It piques my interest that it is only in the Gospel of Matthew that we hear: "... and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became dazzling white." (Mt 17: 2) In Mark we read: "... his clothes became dazzling white" (Mk 9: 3) and in Luke: "... the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became dazzling white." (Lk 9: 28) The reference in Matthew, I propose, is connected to a theme of the Gospel with Jesus as the new Moses. Organized into five "books" Matthew's gospel has Jesus handing down the new law from the Mount of Beatitudes. This is the new Law for a new people established by his sacrifice on the cross where his divine Sonship is revealed: "Now when the centurion and those with him, who were keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were terrified and said, 'Truly this man was God's Son'. " (Mt 27: 54)
Paul makes the comparison also between Moses and Jesus: "Now if the ministry of death, chiseled in letters on stone tablets, came in glory so that the people of Israel could not gaze at Moses' face, a glory now set aside, how much more will the ministry of the Spirit come in glory?" (2 Cor 3: 7-8) For Paul the veil over Moses face is that of the Law and it is this veil that remains to blind the Jews to the divinity of Jesus, revealed in the resurrection: "But their minds were hardened. Indeed, so to this very day, when they hear the reading of the old covenant, the same veil is still there, since only in Christ is it set aside. Indeed, to this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds, but when one turns to the Lord; the veil is removed." (2 Cor 3: 14-16) For Matthew, the Law is fulfilled in Jesus: "Do not think I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil." (Mt 5: 17)
The Transfiguration of Jesus, therefore, not only reveals the glory of the Son of Man, but he also fulfils the law and the prophets in his person. Peter, James and John are privileged to see this and Jesus, with his face unveiled, shines upon them such that they will also be ultimately transformed by God's glory: "And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit." (2 Cor 3: 18) The consequence of this is that the apostles experience true freedom: "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom." (2 Cor 3: 17) and, as he preaches to the Galatians: "For freedom Christ has set us free." (Gal 5: 1) The new Moses, Jesus Christ, leads his new people: "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male or female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus." (Gal 3: 28) in a new exodus: Suddenly they saw two men, Moses and Elijah, talking to him. They appeared in glory and were speaking of his departure (Gk. exodus) which he was about to accomplish in Jerusalem (Lk 9: 30-31). Through his Passion death and resurrection, they will be governed by a new Law, which is founded in himself, and they receive an anticipation of their own risen state: "So it is with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable, what is raised is imperishable. it is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a physical body, it is raised in a spiritual body. If there is a physical body, there is also a spiritual body. Thus, it is written, 'The first Adam, became a living being'; the last Adam became a living spirit." (1 Cor 15: 42-25) We can see how the transfiguration leads to the resurrection: "Tell no one about the vision until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (Mt 17: 9) The revelation of Christ's glorified body speaks of our own future: "As was the man of dust, so are those who are of the dust; and as is the man of heaven. so are those who are of heaven. Just as we have become the image of the man of dust, we will also bear the image of the man of heaven." (1 Cor 15: 47-49)
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