…Jesus took with Him, Peter, James and, John…up a high mountain…There He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light.
Matthew 17:1-13
A few days after Jesus asked His disciples who they thought He was, Jesus takes an inner circle of His Disciples, Peter, James and, John, up a mountain where they were privileged to see Jesus “transfigured” before their eyes. This event was a “theophany,” a Greek word that means the visible appearance of God. Theophanies were visible manifestations of the Creator and were usually granted to central figures in Almighty God’s redemptive plan. For example, God’s appearance to Abraham as a “smoking fire pot” and “flaming torch” in Genesis 15, as well as Moses’ vision of Yahweh in the burning bush in Exodus 3. Similarly, the transfiguration stands in this tradition but, Jesus, the Christ, exceeds all His previous theophanies, expressing the fullest revelation of who God is. There are many lessons from the transfiguration, confirming Jesus’ appointment as a special messenger of God. Like Moses and Elijah who received revelation from Almighty God on Mount Sinai, Jesus also meets with God on a mountain. Yet, Jesus is greater than His prior theophanies because of the Father’s declarations about Him verse 5. Also, Moses and Elijah, who appeared with Jesus, represent the Law and the Prophets, respectively. Their appearance with Christ confirms Jesus’ fulfillment of the old covenant revelation found in the Old Testament. The transfiguration depicts Jesus’ divine identity clearly. Moses only reflected the divine glory after meeting with God and, this reflection could be easily hidden by a veil as Exodus 34:29–35 tell us. Our Savior’s inherent splendor, however, cannot be veiled. But, the glory of Christ’s body shown so brightly that his clothes were overwhelmed by His Glory. This is the Jesus we shall see, in Heaven, for we shall see Him as He is!
Source: S C Ball March 6, 2023
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