“His Face Shone
Like the Sun”
The Transfiguration of Jesus
By Kyle Pope
One of the most wondrous events
in the entire record of Jesus’ life on earth came near the end of His ministry.
Jesus took three of His disciples with Him up onto a mountain and allowed them to
see Him in radiant glory as Moses and Elijah appeared with Him. In writing
about this event years later, two of these men, Peter and John, describe this
as a pivotal moment in shaping their own faith. It was a time in which they “beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14). They
were allowed to be “eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16) at that time
“when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: ‘This is My beloved
Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (2 Pet. 1:17). John’s declaration that “God is
light” (1 John 1:5) could have both visual and spiritual significance to these men
who had seen Jesus’ face shine forth “like the sun” (Matt. 17:2). For that
short moment of time they were allowed to see what France calls, “a brief
glimpse behind the scenes” (262) as to some degree they were allowed to behold
that glory God the Son shared with God the Father “before the world was” (John
17:5).
I. The Biblical Record of
the Event
A curious
phenomenon regarding the development of the New Testament record of Jesus’ life
is the fact that although each of the synoptic gospels records this event
(Matt. 17:1-13; Mark 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36), the gospel written by the apostle
John, who actually witnessed it, does not record it. This may be, if we are
correct in understanding that the gospel of John was written last, due to the
fact that John realized it had already been recorded. In many cases the Holy
Spirit led John to record events the other gospel writers had not addressed,
while choosing not to restate events they had previously chronicled. Another
explanation may be that the wondrous nature of this event could easily have led
to an exaltation of John (the man) to an extent that would not have been
proper. In such a case, John’s omission of this account could be seen as an act
of humility, not contradiction or “mythopoetic
imagination.”
A. The Timing of the
Transfiguration.
All three synoptic writers record
that this incident happened after three important events: 1) Peter’s confession
that Jesus is the Christ (Matt. 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21), 2) the
first explicit foretelling of His death (Matt. 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33; Luke
9:22)—when, as Matthew records it, they would begin their final trip towards
Jerusalem (Matt. 16:21), and 3) Jesus’ teaching on self-denial as a necessity
of discipleship (Matt. 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-9:1; Luke 9:23-27). Matthew and Mark
record that the transfiguration occurred “after six days (meth’ hēmeras
hex)” (Matt. 17:1; Mark 9:2) following these events. Luke, however,
describes it as “about eight days (hōsei hēmerai oktō)”
afterwards (Luke 9:28). There is no contradiction here but simply two ways of
describing the same period of time. The Greek preposition meta in
reference to time means “after, or behind” (BAGD). It is not so specific as to
mean “the seventh day” but rather some period after the sixth day. By the same
token, in Luke’s wording, the particle hōsei with numbers and
measures means “about, nearly” (Thayer). A period of time after six days
is nearly eight days.
B. The Witnesses of the
Transfiguration.
This event is one
of three incidents in which Peter, James, and John were the only apostles
allowed to be with Jesus: 1) the transfiguration, 2) the healing of Jairus’
daughter (Mark 5:37; Luke 8:51), and 3) Jesus’ agony in the garden of
Gethsemane (Mark 14:33). While it is generally thought that their inclusion in
these events was because Jesus had a closer relationship with them that may be
an assumption. Perhaps He saw in them a greater need to witness these events.
Perhaps He was preparing them for leadership. Only John, in the gospel of John
is referred to as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23), but even that may
not necessarily be a mark of favored status. It could simply be John’s way of
acknowledging the love God in Christ had shown to him. Whatever the case, the
special inclusion of these men in no way reflected partiality on the part of
Jesus. Just as different people serve different roles in the church and in the
home, these men played a special role in these events in the life of Jesus. I
appreciate James Burton Coffman’s observation that although “Matthew was
omitted from that inner circle of three disciples who witnessed the marvel here
related, ... one can find only amazement at the complete detachment and
objectivity of his narrative” (261). What a great testimony this is to the
divine inspiration of the biblical text.
C. The Location of
the Transfiguration.
