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REFLECTION
The Son of God is the theme for our reflection. 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 which no one including the three disciples have ever experienced although they have seen him perform many 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. While 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, Jesus is the Son of God and the fulfilment of Scripture.

Heaven or the Kingdom of God which was part of the central focus of Jesus’ message, is real. Moses and Elijah per the Old Testament historical account, preceded Jesus, but there they were with Him during the Transfiguration signifying that there is life after death and heaven is for God’s saints. More importantly, Jesus was demonstrating to the disciples and also strengthening their faith that He is truly the Son of God who has come to establish the Kingdom of God and to save the world. It is, for this reason, Jesus assures in John 3:16, that “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”.

Beloved in the Lord, 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 Son of God. The Transfiguration proves to us that Jesus was beyond a mere teacher of the Law and a prophet, indeed He is the Son of God who came to fulfil 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 Prophet, 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 no longer the Law of Moses as was the case in the Old Testament or Old Covenant. We must now interpret the Law as received by Moses and the prophecies of the Prophets such as Elijah and the other Prophets through Jesus Christ. Jesus said emphatically in Matthew 5:17 that “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. To put it succinctly, Jesus is the embodiment of the law and the Prophets in the Old Testament. He reinterpreted and fulfilled the Law and gave it life through His teachings. Again, He fulfilled the prophecy of the Prophets as the promised Messiah and the Son of God who came to redeem Israel and the world from sin and death.

In 2 Peter 1:16-21, Peter confirms the Transfiguration event because He was an eyewitness.  Before the Transfiguration event, the disciples themselves did not fully understand the real identity of Jesus Christ, but it was confirmed to the disciples through His 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 Son of God and the only true saviour of the World. It is, for this reason, 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) Beloved in the Lord, we who are in the twenty-first century, have every cause to have our faith strengthened and our hope deepened by the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ as the Son of God. We must therefore imitate Jesus, believe 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 life.

In summary, beloved in the Lord, the Transfiguration proves the existence of Heaven but more importantly emphasizes the fact that Jesus is truly the Son of God and He is the fulfilment of the law and prophecy for which we must listen to Him and have faith in Him for our Salvation. Shalom.

PRAYER
Jesus, the Son of God, in You we put our trust, may your glory never depart from us. Help us to be imitators of Your perfect example and may our lives be pleasing to you through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.