“And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.”
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them — the six days connects the transfiguration directly to the Caesarea Philippi confession and passion prediction sequence. The high mountain is the place of divine encounter throughout Scripture — Sinai, Horeb, the mount of beatitudes. The inner three (Peter, James, John) who were present at the raising of Jairus's daughter are the witnesses here. Transfigured (metamorphoō) — his essential nature is revealed through his physical appearance, the divine glory that is normally concealed breaking through.
Church Fathers on Mark 9:2
After the consummation of the cross, the glory of the resurrection is shewn, that they, who were to see with their own eyes the glory of the resurrection to come, might not fear the shame of the cross.
And He takes with Him the three chief of the Apostles, Peter, as confessing and loving Him, John, as the beloved one, James, as being sublime in speech and as a divine; for so displeasing was he to the Jews, that Herod wishing to please the Jews slew him.
Our Saviour then when transfigured did not lose the substance of real flesh, but shewed forth the glory of His own or of our future resurrection; for such as He then appeared to the Apostles, He will after the judgment appear to all His elect.
Read all 15 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
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