EXPLORE THE TEXT
Seek to know Jesus better by learning God’s Word.
9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them,
“Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”
10 So the disciples asked him,
“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”
11 “Elijah is coming and will restore everything,” he replied.
12 “But I tell you:
Elijah has already come, and they didn’t recognize him.
On the contrary, they did whatever they pleased to him.
In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
13 Then the disciples understood
that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
The other disciples almost certainly would not believe the account;
however, after He was raised from the dead,
this story would be easier to accept
and would help them see God’s plan to send His only Son.
Draw attention to the disciples’ question about Elijah.
Explain the connection from the PSG.
Jesus affirmed the scribes were right about Elijah coming.
The problem was that the religious leaders didn’t recognize Elijah when he came. .Not only did the religious leaders fail to recognize John the Baptist
as the promised coming of Elijah, but they treated him harshly.
“In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.”
The ill-treatment of John the Baptist served as a foreshadowing of the Messiah’s own suffering.
Jesus pointed to the death of “Elijah”- John the
Baptist-as a harbinger of His own death by the Jewish leaders. (PSG, pp. 42-43)
Read Matthew 17:13 again for the group.
13 Then the disciples understood
that he had spoken to them about John the Baptist.
The disciples were beginning to grasp some important things Jesus was trying to teach them.
Consider how to grow in the knowledge of Jesus.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 44 of the Personal Study Guide:
Invite adults to determine which of these statements will be the greatest challenge for them this week.
Read aloud the first set of questions from page 44 of the PSG. Encourage volunteers to share where they have seen God’s glory revealed in their lives. Lead a brief discussion about how God’s glory should lead us to know Him better and to worship Him more.
Urge adults to read and respond to the second set of questions on page 44 of the PSG during the week. Suggest they write their responses in a journal and compose a prayer that specifically asks God to reveal His glory through them this week.
Close in prayer, asking Jesus to show His glory in the lives of each adult. Invite God to speak through times in His Word and through our corporate worship experiences.
Send the group an email or text during the week. Prompt them to engage with God’s truth on their own even outside of the group time. Encourage individuals to share any truths that are revealed through their quiet times this week. Remind them that Peter, James, and John were called to listen to Jesus’s voice and to focus on His presence.
All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. (See Luke 24:44-46;
John 5:39.)
Use cross references to gain a better understanding of a biblical concept.
The New Testament not only records accounts of Jesus’s transfiguration but also teaches that believers likewise will experience transformation. Read the following passages and determine what each says about a believer’s transformation: Romans 12:2; 1 Corinthians 15:51-55; 2 Corinthians 3:18; and Philippians 3:20-21. How and when does this transformation take place in the life of a believer? How is our transformation similar to or different from what Jesus experienced?