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The event where Jesus,John and James went up on the mountain to pray is put there by Luke to answer the question. The question being, who do people say Jesus is? That is really the main thrust of the transfiguration event. We see that while the disciples were sleeping and Jesus was praying. Peter wakes up to see Jesus face and cloak transformed. In otherwords the glory of God was visibly upon him. While the glory of God was upon Jesus while he prayed, two men, Elijah and Moses talked with Jesus.We are told both of these men appeared in glory and spoke to Jesus about his decease which he was to accomplish at Jerusalem. While this was happening Peter and the other disciples awoke out of a deep sleep and saw Jesus glory and Moses and Elijah standing with him. We are told that as they were departing Peter asked Jesus if he could make tabernacles for each of them. The scripture tells us that when Peter said this he didn't really know what he was saying. While Peter was speaking this nonsense, a cloud covered them and they were in fear as they entered the cloud.A voice came out of the cloud saying "This is my beloved Son,hear him!!. After the voice stopped they found Jesus alone ,but they said nothing, and told no one in those days of what they had seen.
This famous event has become known to the church as the transfiguration. What we need to ask is why did Luke include this in his gospel. I put it to you in the context of chapter 9 the answer is very simple. It is the answer to all the questions about who Jesus is up to now. First it was king Herod who asked who Jesus was then that was followed by Jesus asking the disciples who the multitude of 5000 said he was. Jesus then asked Peter who Peter said he was. Peter answered that Jesus was indeed Gods Christ. But here in the transfiguration account we have the same voice who testified concerning Jesus that he was Gods Son. We have here Gods very own testimony and word concerning who Jesus is. Now if you understand 2 Samuel 7 and how God promised a descendant of David that he would sit on Davids throne. We find from Samuel that God refers to Davids descendants on the throne of Israel as Gods own son. So it was from that time on that the chosen Kings of Judah from Davids line were known by the title of "Son of God". So when God speaks out the cloud and says concerning Jesus that he is Gods beloved son, He is testifying that Jesus is indeed the Christ, the King of Israel. At this point they didn't have the concept of the holy trinity. The understanding of the trinity only came to the believers after Jesus death and resurrection. The Jew at that time didn't understand the "Son of God" to mean the second person of the trinity. They understood "Son of God" to mean Gods Christ, the King of Israel. Yes we do believe Jesus is the son of God as in the second person of the Trinity and that Jesus is fully God and fully man. But we hold that is not what "Son of God" means in the gospels. Son of God is the messianic title for the King of Israel! So Luke concludes and gives the answer to who Jesus is, with the testimony of YHWH himself. Jesus is indeed Gods Christ who has come to deliver Israel from her enemies and bring in the Kingdom of God. What else are we to understand by Moses and Elijah talking to Jesus about his death in Jerusalem. First of all we would be foolish to lose the weight and importance of these two collosal figures in Israel. Moses and Elijah are seen as the most prominent and important prophets in all Israel and if they point to Jesus as Gods end time prophet and King then their testimony must be taken seriously and believed. But more than anything they are ministering to Jesus about His death in Jerusalem. They understood that it was by the death of Jesus on the cross,that Israels sins would be removed and so have peace with God. Jesus death on the cross at Jerusalem has everything to do with Israels restoration to God.The Christ would win the decisive battle and victory over the devil, sin and death by his own death and resurrection. So if the greatest prophets of Israel point to the work of Gods Christ in Jerusalem, we readers of Lukes gospel must understand that it is in this Jesus who we must trust to have our sins blotted out and be restored to God. They testify that if God Christ is to be put to death,it is according to the scriptures and that Israels restoration is wrapped up in that event. And if the Christ is to be put to death and rise again then Gods victory and Kingdom will have begun!! |