The gospel writers record that
Jesus took these men “up on a high mountain by themselves” (Matt. 17:1; Mark
9:2). By the fourth century both Cyril of Jerusalem (Lecture 12.16) and
Jerome (Epistle 46, Paula and Eustochium to Marcella 13) record a
tradition that placed this on Mount Tabor. This is unlikely, however, because
Josephus tells us Tabor was fortified in the time of Jesus (Life of Flavius
Josephus 37), which would not have allowed them to be “by themselves.” The
most likely candidate for this “high mountain” is Mount Hermon, the tallest
mountain in Palestine and quite near Caesarea Philippi, the last location mentioned
in connection with Peter’s confession (Matt. 16:13; Mark 8:27). Rising to 9200
feet above sea level at its peak, with foothills descending towards Caesarea
Philippi, the frequently snow-covered mountain (visible in much of the country)
would certainly have been considered “high (hupsēlos)”—a term used elsewhere in the
gospels, only of the mountain of Christ’s temptation (Matt. 4:8; Luke 4:5).
Jesus and the three could have ascended the mountain or some of the foothills
in its range during the days that followed Peter’s confession.
The Holy Spirit revealed to Luke
that Jesus went up on the mountain “to pray” and the transfiguration took
place, “as he was praying” (Luke 9:28-29). It isn’t clear whether this event
happened in response to Jesus’ prayer or in conjunction with it. A. B. Bruce
argues, “It was an aid to faith and patience, specially vouchsafed to the meek
and lowly Son of Man, in answer to His prayers to cheer Him on His sorrowful
path towards Jerusalem and Calvary” (192). Jesus would not have needed “faith,”
but we see two other examples in the gospels of heavenly comfort offered to
Jesus (cf. Matt. 4:11; Luke 22:43). If Bruce is correct this could constitute a
third example.
D. The Meaning of the Term
“Transfigured.”
Matthew and Mark both describe it
that Jesus was “transfigured (metamorphōthē) before them” (Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:2). In
English we call this incident the transfiguration because of the Latin
word transfiguro, meaning, “to change in shape, to transform”
(Lewis & Short). The Latin Vulgate, the primary translation used in Western
Europe for centuries, used this word to translate the wording of Matthew and
Mark. The term transfigured came into English as early as the 14th
century and by 1525 was used by William Tyndale to translate both passages as
we now commonly see them in our English Bibles. In modern English, however, we
now commonly use the word metamorphosis, a transliteration of the Greek
noun derived from the verb used by Matthew and Mark, which means, “to change
into another form” (Thayer). Luke did not use this word, recording
simply that “the appearance of His face was altered” (Luke 9:29). As a Gentile
writer, led by the Holy Spirit to write his gospel to Gentiles there may have
been a good reason for this. The first century Roman poet Ovid wrote a book
entitled Metamorphoses, describing the mythical transformations of pagan
gods into human and animal forms. Gentiles who once lived in idolatry would
well know these myths about their false gods. Stephen Williams notes, “Luke
does not use the word ‘transfigure,’ a fact usually put down to his desire to avoid
giving his readers the impression that Jesus was metamorphosed, changed from
one form into another in a fashion that might be assimilated to pagan
mythology” (20). Luke may seek to make it clear that this was not a fanciful
pagan myth, but a revelation of spiritual realities.
Vincent explains that the verb
used here must be understood in light of a conceptual distinction in Greek
between the terms “form” (morphē—“the distinctive nature and
character on an object”) and “fashion” (schēma—“the changeable outward fashion”)
(99). In writing to the Romans, using a form of the latter word, Paul commanded
Christians not to be “conformed (suschēmatizesthe) to this world” (Rom. 12:2).
Vincent explains, “a change in the inner life is described as a change
in the morphē, never of the schēma. Hence Romans 12:2, ‘Be ye transformed
(metamorphousthe); the change taking place by renewing the mind’”
(ibid.). Vincent argues that its use in the accounts of the
transfiguration indicates that in Christ being “transfigured (metamorphōthē),”—“the visible change gets its
real character and meaning from that which is essential in our Lord—His
divine nature” (100).
Not only did His body look
different, but His clothes became “white as the light” (Matt. 17:2). Mark and
Luke both elaborate on this fact. Luke says, “His robe became white and
glistening (exestraptōn)” (Luke 9:29). Mark writes, “His
clothes became shining (stilbonta), exceedingly white, like snow, such
as no launderer on earth can whiten them” (Mark 9:3).
The use of the terms “glistening (exastraptō)” meaning, “to flash out like
lightening” (Thayer) and “shining (stilbō)” suggest that there was not
simply a coloration of the clothing but a radiance that projected from Jesus’
body and clothing.
