Why would you consider the Transfiguration of Jesus a myth?

Answer 1

You would believe that the Transfiguration of Jesus was a myth, if by repeated assertions of unbelievers, you were led to believe that the accounts documented in Christian literature were intended as a myth.

This would be done by unbelievers who by ingraining their myth proposition into you, render the documented eyewitness accounts of the Transfiguration of Jesus given by His honoured Apostles Peter, John and James into a myth - contrary to the doctrine of Jesus Christ, that espouses the pillar of truth in relation to documented doctrine.

Answer 2

In the gospel account of the Transfiguration of Jesus, he took them up a mountain, where his appearance changed, and they saw him talking to Moses and Elijah. We know that the historical events ascribed to Moses never occurred and it is therefore most unlikely that Moses ever existed. Similarly, it is quite improbable that Elijah ever existed. Yet, somehow, the disciples knew without question that the strangers talking to Jesus were Moses and Elijah. If this was not a myth, I would expect the disciples to be uncertain as to their identity, just as, later, they were uncertain as to the identity of the risen Jesus.

Read literally, the sole reason for this journey was to let the three disciples see Jesus talking to Moses and Elijah. Yet they learnt nothing from the experience and were even instructed to tell no one. In spite of this life-changing event, and its absolute proof that Jesus was the Messiah, Peter went on to deny Jesus. If this event really happened, I would expect Peter's faith to be unshakeable.

The earliest Transfiguration account was in the first New Testament Gospel to be written, Mark's Gospel. What the author did not do is explain how he had such he detailed knowledge of the event, if the disciples were instructed not to discuss what they knew and the other disciples did not seem to know about it during the remainder of the Gospel. In the framework structure of Mark, the Transfiguration forms pairs with the baptism of Jesus and the temptation in the wilderness:

A . John explains the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:1-8)

B .The baptism of Jesus (1:9)

C . The voice of God from heaven, "Thou art my beloved son" (1:11)

D . The forty days in the wilderness as an allusion to Elijah and Moses (1:13)

E . The people were astonished at what Jesus taught (1:22)

F . Jesus casts out an unclean spirit (1:23-26)

G . Pharisees took counsel with the Herodians how they might destroy Jesus (3:6)

H . Demons, whenever they see Jesus, fall down and say that he is the Son of God.

-- Jesus commands that they tell no one of this (3:11-12)

I .. Jesus calls the 12 disciples (3:13-19)

J .. Jesus rejects his own family: he has a new family, his followers (3:31-35)

K . Jesus rebukes the wind (4:36-41)

L . The demoniac, wearing no clothes (5:15), cries out that Jesus not torment him and Jesus sends out the demons (5:1-20)

M . Jesus comes into his own country (6:1)
-- Where he was brought up

N . The people misunderstand Jesus and he can do no mighty work (6:2-6)

O . Jesus sends out the disciples and curses those who will not receive them (6:7-11)
-- in sending the disciples with authority and expecting all to receive them, Jesus is asserting his own authority

P . Herod thinks that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead (6:14)

Q . Herodias and her daughter conspire to kill John the Baptist (6:16-29)

R . Feeding the thousands, and related miracles and discourses (6:33-8:21)

S . Who do people say that I am (8:27)

T . Peter affirms faith in Jesus as the Christ (8:29)

U . Whosoever shall be ashamed of me: of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed (8:38)

V . The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and scribes (8:31a)

W . Be killed and after three days rise again (8:31b)

X . Prophecy of second coming (9:1)- Jesus tells the disciples that some of them would not taste death until they saw the kingdom of God coming with power.

B' .The Transfiguration of Jesus (9:2-3)

C' .The voice of God from heaven, "This is my beloved son" (9:7)

D' . Jesus talks to Elijah and Moses then to the disciples about Elijah (9:4-13)

E' .A great multitude was amazed at Jesus (9:15)

F' .Jesus cast out a dumb spirit (9:17-27)

G' .They shall kill the Son of man and he shall rise on the third day (9:31)

H' .Jesus clarifies his divine status, saying that he is not God: "Why call me good? There is none good but God" (10:18)

I' . Peter says the disciples have left all and followed Jesus (10:28)

J' . Those who have left their family for Jesus have a new family: all Jesus' followers (10:29-30)

K'. Jesus rebukes the 'sons of thunder', James and John (10:35-45 - cf 3:17)

L' .Blind Bartimaeus cries out for mercy and casts off his clothes, then Jesus heals him (10:46-52)

M' .Jesus comes into Jerusalem (11:1-10)
-- Where he will die

N' .Jesus misunderstands the fig tree that can provide no fruit (11:13-14)

O' .Jesus casts out them that sold and bought in the Temple and curses them for making the Temple a den of thieves (11:15-17)
-- Jesus is asserting his authority

P' .Jesus asks whether the baptism of John is from heaven or of men, and the priests, scribes and elders can not answer (11:30-33)

Q' .Parable of husbandmen who conspire to kill the vineyard owner's son (12:1-9)

X' .Prophecy of second coming (chapter 13)

-- on clouds of glory, within the lifetimes of some of those to whom he was speaking

R' .The Last Supper (14:17-25)

S' .Art thou the Christ, Son of God (14:61)

T' .Peter denies Jesus three times (14:66-72a)

U' .And when he thought thereon, Peter wept (14:72b)

V' .The chief priests, elders and scribes delivered Jesus to Pontius Pilate (15:1)

-- Delivering Jesus is a similar concept to rejecting him.
-- Both parts of the pair involve chief priests, elders and scribes

W' .Jesus dies and on the third day rises again (15:37, 16:6)

A' .The young man explains the departure of Jesus(16:6-8)

Answer 3

I wouldn't and neither did the Apostles, many of them giving their lives for Jesus - even Peter who denied him 3 times on the night of His trial and persecution. Peter even says as much here:

2 Peter 1:16-18New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)Eyewitnesses of Christ’s Glory16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we had been eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For he received honor and glory from God the Father when that voice was conveyed to him by the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, my Beloved,[ with whom I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice come from heaven, while we were with him on the holy mountain.

We all have free will to believe or not believe as we choose.