Tell No One

As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead" (Matthew 17:9).

We are often confused at our Lord’s insistence, on occasion, that people refrain from telling other people of certain events they had experienced with Jesus. We would think Jesus would want people to know He was the long-awaited Messiah and that if word got out about all He had said and done there would be greater numbers of people flocking to Him to be saved. Not so.

In many instances people did not seek Jesus out because He was Son of God and the promised Messiah of the Jews; they didn’t come to Him to be saved. Many came to Jesus because they were enamored by Him, they wanted something from Him, or they were curious of His power and authority. If they did come to Jesus believing He was the Messiah, they were disappointed because He did not fit their concept of what the Messiah would be. They wanted a military Messiah to deliver them from Roman authority so that they could live free and independent of any and every foreign ruler. Jesus came to save souls from sin, not to save Israel from Rome.

Broadcasting the event of the transfiguration at that time would have only incited a greater determination to force Jesus to accept the role of a political messiah and king. He didn’t need that added pressure. He would not be bullied to be someone He wasn’t. He would not cause a greater controversy to arise among the people and the Pharisees than had already been expressed and demonstrated.

The transfiguration of Jesus was designed specifically to confirm in Peter, James, and John the truth that He was the Messiah. Greater than feeding the 5,000+, greater than walking on the storm-tossed Sea of Galilee, greater than healing the demoniacs, lepers, physically handicapped, even greater than raising the dead back to life, the transfiguration was proof beyond proof that Jesus was God’s Son in the flesh. He was God in the flesh.

While Jesus was with them it was unnecessary that the disciples should speak of the transfiguration. When He was crucified, they would need this evidence that He was the Christ and not just another prophet who could heal people and work miraculous signs. They had to be convinced beyond the shadow of doubt before they could convince others through their witness. Coming down from the mountain was not the time to speak of such things. It would only serve to raise doubts and questions in people’s minds since they didn’t witness the event themselves.

“Lord Jesus, guide us by Your Holy Spirit to share with others those things You deem important to our witness of You as Lord and Savior. Help us to realize that not everyone is able to immediately understand and receive what has taken most of us years to digest ourselves. Remind us that our most effective witness is one that is simple, clear, and concise. The greater things regarding You and Your Kingdom are for those who can grasp them, and only Your Holy Spirit can tell us who those people are and when that time is right. In Your name I ask, Amen.”

Pastor