Spiritual beings are often
described as shining or radiating light. Daniel saw an angelic being
“clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz! His body was like
beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of
fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color” (Dan. 10:5-6). After
Jesus’ resurrection the women saw two angels “in shining garments” (Luke 24:4).
The promise of a resurrection unto everlasting life in Daniel, was followed by
the declaration, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the
firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and
ever” (Dan. 12:3). In the transfiguration, to some degree the glorious divine
nature of Jesus was allowed to shine forth for a time. John on another occasion
would be blessed to see the glory of Jesus again. In the vision revealed to him
on Patmos he saw the “Alpha and the Omega” of whom he wrote, “His countenance
was like the sun shining in its strength” (Rev. 1:16). Stephen Williams writes,
“The three disciples are granted by God at a particular point in time and space
a perception of who and what Jesus really is in His being and role” (18).
E. Participants in the
Transfiguration.
This experience would have been
remarkable enough if it only involved this manifestation of Jesus’ divine
nature by the alteration of His appearance. The Holy Spirit records for us,
however, the additional fact that two pillars of Old Testament faith—Moses and
Elijah, “appeared to them” and talked with Jesus (Matt. 17:3; Mark 9:4; Luke
9:30). We should
note that while Scripture says Jesus was “transfigured” (Matt. 17:2; Mark 9:2)
or that His appearance was “altered” (Luke 9:29), the two figures with Him are
said to have “appeared to them.” Their appearance was not changed, rather
they were revealed in their spiritual state. Luke indicates that their
appearance was also wondrous, explaining that they “appeared in glory” (Luke
9:31).
The Holy Spirit has not preserved
a single word spoken between Jesus and these two Old Testament figures. Luke alone records that they were:
... Speaking of His departure which
He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. Now Peter and his companions had been
overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the
two men standing with Him. And it came about, as these were parting from Him,
Peter said to Jesus... (Luke 9:31-33, NASB).
A few details here are important
to note. Their discussion concerned His coming “departure (exodos),”
from this world that He would accomplish “at Jerusalem.” Alfred Edersheim notes that Luke uses exodos
for Jesus’ death and eisodos (“coming in”) of Jesus’ entrance into
the world in Acts 13:24 (97).
We will explore
later in this study the possibility that the presence of Moses and Elijah
illustrate Christ’s relationship to the Old Testament. Shane Scott, in a lecture on this
topic at Florida College in 2001, commented, “If Moses and Elijah represent the
Law and Prophets, there is no event they could discuss which would be more
important than the atoning death of Christ, the key event foretold in the Law
and Prophets” (122). Whether their purpose was to comfort Jesus (cf. Luke
22:43) or to learn from Him what would soon take place (cf. 1 Pet. 1:10-12) is
not revealed. It is clear that this happened over a long enough span of time
for the three apostles to be “heavy with sleep.” In fact, Peter’s words come
only after they are “fully awake” and he spoke “as they departed” (KJV).
In studying this, the question often arises how did the
apostles recognize these men? Obviously Peter, James, and John had never
seen Moses and Elijah. Did the disciples discover their identity from Jesus’
conversation with them? Was this part of the miracle? Meyer argues:
It was not from
what Jesus told them afterwards that they came first to know who those two
were, but they themselves recognized them at once (v. 4), though not from their
conversation, as has been arbitrarily supposed (Theophylact). The
recognition was immediate and directly involved in the marvelous manifestation
itself (434).
We are not told how they recognized Moses and Elijah, but
Peter and Zebedee’s sons realized the monumental nature of this event. What
they did not yet realize was what this event revealed about Jesus Himself. Tom
Roberts, playing off of the Hebrew writers description of Christ’s flesh as
“the veil” (Heb. 10:20), puts it beautifully:
...
Peter later said, “We were eyewitnesses of His majesty” (2 Pet. 1:16). The veil
was parted for a moment and Christ’s divine majesty was partly revealed. We
should not believe for a moment that Jesus’ manhood robbed Him of His Deity for
the voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased;
hear Him” (v. 5). Jesus was as much God in the flesh as He was in heaven before
being born to Mary (7).
F.
Peter’s Presumptuous Suggestion.
