Jesus Christ in the Light of God
Transfiguration of our Lord and Saviour
2 Peter 1:10-19; Matthew 17:1-9
The event of the Transfiguration of the Lord is related by three evangelists: Matthew, Mark and Luke. In the Liturgy, we read the story of the evangelist Matthew about that unusual event, but Luke and Mark tell almost the same thing. The evangelists’ accounts differ in a few minor details.
Taking the three closest disciples with him, Jesus ascended Mount Tabor and there He was transformed, changed externally. The disciples were accustomed to seeing Jesus Christ in the bodily form of an ordinary person, but here, while preserving his bodily image, the face of Jesus began to shine "like the sun"; it was impossible to look at him. And, "His clothes became white as light" (Matthew 17:2 ).
Evangelist Mark expressed the same in these words:
"His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow..." (Mark 9:3).
The evangelist Luke wrote: "the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. " (Luke 9:29)
Thus, from those descriptions it is clear to us that the whiteness of Jesus' clothing was like snow lit by the sun, which would be difficult for eyes to view. And, thus, from all these descriptions it is clear that the face and clothing of Jesus was illuminated by some unearthly light - heavenly light. God's light.
Just as it is sung in our church liturgical song that even angels cannot look at the Face of God, so the apostles could not look at the face and entire figure of Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor, because it was irradiated by God's radiance.
Simply stated, Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor assumed a divine form and His body reflected divine radiance.
Why, for what reason, did Jesus Christ take a divine form? Calvary was still ahead, suffering and death on the cross, but here on Mount Tabor, for a short time, Jesus assumed a divine form, and then again returned to an ordinary human form. - Why?
A careful study of The Gospel and Gospel events makes us understand that Jesus previously told " His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day. (Matthew 16, 21).
Jesus warned his disciples more than once about his path of suffering and death. At the same time, He said that after death He would rise again, but His disciples did not accept the latter as real; but about suffering and death - they remembered, and accepted, and because of that they became sad, began to mourn the future tragic fate of Jesus, and with Him - all theirs.
Jesus Christ considered it necessary for His disciples to know in advance about the tragic events that will happen by God's permission, in order that their hearts would not tremble when all those disheartening and painful events occur. That is why He told them about the inevitable future suffering and death.
When the disciples of Christ became very doubtful, were moved by the foreshadowing of those difficult events, the Lord chose to provide at least the closest disciples with a convincing proof that He is prepared to go to suffering and death not because of weakness, but "of His will" (Kontakion of the Transfiguration) in order to reveal God's greatest love for humankind.
Therefore, Jesus Christ, having called His closest disciples, showed them that He, as the Son of God, possesses the power of God, that He is in unity with His Father and can take on the radiant image of God, and thereby, can be invulnerable to the designs of evil people.
Because of this, Jesus received, in the presence of his closest disciples, the radiance of God, which they could not even look at. Convincing His disciples in this way of His divine power and glory, showing them His unity with the Heavenly Father, with the greatest prophets of past ages, He convinced them of His voluntary suffering.
In the Kontakion on the Feast of the Transfiguration, the Church's true understanding of this great event is very aptly expressed:
"You were transfigured on the mountain, O Christ God, and Your disciples beheld Your
Glory as much as they could bear; so that when they saw You crucified, they would
understand that You suffered willingly and preach to the world that You are truly the
radiance of the Father." (p. 667, The Good Shepherd Prayer Book) .
And indeed, although it is possible that the closest disciples of Christ did not fully remember the meaning of the Transfiguration during the sufferings of Christ, in his sermon, in his Epistle to the Church of Christ, the Apostle Peter, speaking of the resurrection of Christ, also mentions His glorious Transfiguration:
"For He received honour and glory from God the Father, when a voice came to Him from
great glory: 'This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!' And this voice that came
down from heaven, we HEARD when we were with Him on the holy mountain" (2 Peter 1:17-18).
Indeed, those words were heard from heaven by Peter, James, and John on Mount Tabor and they have given their testimony concerning that to all of us, to the entire Church of Christ.
Celebrating the great event of the Transfiguration of the Lord, we try to affirm in ourselves the need for our inner, spiritual Transfiguration, our change in the light of the Gospel of our Saviour; so that when the Lord comes to mankind for the second time in His divine light, we will be worthy to be at His right hand.
Amen.
Very Rev. Fr. Taras Slavchenko
Taras Slavchenko was born on March 8, 1918 in Nikopol, Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. After graduating from school and the Pedagogical College, he entered the language and literature faculty of the Scientific Pedagogical Institute. Having successfully completed it in 1938, he served as a teacher in a secondary school.