The Transfiguration of Jesus
Lesson 1 Session 2
He was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. Matt 17:2–3
The Transfiguration of Jesus
Matthew 17:1–13 1Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and his brother John and led them up a high mountain, by themselves. 2And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white. 3Suddenly there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4Then Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud a voice said, “This is my Son, the Beloved; with him I am well pleased; listen to him!” 6When the disciples heard this, they fell to the ground and were overcome by fear. 7But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Get up and do not be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus himself alone. 9As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, “Tell no one about the vision until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” 10And the disciples asked him, “Why, then, do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11He replied, “Elijah is indeed coming and will restore all things; 12but I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but 9 10 JESUS. the messianic king they did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands.” 13Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them about John the Baptist.
hough the glorious transfiguration of Jesus comes midway through the gospel, its wondrous nature is not completely unanticipated. Jesus came into the world in a marvelous way, and his ministry began when hisT Father acknowledged him at his baptism, “This is my Son, the Beloved.” Jesus has performed great deeds of compassion marking the closeness of God’s kingdom and has demonstrated in his teaching that he is the definitive interpreter of Israel’s Torah. He has demonstrated his authority over the sea and provided food for thousands. The transfiguration of Jesus offers the dis- ciples an even fuller glimpse of who Jesus is and what he will do. The transfiguration event recalls God’s presentation of the Torah to Moses in Exodus 24 and 34. The high mountain recalls the heights of Mount Sinai, where God was manifested to Moses. The description of the countenance of Jesus, “his face shone like the sun,” evokes the report of the face of Moses, which “shone because he had been talking with God” (Exod 34:29). The men- tion of Peter, James, and John accompanying Jesus reminds the reader of the companions of Moses on the mountain, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu (Exod 25:1). The interval of six days and the Father’s voice from the cloud recall the cloud that covered Mount Sinai for six days and the voice of God that called to Moses on the seventh day (Exod 24:16). As Moses and Elijah become part of the vision of the transfigured Jesus, the scene incorporates the full sweep of Israel’s saving history. Moses and Elijah represent “the law and the prophets” and Jesus is the final fulfillment of Israel’s messianic hopes. Peter’s instincts are correct when he offers to erect three “dwellings” on the spot (verse 4). The word indicates the temporary, makeshift shelters erected during the Jewish Feast of Sukkoth to remember Israel’s forty-year journey through the desert. Peter’s remembrance of the saving path of Exodus is a reminder that the disciples are still on the way with Jesus. As Moses and Elijah prepared his way, Jesus is preparing Peter, James, and John to travel with him to Jerusalem and to continue his way, the journey that leads to the cross. Along that way, Jesus will have much to teach his disciples about what it means to call Jesus the Messiah and Son of God. Lesson 1 • Session 2 11
After confirming that Jesus is indeed his beloved Son, God’s voice from the cloud says, “Listen to him” (verse 5). As Peter, James, and John continue the journey with Jesus to Jerusalem, they must keep listening to what Jesus teaches them and live by those teachings. Listening to Jesus is the way to fol- low in his footsteps: listening to the word of God that transfigures sinners into forgiven and redeemed people, that transfigures sick and disabled bodies into healed and whole beings, that transfigures bread and wine into his body and blood, that transfigures suffering and death into resurrected life.
Reflection and Discussion • Jesus describes this encounter as a “vision,” a God-given ability to visualize what is ordinarily imperceptible to mortal beings. Why is this holy and fasci- nating vision so difficult to describe? What aspects strike me the most?
• Why did Jesus show his transfigured glory to his disciples at the beginning of their journey to Jerusalem? What keeps me engaged and motivated along the path of discipleship?
Prayer
Transfigured Lord, I want to stay with you on the mountain, but you call me to descend with you to life’s valleys. Help me to see your glory shining through life’s difficult moments. Teach me to listen to you so that I may obey and follow in the way you desire for my life.