The Transfiguration

AD 29 or 30

Books of Matthew, Mark, Luke & 2 Peter

Before the transfiguration, none of the disciples had witnessed the glory of God revealed in the Son.

Jesus often called Himself “Son of Man.” He came to experience human flesh and life with all its frailties and temptations in a physical body—without sinning.

But on the Mount of Transfiguration, three chosen disciples, Peter, James, and John, encountered Jesus in the radiant glory of the Godhead. For a moment, the veil between heaven and earth was removed, and they beheld Jesus standing before them, shining with divine majesty. It was a breathtaking foretaste of who He truly was (and is)—the eternal Son of God clothed in splendor. The voice of the Father confirmed Jesus as His Son.

The manifest presence of God stunned and overwhelmed the disciples. They were rendered speechless and almost unable to think or function—so much so that Jesus comforted them with, “Rise, and have no fear” (Mat. 17:6–7).

These three chosen disciples had a threefold encounter: With their eyes they beheld Jesus revealed as God, with their ears they heard the Father’s voice from heaven confirming the Son, and in their physical bodies they experienced the overwhelming presence of God.

~After witnessing Jesus transfigured, Peter, James, and John kept this experience to themselves until after the resurrection of Jesus.

Significance

• Peter later used this experience to verify his eyewitness account of Jesus as the Son of God (2 Pet. 1:16–18).
• The Father’s instruction on the Mount of Transfiguration: “Listen to Him,” is a principal instruction for every disciple of Jesus every day.
• Moses and Elijah spoke with Jesus about His coming departure and the fulfillment of His mission in Jerusalem. The writer of Hebrews reminds us that we, too, are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, urging us onward in faith (Heb. 12:1–2).
• Mary, the mother of Jesus, kept many of the scenes concerning Jesus in her heart. She pondered and treasured them (Luke 2:51). Sometimes, an encounter with the Lord is ours to ponder rather than announce.

In our Scripture reading for today, let’s gaze on the glory of Jesus as revealed in Scripture.