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SCRIPTURE READINGS

EXODUS  24: 12 – 18

2 PETER 1: 16 – 21    

MATTHEW  17: 1-9

SUNDAY REFLECTION

Transfiguration Sunday is a special Sunday on our liturgical calendar which focuses on the Glorification of Jesus as the God-Man.  Transfiguration is a complete change of form or appearance into a more beautiful or spiritual state.

In the first Scripture reading (Exodus 24:12-18), we see Moses as the one who God appointed to receive the Torah or the law for Israel to obey and follow if they were to please God and live. In Exodus 24:12 “The Lord said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” There were signs which accompanied the receiving of the Law. The signs indeed go to underscore the point that the Law was being received from God therefore Israel must listen to Moses and obey the Law. Exodus 24: 17 tells us that “Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel”. Moses becomes an important figure in the History of Israel because of his dual role of leading the rescue mission in Egypt and being the appointed one to receive God’s will and Commandments for His people. Moses became a representation of the Law.

In the third Scripture Reading Matthew gives His account of the Transfiguration event. It was a supernatural occurrence which was witnessed by Peter, James and John. The glory of Jesus was made manifest in a spectacular manner in which no one including the three disciples had ever experienced about Jesus although they have seen him perform miracles. Matthew 17:2 describes it as “ … he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. Subsequently, Jesus was joined by Moses and Elijah. Whiles the disciples were still astonished and filled with awe, Mathew 17:5  tells us that a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” The key question is, what does the Transfiguration of the Lord mean to our faith and salvation as believers?

It is important to note that the Transfiguration event points to the fact that Heaven is real. In fact, the Kingdom of God which formed the central focus of Jesus’ message is real. Moses and Elijah per historical account preceded  Jesus but there they were with Jesus. Signifying that there is life after death and heaven is for God’s Saints. Jesus was simply proofing to the disciples and also to strengthen their faith that He is truly the Son of God who has come to establish the Kingdom of God and as recorded in John 3:16 so that whoever believes in Him will be a citizen of Heaven and a permanent partaker of the Heavenly Transfiguration.

It is not lost on us that, the Jews at the time were divided as to the true identity of Jesus. Some saw Him as the teacher of the Law and others saw him as a prophet but seldom did most people see Him as the promised Messiah.  The Transfiguration proves to us that Jesus was beyond a mere teacher of the Law and a prophet, indeed He is the fulfilment of the Law which was given to Moses in Exodus 24:12-18. In the Transfiguration event, we see Moses representing the Law and Elijah representing the Prophets. Since Jesus is the fulfilment of both the Law and Prophecy, God said if we are to please Him and be saved then “ we must listen to His Son, Jesus the Christ, believe in Him and follow His teachings” (MATTHEW 17:5) This means that the Transfiguration event overshadows the event that took place in Exodus 24:12-18 which depicts Moses as the receiver and representation of the Law. Jesus has become our intermediary and the centre of our faith and not the Law of Moses as was the case in the Old Testament or Covenant. We must now interpret the Law as received by Moses and the prophecies of the Prophets such as Elijah and the rest through Jesus Christ. To put it succinctly, Jesus is the embodiment of the law and Prophecy in the Old Testament. He reinterpreted and fulfilled the Law and gave it life through His teachings and again fulfilled prophesy as the promised Messiah who came to redeem Israel and the world from sin and death. We have every cause to have our faith strengthened and our hope deepened by the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ. We must imitate Jesus, belief in His teachings, obey and put our faith in Him and surely at His second coming we shall also become the beneficiaries and partakers of the everlasting heavenly Transfiguration.

In the Second Scripture reading (2 Peter 1:16-21), Peter confirms the Transfiguration event because He was an eyewitness.  Before the transfiguration, there were some things the disciples themselves did not really understand about Jesus Christ but it was confirmed to the disciples through the Transfiguration. I believe that was the purpose of the Transfiguration event so that we the followers of Christ will remain focused on Christ as the only true saviour of the World.  This is the reason why Peter said “For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honour and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.” (2 Peter 1:16-18)

In conclusion beloved in the Lord, the Transfiguration proves the existence of Heaven, it emphasizes the fact that  Jesus is truly the fulfilment of the Law and prophecy and for which we must listen to Him, have faith in Him and remain focused on Him for our Salvation. May the Holy Spirit continue to deepen our understanding of the glory of God in our lives through our Lord and Master Jesus Christ. Amen.