Peter, true to form, acts with
zealous impulsiveness. He proposes the construction of three “tabernacles” for
each of them: Jesus, Moses, and Elijah (Matt. 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33). Luke
says he spoke, “not knowing what he said” (Luke 9:33). Mark explains, “they
were greatly afraid” (Mark 9:6). Olen Holderby suggests, “The circumstances,
here on the mount, may well suggest that they were horrified; sometimes we say
or do things under pressure that we might not otherwise say or do” (1). Peter’s
desire was probably to honor all those who stood before him. Perhaps, as Root
writes, “The word tabernacles does not necessarily imply places of
worship. Here it probably means shelters made from branches of trees, such as
the Jews used as dwellings during the feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:39-43)”
(139). As we have noted, the disciples saw Moses and Elijah “as they were
parting” (Luke 9:33). Peter’s appeal may have been an attempt to compel them to
stay longer.
Whatever the reason, Peter failed
to recognize that this would not honor Jesus, but bring Him down to a status
equal to that of Moses and Elijah. This was no menial status. Moses was the
great lawgiver of Israel. Elijah was the brave prophet who stood up to Ahab and
Jezebel during Israel’s rebellion. Yet, Moses and Elijah were mere men. Scott
observes further, “Peter’s suggestion reveals a very materialistic way of
thinking, the same plane of thought that rebuked the Lord of His prediction of
death” (122). Although Peter had previously confessed that Jesus was the “Son
of the living God” (Matt. 16:16), he did not yet grasp the fullness of that
statement. Jesus was God’s Son, but He was also Immanuel, “God with us”
(Matt. 1:23). His incarnation brought Him down from heaven. Peter’s words
failed to give Him the honor due to Him.
G.
The Heavenly Response.
Peter’s proposal received a dramatic and awesome response
from heaven itself. Matthew and Luke indicate that while he was still speaking
(Matt. 17:5; Luke 9:34) a cloud “overshadowed them” (Mt. 17:5; Mark 9:7; Luke
9:34). This was no ordinary cloud. Matthew describes it as a “bright cloud (nephelē phōteinē)” (Matt. 17:5).
The Greek word phōteinos means “composed of light” or “full of light” (Thayer). Luke
alone records that the disciples were afraid as they “entered the cloud” (Luke
9:34). From within the cloud a “voice” spoke declaring “This is My Beloved Son.
Hear Him!” (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35). Matthew and Peter record that the additional
words also heard at Jesus’ baptism were repeated—“This is My Beloved Son, in
whom I am well-pleased. Hear Him!” (Matt. 17:5; cf. 3:17; 2 Peter 1:17).
The appearance of a “bright cloud” from which a heavenly
voice speaks carried great significance during the Old Testament period. When
God told the Israelites that He would feed them with manna, “the glory of the
Lord appeared in the cloud” (Exod. 16:10). When Moses went up to Sinai, a cloud
covered the mountain (Exod. 24:15), the “glory of the Lord” rested on the mountain (Exod. 24:16), its appearance
was “like a consuming fire” (Exod. 24:17), God spoke from the cloud (Exod.
24:16), and Moses went into the midst of the cloud (Exod. 24:18). B. W. Johnson
(97) and Kenneth Chumbley (312) both note that the “bright cloud” may
correspond to the Jewish concept of the Shekinah,
a term used to describe the “divine presence” of the Lord that rested in the
burning bush (Deut. 33:16), on Sinai (Exod. 24:15-18), in the tabernacle (Exod.
40:34-35), among the people (Exod. 29:45), and in the temple (2 Chron. 7:1-3).
Coffman sees in this event, as in Jesus’ baptism, action on the part of all
three persons of the Godhead. He writes:
Miracle is piled
upon miracle in the succession of astounding occurrences. Here is a
manifestation of the Trinity almost as definite as that at the baptismal scene
in Matthew 3:16. Christ was present, radiant in heavenly light; the Father
spake out of heaven; and the cloud strongly suggests the Holy Spirit, although
it is not so identified (264).
In the Old Testament, while God is clearly described as
speaking from the cloud (Num. 11:25; Deut. 5:22), there is no explicit identification
that the cloud was a manifestation of God’s Spirit.
Even so, the similar divine proclamations of the transfiguration and Jesus’
baptism surely infer the cooperation of all three persons of the Godhead in
this wondrous event.
