, he requested 
to be crucified upside down because he was not worthy to suffer the 
way that Jesus did. You see brethren, the cross always 
precedes the crown. The trials always come before 
the glory. The suffering and the shame and 
the difficulties. We need to learn that from our 
Lord first hand. We need to understand that this 
is the situation, living in a sin, cursed, fallen world. But be 
encouraged. Be happy, be joyful. Muse often on Immanuel's land. Consider the reality that we 
will fuse a bridegroom, not at the crown he gifteth, but we'll 
look on his pierced hands and we'll celebrate that the lamb 
is all the glory of Immanuel's land. This is our final resting 
place. And unbelievers, you need to 
listen to God as He speaks in Matthew 17. You know what He 
tells you? He says to you, hear Him. Not hear Jim Butler, hear Christ. Hear my Son, hear the Lord Jesus. The two times, the two instances 
in this book where the Father speaks of the Son to earth, it 
is the same message. Sometimes young people are saying, 
I wonder what God wants from me. I wonder what the will of 
the Lord for me is. Hear Christ. Hear Jesus! Obey Jesus! Do what Jesus says! And unbelievers, you need to 
hear Jesus in Matthew 11, 28, where he says, "...Come unto 
me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give 
you rest." The same way that Israel, after 20 years bowing 
down to their foreign gods, finally began to long for Yahweh, they 
learned the lesson well that Baal and Asherah never can satisfy 
the soul. You will learn that lesson too. 
It may not be today, it may not be in 10 years, but you will 
learn that whatever idol you have poured yourself into, whether 
it's sex, or it's drugs, or it's rock and roll, or it is a self-righteous 
attitude, it will always leave you confounded. There is hope 
only in our Lord Jesus. There is forgiveness only in 
our Lord Jesus. There is a righteousness to be 
had only in our Lord Jesus. Believe on Him and you will be 
saved. That's what he speaks to his 
churches by the Spirit. Well, let us pray. Our Father 
in Heaven, we thank you for your word and we thank you for this 
wonderful situation on the Mount of Transfiguration. May we look 
beyond the cross to see the crown. May we look beyond this present 
world to see the glory of Emmanuel's land. And may this section of 
scripture encourage us along the way. Father, for those outside 
of Christ, we pray that by your grace they would hear him, by 
your grace they would come to him, who said, if any man thirsts, 
let him come to me and drink. Lord, we know that Christ is 
able to save to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto God through 
him. We pray that you would get glory 
today in the salvation of sinners, and we pray these things through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.