Welcome to this Daily PBJ devotional. Read Genesis 24, Nehemiah 13, and Matthew 17 today. This devotional is about Matthew 17. After six days, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus. Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him. When the disciples heard this, they fell face down in terror. Then Jesus came over and touched them. Get up, he said. Do not be afraid. And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus. As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, do not tell anyone about this vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead. The disciples asked him, Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first? Jesus replied, Elijah does indeed come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him whatever they wished. In the same way the Son of Man will suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist. When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus and knelt before him. Lord, have mercy on my son, he said. He has seizures and is suffering terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. I brought him to your disciples, but they could not heal him. "'Oh, unbelieving and perverse generation,' Jesus replied, "'how long must I remain with you? "'How long must I put up with you? "'Bring the boy here to me.' Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed from that moment. Afterward, the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, "'Why couldn't we drive it out?' Because you have so little faith, he answered. For truly, I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life. And the disciples were deeply grieved. After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two drachma tax came to Peter and asked, Does your teacher pay the two drachmas? Yes, he answered. When Peter entered the house, Jesus preempted him. What do you think, Simon? he asked. From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs and taxes? From their own sons or from others? From others, Peter answered. Then the sons are exempt, Jesus said to him. but so that we may not offend them, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take the first fish you catch. When you open its mouth, you will find a four drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours. This is God's word. The disciples had heard Jesus speak with authority unlike anyone else they had ever heard before. They saw him restore crippled limbs, make rotting flesh of lepers as smooth as a newborn's skin, give sight to eyes that had never seen anything, and bring the dead back to life. All of these were spectacular signs of God's power working through Jesus. However, they had read about other prophets like Elisha, for example, doing miracles like these. The transfiguration of Christ, which we read about in verses 1 through 13, revealed the divine glory of Jesus Christ. As Jesus' face and clothing radiated light, as verse 2 said, Peter, James, and John knew they were in the presence of someone unlike anyone else who had ever lived. Then the voice of God, the Father, identified him directly. This is my son whom I love. With him I am well pleased, as we saw in verse 5. Although they were awestruck by the sight of Jesus, Peter knew one thing. He never wanted to leave. That's why he said in verse 4, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. That's verse 4 again in the NIV. Interesting, isn't it? That he wanted to build shelters for three glorified men, Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, but not for himself, James, and John. Really, Peter, James, and John were the three who would need the shelters from the elements, not Jesus, Moses, or Elijah. But as a true servant, Peter was unconcerned for himself and thought only about the Lord and the Lord's prophets. Consider this if you ever wonder if eternity will be boring. Peter saw just a glimpse of eternity and wanted to stay there forever. How much more will we enjoy the Lord's presence when we see our glorified Lord as we stand glorified like Moses and Elijah according to the grace of God. streets of gold, pearly gates, and any other material thing you think about enjoying in heaven will seem stupid and worthless compared to the value of being in the presence of God himself, in the presence of Jesus Christ our Lord constantly, in the presence of the Holy Spirit forever. Also, iPhones, big TVs, flashy cars, and comfy homes will be forgotten when we're with Jesus. If you can learn to invest in that kingdom, his coming kingdom, the stuff we crave on this earth will seem stupid by comparison. What are you doing today to get ready for that day? The day when Christ's kingdom comes and we're with Him for eternity. Spend a few minutes considering that now, and I'll see you next time. May God bless you. I hope you have a great day today.