Why did the Transfiguration happen?

Yesterday was the feast of the Transfiguration, one of the most complex and confusing stories of the New Testament. If you’re not familiar with what happens, this is how St. Luke tells it:

²⁸About eight days after he said this, he took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray.²⁹ While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. ³⁰ And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,³¹ who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. ³² Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. ³³ As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. ³⁴ While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. ³⁵ Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” ³⁶ After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.

Luke 9:28-36

I always struggled to understand the meaning of this story, which is found in all three synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). Why did the Transfiguration happen? I think that there are some very important lessons to take from this event.

The Transfigured Jesus

For a long time, I had only read translations of this story that described Jesus as being “transfigured before [the apostles],” and I wondered what this really meant. Why did it matter if His clothes turned white? The Luke version is a bit more explicit in stating that Jesus’ face actually changes in appearance, in addition to the intense bleaching of His clothes. It is unknown just how different Jesus looked during the Transfiguration, but it is certain that the effect was intended to illustrate Jesus’ divinity to the apostles. I imagine that Jesus’ whole self radiated light (which is how Matthew describes His appearance; “His face shone like the sun”).

Jesus’ Upcoming Exodus

In the Gospels of Mark and Matthew, the author does not give any of the details of Jesus’ conversation with Moses and Elijah. This is not the case in Luke, where Jesus speaks “of the exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.” The word exodus means “a departure of a large number of people,” so just what is the exodus that Jesus is discussing? From the location of Jerusalem, it is safe to assume that He is referring to His crucifixion and death. When Jesus died, He not only redeemed all of our sins, but those of the righteous who had previously died; hence, the exodus takes place for these souls as they come into the Kingdom of Heaven. And of course, Jesus is having this discussion with Moses, who knows a thing or two about leading an exodus.

Why Moses and Elijah?

One of the most fascinating details of the Transfiguration is the reappearance of Moses and Elijah, two of the main figures of the Old Testament, speaking with Jesus on the mountain. But besides Moses’ past exodus experience, these two men have a very particular purpose for appearing here. Moses led the Israelites to Mt. Sinai where they received the Law, and he is generally regarded as the author of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament. Elijah is the most important prophet, having been assumed into Heaven on a fiery chariot and foretold to return to prepare for the Messiah’s entrance (Jesus identified John the Baptist as the realization of this prophecy). Jesus was the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets as the Incarnate Word of God, and on the mountain, the coming together of Jesus, Moses, and Elijah illustrates this fulfillment.

The Inner Circle

This one is not so much a lesson, but it is definitely an interesting detail to note. In all three accounts of the Transfiguration, Jesus takes only three apostles with Him on the mountain to pray: Peter, James, and John. This trio has been singled out before (at the raising of Jairus’ daughter in the previous chapter in Luke), and will be again in the Garden of Gethsemane (when Jesus withdraws to pray, He takes these with Him again). It seems that these three apostles are the ones whom Jesus trusts the most, which prompts Him to include them at the most important moments. In the future, Peter will be the first pope, James will be the first apostle to be martyred, and John will take the Virgin Mary into his home.

Camping with Moses and Elijah

However, at the moment of the Transfiguration, the three apostles are definitely not at the top of their game. Luke describes them as having been asleep, awakened by the miraculous sight of Jesus’ “dazzling” appearance. Then comes Peter’s classic suggestion of pitching tents for Moses and Elijah, as though they intended to stick around for a while. It’s easy to make fun of Peter’s strange thought process here, but put yourself in his shoes. You were just shocked from your stupor by the sight of Jesus talking to two men who had been dead or departed for generations. Personally, I don’t know what I would say (though setting up camp would probably not be my first suggestion), and Luke even exonerates Peter by admitting that “he did not know what he was saying.” So perhaps we ought to think twice before criticizing Peter’s ill-fated outburst.

Is this the setup that Peter had in mind?

The Voice from the Cloud

Before Peter even finishes talking, a cloud envelops everyone on the mountaintop, and the voice of God proclaims that Jesus is His beloved Son, and commands the apostles to listen to Him. Once again, imagine what must have been going through the apostles’ minds at this moment…and now realize that God is actually speaking to all of us! This is yet another revelation of Jesus’ true identity as the Son of God, and the Father wants US to listen to Him!

This might be the most important lesson of the Transfiguration, even if it’s the most predictable one. Our entire Catholic faith is based on the notion that God is three parts: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—this is not easy to believe in. How can we know for sure? In the Transfiguration, God tells us plainly. He reveals so much about Jesus, it is impossible to look at Him the same way afterwards. He truly has been transfigured before all of us.