What is the meaning of Matthew 17:4? Peter said to Jesus, • The scene is the Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1–3), where Jesus is revealed in radiant glory alongside Moses and Elijah. • Peter often speaks first (Matthew 16:16; Mark 9:5), showing both zeal and impulsiveness. • Scripture records that he “did not know what to say, because they were so frightened” (Mark 9:6). • Yet even in his confusion, he addresses Jesus directly, acknowledging Him as the central figure—something he would later reaffirm in 2 Peter 1:16-18. Lord, it is good for us to be here. • Peter recognizes the blessing of witnessing divine glory: “Better is one day in Your courts than a thousand elsewhere” (Psalm 84:10). • The statement echoes the longing of believers to behold Christ’s glory (John 17:24) and the transformation believers experience when beholding the Lord (2 Corinthians 3:18). • He senses that this mountaintop moment is a foretaste of the kingdom (2 Peter 1:17), a place where heaven and earth touch. If You wish, • Though impulsive, Peter still submits the idea to Jesus’ authority, reflecting the proper heart posture modeled by Christ Himself—“Yet not as I will, but as You will” (Matthew 26:39). • James 4:15 reminds believers to frame every plan with dependence on the Lord’s will. • Peter is learning that good intentions must be guided by divine permission, not human initiative alone. I will put up three shelters—one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. • The word “shelters” points to temporary booths or tabernacles (Leviticus 23:39-43), hinting at the Feast of Tabernacles—a celebration of God dwelling with His people. • Peter may hope to prolong the encounter, much like Israel yearning to linger under God’s manifest presence (Exodus 24:16-18). • By suggesting three equal shelters, he inadvertently places Jesus on the same level as Moses and Elijah. The Father’s immediate response—“This is My beloved Son… Listen to Him!” (Matthew 17:5)—clarifies Christ’s supremacy (Hebrews 1:1-3). • Ultimately, Jesus alone fulfills the reality of God “tabernacling” among us (John 1:14) and will do so eternally (Revelation 21:3). summary Matthew 17:4 captures Peter’s awestruck but incomplete understanding of Jesus’ glory. He rightly values the moment and defers to the Lord’s will, yet he misunderstands the uniqueness of Christ by proposing equal shelters. The verse teaches that while it is “good for us to be here” in God’s presence, every plan must submit to His will, and all honor must center on Jesus alone, the one greater than Moses and Elijah and the true tabernacle of God among humanity. |
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