Why is the transfiguration of Jesus Christ important?

Answer 1

Another answer from our community:

I think the main theme is - Jesus was man and Jesus is God

The accounts in the gospels portray the transformation as outwardly visible and consisting as an actual physical change in the body of Jesus eg "the appearance of His face was altered" and "His face shone like the sun". This was not caused by a heavenly light falling on Him this was a visible manifestation of Jesus' deity.

From the accounts of the transfiguration we can learn that Jesus was human and divine. He was God's son, as He claimed. We can also learn that Christ's death on the cross was not a surprise, not an accident, but a work which He came to accomplish - Luke 9:30, 31 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Answer 2

The transfiguration, when Jesus' body was changed into another form, is recorded in Matthew 17:1-8, Mark 9:2-8 and Luke 9:28-36.

These accounts portray the transformation as outwardly visible and consisting as an actual physical change in the body of Jesus eg "the appearance of His face was altered" and "His face shone like the sun". This was not caused by a heavenly light falling on Him this was a visible manifestation of Jesus' deity.

From the accounts of the transfiguration we can learn that Jesus was human and divine., He was God's son, as He claimed.

We can also learn that Christ's death on the cross was not a surprise, not an accident, but a work which He came to accomplish - Luke 9:30, 31 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

Answer 3

The transfiguration happened about a week after Jesus plainly told His disciples that He would suffer, be killed, and be raised to life (Luke 9:22), He took Peter, James and John up a mountain to pray. While praying, His personal appearance was changed into a glorified form, and His clothing became dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appeared and talked with Jesus about His death that would soon take place.

The purpose of the transfiguration of Jesus was so that the "inner circle" of His disciples Peter, James and John could gain a greater understanding of who Jesus was. Jesus underwent a dramatic change in appearance in order that the disciples could behold Him in His glory. The disciples, who had only known Him in His human body, now had a greater realization of the deity of Christ, though they could not fully comprehend it.

Answer 4

The "transfiguration" gives us a glimpse of the future. First of all, by this "vision," Jesus was fulfilling a promise that He gave to His disciples SIX DAY EARLIER!

"...'I assure you that SOME OF YOU STANDING HERE RIGHT NOW will not die BEFORE YOU SEE ME, the Son of Man, COMING IN MY KINGDOM." (Matt.16:28 NLT New Living Translation)

The so-called "transfiguration," as men seem to want to call it, was simply Jesus allowing "some of His disciples" [as He promised] to see what God's Children will look like after they are REBORN OF THE SPIRIT into His Father's Family and Kingdom. Because:

"SIX DAYS LATER Jesus took PETER and the two brothers, JAMES AND JOHN, and led them up to a high mountain. As the men watched, Jesus' APPEARANCE CHANGED so that His face shone LIKE THE SUN..."

[compare this with John's writing of his future "vision" of Jesus in the book of Revelation: "...And His face was as bright AS THE SUN in all its brilliance." - Rev.1:16NLT]

"..., and His clothing became dazzling white. Suddenly, MOSES and ELIJAH APPEARED and began talking with Jesus..." (Matt. 17:1-3 NLT)

Question: With no cameras around, or portrait paintings by renowned artists to record images of the past as we have now, how did Peter, James and John KNOW THE TWO OTHER MEN WERE MOSES AND ELIJAH?

Answer: It was revealed to them in the vision.

The "mystery" of the transfiguration is no such mystery. It was merely Jesus giving those disciples a glimpse into the future, showing them what He, Moses, Elijah... and, indeed you and I, and the disciples themselves would look like after they were "Spiritually re-born" into God's Future Immortal Family:

"For His Holy Spirit speaks to us deep in our hearts and tells us that WE ARE GOD'S CHILDREN." (Rom.8:16 NLT) [why does practically no one believe this astounding Truth repeated throughout the Bible?]

At any rate... Jesus commanded His disciples: "...'DON'T TELL ANYONE WHAT YOU HAVE JUST SEEN until I, the Son of Man, HAVE RISEN FROM THE DEAD.'" (Matt.17:9 NLT)

Same verse [KJV]: "...'tell the VISION to no man, until the Son of Man be risen again from the dead."

Same verse [MNT] Montgomery New Testament: "...'Speak to no man about the VISION, 'He said, 'until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

Matthew Henry says this about the transfiguration: "...It was intended to support their Faith, when they would have to witness His crucifixion; and would give them an idea of the Glory PREPARED FOR THEM, when changed by His Power and MADE LIKE HIM... Peter thought that it was MOST DESIRABLE TO CONTINUE THERE, and go no more down to meet the sufferings of which he was so unwilling to hear... We must pass through varied experiences in our way to Glory; and when we return to the world after an ordinance, it must be our care to take Christ with us, and then it may be our comfort that He is with us..." (Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary: Matt.17 the transfiguration of Christ {1-13})

Answer 5

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 heard the voice of God from heaven saying, "This is my beloved son. Hear him" (Mark 9:7). The same words were spoken by God at the baptism of Jesus (Mark 1:11): "Thou art my beloved son."

We learn even more about this by looking at the framework structure of Mark's Gospel, the original New Testament gospel, where the two statement form a pair:

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)

This is known as a 'parallel structure' because it consists of an opening set of events that is matched by a second, parallel set of events that mirrors the first. We see that the baptism of Jesus and the Transfiguration form a pair (pair B), the voice of God from heaven occurs in pair C and the allusions to Elijah and Moses at event D forms a pair with event D', where Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah. Thus Mark was comparing Jesus to the greatest of the Hebrew prophets, as well as telling us that God declared Jesus to be his beloved son. This is a parallel structure, very similar to chiastic structure, and was used in Greek rhetoric literature to create emphasis or to develop themes not otherwise apparent.

Answer 6

There are two important themes found in the story of the Transfiguration, which first appeared in Mark's Gospel. The very transfiguration of Jesus, his different appearance, shows this to be an important event, in the same way as the appearance of the Holy Spirit did at his baptism. The voice of God from heaven, saying, "This is his beloved son, hear him," provides a strikingly important theme, once again repeating what was heard at the baptism - Jesus is the son of God. Another theme links Jesus with Elijah and Moses, just as the forty days in the wilderness was an allusion to them. These themes are developed by this author through the parallel structure* of Mark's Gospel:

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)

* Parallel structures are a literary form used in antiquity to create emphasis or develop themes which are not otherwise apparent. For example, the voice of God from heaven is placed in a similar context in both the baptism and the Transfiguration, creating a theme across two passages.

Answer 7

Jesus took Peter, James and John up into a high mountain, where his appearance changed - the Transfiguration - and they saw him talking to Moses and Elijah. Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah, or at least to let the reader see this. We have good reason to 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.

This is sufficiently improbable that we should closely question the historicity of the event. If the Transfiguration did not really happen, it teaches us that other events in the lif of Jesus might not have really happened either.

Answer 8

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. 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 until he had risen.

Mark's Gospel was the first New Testament gospel to be written and is based on a parallel structure (*) in which the baptism and the forty days in the wilderness are matched by the Transfiguration. In both cases, the voice of God from heaven says that Jesus is his son and in both cases there are allusions to Moses and Elijah. The Transfiguration was of less importance in the later gospels, but still a compelling story of the divine.

(*) A parallel structure is a literary sequence in which an opening set of events is matched by another, parallel set of events that mirror the first.