Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to pray. 29 While he was praying his face changed in appearance and his clothing became dazzling white. 30 And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem. 32 Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep, but becoming fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him. 33 As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is good that we are here; let us make three tents, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” But he did not know what he was saying. 34 While he was still speaking, a cloud came and cast a shadow over them, and they became frightened when they entered the cloud. 35 Then from the cloud came a voice that said, “This is my chosen Son; listen to him.” 36 After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. They fell silent and did not at that time tell anyone what they had seen.
On a mountaintop, shrouded in divine mystery and radiant light, Jesus is transfigured before Peter, James, and John. His face shines, His garments become dazzling, and suddenly He is seen conversing with Moses and Elijah. This moment is not an interruption in the Gospel narrative—it is a profound revelation of the unity between the Old Covenant and the new, between law and prophecy, and between Jesus’ coming Passion and His eternal glory.
Luke alone tells us that Jesus went up the mountain to pray (Lk 9:28), reminding us that moments of divine encounter are often born of prayerful solitude. It is in this setting that the disciples glimpse what had been veiled: Jesus' divinity shining through His humanity. His transfigured appearance anticipates His resurrection, but it also serves as a necessary preparation for the scandal of the Cross. Luke explicitly notes that Moses and Elijah “spoke of His exodus that He was going to accomplish in Jerusalem” (v. 31)—a deliberate word choice linking Jesus’ Passion to the great liberation of God’s people from Egypt. The New Exodus, led by Christ, would free not just a nation, but all humanity from the bondage of sin and death.
Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets—the two great pillars of the Hebrew Scriptures—now fulfilled in the Person of Christ. Their presence signals the continuity of God’s salvific plan: the promises made to Abraham, revealed through Moses, and proclaimed by Elijah, find their fulfillment in Jesus. Just as the glory cloud once descended upon Mount Sinai (Ex 24:15–18), the voice of the Father now thunders from the cloud: “This is My chosen Son; listen to Him” (v. 35). The theophany mirrors the baptismal scene (Lk 3:22), but with a more direct command—not merely identifying Jesus as Son, but urging us to heed His words.
The disciples' response is revealing. Peter, overwhelmed, speaks of building tents—an echo of the Feast of Tabernacles, where Israel remembered God’s presence with them in the wilderness. But the Gospel adds, “he did not know what he was saying,” because Peter, though sincere, misunderstood the moment. His desire to remain in glory missed the deeper purpose: this vision was not to be preserved on the mountaintop, but to prepare them for the valley of suffering below. Then the divine voice interrupts, redirecting attention from human plans to divine command. As suddenly as it appeared, the vision fades, and Jesus stands alone. The moment of glory passes, but its memory remains, sealed in silence until after the Resurrection.
The Transfiguration brings into view the entire arc of salvation history. As Moses and Elijah speak of Jesus’ “exodus,” we recall the Passover lamb, the Red Sea crossing, the journey to the Promised Land—all pointing to the greater deliverance Christ brings through His Cross and Resurrection. The shining garments (cf. Dan 7:9) evoke the Son of Man in glory, and the cloud recalls God’s presence in the wilderness (Ex 13:21). The command “listen to Him” echoes Deut. 18:15, where Moses foretold that God would raise up a prophet like himself, to whom the people must listen—a prophecy fulfilled now, on this mountain.
Lord Jesus, You revealed Your glory to strengthen our faith and light our path when the road grows dark. Help us to listen to You, to follow You in trust, and to be transformed by Your presence even when we do not see the light. Let us never forget that the glory of the Cross is the path to everlasting life. Amen.
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Sources and References:
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture, ed. Orchard et al. (1953).
- The Navarre Bible: St. Luke, Faculty of the University of Navarre (2008).
- The Paulist Biblical Commentary, ed. Chiu et al. (2018).
- The New Jerome Biblical Commentary, ed. Brown et al. (1990).
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, §§554–556.
- St. Leo the Great, Sermon 51 on the Transfiguration (5th century).
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