Are You Willing to Suffer? (Matthew 16, Mark 8, and Luke 9)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Do you despise the thought of shame and suffering?

In Matthew 16, we see this powerful contrast between the heavy call to discipleship and the weight of Christ’s glory revealed. In Matthew 16:24, Jesus says to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Deny, take up, and follow. These are the three prerequisites for being a follower of Christ. Jesus continues and says, ²⁵ “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. ²⁶ What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

From there, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to a high mountain—likely either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon, and both provide a beautiful picture of Galilee. As they are on this mountain, Matthew 17 says Jesus was “transfigured in front of them, and his face shone like the sun; his clothes became as white as the light.” The verb translated “transformed” is from the Greek word “metamorphosis,” which is where we get the word “metamorphosis.” It “suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible.”^[1]

There, Moses and Elijah appear, symbolizing Jesus’ fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Note that Moses had visions of the glory of God on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24:15), and Elijah had a vision of God on Mount Horeb (1 Kings 19:8-16). Elijah was taken to heaven, but Moses’ grave was never found.

Doing his best to make sense of a unique situation, Peter rambles and says, “Lord, it’s good for us to be here. If you want, I will set up three shelters here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” To this, he receives no response. But what happens next shocks all three disciples. Matthew 17:5-6 says, ⁵ “While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!’ ⁶ When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown and were terrified.”

As he did before, Jesus calms their fears and tells them to get up and not be afraid. Jesus’ words as they’re coming off the mountain are especially significant. In verse 9, he says, “Don’t tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” Why? Because doing so would have sent the wrong message to the people who wanted a national Savior and liberator.

Yes, Jesus would be glorified and reign as king forever. But first, he would suffer great pain and expect his followers to do the same.