This is the second time in Jesus’ recorded ministry that a
voice from heaven identified Him as “My beloved Son (ho huios mou ho agapētos)” literally “My
Son, the beloved.” The first happened at His baptism when the Spirit descended
on Him as a dove (3:17). Later in His teaching, Jesus Himself used this phrase
in the parable of the wicked vinedressers, to whom the owner sent his “beloved
son” hoping they would respect him (Luke 20:13). We will consider later in this
study the significance of this declaration as it relates to Christ’s
relationship to God the Father and what it tells us about Christ’s nature.
H. The Aftermath of the
Transfiguration.
Peter’s words did not interrupt
Jesus’ meeting with Moses and Elijah. He spoke “as they were parting” (Luke
9:33). Jesus accomplished what He intended with these two pillars of the Mosaic
Age and then they went their way. Unlike the supposed claims of modern man,
when God truly speaks to human beings it is an evident and often frightening
experience. When God spoke to Israel from Sinai the Israelites in terror begged
Moses from that point on to speak to them for God (Exod. 20:18-19). This very
event is referred to in the context of Moses’ promise of a new Prophet like
himself whom Israel was to hear (Deut. 18:18-19). Mark indicates that the three
apostles were afraid even before Peter spoke (Mark 9:6). After the voice came
from the cloud “they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid” (Matt. 17:6).
Luke adds, “they kept quiet” (Luke 9:36).
As Jesus was left alone before them
His reaction is significant: 1) He touched them (Matt. 17:7a); 2) He told them
to “arise” (Matt. 17:7b); and 3) He told them not to fear (Matt. 17:7c). Paul
told Timothy, “There is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man
Christ Jesus” (1 Tim. 2:5). The incarnation of Jesus put Him in a unique
position to comfort man before the awesome and fearful presence of God’s
majesty. All men need the touch (so to speak) of Christ, in order to be
reconciled to God. In Christ those who abide in Him one day will hear His voice
calling them to “arise” unto eternal life (John 5:28-29). Only in Christ can
one find the “perfect love” that “casts out fear” (1 John 4:18). Only in Christ
can one have “boldness to enter the holiest by the blood of Christ” (Heb.
10:19). Only in fellowship with God in Christ can one have the hope that
assures us “do not be afraid.”
As Jesus came down from the
mountain with the three disciples, Matthew records that Jesus commanded them,
“Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead” (Matt.
17:9). Although He had previously foretold His death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21-23; Mark 8:31-33;
Luke 9:22), Mark records that this made them question among themselves what
Jesus meant by referring to the “rising from the dead” (Mark 9:10). Jesus’ command of silence likely suggests that even the
other disciples did not learn about this experience until after the
resurrection. We are not told why Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone about
this experience. Chounard reasons, “The command to silence is motivated by the
inappropriateness of proclaiming Jesus’ glorious status apart from the reality
of the cross. It is only after the cross, and His vindication by God in the
resurrection, that the significance of the transfiguration can rightly be understood”
(313).
I. The Apostles’ Questions About
Elijah.
Both Matthew and Mark record that
on their way down from the mountain either Jesus’ words or the events they had
just witnesses inspired the apostles to ask Jesus, “Why do the scribes say that
Elijah must come first?” (Mark 9:11; cf. Matt. 17:10). The fact that
Peter, James, and John had just seen Elijah may have called to their minds Old
Testament prophecies about the great prophet. Malachi had declared, “Behold, I
will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful
day of the Lord” (4:5). Jesus had already
told them He would die (Matt. 16:21), and just now they had witnessed His divinity
on the mountain (Matt. 17:2). He then referred once again to being “raised from
the dead” (Matt. 17:9). All of this must have been very confusing to these men.
In spite of their confusion,
however, the disciples’ question is puzzling. Jesus had already told them of
John, “he is Elijah who is to come” (Matt. 11:14). Did they forget this prior identification?
Did the appearance of Elijah on the mountain make them question whether John
was truly the promised Elijah? Perhaps, in light of Peter’s previous confession
of Jesus as the Christ (Matt. 16:16), they simply wanted His explanation of Malachi’s
prophecy. Whatever the motive, Jesus offered them for a second time an
identification of John as the Elijah that “must come first.” At the time Jesus would speak
these words, He could declare that
Elijah “came already” (Matt. 17:12, NASB).
