Six days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John by themselves up a high mountain. No one else went with them. There, in front of the three disciples, Jesus’ appearance changed.
His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than any person on earth could make them. Elijah appeared with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.
Peter told Jesus that it was good for them to be there and offered to put up three shelters, one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. He did not know what to say, because the disciples were terrified.
A cloud came and covered them. From the cloud came a voice that called Jesus the beloved Son and commanded them to listen to him.
When they looked around, they saw no one but Jesus. As they came down the mountain, Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead.
They were to keep silent until the Son of Man had risen from among the dead. The disciples obeyed by keeping the matter among themselves, but the phrase about rising from the dead puzzled them. They discussed with one another what it could mean.
They kept the matter to themselves and discussed what rising from the dead might mean. They asked why teachers of the law said Elijah must come first. Jesus spoke of Elijah’s coming and of the Son of Man’s suffering and rejection. He also said that Elijah had come and people had done to him whatever they wished, as Scripture had said.