The Transfiguration; Significance and Meaning
One of the consequences of the Enlightenment was an effort to reduce religion to a moral framework. This effort was led by Immanuel Kant, who sought to deracinate the moral and ethical aspects of religion from the mystical aspects of faith. In following Kant, Thomas Jefferson went so far as to rewrite the New Testament, eliminating any references to miracles or the supernatural.
Such efforts to de-mystify the Bible do it a great injustice, for much of what God intended to convey is lost. The reason why much is lost in a reductionist approach to Scripture is due to the fact that such an approach eliminates a significant source of knowledge, to wit, Divine Revelation. An example of what is lost when taking a reductionist approach to the Bible is the Transfiguration of Christ.
In this paper, I will explore how the Transfiguration is depicted and examine its purpose and significance.
All three of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record the Transfiguration of Christ.
“Jesus took Peter, James, and his brother, John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them; his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, conversing with him. Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, ‘Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ While he was still speaking, behold,
a bright cloud cast a shadow over them, then from the cloud came a voice that said, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.’ When the disciples heard this, they fell prostrate and were very much afraid. But Jesus came and touched them, saying, ‘Rise, and do not be afraid.’ And when the disciples raised their eyes, they saw no one else but Jesus alone. As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, ‘Do not tell the vision to anyone until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.” (Matthew 17:1–9).
The theological data provided by the Transfiguration are immense. First, however, the Transfiguration ought to be placed in some context. Shortly before the Transfiguration, Christ tells His apostles, “There are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.” (See Matthew 16:28). This glimpse into the kingdom of God is precisely what the Transfiguration provides.
The first aspect that should be noted is the location of the Transfiguration. Because mountains were believed to be the meeting place of Heaven and Earth, they hold a significant place in biblical literature. Believed to have occurred on Mount Tabor, the Transfiguration is no different. In Christ, of course, we have the quintessential meeting of Heaven and Earth. Possessing both a Divine and human nature, Christ is the nexus of the transcendent and the created realms.
As to the actual Transfiguration, the language used is telling. The word “transfiguration” comes from the Latin roots trans- (“across”) and figura (“form, shape”). It thus signifies a change of form or appearance. The Greek word depicting the Transfiguration is metamorphosed, which captures the dramatic change Christ underwent on Mount Tabor. Where Christ’s Divine nature is inferred by His words and actions, in the Transfiguration, we have Jesus appearing in a glorified and transcendent manner.
The text tells us that Christ is seen conversing with Moses and Elijah during the Transfiguration. This, too, has great theological importance. Moses represents Israel’s law-giver, while Elijah symbolizes the prophets of God. Christ is now the successor to both; the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. Said differently, Christ is the fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures.
“This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” Here, God affirms Jesus as his Son confirms His deity and tells the disciples to listen to him. Christ is the new law, the new covenant. Peter, James, and John now glimpse Jesus’ true glory: God the Son, who reigns eternal.
The manifestation of God the Father echoes how He appeared to the Israelites of the Old Testament, glorified and utterly transcendent. That same glory is reflected in Jesus. It is because Jesus is in a transcendent state that accounts for His change in appearance.
While the purpose of the Transfiguration is speculative, it does appear that it occurred so as to buttress the faith of the apostles. In light of the coming Crucifixion and death of Christ and the persecution that the apostles and the early Church endured, such strengthing of the faith was essential.
The Transfiguration plays a significant role in soteriology, as well. It emphasizes both the mystery and necessity of the Incarnation. For man to be made right with God, God had to become a man because only God can reconcile His infinite and Divine nature with the finite human nature. It is during the Transfiguration that Peter, James, and John witness this fusion or melding of the Divine and the human. God has become man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth for the purpose of effecting our salvation.
Finally, Jesus informs Peter, James, and John not to speak of the Transfiguration until the Resurrection. It is Christ’s death and resurrection that provides the definitive victory over sin and death.
The Transfiguration was a special event in which God allowed certain apostles to have a privileged spiritual experience meant to strengthen their faith for the challenges they would later endure. But it was only a temporary event. It was not intended to be permanent.
In the same way, at certain times in this life, God may give certain members of the faithful (not all of the faithful, all the time) extraordinary experiences of his grace that strengthen their faith.
