Editing Transfiguration of Jesus (section)

==Significance==
The transfiguration is one of the [[miracles of Jesus]] in the Gospels.{{sfn|Lockyer|1988|p=213}}{{sfn|Clowes|1817|p=167}}{{sfn|Rutter|1803|p=450}} [[Thomas Aquinas]] considers the transfiguration "the greatest miracle", in that it complemented baptism and showed the [[Perfection of Christ|perfection]] of life in [[Heaven]].{{sfn|Healy|2003|p=100}} The transfiguration is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the [[Life of Jesus in the New Testament|life of Jesus]], the others being [[Baptism of Jesus|baptism]], [[Crucifixion of Jesus|crucifixion]], [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]], and [[Ascension of Jesus|ascension]].{{sfn|Moule|1982|p=63}}{{sfn|Guroian|2010|p=28}} In 2002, [[Pope John Paul II]] introduced the [[Luminous Mysteries]] in the [[rosary]], which include the transfiguration.

In Christian teachings, the transfiguration is a pivotal moment, and the setting on the mountain is presented as the point where human nature meets God: the meeting place of the temporal and the eternal, with Jesus as the connecting point, acting as the bridge between heaven and earth.{{sfn|Lee|2004|p=2}} Moreover, Christians consider the transfiguration to fulfill an Old Testament [[Jesus and messianic prophecy|messianic prophecy]] that Elijah would return again after his ascension ([[Malachi 4:5]]–[[Malachi 4:6|6]]). {{harvtxt|Gardner|2015|p=218}} states: {{blockquote|The very last of the writing prophets, Malachi, promised a return of Elijah to hold out hope for repentance before judgment (''Mal. 4:5–6''). ... Elijah himself would reappear in the Transfiguration. There he would appear alongside Moses as a representative of all the prophets who looked forward to the coming of the Messiah (''Matt. 17:2–9; Mark 9:2–10; Luke 9:28–36''). ... Christ's redemptive sacrifice was the purpose for which Elijah had ministered. ... And it was the goal about which Elijah spoke to Jesus in the Transfiguration.}}