The Transfiguration

This was a fantastic event that served to further authenticate Jesus as the Messiah to his disciples. Jesus had just told them that he would suffer and be killed. This was not what they had in mind. They may have needed reassurance that He was in fact God, and had it all under control despite His prediction of seeming defeat. The importance of having Elijah and Moses there was to link Jesus to the religious heritage of the Jews. Moses (representing the Law) and Elijah (representing the prophets) demonstrated their approval for Jesus and the New Covenant.

On a number of occasions, Jesus told people not to tell others who he was or what they had seen Him do. James, John, and Peter were given those instructions regarding what they had witnessed at the Transfiguration. Why would Jesus want His messiahship to be concealed? There are a few possibilities. He may have been concealing His identity because He knew that the people were expecting someone different, including his disciples. He needed time to "win people over" before revealing His full self. Complete understanding of a suffering Messiah would not be realized until after Jesus was resurrected. Perhaps in His wisdom, Jesus knew that a full disclosure would have been premature at this time in His ministry, (this was about a year before he went to the cross).

It is also possible that jesus downplayed his Messiahship because he did not want to attract the wrong kind of following, namely those who would seek Him out for their own agendas. People were drawn to Him because of the miracles and healings, and had long since prevented him from moving freely in his ministry. Mark1:45 states that after His healing of a leper who disobeyed instructions to keep quiet about it, "Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places". The desire of the masses for healing, not salvation, was crowding out his ability to proclaim the gospel. Another agenda counter to His true purpose was that of the military and political zealots who sought a savior who would overthrow the roman government and restore Israel to it's former glory. But establishing an earthly kingdom would have been a distraction from His eternal agenda. John chapter 6:14-15 ...

14After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

So it may have been that jesus chose not to reveal his messiahship for one of the above reasons, or for others we aren't privy too. But the transfiguration was meant for the edification of the men privileged enough to observe it. Luke records the added fact that "they didn't tell anyone at that time what they had seen".

Tomorrow's reading: Mark 9:14-50; Matt. 17:14-18:35; Luke 9:37-50