Jesus had spoken of his suffering, death and glorification, but the disciples found this hard to accept, so God intervened both to comfort Jesus and to strengthen the apostles in their faith (John 12:30). While not all of them could bear it yet, the three most initiated apostles were taken up to see a glimpse of Jesus’ future glory—a guarantee and a prophecy. Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and the apostles must not doubt this even when he suffers and dies.
The voice from heaven confirms Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Son of God, as did the voice from heaven at the baptism, at which the apostles had not been present (Matthew 3:17). The transfiguration confirms that Father’s good pleasure still rests upon Christ, as his Son. It is like God’s wrath, which Jesus had to bear in his humiliation, being for a time prophetically lifted (see 2 Peter 1:17), so Matthew 17:1–13 gives a foretaste of the resurrection and—beyond the resurrection—of Jesus’ return in glory (see Matthew 26:64; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The disciples begin to see this new age as the fulfillment of prophecy, seeing its glory as the way in which the Son of God is revealed as greater than that of the old (2 Corinthians 3:7).
In the preceding sections Jesus had spoken about his suffering, death and glorification. A difficult path of suffering now awaits, and the disciples are having a difficult time accepting this. God therefore now intervenes to comfort Jesus (to which the conversation also served) and to strengthen the apostles in their faith (John 12:30). Although not all of them could bear it yet, the three most initiated apostles were taken up the mountain to witness in the transfiguration a glimpse of future glory—a guarantee and a prophecy. Jesus was indeed the Messiah, the Son of the living God, and the apostles ought not to begin doubting this even if he would shortly suffer and die.1
The voice of God from heaven confirms Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Son of God, repeating what the voice from heaven said at the baptism for which the apostles had not been present (Matthew 3:17). The transfiguration now confirms that the Father’s good pleasure continues to rest upon Christ. He is and remains the Son of God. It is almost as if the wrath of God, which Jesus had to bear in his humiliation, is for a moment prophetically lifted (see 2 Peter 1:17). As such the transfiguration in Matthew 17:1–13 provides a foretaste of the resurrection and—beyond the resurrection—of Jesus’ return in glory (see Matthew 26:64; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The disciples learn to better understand this new dispensation as the fulfillment of the prophecies, recognizing its glory as the dispensation in which the Son of God is revealed as greater than that of the old (see 2 Corinthians 3:7).2
1 Six jours après, Jésus prit avec lui Pierre, Jacques, et Jean, son frère, et il les conduisit à l'écart sur une haute montagne.