Transfiguration of Jesus
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported by the Synoptic Gospels in which Jesus was transfigured upon a mountain (Matthew 17:1-6, Mark 9:1-8, Luke 9:28-36). Jesus becomes radiant, speaks with Moses and Elijah, and is called "Son" by God. The transfiguration put Jesus on par with the two preeminent figures of Judaism: Moses and Elijah. It also supports his identity as the Son of God. In keeping with the Messianic secret, Jesus tells the witnesses not to tell others what they saw.
In general, events in Jesus' life that are said to have taken place in secret, such as the tranfiguration, are given less weight by scholars of the historical Jesus than public events.
The original Greek term in the Gospels is metamorphothe, describing Jesus as having undergone metamorphosis. Traditionally, no one could view God's divine face and live, and no one but a permitted few like Moses ever got to view and talk to God in His divine glory. It is as if Jesus showed them a vision that was a distinct message and privilege- a partial glimpse of His true messianic glory as the God-Man and a foretaste of the heavenly Beatific Vision that also was to emphasize the salvific need for his Passion and Resurrection to come. The apostle St. Peter, when he invites the Lord and his two companions to stay, forgets that Jesus and the apostles must also suffer, as in the Passion, to overcome evil and reach glory.
Contents |
[edit] Gospel accounts
The Gospels state that Jesus led three of his apostles — Peter, John the Apostle, and James the Great — to pray at the top of a mountain. Once at the top, Jesus became transfigured, his face shining like the sun, and his clothes a brilliant white. The gospel narratives state that Elijah and Moses suddenly appeared with Jesus and talked with him; Matthew and Mark do not say what the conversation was about, but Luke states that it was about Jesus' future death. Once they had spoken with each other, a bright cloud overshadowed them. (Luke also says they entered into the cloud), and a voice from the cloud proclaimed, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased," paralleling a similar event during the Baptism of Jesus. However, this time the voice adds, "Hear him."
Traditionally, the event was considered to have literally happened, and it was believed that the event took place on Mount Tabor. Some modern scholars[citation needed] however, together with the ancient gnostics, believe that the Synoptic Gospels were originally meant to be understood allegorically. Moses and Elijah have been interpreted to represent the Law and the Prophets respectively, and their recognition and conversation with Jesus symbolizing how Jesus fulfils "the law and the prophets" (Matthew 5:17-19, see also Expounding of the Law).
In the narrative, after the cloud dissipates, Elijah and Moses disappear, and Jesus and the three Apostles head down the mountain, Jesus telling his Apostles to keep the event a secret until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The Apostles are described as questioning among themselves as to what Jesus meant by "risen from the dead" (Mark 9:9-10) The Apostles are also described as questioning Jesus about Elijah, and he as responding ...Elijah comes first, and restores all things ... but ... Elijah has come indeed ... (Mark 9:12-13). It was commonly believed that Elijah would reappear before the coming of the Messiah, as predicted in the Book of Malachi (Malachi 4), and the three Apostles are described as interpreting Jesus' statement as a reference to John the Baptist.
2 Peter and the Gospel of John briefly allude to the event in their writings (2 Peter 1:16-18, John 1:14). Peter describes himself as an eyewitness `of his sovereign majesty.`
[edit] Christian commemorations of the Transfiguration
In the Eastern Orthodox Church, the Feast of the Transfiguration commemorates this event. It is one of the twelve Great Feasts in the liturgical year of the Eastern Orthodox Church and is observed by it on August 6. Traditionally, fruit is brought to church to be blessed on this day. The Transfiguration falls during the Dormition Lent, but fish, wine and oil are allowed to be consumed on this day in recognition of the feast.
The Roman Catholic Church also observes the feast on August 6, as do the churches of the Anglican Communion.
Some Protestant churches observe Transfiguration Sunday on the last Sunday after the Epiphany (January 6), which places it somewhere in January.
[edit] Raphael's Transfiguration
The Transfiguration (1517–1520) is a painting depicting the event, by Raphael, completed posthumously by Giulio Romano. It is considered to be one of Raphael's greatest works. The painting unusually combines a portrayal of the Transfiguration itself in the upper part with a scene depicting the Apostles trying unsuccessfully to expel a demon from a possessed child (which refers to the passage following immediately after the Transfiguration account in the three synoptic gospels).
[edit] External links
