¹And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain apart.
²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light.
³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Eli'jah, talking with him.
⁴And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is well that we are here; if you wish, I will make three booths here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Eli'jah."
⁵He was still speaking, when lo, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces, and were filled with awe.
⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."
⁸And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
⁹And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the vision, until the Son of man is raised from the dead."

• Moses represents the Law and the Covenant. Elijah represents the prophets who remind people to keep the Law and be faithful to the Covenant. The law and the prophets are the foundations of the early Jewish Church.
• Humans meet God on mountains, such as Moses on Mt. Sinai, Elijah on Mt. Carmel, and Jerusalem (and its people) on Mt. Zion. This mountain is either Mt. Tabor or Mt. Hermon.
• The transfiguration is a preview of Jesus' glory in the final Kingdom of God.
• "His face shone" again echoes the image of Moses coming down Mt. Sinai (Ex 34:29).
• The Cloud is a vehicle for God's presence, as in Ex 16:10; 19:9; etc.

God affirms Jesus.

Honor is extremely important in the Jewish culture, and Jesus is going to die a most dishonorable death. This affirmation, and especially the resurrection, ultimately restore the honor of Jesus.

1. Have I ever experienced the affirming Jesus? How does that feel?
2. How can I hold on to that affirmation, so that I can have enough trust in God to go through the crucifixion with Christ?
3. Do I really believe in the final victory of Christ and the fullness of His Kingdom? Do my actions reflect that belief?

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A synthesis by the Vietnamese Christian Life (Dong Hanh) Community