After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach them. 4 Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses, and they were conversing with Jesus. 5 Then Peter said to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 6 He hardly knew what to say, they were so terrified. 7 Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over them; then from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.” 8 Suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. 9 As they were coming down from the mountain, he charged them not to relate what they had seen to anyone, except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what rising from the dead meant. 11 Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 12 He told them, “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how is it written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”
Jesus had shaken his disciples with the prediction about his passion, death and resurrection (Mk. 8:31-33) and had said to them, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me (Mk. 8:34).' His disciples must be willing to follow the same path he took even unto death.
Jesus took Peter, James and John up a high mountain (Luke added to pray – Lk. 9:28). Specifying the period, “After six days (v. 2)” could be a reference to Moses on Mt. Sinai where he waited for six days before God called to him (Ex. 24:15-16). Elijah also went up a mountain to meet God (1 Kgs. 19:8-9). A mountain was usually used in the Bible as a place where a supernatural revelation by God took place (Ex. 19:16-25).
Jesus’ form was changed before their eyes into his glorified state, which will be his eternal state after his death and resurrection (2 Cor. 3:18). Moses in a glorified state (Ex. 34:29), and Elijah in a glorified state (2 Kgs. 2:11) represented the Law and the Prophets. Peter and the disciples were afraid and in awe of the experience and suggested making three tents, which could have been a reference to the feast of Tabernacles (Lev. 23:39-43). The cloud represented God’s presence (Ex. 16:10), and the voice was God’s divine voice commanding the disciples, and by extension all humanity, to listen to what Jesus told them. Jesus’ command to tell no one until, “the Son of Man had risen from the dead,” was likely because the disciples would not be able to understand the transfiguration until after his resurrection (v. 9). Jewish belief was that the resurrection would occur at the end of time before the final judgment (v. 10).
The scribes believed that Elijah must come first before the day of the Lord (Mal. 3:23-24) so the disciples were questioning how the Son of Man could rise from the dead since Elijah had not yet come. Jesus told them that Elijah had already come identifying John the Baptist as fulfilling the role of Elijah. John’s fate (Mk. 6:14-29) foreshadowed the fate of Jesus who, “Must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt (v. 12).”
Almighty God, through
our prayers may your grace transform our hearts and minds to discern your will
and what is good and pleasing to you. Hear
our prayers for our friends especially those who have died and for all who are
in most need of your mercy. This we pray
through Christ our Lord. Amen!
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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