Responding to my pastor friend, John.
The peace of the Lord, pastor, what is the spiritual meaning of Luke 9:28-36? The transfiguration of our LORD JESUS and why did He choose only Peter, John and James?
John, the Peace of the Lord with you. You have two questions. Regarding the first one, that is, regarding the spiritual meaning of the transfiguration of Jesus (Luke 9:28-36), in principle, I have to tell you that the term ‘transfiguration’ is misused. If you read again you will see that the writer of Matthew refers to the fact that “the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering” (Vs. 29) That is, He did not adopt another figure, which is the meaning of the term “transfiguration,” but the appearance became resplendent, which is the characteristic of spiritual bodies (1 Corinthians 15:40). Spiritual bodies have light, and light in the Bible is defined as glory (Daniel 10:6; Acts 10:30; Revelation 21:11).
The term ‘transfiguration’ was introduced by Catholic theology to give a unique and exclusive value to this event; but if you carefully review the Bible you will see that the experience is not unique; Moses acquired the same glory (a shining light) that is recounted in Luke 9 (Exodus 34:30-35).
And, the manifestation of the Glory of Jesus, from Luke 9, which is how this event should be described, was not unique in the earthly life of Jesus; John describes in his gospel: “and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14), and by this he means that some of His disciples saw Him shine on more than one occasion; Matthew describes in his gospel that when the devil ceased to tempt Him, “the angels came and ministered unto Him” (Matthew 4:11), which shows that Jesus was constantly surrounded by light; in the account of Jesus walking on the waters of Lake Genezaret, the disciples called out, “a ghost” (Matthew 14:26), and the reaction was not only because they saw Him walking on the waters, but more so, because He shone (glory) in the midst of darkness.
So, John, you will see that it is not a unique event in the life of Jesus, they were multiple events that occurred, I dare say, since childhood, events that manifested not only the divinity of Jesus, but above all, the ability that the body of a righteous man has to bring the Glory of the Heavens to the earth, a novel topic for many, mainly for the unbelieving believers.
What is the meaning of this event? What I have just explained, simply that of manifesting the capacity of a righteous man to bring the Glory of the heavens to the earth; if you check the Bible again you will see that before the passing of Peter, they threw the sick out into the streets, and put them in beds and couches, so that when Peter came, at least his shadow touched one of them (Acts 5: 15), and in the same book of the Acts of the Apostles, when Stephen was before the council of elders who led him to his death, the writer describes that Stephen manifested glory, that is, he shone: Then all who sat in the council, looking upon him, saw his face as the face of an angel. (Acts 6:15). This is an operation of the Spirit in which all men and women of faith participate.
As for your second question, i.e. why did He only choose Peter, John and James, the answer is found in Galatians 2:9: “and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision”. Jesus chose them from the beginning to be the principal leaders of the church in Jerusalem (see also Luke 8:51, Mark 14:33)
The biblical quotations are taken from the Authorized (King James) Version (AKJV)
Pastor Pedro Montoya
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