August 6 is the feast of the Transfiguration of the
Lord. It is a Trinitarian theophany, through which Jesus’ Christological (Messianic)
nature was revealed. As reflected in The First Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14)
and the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 97:1-2, 5-6, 9), the Transformation affirms that
Jesus is the everlasting King, whose kingship (Revelation 17:14; 19:16), as
well as, the judgeship (John 5:22-23; 9:39), is endorsed by the Father. And his
throne is of fire, as in Daniel’s vision (Daniel 7:9).
What proceeded the Transfiguration of the Lord is
Peter’s identification of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of the living God
(Matthew 16:16//Mark 8:29//Luke 9:20), followed by Jesus first foretelling of
his passion, death, and resurrection (Matthew 16:21//Mark 8:31//Luke 9:22), to
which Peter protested (Matthew 16:22-23//Mark 8:32-33). The fact that Peter tried
to stop Jesus from going to Jerusalem to suffer and die indicates that he and
the rest of the disciples did not understand that Christ, the Son of the living
God, was to suffer and die, before being raised from the dead to fulfill the fourth
servant song prophecy (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).
The disciples knew that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).
But they still did not know what Christ was. Therefore, Jesus’ Christological
nature had to be revealed, at least to his core disciples, Peter, James, and
John, first. So, he took these three with him to a high mountain and let them
witness who Jesus really is as Christ in his Trinitarian theophany (Matthew
17:1-9 (Year A)//Mark 9:2-10 (Year B)//Luke 9:28-36 (Year C)).
On the mountain, as Jesus began prayed (Luke 9:29a), his
face changed in appearance, shining like the sun (Matthew 17:2) and his
clothing became dazzling white (Mark 9:3). Then, Jesus in his transfiguration
was conversing with Moses and Elijah (Matthew 17:3//Mark 9:4//Luke 9:30). This
is to reveal that Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Law and the prophets
(Matthew 5:17), as Moses represents the Law, and Elijah epitomizes the
prophets. And they were speaking of the exodus
that Jesus was going to accomplish in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31).
What is this exodus that Jesus was to accomplish in
Jerusalem?
Exodus (ἔξοδος)(Luke 9:31), in Greek, means “departure”.
So Jesus’ departure from Jerusalem is referred to his ascension, which took
place on Mount Olive in the Jerusalem area (Acts 1:6-12; cf. Luke 9:51), and
from Jerusalem, the one holy catholic Apostolic Church was born on Pentecost,
through which Jesus shepherds the faithful to his Kingdom (Acts 1:8-2:47).
Basically, this “exodus” that Jesus in his glory of the Transfiguration was
speaking with Moses and Elijah (Luke 9:31) is the exodus to the Apostolic age, which
Luke described in the Acts of the Apostles.
But, for Jesus to make his exodus to heaven by way of
ascension and for the Church to make the exodus to the Apostolic age upon
Pentecost, Jesus had to suffer and die and be raised. And this was what Jesus
had foretold in the disciples Caesarea Philippi (Banias) – of his passion,
death, and resurrection (Matthew 16:21//Mark 8:31//Luke 9:22).
The glorious light of the Transfiguration was terrifyingly
overwhelming (Luke 9:32), and Peter proposed to set up tents for Jesus, for
Moses, and for Elijah, respectively, though
he really did not know what he was saying because he was so awe-stricken (Mark
9:5-6//Luke 9:32-33; cf. Matthew 17:4).
Then, a bright cloud cast a shadow over the disciples,
and from the cloud, the Father in heaven spoke, while Jesus was still in his
glorious light of the transfiguration, with Moses and Elijah:
This is my beloved Son, with whom I am
well pleased; listen to him (Matthew 17:5//Mark 9:7//Luke
9:34-35).
At that moment, Jesus in his glorious transfiguration,
with his face shining like the sun, and his cloth dazzlingly white, was with
the Holy Spirit, as indicated with the bright cloud (i.e. Exodus 13:21), and the Father, whose
presence was made evident with his audible voice. Therefore, Jesus in his
transfiguration, was his Christological and trinitarian theophany, made available
to Peter, James, and John. This is to reveal not only that Jesus, as the
Christ, was to suffer, die, and to be raised, but to make his exit (departure)
from the earth to heaven, to his throne, which is reflected in the First
Reading (Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14) and to start the new exodus to his Kingdom through
the Apostolic Church. In the Second Reading (2 Peter 1:16-19), Peter testifies
that the Transfiguration of the Lord is not a myth as he himself witnessed this
majestic theophany on the mountain and heard the voice of the Father that Jesus
is His beloved Son and that we are to listen to him. So, he calls us to be
attentive to Jesus so that we vigilantly remain (i.e. Luke 21:36; 1 Peter
5:8-12) to be light of the world (Matthew 5:14) until his turn as the King and
the judge (i.e. Revelation 19:5-20:15; cf. Daniel 7:10-14; cf. Isaiah 33:21-22;
cf. Revelation 4:2-5).
What is our lesson here on the feast of the
Transfiguration of the Lord?
It is, first, to understand that who Jesus really is,
as the Christ, the everlasting King, and the Judge, whose dominion is secure,
and whose heavenly throne is of divine fire. And we are to listen to our Lord
Jesus Christ, as the Father has commanded, through the Holy Spirit, in the
bright cloud. So that, as Peter says, we also give witness to Christ, as light
of the word, until his return at the end of time. The overwhelming glorious
light of the transfiguration is, after all, Christ the light, which makes the
sun unnecessary in his Kingdom (Revelation 21:23).
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