17 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7 And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8 And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9 And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
Matthew 17:1-9 (KJV)
Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place. Peter, not knowing what he was saying and being very fearful, offered to put up three shelters for them. This is undoubtedly a reference to the booths that were used to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles when the Israelites dwelt in booths for 7 days (Leviticus 23:34–42). Peter was expressing a wish to stay in that place. When a cloud enveloped them, a voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him!” The cloud lifted, Moses and Elijah had disappeared, and Jesus was alone with His disciples who were still very much afraid. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until after His resurrection. This event in our Lord’s life is recorded in three Gospels: Matthew 17:1-9 2, Mark 9:2-10 and Luke 9:28-36.
The subject of the transfiguration of our Lord has been so neglected is the fact that we feel that there is something unpractical, or even mystical, about the event.
The transfiguration of Jesus is the capstone of his public life. As the baptism of Jesus was the starting point of the public life of Jesus, this moment called the transfiguration is the peak of his public ministry.
We see what a glorious person our Lord Jesus Christ is.
In Matthew 17:2; 2, Mark 9:3 and Luke 9:29, they saw the Lord Jesus in all the splendor of His own perfect character. The majesty of His own inherent glory shone forth upon His countenance and through the very garments He wore.
We know that our Lord Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God.
In Matthew 17:5-8, the voice of the Father said, “This is my beloved Son…listen to him!” Then what happened? They saw no-one except Jesus. God will never allow anyone to be placed on the same level as His Son. Jesus stands alone! (Luke 9:36 and Philippians 2:9-11)
This is the second time the Father spoke audibly in Jesus’ life. He spoke audibly three times and, in each case, pointed to Jesus and for our benefits. A voice from heaven makes it clear that Jesus is the primary character, not Moses nor Elijah.
- Baptism (Mark 1:11)
“Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” - Transfiguration (Matthew 17:5)
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” - Last week of His life (John 12:28)
“I have both glorified it and will glorify it again.”
Not only we learned that our Lord is the Only Begotten Son of God, but we should also realize that He is the Pre-Eminent One (Colossians 1:18). He is superior to anyone else! He is the first and last. He is the Lord of all!
When all of this was over the disciples never forgot what happened that day on the holy mountain and no doubt this was intended. John wrote in his Gospel, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only.”
We listen to the conversation between Moses, Elijah, and Jesus.
Of all the significant figures in the Hebrew Scriptures, why was it Moses and Elijah in particular that showed up here with Jesus? Well, many scholars believed that Moses represented the Jewish Law and Elijah represented the Jewish Prophets. So, when God’s voice from heaven said about Jesus “Listen to Him!” that indicated that the law and the prophets must now give way to Jesus who will replace the old way with the new way. He is the completion of the law and the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Old Testament. This conversation tells us that the one great theme of the ages is the cross of Calvary and the Christ of the Cross. The death of the Lord Jesus is the recurring theme in the Scriptures.
We learn that on the mount is a foretaste of our Lord’s coming again, our blessed hope.
The word “foretaste’ means advance realization of the something to come; a sample of something that lies ahead. It is a preview!
In His glorified form, the disciples saw a preview of His coming glorification and enthronement as King of kings and Lord of lords.
Three things we can learn from the foretaste of His glorious appearance:
- Our saved loved ones are safe in God’s keeping. They are happy, conscious, and recognizable.
- The rapture of the saints, and of His glory.
- We, too, may be transformed now, and we certainly shall be transfigured then!
Those who witnessed the transfiguration bore witness to it to the other disciples and to countless millions down through the centuries. My brothers and sisters, we have seen too the glory of our Lord when the Holy Spirit dwelt in our hearts the moment we got saved. Heaven came down and glory filled our soul! We should then be witnesses to His glorious appearance and be ready for His second coming.