The Transfiguration as an Icon of Jesus




Outline:

·      Last Epiphany, Gospel lesson is Transfiguration- Mark 9:2-8
o   Also occurs in Matthew17:1-9 and Luke 9:28-36
·      Epiphany is about God being made manifest. This is the event.
·      Transfiguration = Icon, physical revealing of an inner truth

Jesus: Fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets

·      Matthew 5:17
·      John 1:45
·      Moses Signifies the Law
o   Giver of the Law at Sinai
·      Elijah represents the Prophets
o   Why Elijah? Stay tuned for later sessions.
o   Major part of answer, seen as precursor to Messiah

Moses and Elijah are both present with Jesus

·      Physically embodying what Jesus is fulfilling
·      Thus Transfiguration= a physical representation of who Jesus is.

Only Peter, James, and John are present

·      Why just them? Christianity is about witness.
·      Easier to have faith in what God is saying to us when we aren’t comparing/contrasting with the event itself.
o   See Kierkegaard in Philosophical Fragments
·      Jesus to Thomas (Jn 20:29): “blessed are they who have not seen…”
·      Did this need to be an exclusive sighting?
o   Would it have assured people’s belief?
o   Answer to both: We don’t know.
·      The magic in the Transfiguration is the mystery
o   We don’t fully understand it.
However, we do know that it reveals who Jesus truly and full is.