The Confirmation of Jesus' Deity
February 15, 2026. Mathew 17:1-9. Pastor Leslie Nolin
Jesus had recently asked His disciples who do people say the Son of Man is (Matt. 16:13-17) and Peter proclaims He is Messiah, the Son of God. Then Jesus showed the disciples how He must suffer, die and be raised up on the third day.
v.1/ He took three disciples; Peter, James and John, with him up a high mountain, there He was transformed before them, revealing His true nature. The disciples would surely have been wrestling with Jesus being crucified and dying. This gave the disciples an opportunity to see beyond the cross, confirm that Jesus is the Son of God. With the appearance of Moses and Elijah, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. The cross is not end but that there is life beyond the cross.
We see Jesus deity when He appears to John on the island of Patmos (Rev. 1:13-18) and when He appears to Paul on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:3). When Paul stood before King Agrippa (Acts 26:13), he said that Jesus shone brighter than the noon-day sun, this is in the desert of the Middle-East.
John 1:14; “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” John later wrote, 1 John 1:1-3; “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life. The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ.”
Peter wrote (2 Pet.1:16); “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty.” This fulfilled what Jesus said, Matt.16:28; “Truly, I say to you there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”
The description that Matthew gives is the true representation of who Jesus truly is, otherwise, while He walked and ministered on earth, His true nature was veiled and could only be seen as He decided to reveal Himself. As Moses was in God's presence (Ex.34:29-35), his face reflected God's glory. This is also described by Paul in 2 Cor. 3 and we too can reflect God's glory (2 Cor.3:18) as we are transformed into His image.
vs.3-5/ Moses and Elijah appear with them on the mountain, I'm not sure how Peter recognized them but it was obviously understood that it was them.
Whenever the gospel was preached before the New Testament was written, the Law and the Prophets were used to point to Jesus as the fulfillment. In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus says that He did not come to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them, that anyone who sets them aside or teaches others accordingly, is least in the kingdom of God.
The appearance of both Moses and Elijah confirms that Jesus is the fulfillment and that only in Him can they be fulfilled in us.
While Peter was still speaking, wanting this moment to last, a voice spoke from the bright cloud that covered them, “This is my Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased, listen (attend to, understand, perceive, give ear) to Him.”
This also elevated Jesus to be a higher authority than Moses and Elijah. 1 John 5:1-5; “Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves his child as well.
This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commandments. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”
By faith, our lives reveal that the requirements of the law are written on our hearts (Rom.2:15). Proverbs 3:1-4; “My son, do not forget my teaching, but keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life many years and bring you peace and prosperity. Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favour and a good name in the sight of God and man.”
vs.6-7/ When the disciples heard God's voice, they fell face-down in terror. Jesus, in His compassion, touched them and told them to get up and not to be afraid. Jesus temporarily removed the veil that hid His true nature, this is who He truly is and not to lose heart when He is tortured, dies and rises again.
vs.8-9/ As Jesus led Peter, James and John down from the mountain, he instructed them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after Jesus was raised from the dead. We can only speculate why. Was it possible it could cause jealousy among the other disciples or provoke the Jews to further rage. Or, was it just wise to cherish this experience as Mary did when she was told she would give birth to the Messiah, she treasured this and pondered it in her heart (Lk.2:19).
1 Peter 1:3-9; “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith- of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire- may result in praise, glory and honour when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”
The time will come when we shall see Him face to face (1 Cor. 13:12), we will truly see Him in His full deity.
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