Transfiguration: The disciples see Jesus as he is in heaven

The disciples see Jesus as he is in heaven

Matthew 17:1-13

In Matthew 16, Peter said that Jesus was the Christ [that is, the Messiah].

Jesus appears in a new way

Six days after Peter said this about Jesus, Jesus led Peter, James and John up a high mountain. (It was probably Mount Hermon, which is near Caesarea Philippi.) This event is called the 'transfiguration'. On the mountain, Jesus appeared to them in a new way. His clothes became white and shone brightly. Jesus' face shone like the sun.

Many years afterwards, God allowed John to see Jesus as he is in heaven (Revelation 1:13-16). On this mountain, the three disciples saw something that was like that.

Moses and Elijah

Then Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus. They spoke about the death of Jesus, which would happen at Jerusalem. Then Peter offered to make shelters for each of them. (Peter's words were stupid. He did not think about his words before he spoke. Perhaps he was too excited when he saw this wonderful event.)

Then a cloud covered them. The cloud was a sign that God was there. God spoke to them, but they could only hear his voice. They could not see him. He said this:

5 While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud appeared. It covered them all. A voice spoke from the cloud and it said, ‘This is my Son and I love him. He makes me very happy. Listen to him.’

Matthew 17:5 EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

The disciples were afraid and they fell to the ground. Jesus touched them. When they looked up, Jesus was there alone.

Lessons from this event

This event shows several things:

Moses and the prophets recognised Jesus. Jesus was doing all that they had said. After he became alive again, Jesus would teach his disciples more about this (Luke 24:25, Luke 24:45-49).
Jesus would die on the cross. This was the way that he would go back to heaven. It was also the way that he would bring people to God.
Jesus is the one and only Son of God. Everyone should listen carefully to his words.

The experience of the disciples on the mountain showed them what would happen in the future. Jesus would have great glory in heaven. The disciples would be with him there.

But Jesus told them not to tell anyone about this experience at that time. The time would come for them to tell about him. First, Jesus would die. Then, he would come alive again. The time to tell people would be after those events.

The prophet's words about Elijah

One point worried the disciples. They were sure that Jesus was the promised Messiah. But a prophet had said that Elijah would come before the Messiah.

5 Look! I will send my prophet Elijah to you. He will come before that great day of the Lord arrives. That will be a day that makes people afraid. 6 He will speak my message, so that fathers and their children return together to me. Then I will not have to come and bring punishment on the land.’

4:5Elijah was a prophet who spoke God's message to the people. See 1 Kings 17:1. Here, God promises that another ‘Elijah’ will come before the day of the Lord. About 460 years after Malachi wrote his book, John the Baptist was born. People thought that he was like Elijah. He prepared the way for Jesus to come.

4:6return together to me or return to each other as friends.

Malachi 4:5-6 EasyEnglish Bible (EASY)

Malachi's words had come true by John the Baptist. And the words of other prophets who wrote about the Messiah's death would soon come true as well.