Jesus brings three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John, up the mountain. Mountains are often places where God is encountered in a special way. There, on the mountain, Moses and Elijah appear. These two men are two of the most significant figures in the Jewish faith. Not only do they represent God’s law and the prophets, but they also represent two men in the history of salvation who had profound encounters with the divine. Jesus’s clothes become dazzling white through this event. Then, the Father’s voice is heard, “This is my Son, the Beloved. Listen to him.” Just as at Jesus’ baptism with John the Baptist in the Jordan River, so also at the Transfiguration, the heavens are opened and we receive a glimpse of the life of the Trinity. Jesus is revealed as Son of the Father, who speaks from the cloud of Divine Presence, where God’s Holy Spirit dwells.
Jesus takes the disciples down the mountain, where he knows his destiny will lead him to Jerusalem and to the cross. They are not meant to remain on the mountain forever. They must respond to God’s call. Some days later, the three apostles who experienced the mountain top experience with Jesus see him prostrate in agony on the ground in the garden of Gethsemane. On the mountain, they were being prepared for what they would see in Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection. They are given a glimpse of who Jesus really is, which strengthens them for what will lay ahead for Jesus and for them as well. In the transfiguration, they saw Jesus in his glory.
As we celebrate the Transfiguration today, may we never forget this glimpse of the divine that we see.
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