In Jesus’ identification of John as the prophesied Elijah He
revealed that this prophecy had never promised Elijah’s actual return to earth,
or some reincarnation of Elijah. This is why, when John was asked if he was
Elijah he said, “I am not” (John 1:21). Instead, John came, as was declared
before his birth, “in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the
fathers to the children, and the disobedient to walk in the wisdom of the just;
to make ready for the Lord a people prepared for him” (Luke 1:17, ASV). God
told Moses of the seventy elders, “I will take of the Spirit that is upon you
and will put the same upon them” (Num. 11:17, NKJV). While this obviously
referred to divine inspiration the seventy elders did not literally possess
Moses’ spirit. In Scripture a shared disposition and purpose is described as a
shared spirit (cf. Luke 9:55). After Elijah was taken into heaven, it
was said of Elisha, “the spirit of Elijah rests upon him” (2 Kings 2:15). The
same was true of John, and in this he fulfilled all the prophecies about
Elijah.
Matthew indicates that this led the apostles to understand
that He was talking about John the Baptist (Matt. 17:13). Whatever doubts or questions they
had about Elijah were satisfied by Jesus’ words. John was obviously the one
whom the leaders of his own generation had not recognized, “they did to him
whatever they wished” (Mark 9:13). Scripture records no further questions from
the apostles on this subject.
II. The Meaning
of the Transfiguration.
Question arises from Matthew’s
description of this as a “vision (horama)” (Matt. 17:9) whether
it indicates this was an actual or visionary experience for the
disciples. Michaelis tells us of horama, from the verb horaō meaning “to see,” while “the
sense is usually ‘vision’...the meaning can often be ‘what is seen’ (in a natural
way)” (371). He argues that the parallels from Mark 9:9 and Luke 9:36, which
both speak of “the things they had seen” suggests a meaning here of “what is
seen” (372). We can conclude, therefore that this was an actual event that the
disciples witnessed.
How
are we to understand the significance of this beautiful event? It would not be
until after the resurrection that those who witnessed it revealed what they had
seen. As we noted at the beginning, the impact of this event on Peter was
unmistakable. Explaining his teaching years later he wrote:
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. 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.” And we
heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy
mountain. (2 Pet. 1:16-18, NKJV).
Peter
offers the transfiguration as a piece of evidence that confirmed the validity
of his own faith. Of the other witnesses, James was martyred early in church
history (Acts 12:1-2) and, as we observed above, John did not record this event
in his gospel. John may, however, indirectly refer to it in the opening words
of his gospel, declaring, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The
transfiguration demonstrated a number of fundamental truths upon which the
gospel of Jesus Christ is established. H. Leo Boles summarizes, “Three great
doctrines were taught in the transfiguration, namely, the Divinity of Christ,
the end of the Jewish covenant, and the resurrection” (357). Let’s explore
Boles’ suggestion regarding what the transfiguration teaches about these three
great doctrines:
A.
The Divinity of Christ.
If
Vincent is correct that the transfiguration itself demonstrated a temporary
unveiling of the underlying “essential” character of Jesus’ “divine nature”
(100), this event alone revealed that Jesus was more than just a man—He was God
“manifested in the flesh” (cf. 1 Tim. 3:16, NKJV). Yet, beyond this fact we can
also recognize what the heavenly proclamation revealed about the nature of
Christ. The identification by God the Father of Jesus as “My beloved Son” was
heaven’s testimony to Jesus’ divine nature.
Occasionally Scripture identifies others as “sons of God.”
For example, angels are identified as “sons of God” (Job 1:6; 2:1), as well as
those faithful to the Lord (Gen. 6:2, 4), those who obey the gospel (Gal.
3:26-27), and those who will be “sons of the resurrection” (Luke 20:36). It is
a different thing, however, to be identified as “the Son (singular) of God.”
This is seen in the demand of the High Priest at Jesus’ trial, “tell us if you
are the Christ, the Son of God!” (Matt. 26:63). This distinction roughly
equates to our use in English of the definite article—“the” in contrast to the
use of an indefinite article—“a” or “an.” The definite article indicates an
exclusive status (i.e. “the only Son of God”) while indefinite article
indicates one of many (i.e., “a son of God”). Koine Greek had no indefinite
article “a” or “an” and often did not use the definite article as we do in
English. The context determined if the sense was definite or indefinite. For
example, in the confession of the centurion at the cross and the apostles after
Jesus calmed the storm, the sense is clearly definite, that Jesus is “the Son
of God (Theou huios)” but there is no definite article in the Greek (Matt.
