The Transfiguration of Christ

Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. But Jesus came and touched them and said, "Arise, and do not be afraid." When they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."

In order to grasp the full significance of Jesus' transfiguration we must remember what precedes it in chapter sixteen of Matthew. The transfiguration closely follows Peter's confession of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God (Matt. 16:13-20), and Jesus' prediction of his own death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21-23). This means that the Lord gave the disciples about a week to contemplate his prediction of death and his bold retort when Peter tried to redirect him.

2. Those present. Peter, James and John were the three privileged apostles who witnessed the transfiguration of Christ (Vs. 1). Why did Jesus select just these three to witness this event? His reasons may have included these two: First, to secure the desired secrecy (Vs. 9) he chose three and no more. Second, the Law of Moses required "two or three witness" in order to establish the truthfulness of any fact in court (Deut. 19:15).

Above all, these three, as leaders of the apostles, would need the encouragement that they would receive in view of their attitude toward the coming crucifixion of Christ. The reason for their presence goes back to an event six days earlier. Jesus had shown his disciples that his death at wicked hands was necessary (Matt. 16:21; Acts 2:23). The apostles had refused to accept Jesus' predictions and Peter in particular had become a hindrance to the Lord in his plans for the coming Kingdom (Matt. 16:22-23).

3. The place. It was "on a high mountain by themselves" (Vs. 1). Luke informs us that Jesus went up the mountain to pray (Luke 9:28). The design was obviously for privacy, because as a city set on a hill cannot be hid, three disciples and the Lord on a hill can hardly be found.

Then, as the Father in heaven had done at the baptism of Jesus, so does he here, and declares, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased . . ." (Vs. 5; Matt. 3:17). This was the glory of God (shekinah) appearing to give honor and glory to his Son. The cloud and the voice coming from it suggest the Shekinah, that is, the visual representation of God's presence (Exod. 13:21-22; 40:34). One purpose, therefore, of the transfiguration of Christ was to declare his divinity before credible witnesses.

2. The transfiguration confirms the authority of Christ. There are two primary elements in this event that are strongly suggestive of the supremacy of Christ. First, the appearance of Moses and Elijah confirmed the Lord's authority. These two Old Testament figures represent twin strongholds of the Jewish economy--the Law and the prophets. They, as it were, yielded their positions to Christ. In addition, their appearance was the signal for Jesus to continue with his exodus (death) at Jerusalem and Calvary.

Second, the voice of the Father in commanding the disciples to "Hear Him!" confirms the authority of Christ (Vs. 5). The authority, which at that time resided in Moses and the prophets, was about to be shifted to Christ (Heb. l:1-2). When Peter offered to build three tabernacles, the voice from the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!" (Vs. 5; Luke 9:35). The command for the disciples to hear Jesus appears to be a solemn endorsement of all that Jesus had taught concerning his suffering, eventual death and resurrection. The Father from heaven gave his sanction to Jesus' course as being in harmony with the divine plan to redeem man.

The presence of Moses and Elijah suggest another aspect of Jesus' authority. While there certainly was a time when Moses and the prophets were to be heard in religion (Luke 16:29; Acts 15:21 ), that would end with the death of Christ upon the cross (Eph. 2:13-22; Col. 2:13-14). All religious authority now resides in Christ (Matt. 28:18), and shall until the end of time (1 Cor. 15:24-26). The principle of "hear Him" applies to us today as we must hear Christ, not the pretensions of popery, the delusions of denominationalism or any tradition of man. The word of Christ is the final word in religion today. (Heb. 1:1-2).

3. The transfiguration confirms the return of Christ. Peter, an eyewitness, in his second epistle, supplies this point, though lacking in the Gospel accounts. The apostle introduces the thought of the return of Christ by saying, "For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of Our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" (2 Pet. 1:16). Then, to establish the truthfulness of such, Peter reminds his readers of the transfiguration by saying, "For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: `This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."' (Vs. 17). He then adds that he ". . . heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain" (Vs. 18).