Welcome to a year in the Bible with daily grace. The Bible tells one big story of

redemption and we want to spend five minutes every day journeying through the Bible from start to finish, and exploring how all of it

points to Jesus. Hi friends and welcome back to a year in the Bible with daily grace.

My name is Shelby Turner. I'm one of your hosts for this podcast and today we'll be talking about chapter 16 through 18 in the book of

Matthew. In today's reading Jesus will conclude his Galilean ministry and

begin the trek towards Jerusalem where he will face death on a cross.

Let's talk about it.

Matthew 16 is pivotal because the Pharisees and Sadducees who have been rejecting Jesus during his entire ministry, reject him again.

And then Jesus goes away with his disciples and ask them who they believe that he is.

Peter chimes up for the whole group

and says, you are the Christ,

the son of the living God.

This is a sharp contrast to the religious leaders

who are denying Jesus. So Jesus blesses Peter for

declaring this truth and then he tells the disciples the most unexpected news

that he is going to die soon. The disciples are in utter disbelief. The Messiah was to reign and not to die. This doesn't make any sense. But Jesus affirms that he is going to die and not only that but that anyone who wants to be his follower must take up their own cross and be willing to die as well.

Then in chapter 17 Jesus goes up on a high mountain with Peter, James

and John and there he is transfigured before them. Transfigured isn't a word that

we use a lot and it can be confusing.

V verse 2 says his face shone like the sun and his clothes became white as light.

In this moment Jesus is being seen in his full glory as he was before he became human and as he would be after his ascension.

Also of note is that Elijah and Moses came to speak to him. This symbolizes the law in Moses and the prophets in Elijah confirming that Jesus is God., is the Messiah. There we see that theme again in Matthew of Old

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