The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus VS The Glorification of the Lord Jesus

 

The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus VS The Glorification of the Lord Jesus

 

Mark 9:2-3 "...There he was transfigured before them. His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them."

John 17:5 "And now, Father, glorify me in your presence with the glory I had with you before the world began."

 

Aspect	The Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus	The Glorification of the Lord Jesus
Meaning	Jesus' humanity being saturated by His divinity	God being manifested and expressed
Explanation	Christ's outward humanity fully permeated by His inner divinity	The divinity hidden in Jesus' humanity being revealed
Example	Matthew 17:1-2  "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light."	Luke 24:36-37 (Jesus appears to the disciples after His resurrection) "While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, 'Peace be with you.' They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost."
Application	Believers pursue being filled with the Holy Spirit and living out Christ in this life	Believers hope for the future glorified body
Realization	Temporarily manifested during His earthly ministry	Eternally possessing a glorified body after resurrection
Related Scriptures	Matthew 17:1-8 "...Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus." Luke 9:29-31 "As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem." 2 Peter 1:16-18 "For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. He received honor and glory from God the Father... We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain."	John 17:22-24 "I have given them the glory that you gave me... to see my glory, which you have given me..." Philippians 3:21  "who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." Colossians 3:4 "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." Hebrews 2:9 "But we do see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death..." The Sun Parable (Matthew 13:43)  "Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Whoever has ears, let them hear."

Additional Notes:

1.         Transfiguration and glorification are closely related concepts. The transfiguration can be seen as a prefiguration or partial realization of glorification.

2.         Christ's transfiguration is viewed as His coming in His kingdom. This indicates that the coming of the kingdom is closely related to Christ's glorification.

3.         For believers, we anticipate being fully glorified in the future, as stated in Romans 8:30: "And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified."

4.         Glorification is not only Christ's experience but also the future hope of believers. As Philippians 3:21 says, Christ "will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body."

5.         The parable of the sun (Matthew 13:43) illustrates the ultimate result of glorification: the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.

*Please refer to the 2024 Summer On-Site Training - Experiencing, Enjoying, and Expressing Christ (1) Message Four: The Kingdom is the Conquering of Rebellion and the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus