In the Matthean account of the Transfiguration, Jesus illustrates His Divinity and the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets proclaiming a call to listen and follow; He prepares us for suffering, and He invites us to be transformed—into Christ’s own disciples.

The Transfiguration is a luminous revelation of the divinity of Jesus—He is both God and Man; it is meant to strengthen our faith, as it did for His apostles, for our trials ahead. Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophet, the Old Covenant, which are the pillars of faith. Jesus is the fulfillment of them—the OT—and of the promises of God to the Jewish people. The Father’s Voice commands the apostles—and us—to “…listen to Him.” In this “listening” we are called to obey Jesus and His teachings, to Trust in His Word, and to follow.

The Transfiguration is a moment of Glory, and then He tells His apostles not to tell anyone as He will now prepare them for the sufferings they shall endure. Like the apostles, we too shall endure sufferings for our beliefs: Ridicule from friends and family, from society—culture, television and movies, even from some government officials. But, in obedience to Him, we shall endure those challenges and preserve in-and-through the hardships. Finally, there is the invitation to Transformation: this Transformation points to the destiny that awaits all who follow Christ. If we accept being transformed by grace, and thus become radiant witnesses of-and-to His love, our beliefs must
become our deeds.