“Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up to a high mountain to be alone. As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed, and his clothes became dazzling white, far whiter than any earthly bleach could make them. Then Elijah and Moses appeared and began talking with Jesus. Peter exclaimed, ‘Rabbi, it’s wonderful for us to be here! Let’s make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’ He said this because he didn’t really know what else to say, for they were all terrified.
Then a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my dearly loved Son. Listen to him.’ Suddenly when they looked around, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus with them. As they went back down the mountain, he told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept it to themselves, but they often asked each other what he meant by, ‘rising from the dead.’”
That is Mark’s account…actually Peter’s. Matthew, who wasn’t there, adds some detail. “As the men watched, Jesus’ appearance was transformed so that his face shown like the sun, and his clothes became as white as light.” I don’t know how Matthew got that information, but it’s consistent. Luke, also not there, gives a bit of detail about the conversation between Jesus and Moses and Elijah: “They were glorious to see. And they were speaking about his exodus from this world, which was about to be fulfilled in Jerusalem.” I would love to have been able to listen in to that conversation!
The Greek word which is translated “transformed” (in Mark and Matthew) denotes more than just receiving a really shiny face and clothing. It means to be changed in appearance…to become something different. It is the same word we use to describe the change that makes a caterpillar into a butterfly…a profound change. Luke uses different words, to the effect that Jesus’ face became something else—altered. And that’s all we know. It would seem that the three apostles were privileged to see Jesus as he really is, a heavenly being who is indeed the light of the world.
But that’s something of a sidelight. The question must be, why did Jesus do that? It doesn’t seem that he actually needed to confer with Moses and Elijah. If Luke is to be taken as a reliable reporter, they were simply talking about the coming crucifixion and resurrection, which God’s will had already established. It wasn’t just to take a break from the world, as they were on the mountain only a little while.
So why?
It seems clear that it was staged for the benefit of the three apostles. Seeing Jesus with the two greatest prophets of Hebrew history, seeing him metamorphosed, and hearing the very voice of God directed at them should have burned doubt from their souls. I think that it did. These three were his inner circle. It’s interesting to me that John, who was there, didn’t include it in his gospel. As we watch the behavior of these men in the gospels after this drama, it seems that they still struggled with how things were to be done…especially trying to wrap their minds around the growing warnings from Jesus about his death, burial, and resurrection, but that they didn’t doubt Jesus. That doubt was removed. They knew with a surety that he was the messiah, God’s holy one, the apocalyptic Son of Man. They still screwed up, and abandoned him the night of his trial, but they knew for sure who he was.
Some day we will see Jesus as he is. And probably Moses and Elijah too. I do not believe that we will be terrified, as were the three apostles, but I do believe that we will be incredibly amazed. And I do not believe that his face—his countenance—will be like ours. It will be greater; a presence of purity and light, compassion and grace, knowledge and wisdom. It will be a face that we will gladly follow forever.
Prayer: “Great Father of light, what pleasure it must have been to speak to men of this earth of your love for your son. Indeed, we must listen to him. We know that he has the words of life and hope. Someday we will see him, even as we shall see you. In these days remove sin from our lives, so that our sight of you will not be dimmed. And between now and then, give us the strength to daily follow the teachings and commands of Jesus. Place his light in our lives, so that we do not lose our way. For we pray in his name, Amen.”