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Credo
2 October 2023

This sermon was preached at the Trinity Theological College Chapel on 15 February 2023.

And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his garments became white as light (Matthew 17:2; Cf. Matthew 17:1-8).

 

I

The Gospel passage that was just read to us brings us to one of the most momentous events in the earthly life of our Lord.

Together with his Baptism, Crucifixion, Resurrection and Ascension, the Transfiguration signals a pivotal point in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

Furthermore, apart from the baptism of Jesus at the Jordan, this is the only place where God the Father speaks with an audible voice from heaven.

So important is this event that it is recounted in all three Synoptic Gospels, even though their telling of it differ in some respects.

The Transfiguration of Christ is also given special significance in the Christian tradition.

The Eastern Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church commemorate this event every liturgical year on 6 August. Some Protestant and Anglican Churches celebrate the Transfiguration on the last Sunday of the season of Epiphany.

In both the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions, the Transfiguration is celebrated as the feast of the praying Christ. For it was when Jesus was in prayer that he was ‘transfigured before [his disciples], and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light’ (Matthew 17:2).

As the late Pope Benedict XVI has put it eloquently:

The Transfiguration is a prayer event; it displays visibly what happens when Jesus talks with his Father: the profound interpenetration of his being with God, which then becomes pure light. In his oneness with the Father, Jesus is himself ‘light from light.’

 

At a superficial level, the story of the transfiguration of Jesus is familiar enough. Yet, despite our familiarity with the bare bones of this narrative, its strangeness continues to persist, and its deeper meaning remains mostly elusive.

What, then, are we to make of this event? What is the significance of the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ?

Now it is quite impossible, in a brief sermon such as this, to discuss every single aspect of this great event, which, we must never forget, is inexhaustible Mystery. But let me just highlight two or three important points for our reflection and edification.

II

The Transfiguration is in essence a revelatory event. Its purpose is to disclose the true identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the incarnate Son of God, the long-awaited Messiah.

It is therefore no accident that in the Gospel of Matthew, the account of the Transfiguration follows soon after Peter’s Confession recorded in Matthew 16.

In Matthew 16:15, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who do you say that I am?’ Peter replied: ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’

Peter’s insight, Jesus tells us, is not derived from a natural theology – it was not revealed ‘by flesh and blood’. It is made possible because of God’s special revelation – it was revealed ‘by my Father in heaven.’

The Transfiguration acts as a further revelation of the true identity of Jesus. There are therefore profound similarities between Peter’s Confession and the Transfiguration, because both are revelatory events.

The Transfiguration of Christ took place on an unnamed mountain. It was only in the fourth century that Cyril of Jerusalem identified Mount Tabor as the site where this great event took place. Others think that it happened on Mount Herman.

Be that as it may, that the Transfiguration took place on a ‘high mountain’ is significant for our understanding of its true meaning. For the mountain always serves as the locus of God’s presence, his particular immanence and closeness.

Many scholars have compared Jesus’ encounter with God on the Mount of Transfiguration with Moses’ experience of God on Mount Sinai.

We may recall that as Moses descended from Mount Sinai ‘the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God’ (Exodus 34:29). We may say that Moses, too, was transfigured as the result of his encounter with God.

But a close reading of the synoptic Gospels would show that their authors are careful to make a distinction between the experience of Moses and that of Jesus. Throughout the history of the Church, theologians have also been at pains to emphasise the difference.

While only the face of Moses shone after he met with God, Matthew and the other Gospel writers tell us that the entire being of Jesus was illuminated at the Mount of Transfiguration.

In Matthew we read, ‘And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.’ Mark draws attention to Jesus’ clothes that ‘became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them’ (Mark 9:3). And Luke said that ‘the appearance of [Jesus’] face was altered, and his clothes became dazzling white’ (Luke 9: 29).

Furthermore, the nature of the illumination was also different. As the late Pope Benedict XVI explains:

Because Moses has been talking with God, God’s light streams upon him and makes him radiant. But the light that causes him to shine comes to him from the outside, so to speak. Jesus, however, shines from within; he does not simply receive light, but he is light from light.

 

The transfiguration of Jesus therefore is profoundly and fundamentally different from the experience of Moses. The transfiguration of Jesus is unique. It is unique because Jesus is unique.

The curious appearance and then disappearance of Moses and Elijah is also significant.

