Matthew 17King James Version
The Transfiguration. Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. His face shines as the sun and his garments become white as the light. Moses and Elijah appear, talking with him. A bright cloud overshadows them and a voice says, 'This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.' They come down the mountain. He heals a boy with a demon his disciples could not cast out. Then he tells them again: I shall be betrayed.
Six days after Peter's confession, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a high mountain. He is transfigured before them: face blazing like the sun, clothes dazzling white. Moses and Elijah appear and talk with him. The Father's voice comes from a bright cloud: this is my beloved Son, listen to him. The three disciples fall flat, terrified. Jesus touches them. Coming down, he tells them to say nothing until after the resurrection. He heals a boy with seizures and again predicts his death.
The transfiguration is heaven's confirmation of what Peter confessed: the same voice that spoke at the baptism now speaks at the mountain, and the law and prophets stand with him.
5: "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him." The Father said it at the baptism, and says it again here, but now adds the imperative: listen.
Mount Hermon or Mount Tabor are the traditional candidates for the transfiguration site. Whichever it was, mountains were consistently places of encounter with God in the Hebrew scriptures: Sinai, Carmel, Zion. The dazzling white of Jesus's clothes echoes the descriptions of angels in Daniel.
Jesus, transfigured; Moses, representing the Law; Elijah, representing the Prophets; Peter, who wants to build shelters; James and John, who fall on their faces; the disciples below with the boy they could not heal.
The transfiguration is a preview: the disciples see Jesus as he will be after the resurrection, which is the only way to understand what the cross is leading to. Moses and Elijah both had dramatic endings at mountains; their presence is theological shorthand. The disciples' failure to heal the boy immediately after the mountaintop is a deliberate contrast.
For when a moment of extraordinary clarity is followed immediately by a practical failure. The three disciples come down from seeing the glory of God and walk into a situation they cannot handle. The gap between vision and reality is immediate and humbling.
1And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
7And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.
8And when they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no man, save Jesus only.
9And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.
10And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?
11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.
12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.
13Then the disciples understood that he spake unto them of John the Baptist.
14And when they were come to the multitude, there came to him a certain man, kneeling down to him, and saying,
15Lord, have mercy on my son: for he is lunatick, and sore vexed: for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, and oft into the water.
16And I brought him to thy disciples, and they could not cure him.
17Then Jesus answered and said, O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him hither to me.
18And Jesus rebuked the devil; and he departed out of him: and the child was cured from that very hour.
19Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?
20And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.
21Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
22And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:
23And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.
24And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?
25He saith, Yes. And when he was come into the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?
26Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.
27Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.