Matthew 17
Some standing before Him would not die before they saw the Son of man coming in His kingdom. Jesus took Peter, James and John to a high mountain apart. Being transformed, His face shone as the sun and His garment was white as light; they saw Him in His coming kingdom glory.
Moses and Elias appeared, talking with Jesus. Peter said to the Lord, "It is good for us to be here: if Thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him."
The disciples fell on their faces. Jesus touched them and told them to arise and be not afraid. Lifting up their eyes, they saw no man save Jesus only. Jesus is the Father's delight. He is God. Think, dear saints, of when we shall enter into heaven, the Father's house, and see our Jesus who, being the Father's delight, has made us "accepted in the Beloved." Eph. 1:6.
Jesus told the disciples not to tell any man the vision until the resurrection of the Son of man. Before the experience could be told, he must suffer death. Later, Peter makes these things known in 2 Peter 1:16-19.
Coming down from the mountain, Jesus healed the lunatic which His disciples could not. They ask the Lord why they could not cast out the demon. He told them that it was because of their unbelief. He also said, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting." Israel's sin was unbelief (Heb. 3:18;12:1). Let us not be guilty of this. What a cost it was for the Lord to pay for our sins to ransom us.
At Capernaum, Jesus' own city, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, "Doth not your Master pay tribute?" He said, "Yes. And when He was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto Him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free."
Although Jesus was "King of kings," yet he tells Peter that, lest they offend them, Peter should go and cast a hook into the sea and take the first fish that comes up. In its mouth he would find a coin to pay tribute for "Me and thee." We find in Psa. 8:8 that the Son of man has power over the fish of the sea.