14:33; 27:54). On the other hand, when Paul declared that “the creation eagerly
waits for the revealing of the sons of God (ton huion tou Theou)”—with
the definite article (Rom. 8:19). In Paul’s words, while the meaning is
definite in the sense of separation (i.e., those who are saved) it is not
teaching that the saved will be Deity as is true of “the Son of God.”
The divine declaration “this is My beloved Son” echoes the
Messianic pronouncement of Psalm 2:1-12. This Psalm connects God’s “Anointed,”
i.e., His Messiah or Christ (Christou—LXX), with His “Son.” The Holy
Spirit revealed, “The Lord has
said to Me, ‘You are my Son, today I have begotten You’” (Ps. 2:7). The Psalm
ends with the command, “Kiss the Son” (Ps. 2:12). This clearly connects the
promise of a Messiah with One who was the Son of God in a special and unique
sense. A manuscript from Qumran, 4Qflorilequium (4Q174), shows that Jews
from the first century connected Psalm 2 with Messianic expectation. Bateman
sums all of this up succinctly:
What then can we
conclude from God’s declaration of Jesus as “Son” at the baptism and again at
the transfiguration? First, both include a divine declaration to or about Jesus
from Psalm 2:7. In keeping with first-century Jewish expectations for an
Anointed One, we can safely say “Son” in Psalm 2:7 was seen as another way to
refer to “the Christ” or God’s chosen king (549).
B.
The End of the Jewish Covenant.
The
appearance of Moses and Elijah, particularly in light of the declaration from
heaven that would follow it, affirmed Jesus’ superiority to the Law and the
Prophets. Unlike modern divisions, the Jews grouped the Hebrew Scriptures into
three parts: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings (cf. Luke 24:44). Often,
however, we see in Scripture that the Old Testament revelation as a whole could
be described with reference to only two of these sections—“the Law and the
Prophets” (Matt. 5:17; 7:12; 11:13; Luke 16:16; John 1:45; Acts 13:15; 24:14;
28:23; Rom. 3:21). The early church commentator Origen explained this as a use
of the figure of speech known as synecdoche, by which a part of
something is used for the whole. He wrote that in the transfiguration there
appeared, “Moses, the law and Elijah, in the way of synecdoche, not one prophet
only, but all the prophets holding converse with Jesus” (Commentary on
Matthew 12.38). Moses had declared in the law, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a
Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (Deut.
18:15). Moses was allowed to see the fulfillment of this as he talked with
Jesus. Although Elijah did not write any books of prophecy, as one of the
foremost Old Testament prophets he symbolized the work and purpose of the
prophets in general. In addition to immediate temporal prophecies, the prophets
had foretold the coming of the Messiah. How fitting that one of the prophets
was allowed to see Jesus on the earth—the fulfillment of what had been revealed
to them.
While the heavenly proclamation “Hear Him” constitutes a type
of rebuke to Peter, it is also a powerful declaration of Christ’s relationship
to the Old Covenant. Boles writes, “The withdrawal of Moses and Elijah was
suggestive; a greater than both of these remained” (356). David McClister
suggests:
The
transfiguration was a statement about the authority of Jesus. On that mountain
was demonstrated that it is now Jesus alone who has authority over men. Moses
and Elijah served only a temporary purpose in the plan of God (cf. Rom. 3:21)
(21).
The declaration on the mountain, followed by the visible
absence of the representatives of the Law and the Prophets, declared to the
entire world from that point onward that Christ alone is now the only way
to a relationship with God. The Old Testament is no longer the binding standard
of faith and conduct. Christ’s doctrine, the New Testament, is now the standard
by which all mankind will be judged.
We have noted a few times already that the Law of Moses
promised that a prophet would appear to Israel like Moses. They were commanded,
“Him you shall hear” (Deut. 18:15). This command is echoed in the divine voice
proclaimed on the mountain “Hear Him.” Although these three men alone witnessed
these events, God’s voice resounds to all the earth, Jew and Gentile alike.
Jesus Christ is the Prophet “like” Moses whom all the earth must hear.
