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The Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord is a blessed day of great celebration in the Church. The three synoptic Gospels - Matthew, Mark, and Luke - record how Jesus took three of His disciples, Peter, James, and John, up to Mount Tabor. There, He revealed His divine glory and the uncreated light hidden within His flesh to them.
Significance of the Feast of Transfiguration:
Ancient Tradition: Celebrated since apostolic times.
Universal Observance: Held in every Orthodox Church on this day.
Core Truth: Central to knowing who Jesus truly is.
Many people argue and debate the true identity of Jesus. The Transfiguration clearly shows who He is. Jesus is both fully God and fully man. (tbip{InkvXp ]qÀ® ssZhhpw ]qÀ® a\pjy\pamWv.) Grasping this event helps clarify the differences between Christianity and other religions, as well as various Christian denominations.
Who Jesus is? That is what is revealed on the Feast of the Transfiguration. What is the proof of this? How do we see and know that He is fully God and fully man through this feast? First, we ought to observe how Jesus is described during this event. Matthew’s Gospel states that His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as light. The feast reveals the true nature of Jesus as both God and man. His hidden divinity flashes through His human body on the mountain. Ahs³d apJw kqcys\t¸mse tim`n¨p Ahs³d hkv{Xw shfn¨w t]mse shÅbmbn¯oÀóp. (a¯mbn 17:2)
How wonderful it is! His appearance shines like the sun, as if light is beaming right through His body. You might picture a person, but no human being - no matter how much light they might hold - can ever shine as bright as the sun. You may wonder why this matters. In the Old Testament, God is described in this exact way in the Book of Daniel. Daniel 2:22 describes God as the source of all hidden wisdom, stating that light lives with Him. While people cannot physically shine like the sun, humans can reflect moral goodness and kindness. This reflection shows a connection to the divine light described in scripture. "Ah³ AKm[hpw KqVhpambXp shfns¸Sp¯póp; Ah³ Ccp«nð DÅXp Adnbpóp; shfn¨w Aht\mSpIqsS hkn¡póp.' (Zm\osbðv 2:22)
Three characteristics of God are given here:
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God knows hidden truths.
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God sees through all hidden or dark things.
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Light is a permanent part of God's nature.
Secondly, during the Transfiguration, God the Father testifies that Jesus is God by saying, "This is My beloved Son; listen to Him." Ah³ ]dbpt¼mÄXtó {]ImiaptÅmcp taLw AhcpsS tað \ngen«p; taL¯nð \nóp: Ch³ Fs³d {]nb ]p{X³, Ch¦ð Rm³ {]kmZn¡póp; Chóp sNhnsImSp¸n³ Fóp Hcp i_vZhpw Dïmbn. (a¯mbn 17:5) We witness a similar revelation at the Theophany during the baptism of our Lord, where the heavens open and God the Father again testifies that Jesus is the Son of God. Any doubt about His identity vanishes here. This event reveals that Jesus is fully God and fully Man.
Key Moments of Divine Testimony:
The Transfiguration: God the Father speaks from the cloud and commands people to listen to His beloved Son.
The Baptism (Theophany): The heavens open and God the Father confirms Jesus is His Son.
The Proof: Both events clearly show that Jesus is fully God and fully man.
That is why we say in the Nicene Creed: He is Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, and of one being (or one essence) with the Father. {]Imi¯nð \nópÅ {]Imihpw kXyssZh¯nð \nópÅ kXy ssZhhpw P\n¨h\pw krjvSnbñm¯h\pw kmcmwi¯nð ]nXmhnt\mSv kaXzapÅh\pw,
We must understand why we firmly hold to the faith of our fathers and maintain this orthodox faith. Knowing that Jesus is fully God and fully man matters because we can only know our mission once we know God. God revealing Himself gives us our purpose, and we find our aim in Him. ssZhw BcmsWódnªmð am{Xta \½psS ZuXyw F´msWóv a\knemIbpÅp. ssZhambncns¡ a\pjy³ F§s\ Bbncn¡Wsaóv \ap¡v ImWn¨p Xóp.
The Purpose of Life in Christ:
The ultimate goal: Our life's goal is revealed in Jesus Christ.
The true human model: A good person does good deeds, but the true standard of humanity is Jesus Christ.
The definition of humanity: Anyone falling short of Christ is incomplete and sub-human, because we are made in God's image to grow into His likeness.
We are called to be conformed to the very likeness of Jesus Christ. Because He took on our human nature, we are renewed in His image so that we may grow into His likeness. We are called to be bearers of divine grace. Within the Church, those who successfully embodied this grace and realized true humanity are the saints. The saints are those who, through lives of holiness and virtue, became true vessels of God’s grace.
In the Syrian Orthodox tradition, Saint Basil is a fourth-century saint who wrote extensively about the human condition and the Holy Spirit. He addresses the true purpose of Christianity and what it means to live a holy life. He defines Christianity as becoming like God as much as human nature allows. If you are known as a Christian, he urges you to hasten to become like God and to put on Christ. He explains that if you treat a brother who has wronged you with the same goodwill and heartfelt forgiveness that God shows to you—a sinner—then you resemble God. Just as God treats sinners not with anger and revenge, but with love, mercy, and forgiveness, so too must you treat your neighbor.
St. Paul speaks of the same truth in his first letter to the Corinthians, asking, "Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16). We are called to bear God within our lives, but we often stray. Even though this is our purpose, the devil approaches us and tries to make us bear him instead. Through pride, jealousy, anger, greed, and selfish passions, we carry the devil rather than God. Listen to God as the Father commanded us to listen to Jesus. God speaks through the Gospels, scriptures, church teachings, and the writings of the holy fathers. Learn to listen so we bear God and not the devil.
Just as Moses and Elijah were present at the Transfiguration, we too are called to stand in the presence of God when the glory of Jesus Christ is revealed at His second coming. Glory be to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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