Jesus allowed some chosen disciples to see the divine part of him. As Beth Moore describes it, Jesus unzipped his humanity to allow a glimpse of his divinity to show. I love that visual. THEN Moses and Elijah are seen. Can you imagine what the disciples were thinking? Moses was there to represent the Law and Elijah was there to represent the prophets. Malachi said that Elijah had to come before Jesus, and this happened with John the Baptist being the last of the Old Testament prophets. In other words, John the Baptist represented Elijah's role. (There was no reincarnation going on) Then a cloud comes over them and a voice says, "This is my son...."....OK there you have it CONFIRMATION FROM GOD. No more wondering (if you were). Jesus tells the disciples not to share this, because they simply don't know enough to share....they don't have the full education necessary. Jesus was showing them a glimpse and they still did not understand "rising from the dead" that Jesus was talking about.
Then from a Spiritual high, to a demon possessed boy....many times there is something ugly following a spiritual high. The disciples could not get the demon out and Jesus told them that "This kind can only come out by prayer"
The disciples argue about who would be the greatest....Jesus knew their thoughts and used it as a teaching moment. The first would be the last in the kingdom of God.
Jesus warns about temptatiom....I love the object lesson of the SALT because that is a little ministry I adopted when giving out my salt shakers I collect. All offerings should have salt on them. See Leviticus 2:13...this is a rememberence of God's faithfulness. Salt also keeps decay away and we should counteract that decay as Christians. Jesus fufills Isaiah in this section with:
their worm does not die
and the fire is not quenched.
To the Jews worms and fire depicted internal and external pain...Jesus was talking about eternal consequences of sin.
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