The word transfiguration in Greek is the word Metamorphosis (Meta – form or nature), (Morphosis – complete change). It is the same word we use for when a caterpillar turns into butterfly.
The story of the Transfiguration Christ is like everything else that Jesus did, it is for me personally. Jesus did not need to show himself off to His disciples. It was not the way Jesus acted in the Bible. The story of Jesus’ transfiguration is the story of my own transfiguration with Him.
There are three ways we are transfigured with Christ:
1- Living a Sacramental Life:
We notice a relationship between Jesus Baptism and His transfiguration. The voice from heaven in both events declares “This is my beloved son (in whom I am well pleased) or (hear Him)”. We also coming out of the baptismal font are declared the “Sons of God”. We die to our old man and are transfigured into a new creation.
2- Living a life of Prayer:
In the beginning of the transfiguration story it says that Jesus took the disciples to the mountain to Pray. It was through prayer that Jesus was transfigured and it is only through Prayer that I am transformed. In 2Cor: 3:18 where the word transfiguration is mentioned it is mentioned in the context of the contrast between Moses who wore a veil over his head when he spoke to the jews where as we “with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory” meaning by spending time in prayer we are transformed or transfigured into the His image.
3- Living my own Christian life:
The other mention of the word transfiguration in the new testament apart from the three times the story is mentioned in the three synoptic gospels is in Roman 12:2 “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed (or transfigured) by the renewing of your mind” which directly relates the event of transfiguration to me personally as I am called to be transfigured in my everyday action.