October 2
October 2
The transfiguration leaves us with no doubt that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the one who came with salvation in his hands.
Matthew invites us into one of the most magnificent scenes in all of the Bible, the transfiguration of Jesus:
After six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. 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.” 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.” When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only. (Matt. 17:1–8)
For a moment, the eternal divine glory of Jesus is revealed to Peter, James, and John. Remember, Jesus is fully God and fully man. In this moment, God silences any doubt these disciples might have as to whether this man born in Bethlehem is, in fact, the promised Son of God. Shining like the sun and clothed in light, Jesus’s deity is on display. This magnificent heart- and life-changing scene should bring us to our knees in awe, adoration, and worship.
But there is more. On one side of Jesus, Moses appears, and, on the other side of Jesus, Elijah appears. Why? What do these two Old Testament characters tell us about Jesus? Moses represents the Old Testament Law, and Elijah represents the Old Testament Prophets. With their appearance, Jesus is revealed as the final fulfillment of the requirements of the Law and the one whose person and work fulfills the prophecies and promises of the Prophets. Jesus really is the promised Son of God and the promised Son of Man. The biblical narrative had been marching to the moment when he would come and do for his own what they could not do for themselves: he would reconcile them to God. And then, as though this moment of revelation were not glorious enough, God the Father speaks of his love for his Son (as he did at Jesus’s baptism), reminding Peter, James, and John that they would do well to listen to him.
Upon hearing the voice of God from the cloud, the disciples fall down terrified. Jesus touches them, calming their fear. They look around, and it is only Jesus that they see.
This scene has been preserved for us because God loves us. He knows that we are often troubled by doubt and fear, and he wants us to rest assured that Jesus is worthy of our trust. He is God in the flesh, the one who satisfies God’s requirements on our behalf, and the one through whom God’s promises are delivered.