Beloved, I am glad to share with you today on the word of the Lord God at the transfiguration of Jesus Christ on the mountain : “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” We read it in Mat 17.2,3,5 : There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus. 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” He led Peter, James and John to a high mountain, and there, transfigured before them, his face became resplendent like the sun, and his clothes white like light. Moses and Elijah also appeared to them “in glory”. They were the only witnesses of the most glorious moment of his life and of his deepest degradation. (Matthew 26.37). His appearance in glory responds to the promise made to the disciples a few days earlier (Mt 16.24-28). So after the contempt of which his Son was the object on the part of his people Israel and all forms of unbelief, God wanted to give to selected witnesses of men a foretaste of what his royal majesty will be.
Let’s see in detail the scene: The Lord chooses his best disciples to retire in a high mountain where his face and his clothes are resplendent like the sun. His three disciples are unable to endure this extraordinary scene, because fear seizes them (Mat 17.6; Luke 9.28-36). And Peter naively thinks it is a good thing to pitch three tents for the Lord Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Then a cloud envelops them and the voice of God is heard. After the manifestation of his glory before his disciples, he finds himself alone with them and orders them to say nothing of what they have seen, until he is resurrected. The Lord Jesus kept his promise, but doesn’t want it to be known right away. For the Lord himself speaks to prevent his beloved from being confused with the two companions of his glory. And it’s only later, after the resurrection, that the disciples will understand the significance of this magnificent vision and will be allowed to relate it (2 P 1.16-18).
Above all, the presence of Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus has a high meaning: Indeed, Moses had given the law, and Elijah was the great prophet, raised up to bring back to the law the people dedicated to the worship of Baal (1 Kings 18). These two men therefore represented the law and the prophets, whose ministry was ineffective among the people, because of their inability to obey and their will opposed to God. But the Messiah was there to establish his reign yet the people rejected him, so instead of enjoying the promised blessings, the Jews went to meet judgment.
For the Lord Jesus was without sin. He had walked from his childhood in the path of perfect obedience. It was therefore not normal that he came out of this life like other men by death, for “death is the wages of sin.” (Romans 6:23). That’s why the normal outcome of earthly existence for this perfectly Holy man was the progressive glorification of his whole being.
In addition, his body, as an instrument of holiness in the service of God, became a spiritual body, a heavenly body, a body such as we will one day possess it. For he was continually ripening for heaven, and the transfiguration marks precisely the moment when the Lord Jesus, having reached the culmination of human life, reaches the natural end of holiness, that is, to glory.
Let’s note that the more and more brilliant miracles that Jesus had performed in the last days, such as the multiplication of loaves, or the walking on water among others, were indications of this increasing triumph of the Spirit over matter.
But God had to give him a solemn demonstration, impossible to ignore, not only for him but for his disciples, of the reality of the victory he had won over death by his perfect sanctification. And this demonstration was furnished to him by the transfiguration where the Eternal God raised him for a few moments to the glorious existence of heaven. Thus, the transfiguration of Christ into part of his heavenly glory was certainly to enable the “inner circle” of his closest disciples to understand him better. For Christ radically changed his appearance, so that his disciples could see his glory. They had known him until now only in his human form, and became more aware of the divinity of Christ, even though they still did not fully understand it. And it gave them the comfort they needed after hearing the terrible news of his impending death.
That’s why when all is lost on man’s side, divine resources appear, all concentrated on the person of Jesus who, instead of ascending to heaven with Moses and Elijah after their interview, will go to the cross to accomplish the work of redemption. The cloud was the symbol of divine glory (Exo 40.34; 1 Kings 8.10).
And they see a luminous cloud covering them and the voice of God coming from the sky which says “Hear him! Clearly shows them that the Law and the Prophets must now give way to Jesus, the new and living way that replaces the old, for the fulfillment of the Law and the myriad prophecies of the Old Testament. In addition, his glorified form reveals to them a glimpse of his coming glorification and his enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords.
It’s thus the Savior we should listen to now, since Moses and Elijah were not, and their ministry did not have any result for the people. And the resource of God is therefore in his beloved Son. For this voice is still addressed to us today and now, as to all believers and to all those who have not yet been saved. Hear therefore the one who says: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”(Matthew 11:28). All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away.“(John 6:37). “Hear, and your soul shall live” (Isaiah 55: 3). “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved (Acts 4:12).
