Why did Jesus command Peter, James, and John to tell no one of the vision on the mountain until he would be raised from the dead?
One reason for the ban on telling anyone of the transfiguration (Matthew 17:9) was the fact that the three men did not truly know what they had seen. Jesus still had to be glorified in order to reveal himself as such to all of them, and only then could they declare his glory. Only with full understanding of Jesus as the Son of God (see Matthew 14:33) could his full glory be embraced. Only after the resurrection, which publicly revealed Jesus’ glory (Romans 1:4), could the glorification be preached (John 2:22)..
Matthew 17:9 is the fifth and last record in Matthew of this command by Jesus to be silent (the others: Matthew 8:4, Matthew 9:30, Matthew 12:16, Matthew 16:20). If the disciples had declared the transfiguration before the resurrection, it would have aroused misguided messianic enthusiasm among the people and interfered with God’s redemptive plan. The apostles did testify later of the transfiguration (see 2 Peter 1:18).
One of the reasons for the prohibition to tell anyone of the transfiguration (Matthew 17:9) was the fact that the three apostles who witnessed it were not yet able to rightly understand and convey what they had just witnessed. After all, this had been a miraculous experience in which those who had already passed came down to speak to Jesus as the Son of Man. As such it is important to note that Jesus, as a man, here spoke with his disciples prior to his glorification. The man Jesus still had to be glorified in order to reveal himself as such to the apostles, and only then would they be sufficiently equipped to publicly proclaim his glory. In other words, it would only be following the full understanding that Jesus truly is the Son of God (see Matthew 14:33) that the fullness of his glory would be embraced. At this stage of Jesus’ ministry, their testimony could easily have been misunderstood and even used against Jesus at his trial. It would only be following the resurrection, which publicly revealed Jesus’ glory (Romans 1:4), that the glorification could be preached (John 2:22).1
For as long as Jesus was still with them it was forbidden to speak about the transfiguration. Here in Matthew 17:9, this is the fifth and final time in the Gospel according to Matthew that we find this command by Jesus to be silent (the others being in Matthew 8:4, Matthew 9:30, Matthew 12:16, Matthew 16:20). The fact that Jesus is the Messiah may only be openly proclaimed following the resurrection. If the disciples had spoken of the transfiguration earlier, it would have aroused misguided messianic enthusiasm among the people and interfered with God’s redemptive plan. Later on the apostles of course did testify about the transfiguration (see 2 Peter 1:18).2
9 And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”