“...This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.” (Matthew 17:5b)

A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly. When the former becomes the latter, scientists call that process metamorphosis. When Jesus was “transfigured” in Matthew 17:2, that term comes from the Greek word that gives us the English “metamorphosis.” James, Peter, and John witnessed this amazing event, and like them, it should stun us, too. 

First, the Transfiguration is a portrait of Christ’s essence. His face “did shine as the sun” and his clothing became “white as the light” (17:2). Though he looked like other men during his incarnation, he is the God-Man. He is fully divine and fully human, so the Transfiguration temporarily revealed his divinity just as he ordinarily revealed his humanity. He normally walked, talked, ate, wept, slept, and prayed. At the Transfiguration, he looked obviously divine.

Second, the Transfiguration is a portrait of Christ’s preeminence. Moses appeared with Jesus on the mountain. We recognize that Moses was the great lawgiver and deliverer. Elijah appeared alongside them, and he was the great prophet and worker of signs and miracles. Peter was so moved by the trio that he wanted booths or tabernacles to be made for each of the three on the mountain: Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. God the Father plainly rejected Peter’s implication that the three were somehow equal. “This is my beloved Son,” said God from a cloud (17:5). Then God pointed out that “I am well pleased” with Jesus. God concluded, “Hear ye him” (17:5). God made no comment on Moses and Elijah.  Was Moses great? Yes. Elijah? Certainly. The greatness of Jesus Christ, however, is to be measured by a completely different standard. Appropriately, Peter, James, and John fell on their faces in fear when God spoke from the cloud that day. After Jesus had comforted the frightened disciples, they looked again to the mountain but saw Jesus only. Moses and Elijah were nowhere to be found; God wanted the disciples to honor Jesus, not the other two.

We must remember priorities. The Old Testament Law is important, and Moses represents it. Prophecy and miracles are important, and Elijah represents them. Our desperate need, though, is to have our sins forgiven. Only Jesus accomplishes that. “Hear ye him” is sound counsel. Falling on our faces before him is the right response.