The Transfiguration
Matthew 17:1-13
1 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. 3 And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 4 And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 5 He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” 8 And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. 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.” 10 And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 11 He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. 12 But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.
The spiritual world is very near—even now at hand—and all around, and yet it is also inaccessible to us by normal human senses. The spiritual world is invisible, but it is there. From time to time, God permits us to experience the spiritual world, but those times are rare this side of the grave, like seeing a snow leopard or Halley's Comet.
Peter, James, and John are given one of those rare glimpses of the spiritual world on the Mount of Transfiguration.
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. 3Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. [17:1-3]
They see Jesus as he is in the spiritual world—glorious and radiant. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, he humbled himself and became as we are, but on the Mount of Transfiguration, his glory was unmasked.
Peter has just been telling Jesus that he won’t have to go to the cross, but here the Father tells the disciples that they need to pay attention to what Jesus has been saying:
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” [17:5]
Why does Jesus tell them not to tell anyone else about what they saw on the mountain until after the Resurrection? Because Jesus’s identity as the Son of God can only be understood after the Crucifixion and Resurrection, and the problem Jesus faces is that everyone—even his disciples—misunderstands the nature of his mission. Peter has correctly identified Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God [16:16], but now Jesus needs to show his disciples what it means that he is the Christ and the Son of God.
As we read along, we need to let the words and actions of Jesus define “Christ” and “Son of God” for us. Keep your eyes open!