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The Sabbath School

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Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Oct 6, 1881

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 7, No. 38.

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The Sabbath School.

LESSON FOR PACIFIC COAST.—OCTOBER 15.

The Transfiguration.—Casting out a Devil.—Matt. 17:1-21; Mark 9:2-29; Luke 9:28-45.

LESSON COMMENTS.

"The announcement that Jesus was to enter into his glory as Messiah, by suffering shame and death, shocked all the preconceptions of the disciples; they could not understand it, and were sorely discouraged. They needed to be cheered in their despondency, and led gradually to accept the disclosure of his approaching humiliation. His promise that some of them, before their death, should see his kingdom come with power, was doubtless treasured in their hearts; but they little thought its fulfillment was so near.
"Six days past; or eight, including the first and last days; full, doubtless, of sad and grave, as well as joyous, thoughts; sad that their Master spoke of suffering violence and death; grave that he should not only have dashed all their hopes of a national regeneration, but should have painted their own future in colors so sombre; yet joyous, amidst all, in vague anticipations of the predicted spiritual glory of the new kingdom, of which they were to be heralds. Little by little they would be sure to catch more of his spirit, from daily intercourse with him, and learn imperceptibly how the purest joy and the noblest glory come from self-sacrificing love; how, in the highest sense, it is more blessed to give than to receive. We are told nothing of this sacred interval, but may well conjecture how it passed.
"The scene of the transfiguration, like that of nearly all other incidents in the life of our Lord, is not minutely stated. St. Luke, indeed, calls it 'the mountain,' but gives it no closer name. It seems, however, certain, that the tradition which from the days of St. Jerome has pointed to Mount Tabor as the locality, is incorrect. The summit of that hill—an irregular platform, embracing a circuit of half an hour's walk, was apparently from the earliest ages fortified, and Josephus mentions, about A. D. 60, that he strengthened the defenses of a city built on it. Picturesque, therefore, though the hill looks, as the traveler approaches it over the wide plain of Esdraelon, it could not have been the spot where Jesus revealed his glory, for it could not offer the seclusion and isolation indicated in the gospels. Nor is there any reason to think that the twelve and their Master had left the neighborhood of Cæsarea Philippi, for St. Mark expressly mentions that they did not start for Galilee till at least the day after.
"It was, doubtless, therefore, on one of the spurs of Hermon, 'the lofty mountain,' near which he then found himself, that the transfiguration took place. Brought up among the hills, such a region, with distant summits, white in spots with snow even in summer, its pure air and the solitude of woody slopes and shady valleys must have breathed an ethereal calm and deep peaceful joy, seldom felt amidst the abodes of men, on the wearied and troubled spirit of our Lord."—Geikie's Life of Christ.
"Verse 3. Moses and Elias. Elijah came from Heaven in the same body which he had upon earth, for he was translated, and did not see death, 2 Kings, 2:11. And the body of Moses was probably raised again, as the pledge of the resurrection; and as Christ is to come to judge the quick and the dead, for we shall not all die, but all shall be changed, 1 Cor 15:51, he probably gave the full representation of this in the person of Moses, who died, and was thus raised to life; and in the person of Elijah who never tasted death. Both their bodies exhibit the same appearance, to show that the bodies of glorified saints are the same, whether the person had been translated or whether he had died. It was a constant and prevalent tradition among the Jews, that both Moses and Elijah should appear in the times of the Messiah, and to this very tradition the disciples refer, verse 10.—Clarke.
"Jesus now returned to his work of ministering to the people. As the throng caught sight of the Saviour, they ran to meet him, greeting him with much reverence. But he perceived that they were in great perplexity. This was because of a circumstance that had just transpired: A man had brought his son to the disciples to be delivered of a dumb spirit that tormented him exceedingly. But the disciples had been unable to relieve him, and therefore the scribes had seized upon this opportunity to dispute with them as to their power of working miracles. These men were now triumphantly declaring that a devil was here found whom neither the disciples nor their Master could conquer.
"As Jesus approached the scene he inquired the cause of the trouble; the afflicted father replied: 'Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out, and they could not.' Jesus listened attentively to this narration, and then met the failure of his disciples, the doubts of the people, and the boasting of the scribes, with these words: 'O faithless generation! how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? Bring him unto me.'
"The father obeyed the command of Jesus; but no sooner was his son brought into the divine presence than the evil spirit attacked him with violence, and he fell upon the ground in agony, and writhed, and foamed at the mouth. Jesus permitted Satan to exercise his power thus over his victim, in order that the people might better understand the nature of the miracle he was about to perform, and be more deeply impressed with a sense of his divine power. Jesus proceeded to inquire of the father how long his son had thus been afflicted by the demon. The father answered:—
"'Of a child. And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the water, to destroy him; but if thou canst do anything, have compassion on us, and help us.' The failure of the disciples to heal the deplorable case had sadly discouraged the father, and the sufferings of his son now wrung his soul with anguish. The question of Jesus brought to his mind the long years of suffering endured by his son, and his heart sank within him. He feared that what the scribes asserted was true, and that Jesus himself could not overcome so powerful a devil. Jesus perceived his dispirited condition and sought to inspire him with faith. He addressed him thus: 'If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.' Hope was immediately kindled in the father's heart, and he cried, 'Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.'
"The distressed father realized his immediate need of help, and that no one could furnish that help but the merciful Saviour, and he relied alone upon him. His faith was not in vain; for Jesus, before the whole multitude, that flocked about to witness the scene, 'rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.' And immediately the demon left him, and the boy lay as one dead. The action of the evil spirit upon him had been so violent that it had overcome all his natural strength; and when it left him he was powerless and unconscious. The people, who had witnessed with awe the sudden change that came over the lad, now whispered among themselves, 'He is dead.' But Jesus stooped and with tender pity 'took him by the hand, and lifted him up; and he arose.' . .
"Jesus had conferred upon his disciples the power to work miracles of healing; but their failure in this case, before so many witnesses, had deeply mortified them. When they were alone with Jesus they asked him why it was that they were unable to cast out the devil. Jesus answered that it was because of their unbelief, and the carelessness with which they regarded the sacred work that had been committed to them. They had not fitted themselves for their holy office by fasting and prayer. It was impossible for them to vanquish Satan except as they received power from God; they should go to him in humiliation and self-sacrifice and plead for strength to conquer the enemy of souls. Nothing but entire dependence upon God, and perfect consecration to the work, would insure their success. Jesus encouraged his disappointed followers in these words: 'If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place, and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.' . . .
"Previous to his transfiguration, Jesus had told his disciples that there were some then with him who should not see death until they should see the kingdom of God come with power. In the transfiguration on the mount, this promise was fulfilled, for they there saw the kingdom of Christ in miniature. Jesus was clothed with the glory of Heaven, and proclaimed by the Father's voice to be the son of God. Moses was present, representing those who will be raised from the dead at the second coming of Christ; and Elijah, who was translated to Heaven without seeing death, represented those who will be living on earth at the time of Christ's second appearing, and who will be changed from mortal to immortal, and be translated to Heaven without seeing death."—"Life of Christ," by Mrs. E. G. White.