The Law promised:
I will raise up
for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren, and will put My words in
His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be
that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require
it of him. (Deut. 18:18-19, NKJV).
To refuse to hear the One whom God declared from heaven, “Hear
Him,” is an act of defiant rebellion, for which God will require judgment.
C.
The Resurrection.
Boles’
suggestion that the transfiguration testifies to the resurrection draws an
inference about something that is not specifically addressed from the evidence
of what that is clearly demonstrated: the eternal nature of the soul. Jesus’
discourse with Moses and Elijah settles once and for all any question about the
existence of man’s soul after death. These men who had lived centuries before
Jesus’ time on earth had not passed out of existence. Rather, they continued to
live. Stephen Williams, echoing Boles’ argument, suggests that in this fact, the
transfiguration teaches us about the resurrection:
Jesus forces people to consider
as follows: Is it conceivable that God, having steered the patriarchs through
so many ills and sufferings by binding Himself to them in a covenant
relationship, should, at their death, simply abandon them to eternal decay? The
logic of God’s relationship with them and His power on their behalf requires
the resurrection (20).
Alfred Edersheim
draws the same conclusion seeing in the transfiguration a declaration of how
Christ’s true nature offered promise of deliverance from death. He notes, “It
points us forward to that transformation of which that of Christ was the
pledge, when ‘this corruptible shall put on incorruption’” (101).
Many have struggled to understand the
form of Moses and Elijah as they appeared to the disciples. Zerr supposed that
Elijah (since he never died) was in an “eternal state” while Moses (having
died) was in an “intermediate state” (61). The text indicates no difference in
the nature or appearance of either man. Meyer argues that, if the appearance of
Moses and Elijah had not been “visionary” in light of Deuteronomy 34:5-6, a
bodily resurrection on the part of Moses would “have to be presupposed”
(1.439). That assumes that what the three disciples saw were material bodies.
The text does not indicate that. When God allowed Samuel to come out of Sheol
to rebuke Saul there was no indication that a bodily resurrection took place.
Nonetheless, his appearance was similar to that of his former body (cf. 1 Sam.
28:7-25). The same is true of the rich man, Lazarus, and Abraham in Hades (cf.
Luke 16:19-31). Hoyt Houchen, in his study, “Shall We Know One another in
Heaven?” points out, “The body of Moses turned to dust and Elijah had been
changed. These men were clothed with different bodies from what they had here
on earth, but they appeared to the disciples and were talking with Jesus. They
were both recognized” (624). Paul, in speaking of the future resurrection,
indicates that there are different types of “bodies” including “terrestrial”
and “celestial” (1 Cor. 15:40). Delitzsch may have it right discussing the
relationship between the soul and the body, claiming, “It continues,... in the
other world in that form which, as the living principle of the body, it had
assumed. Its appearance remains a corporeal one, although immaterial”
(504-505). What is clear in all of this is the fact that the presence of these
two Old Testament figures, conscious, living, and capable of thought and
discourse foreshadows that time in the judgment when there will be “a
resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust” (Acts 24:15).
III. Conclusion.
The
transfiguration served as a final flash of glory just prior to the events that
would lead to Jesus’ death in Jerusalem. David McClister in his study, entitled
“Understanding the Resurrection” offered a beautiful summation of the purpose
accomplished in the transfiguration. He wrote:
Jesus wanted the disciples to
know that He would, indeed be glorified, but it would not at all be the kind of
glory most people were expecting (a worldly kind of supremacy). Nor would He
gain that glory in the way that most people thought He would (by physical war
in Rome). The glory that lay in store for Jesus, which the disciples previewed
in the transfiguration, would come through His death and resurrection (22).
The
biblical narrative the Holy Spirit has left us about the transfiguration leaves
many questions unanswered. We are not told why only three disciples were
allowed to witness this event. We are not told God’s exact motive for offering
this experience to mankind. Yet, in what is revealed we are allowed to see a
glimmer of the eternal glory and majesty that belongs to our Savior.
Undoubtedly, for Peter and John the memory of that underlying glory which they
had once witnessed must have sustained them through the dark and temporary
trials this life so often hurled at them. If we too will cling to the revealed
memory of that glorious moment when the face of God in the flesh “shone like
the sun,” perhaps whatever darkness we must face will seem a little easier
overcome.
Works
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