What was the importance of the Transfiguration for the disciples?

Answer 1

At least three reasons come to mind:

When He was transfigured, Jesus appeared in His heavenly glory, speaking with Moses and Elijah, who were long dead...physically. Herein is proof (for those willing to accept it) that the soul lives on after the body dies (Luke 20:38).

Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets respectively. In speaking with them of the coming accomplishment "of His decease" (Luke 9:31), Jesus is representative of the Gospel in harmony with the Law and the Prophets (rather than opposed to them, as many take the gospel to be).

When you take into account all who were present (Jesus, Moses, Elijah and the apostles), you also see every "foundational stone" upon which Christ would build His church (Ephesians 2).

The Transfiguration was arguably of greater benefit to those who would hear and read of it later than the three apostles who actually witnessed it. Clearly, Peter in particular didn't understand its significance at the time (Luke 9:33). [Speaking of Peter, a question to ponder: If The Bible isn'ttrue, why does it present its heroes "warts and all"? Wouldn't a fictional account be more "idealized?"]

It should also be pointed out that there's a glaring omission in the answer above, wherein it states that Jesus instructed the apostles to "tell no one." This simply is not true.

Matthew 17:9 - Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, "Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead."

This is not the only instance of a temporary prohibitionplaced on the apostles until after the resurrection; specifically, after the Holy Spirit came upon them on the Day of Pentecost. Afterward, nothing was to be withheld from their teaching and preaching of Christ.

Matthew 10:27 - "Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops."

[Quotes from NKJV]

Answer 2

A:Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to two strangers and heard the voice of God. Somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah. In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. If the Transfiguration ever happened, this shows that the disciples still did not understand that Jesus was the Messiah. It must be that they were less sure of who the strangers were than is suggested in the gospel story.

Read literally, the sole reason for the presence of the three disciples was to let them see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one.

Answer 3

A:The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event in the gospels, in which Jesus took Peter, John and James up a mountain, where they saw his appearance change and he spoke to strangers that the disciples somehow knew without question were Moses and Elijah, offering to build three tabernacles, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They heard the voice of God from heaven.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. Yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its supposedly absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. Somehow it seems that the disciples were unaware of the event's true importance.

Mark's Gospel is regarded as the first of the New Testament gospels to be written, and in its original form had no resurrection appearances, with the "Long Ending" (verses 16:9-20) only added much later. Thus it was important for

Markthat there be confirmation that Jesus really was the son of God. The Transfiguration was

Mark'smost important proof of the relationship of Jesus to God, as well as mirroring the baptism of Jesus. We can see the baptism and the Transfiguration as literary counterpoints in the chiastic structure of Mark.

The Gospels of Matthew and Luke are known to have relied on

Markfor their information about the life and mission of Jesus. However, each its its own way has stories about the resurrection appearances of Jesus and so for these gospels, the Transfiguration becomes less important. The Transfiguration is of so little importance to the author of John's Gospel that it is omitted altogether.

Answer 4

A:The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event in the gospels, in which Jesus took Peter, John and James up a mountain, where they saw his appearance change and he spoke to strangers that the disciples somehow knew without question were Moses and Elijah. They offered to build three tabernacles, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. They also heard the voice of God from heaven.

Mark's Gospel is now widely known to have been the first of the New Testament gospels written, and in its original form had no resurrection appearances, with the "Long Ending" (verses 16:9-20) only added much later. Thus it was important for Mark that there be confirmation that Jesus really was the son of God. The Transfiguration was Mark's most important proof of the relationship of Jesus to God, as well as mirroring the baptism of Jesus. We can see the baptism and the Transfiguration as literary counterpoints in the chiastic structure of Mark. The Gospels of Matthew and Luke relied on Mark for their information about the life and mission of Jesus, but each in its own way has stories about the resurrection appearances of Jesus and so the Transfiguration becomes less important for these gospels. The Transfiguration is of so little importance to the author of John's Gospel that it is omitted altogether.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. Yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its supposedly absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. Somehow it seems that the disciples were unaware of the event's true importance.

Answer 5

Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to two strangers. Somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah. However, the Transfiguration certainly does not seem to have explained anything that the disciples understood or removed any confusion they might have felt.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus.

We can see more from the parallel structure of Mark's Gospel, where this account first appears. The Transfiguration is associated through the structure with the baptism of Jesus and his forty days in the wilderness, which then parallels events in the stories of both Elijah and Moses, who each fasted forty days in the wilderness in the Hebrew scriptures. So the real importance of the Transfiguration was not only to let the disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, but to link this to the events that introduce the mission of Jesus, as shown in the pair groups BCD and B'C'D' in the following list:

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Answer 6

Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to Moses and Elijah. Scholars believe that the historical events ascribed to Moses never occurred and it is therefore most unlikely that Moses ever existed. Similarly, it is quite improbable that Elijah ever existed. Yet, somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah.

There is no evident theological or practical reason for the Transfiguration. If Jesus is the Son of God, he could have talked to Moses and Elijah at any time and any place he chose, and in any case those two could scarcely have told Jesus anything he did not already know. Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. Yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one.

In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. Mark, who wrote the first gospel, had a strong motive for creating this supposed event since, with no resurrection appearances in the original Gospel*, it is this episode that provided the best evidence that Mark could offer, of divine support for Jesus. Also, in the chiastic structure of Mark's Gospel, the Transfiguration of Jesus and the voice of God from heaven were an essential counterpart to the baptism of Jesus and the voice of God from heaven.

Footnote
*The "Long Ending" (verses 16:9-20) was added to Mark's Gospel long afterwards to provide the necessary resurrection appearances and to more or less harmonise it with Matthew and Luke.