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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_17:1-8
1Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three tabernacles here, one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah." 5While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, "This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!" 6When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, "Get up, and do not be afraid." 8And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.
Mat_17:1 "six days later" The parallel passage in Mark 9 also has six days, but Luk_9:28 records eight days. This is not so much a contradiction as it is two different ways of describing a week.
▣ "Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother" These men made up an inner circle, not of Jesus' favorites, but of those who possibly were more spiritually attuned and teachable (cf. Mat_2:13; Mat_4:5; Mat_12:45). James died early. God is no respecter of persons. See chart at Mat_10:2.
▣ "and led them up on a high mountain by themselves" Matthew apparently deliberately compares Moses on the mountain in Exo_19:24; Exo_24:1 and this transfiguration experience of Jesus. The four areas of comparison would be
1. they both were up on a mountain
2. God spoke out of the cloud in both instances(cf. Exo_24:16)
3. Moses'face shone, (cf. Exo_34:29), and Jesus' whole body shone
4. those around Moses were afraid, as were those accompanying Jesus
There has been much discussion about which mountain this was. The traditional site is Mt. Tabor, but this is much too far from Caesarea Philippi. Some say it was Mt. Hermon, which is quite possible. More probably it was Mt. Miron, the highest mountain in the boundary limits of the Promised Land; it is also located on the way from Caesarea Philippi to Capernaum.
Mat_17:2 "and He was transfigured before them" This is a compound Greek term from "after" (meta) and "form" (morphç). The term "transfiguration" comes from the Latin Vulgate. We get the English term metamorphosis from the Greek compound term. The theological connotation is that Jesus' eternal divine nature broke through His human nature. The term is also used of what happens in a spiritual sense to believers (cf. Rom_12:2; 2Co_3:18).
We learn from Luk_9:28 that this occurred while they were praying. It may have even been at night after a long walk up this mountain; therefore, the disciples would have been tired and sleepy. This event has some parallels to the Garden of Gethsemane experience.
▣ "His face shone like the sun" This seems to be another feature of Matthew's Gospel that attempts to present Jesus as the new Moses, Moses' face also glowed (cf. Exo_34:29-35).
This is not to be understood as an equivalency .
1. Moses' face faded
2. Moses concealed the fading
3. Moses received the word of God, Jesus is the word of God (cf. Mat_5:17-48)
▣ "His garments became as white as light" White is uniquely associated with heaven/heavenly beings/glorified saints.
1. Jesus' transfiguration
2. angels at His tomb, Mat_28:3
3. angels at His ascension, Act_1:8
4. angels (lit. "elders") around the throne, Rev_4:4
5. angelic heavenly army, Rev_19:14
6. glorified saints, Rev_3:4-5; Rev_3:18; Rev_6:11; Rev_7:9; Rev_7:13
Mat_17:3 "Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him" There has been much discussion as to why it was Moses and Elijah. Some say this represents the Law and the Prophets. They were both eschatological figures, Moses out of Deuteronomy 18 and Elijah out of Malachi 4. Others say that both of them had unusual deaths. Both of them represented the old order and were encouraging Jesus as He was inaugurating the new order. How the disciples knew that it was Moses and Elijah is uncertain unless they were dressed in a characteristic way, by their speech, or Jesus told them.
Like the miracles and predictions of Jesus, this experience was as much for these disciples'faith and spiritual growth (cf. Mat_17:5) as it was for Jesus' encouragement.
Just one added point, this shows the believers of the OT were still alive! It affirms a conscious afterlife after a physical death.
Mat_17:4 "Peter said to Jesus" Peter interrupted and answered a question that was never asked, which was characteristic of Peter.
▣ "I will make three tabernacles here" The implication was "Let's stay up here (first class conditional sentence). This experience was so wonderful and spiritual." In some ways this functions like the temptation experiences in Matthew 4 -another way for Jesus to bypass the cross. This was possibly the reason why this account was preserved for us-Jesus showing Himself to be truly God to the disciples and their attempt to turn Him away (cf. Mat_16:22-23) from His predestined death (cf. Mar_10:45). In the same literary context (cf. Mat_19:16-17), Jesus tells again of His impending death (cf. Mat_17:9-13; Mat_17:22-23).
Mat_17:5 "a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold a voice out of the cloud said" This bright cloud was related to the Shekinah cloud of glory of the Old Testament, which was a symbol of the personal presence of God. This cloud appeared once before at Jesus' baptism (cf. Mat_3:17). Peter alludes to it later in 2Pe_1:17-18. There may even be some connection between God speaking out of this cloud and the rabbinical concept of the bath kol, which was the way during the interbiblical period of confirming the will of God since there was no prophet.
This phrase "overshadowed them" is from the same Greek root used to refer to the conception of Jesus by the Spirit in the virgin Mary in Luk_1:35.
What God said is significant. The parallel in Luke it combined a quote from Psa_2:7 (My Son) and Isa_42:1 (My Chosen One, cf. Luk_9:35). Psalms 2 is a royal Davidic Psalm and Isaiah 42 is the beginning of the Servant Songs of Isaiah. Here we have the full deity of Jesus combined with the ministry of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah (cf. Mar_9:28; Luk_9:28-36). This reflects the prophecy of Gen_3:15.
▣ "listen to Him" This is a present active imperative which reflects Deu_18:15; Deu_18:18-19 and is implied in Isa_42:1. To be a follower of Jesus not only invoked a theological understanding of His person and mission, but also an obedience (note. Deu_18:20)!
Mat_17:6 "they fell face down to the ground and were terrified" The people of the Bible believed that to see God was to die (cf. Exo_33:20-23; Jdg_6:22-23; Jdg_13:22; Joh_1:18; Joh_6:46; Col_1:15; 1Ti_6:16; 1Jn_4:12). God's voice terrified these Apostles as it had earlier terrified the people of God at Mt. Sinai (cf. Exo_19:16). Remember, Matthew presented Jesus as the second law giver, or the second Moses (cf. Deu_18:15).
Mat_17:7 "Jesus came to them and touched them" They were asleep (cf. Luk_9:32). This may have been a nighttime experience where the glory of Jesus may have shone all the more brilliantly against the background of the night sky. This touch was a gesture of Jesus' care for them.
▣ "Get up, and do not be afraid" These are both imperatives. They address the issue at hand.
1. no we can not stay here on the mountain (aorist imperative)
2. do not be afraid of this experience of the closeness of God (present imperative)
This experience was to promote action, not inaction, and courage in the task, not fear!