We are told in Matthew 17:3 that Moses and Elijah appeared and conversed with Jesus. Then, in verse 8, after the voice from heaven had spoken, we are told that the disciples ‘lifted up their eyes [and] saw no one but Jesus only.’

Moses and Elijah had vanished. Only Jesus remained. What does this signify?

The disappearance of Moses and Elijah signifies that Jesus is the fulfilment of the Law (represented by Moses) and the Prophets (represented by Elijah).

As one commentator (Michael Green) explains: ‘The forerunners have done their task. They can disappear into the background now that the principal figure is here.’

The divine voice from heaven, which instructs the disciples to ‘Listen to him’, indicates that Jesus’ words are the new giving of the law, and his death on the Cross is the new ratification of the covenant.

The event of the transfiguration of Jesus is in many significant ways a very visual one. There was the great light emanating from the person of Jesus, which made his face shine like the sun and his clothes dazzling white. Then there is the appearance of the great cloud from heaven, which is the symbol of the Shekinah glory.

But the revelation of the identity of Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration was not only visual in nature. It was a combination of vision and locution. For just as Jesus was being transfigured, a voice thundered from the cloud: ‘This is my beloved Son; with whom I am well pleased. Listen to him’ (Matthew 17: 5).

And so, the great incognito was temporarily lifted! The deity that was hitherto veiled by the humanity was made manifest.

The transfiguration, without doubt, left an indelible mark on the minds of the disciples who were with Jesus. Years later John could write: ‘We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14).

And Peter could testify:

… we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honour and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,” we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain (2 Peter 1: 16-18).

 

The proclamation from the divine voice leaves the disciples with no doubt about the identity of Jesus. It led the Church to declare a couple of centuries later that this Transfigured One is:

the only Son of God,

begotten from the Father before all ages,

God from God,

Light from Light,

True God from true God,

Begotten, not made;

Of the same essence as the Father.

Through him all things were made.

For us and for our salvation

he came down from heaven …

 

III

I said earlier that every year the Christian Church commemorates the Transfiguration.

Why is it important for the Church to do this? What does the story of the Transfiguration have to say to the Church today?

It must be pointed out that the words that were spoken by God the Father at the Mount of Transfiguration were not only meant for the disciples who were with Jesus. They are also meant for the Church throughout the ages.

They enjoin the Church to look to Jesus, to fix her gaze on him, to contemplate his beauty and truth.

This is extremely important. For the Church is unable to understand who God is and what his purposes are for creation apart from Jesus Christ. Furthermore, the Church cannot understand who she is and her true mission in the world apart from Jesus Christ.

But the words spoken by God the Father also admonish the Church to look at this Jesus – the Jesus who is God’s incarnate Son, whose glory is revealed at the Mount of Transfiguration, the Jesus who is God’s humble Servant, who died on Calvary’s cross for sinful humanity.

The Church must fix her gaze on this Jesus, and on no other!

For Jesus himself warned the disciples and the Church that many deceptive imposters will appear.

In his great Olivet Discourse, Jesus said: ‘… if any one says to you, “Lo, here is the Christ!” or “There he is!” do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect’ (Matthew 24:24).

Indeed, many false Christs have arisen in our day: the Christs of liberal theology, the Christ of the health and wealth gospels, the Christ of the hyper-grace teachers, the New Age Christs, and the Christs of queer theology.

Not only must the Church fix her eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of her faith (Hebrews 12:2), she must also ‘Listen to him’. Matthew’s catechetical emphasis led him to add this statement, which is not found in the other accounts.

The Church must recognise the supreme authority of God’s incarnate Son. And she must obey him. For it is in her obedience that she demonstrates her love for her Lord and Saviour (John 14:15-31).

An obedient Church is a Church that is in the world but not of it. An obedient Church will never play fast and loose with the prevailing culture and become enslaved to its various idols.

An obedient Church will be totally yielded to the Word of God and aligned to the purposes of God. An obedient Church is not concerned about herself and about her place in the world. Her only concern is to glorify God.

Only an obedient Church can be the true bearer of the Good News of salvation. For only an obedient Church can be a genuine embodiment of the truth and love of God.


Dr Roland Chia is Chew Hock Hin Professor at Trinity Theological College (Singapore) and Theological and Research Advisor of the Ethos Institute for Public Christianity.