For until that moment he had believed in his victory over death, walking by faith. Now he sees it, and it’s based on this experience that he will be able to say from now on: “I give my life, in order to take it back. Nobody takes it from me, but I give it of myself; I have the power to give it and I have the power to take it back. ” (John 10.17,18; Luke 9.31).
For it’s useful to recall what the two men were discussing with him: they were talking about his departure which he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9.30-31). So they live, and live in God, these men who appear here in glory. For “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”(Luke 20.38).
This is also why Peter feels so happy to see his Master glorified, far from the contradictions of men, and wants to prolong this happiness. But Peter’s naivete prompts one to wonder what would have become of the Savior’s work, that is, the redemption of the world and the preaching of the gospel, if he and his disciples had remained in glory. Thus he remains alone with them, and his presence will be enough for them to descend with him into active life, where they will find work and toil, after having been able to enjoy a moment of rest and glory.
But what could be the reason for Christ Jesus forbidding the disciples to report what they had just seen? This is because the story repeated among the people would not have been well understood and could have given rise to false interpretations. For the Savior Himself had only allowed His three most intelligent disciples to witness this scene. And this defense gives the scene of the transfiguration a properly historical character, for it is a fact about which the Lord Jesus wants his disciples to remain silent and only to relate later.
This is why the disciples never forgot what happened that day on the mountain and that was also Jesus’ intention. For John wrote: “We have beheld his glory, a glory like that of the Only Begotten from the Father” (John 1:14). And Peter also on this subject: “Indeed, it is not by following skilfully conceived fables that we have made known to you the powerful coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but it is after having seen his majesty of our own eyes. Yes, he received honor and glory from God the Father when the magnificent glory made him hear a voice that said: “This is my beloved Son, who has all my approval. This voice we ourselves heard coming from heaven when we were with him on the holy mountain”(2 Peter 1.16-18). Those who witnessed the Transfiguration bore witness to other disciples and to millions of people throughout the centuries.
The passages below have been compiled for your edification and put together for your better understanding.
- Transfiguration :
Mark 9.2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ; Mat 17.2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.; Luke 9.29 As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning.; 1 P 1 .18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors,
- Christ the light
Isa 9.1 Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—; John 1.4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.; John 8.12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”; John 12.35 Then Jesus told them, “You are going to have the light just a little while longer. Walk while you have the light, before darkness overtakes you. Whoever walks in the dark does not know where they are going.; 2 Co 4.6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.; Eph 5.13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.; Rev 21.23 The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.
- radiant face :
Ex 34.30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.; Ecc 8.1 Who is like the wise? Who knows the explanation of things? A person’s wisdom brightens their face and changes its hard appearance.; Mat 17.2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.; Mat 28.3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow.; Act 6.15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.; 2 Co 3.7 Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, transitory though it was,;
- Revelation of Christ
Dt 18.18 I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their fellow Israelites, and I will put my words in his mouth. He will tell them everything I command him.; John 8.26 “I have much to say in judgment of you. But he who sent me is trustworthy, and what I have heard from him I tell the world.”; John 12.49 For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.; John 14.10 Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work.; John 17.8 For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.
From all of the above, we note that the Lord Jesus brought his three best disciples to a high mountain where his transfiguration or appearing in glory fulfills the promise he made to them. This scene scared them and he was there to strengthen their courage but forbade them to talk about it for a while. However it also gave them the comfort they needed after hearing the terrible news of his impending death. And the transfiguration means the perfect unity between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; and by recalling with Moses and Elijah his departure for Jerusalem, the Savior shows that his glory passes through the cross, and he anticipates his resurrection and his return in glory. This word in the cloud clearly showed that he is the Savior who should henceforth be followed. And those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to other disciples and to millions of people throughout the centuries. Our prayers support you all in your efforts to seek that glory by following our Lord Jesus Christ on the path to eternal life.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be glad to respond to your queries and comments as necessary, before sharing with you next week on the need to remain humble like a little child in order to reach the first rank in the kingdom of heaven: “I tell you the truth, if you do not convert and if you do not become like little children, you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you profusely.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.