Articles
Transfiguration
One of the big events we come across in this month's studies in Mark is the Transfiguration. This is one of the many events in the Bible that I have real trouble visualising. It is not so much the problem of what did Jesus look like in his glorified state. I am distracted by the little questions: like how did the disciples know it was Moses and Elijah who appeared with Jesus? Were they introduced? And why does Peter want to build tents?
So I did some reading, and I still don't know the answers to my niggling questions, but I did come across some interesting things about this account which would have stood out to the disciples and the Early church, which we modern folk might miss.
In the "Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels" W.L. Liefield points out in his article on the Transfiguration that this account is full of rich symbolism. For instance, Jesus goes to the top of a mountain to pray. Throughout the Bible people went up mountains to receive revelations from God. Moses received the ten commandments on Mount Sinai, Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel and Isaiah declared, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, 'Your God reigns!' " (Isaiah 52:7). God's voice comes from a cloud, a similar experience to that of Moses and the people of Israel following the Lord’s presence in a cloud in the exodus from Egypt.
God refers to Jesus as "my son, whom I love", in very close parallel to his announcement at Jesus' baptism (Mark 1:11), but also the account of Abraham being told to "Take your son, your only son, Isaac, whom you love" (Genesis 22:2) and sacrifice him. Isaac, the son of the covenant, was spared and a ram was provided by God to take his place at that time, but ultimately it was Jesus, beloved son of God, who was sacrificed.
Luke gives a few extra details in his account, one of which is revealing what Jesus, Moses and Elijah were talking about. "They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." (Luke 9:31) The word for departure used here is "exodus". Jesus' death was also a fulfillment of Moses' leadership of the Israelites from slavery into God's Promised Land.
Maybe the discussion included Moses and Elijah's own experiences of leadership. Perhaps that helped those listening in to identify Jesus' companions, without need for introductions. Perhaps the discussion was so fascinating that Peter wanted to do anything to prolong the moment and blurted out the ancient equivalent of "sit down and rest-I'll make us a nice hot cup of tea."
For this moment of blinding glory inspired the same reaction that is recorded time and time again in the Bible to angelic visitors, the voice of God or any other moment when Heaven reaches down and touches earth-they were frightened. (Peter's reaction in terror, as in all circumstances, is to blurt the first thing that comes into his head. I can relate to that.) In the 1989 Tyndale Commentary on Mark, R. Alan Cole writes that the true transfiguration happened when God took human form in Bethlehem. He continues, "On the mount of transfiguration Jesus was but assuming His own true form, even if only temporarily: faith had momentarily passed into sight, for the three disciples." (p210)
Perhaps this moment of splendour was what Jesus was referring to a week earlier when he told the disciples "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power." (Mark 9:1)
This visible glory was the power of the kingdom that impressed those who witnessed it, but Jesus was still trying to teach that his suffering, death and resurrection were the keys to the Kingdom, which opened it to the followers of the King.