OUR FATHER INTRODUCED HIS SON AS ONE IN WHOM HE WAS WELL PLEASED

Nearly a week after talking to His disciples about the prudent path of transacting the temporal world for the eternal kingdom, the Lord Jesus gave His close followers a glimpse into the eternal reality that He was from.

 Matthew chapter 17 verses 1 - 8 records the event known as the transfiguration where the veil over Jesus that concealed His glory was temporarily lifted so that His refulgent glory was visible to mortal men.

1 After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. 2 There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. 3 Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.”

5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

6 When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified. 7 But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8 When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

The transfiguration is decribed as a display of brilliant white light where Jesusˋ face shone like the sun and His garments gleamed as radiant white as the light itself.

As the three disciples looked on, Moses and Elija who were talking to the Lord, suddenly became visible to them. 

As Jesus stood in His Father's glory, these two men at His side can be understood to be the Father's angels and this appearance to Peter, James and John was due to their giving up of their lives to follow Jesus and serve His kingdom.

This was in keeping with His promise in the previous chapter in verse 27 where he said He would come in His Father's glory with His angels.

The disciple Peter, awed by the astonishing sight, immediately wanted to spring into action and build a shelter or shrine to each of them but He was interupted when a cloud covered them and  the voice of the Father spoke to introduce them anew to Jesus in the revealed glory. 

“This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!”

This caused Peter, James and John to fall to the groud in terror and the Lord had to touch them to revive them out of their petrifaction and reassure them not be be afraid after the vision of His glory had passed.

Thus the Lord Jesus was shown to be the One of whom the law (represented by Moses) and the prophets (represented by Elijah) were written.

Amen.

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