The Transfiguration

“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them.His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.” (Mark 9:2-4)

            The church celebrates the glorious Transfiguration Feast, which is one of the Lord’s Great Feasts.  The reason being, is that the Lord Jesus Christ revealed the glory of His Divinity, thus disclosing the reality of His Divinity as well as the reality of His Entity, which was concealed by His humanity in the human body.  Then who is He?  He is the Word (Logos), who resides in Heaven, who descended from Heaven as stated in John 6:51. 

            There were numerous times when He described Himself as the ‘Son of Man’, because on the physical level He is indeed the son of Mary – taking the nature of man, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14)

            According to the Coptic script, ‘He made His dwelling in us’.  He took the body of our own nature.  He took it from our Lady the Virgin Mary and was untied into one Nature without mingling, without confusion or alteration. 

            Thus, although the Christ appeared as a human being and taking the form of a slave, yet He is God who appeared in the flesh, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:  God^[a]was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles, Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.” (1 Tim 3:16)

“No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son,who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declaredHim.” (John 1:18)

            In order to make Himself visible to the people, He concealed himself in a human body.  Although He surpasses all humans in beauty, He concealed His Divinity so as not to be realized by humans and by Satan, in order to fulfill the salvation of man, for, “Which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Cor 2:8)  This way the salvation of mankind would not be hindered in any way.  That is why He concealed His Divinity in a full humane body so as to be visible to mankind.  Then who is the Christ?  Is He the son of man? Is He the son of Mary?  Yes, He is the son of Mary as far as the physical body is concerned; however, before He was physically born of St. Mary, He is the God and the Creator of St. Mary, “I am the Alpha and the Omega,theBeginning andtheEnd,”says the Lord,“who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” (Rev 1:8, 11, 18)

Before departing from this world, and before stepping unto His glory through His glorious Ascension, which took place after his crucifixion and Resurrection, He wished to reveal the Truth of His Divinity.  So He ascended Mount tabour, accompanying three of His Disciples, namely, Peter, James, and John as representatives for of the Disciples in order to ensure the secrecy of the revelation until He would rise from the dead.  The news would be proclaimed by those three disciples. 

            When He ascended the high mountain of Tabour, He was transfigured before them as stated in Mark 9:2.  What is the significance of this transfiguration?  The glory revealed  by His transfiguration is not a novelty, it is His Nature, it was only revelaed to His Disciples during those moments.  Hence, the change had to do with the Disciples’ eyesight, not with the Nature of the Lord Christ.

 “His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them.” (Mark 9:3)

            What may those clothes be, that stick to the Lord and shine gloriously?  The are none other than the church, just as St. Augustine says:  “Sublime awesomenss is a trait of all true belivers.” In addition, Pope Gregory the Great says: “In sublime Heavens, the glorious righteous people stick to the Lord….”Thus, His dazzling white clothes refer to the righteous people whom He keeps very close to Him.

The Apparition of Moses and Elijah with Him

            The Lord Christ meant to make it clear to His Disciples and to the people, that there is a great difference between Him and anyone of the prophets.  He meant for Moses and Elijah to appear with Him to clarify the great difference between Him and His servants.  Moreover, if He was accused of breaking Moses’ Law or of being a blasphemer who usurps the glory of God the Father, He wanted to clarify the truth; hence, He called on those three disciples to be witnesses, and He brought Moses who received ‘The Law’ and Elijah who was keen on the Glory of God in order to expose His accusers’ injustices. 

            Also, He may have had the intention of encouraging His Disciples prior to His crucifixion, making it clear that He is greater than Moses who saved the people and set them free from their life of slavery to Pharaoh.  He also made it clear that He was greater than Elijah who brought fire from on high to burn up the fifty two leaders and their soldiers.

“And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.” (Mark 9:7-8)

            This voice verifies what occurred in the Jordan River on the day of the Lord the Christ’s baptism.  There came a voice from on High, God the Father called upon Him from Heaven, “And suddenly a voicecamefrom heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (Mark 3:17), and “And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)  This was to emphasize the fact that the One who stood before them is not only human but rather He is God revealed in the Flesh. 

            The Lord Jesus, gory be unto Him, verified this when He asked His Disciples as they came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, “When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying,“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”  So they said, “SomesayJohn the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them,“But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:12-16)

            Man and animals are able to give birth to offspring, however, this is not applicable to God Almighty.  Jesus Christ was born of the Virgin Mary – who never married.  Then who is the Father figure?  In fact, there is no father from among the human beings.  In this sense, He is the Son of God.  Moreover, He is the Son of God as He is the image of God, and whoever sees Him, sees God.  He is the image of the invisible God.  In Him we have seen God as He is of the same Nature and Essence of God, “Jesus said to him,“Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (John 14:9)

            God who is invisible to man due to His Divine Nature was made visible in Jesus Christ, hence, whoever sees Him, has seen God the Father who is invisible.

            As they descended down from the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. (John 9:9

            Later, they announced it to the whole world.  Listen to St. Peter in his Epistle, as he speaks about the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus, revealing a glimpse of His Divine Glory: “For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty.For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” (2 Peter 1:16, 17)

            St. John the Apostle says, “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life—the life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us—that which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us…” (1 John 1:1-4)

            After the incident of the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Disciples were certain who the Christ is, whose face shone brighter than the sun that is far from the earth by 93 million miles.  This was only a glimpse of His Divine Glory that He disclosed to them. 

            Hence, the Disciples went out after the Resurrection of the Lord, preaching and proclaiming the Transfiguration of the Lord to them on Mount Tabour.