Shroro

The Syriac Orthodox Christian Digest - August, 2005

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

From the Syriac Orthodox Christian Western USA Archdiocese

According to our Syrian Orthodox Church’s calendar, today, our church celebrates the transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ on the mount of Hermon. Which is always done on August 6th.

Transfiguration (metamorphoomai, "to be transformed"): Used only with reference to the transfiguration of Christ (Mt 17:2; Mr 9:2) and the change wrought in the Christian personality through fellowship with Christ (Ro 12:2; 2Co 3:18).

About midway to His active ministry, our Lord Jesus Christ, accompanied by Peter, James and John, went up to a high mountain apart (probably Mt. Hermon) for prayer. While praying Jesus was "transfigured," The design of our Savior in this transfiguration, namely, to confirm his disciples' faith in the truth of His divine nature: He was therefore pleased to suffer the rays of His divinity to dart forth before their eyes, so far as they were able to bear it; "His face did shine as the sun," "and His garments became glistering, exceeding white, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them." It was night and it was cold. The disciples were drowsy and at first but dimly conscious of the wonder in progress before their eyes. From the brightness came the sound of voices. Jesus was talking with Moses and Elijah, the subject of the discussion as the disciples probably learned, being of the decease (exodus) which Jesus was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. As the disciples came to themselves, the figures of Moses and Elijah seemed to withdraw, whereupon Peter impetuously (suddenly) demanded tents to be set up for Jesus and His heavenly visitants that the stay might be extended and, if possible, made permanent. Just then a cloud swept over them, and out of the cloud a voice came, saying, "This is my beloved Son: hear ye Him." In awe, the disciples prostrated themselves and in silence waited. Suddenly, lifting up their eyes they saw no one, but Jesus only (Mt. 17:1-13; Mr. 9:2-13; Luke 9:28-36).

Such is the simple record. What is its significance? The Scripture narrative offers no explanation, and indeed the event is afterward referred to only in the most general way by Peter (2Pe 1:16-18) “For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty” and, perhaps, by John (Joh 1:14) And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth”. From this time on, Jesus walked consciously under the shadow of the cross. A strict silence on the subject was enjoined upon the three witnesses of His transfiguration until after "the Son of man should have risen again from the dead." This means that, He was made to know also that His mission as the fulfillment of Law (Moses) and prophecy (Elijah) was not to be frustrated by death. In His heart now would sound forever the Father's approval, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The scene, therefore, wrought out in Jesus a new fervor, a new boldness, a new confidence of ultimate victory which, as a source of holy joy, enabled Him to endure the cross and to despise the shame (Heb 12:2). In the disciples the scene must have wrought a new faith in the heaven sent leadership of Jesus. In the dark days that were soon to come upon them the memory of the brightness of that unforgettable night would be a stay and strength. There might be opposition, but there could be no permanent defeat of one whose work was ratified by Moses, by Elijah, by God Himself. Indeed, was not the presence of Moses and Elijah a pledge of immortality for all? How in the face of such evidence, real to them, however it might be to others, could they ever again doubt the triumph of life and of Him who was the Lord of life? The abiding lesson of the Transfiguration is that of the reality of the unseen world, of its nearness to us, and of the comforting and inspiring fact that "spirit with spirit may meet."

Let us explain some other meanings to the transfiguration. Christ was the central figure, the subject of transfiguration. Moses and Elijah appeared from the heavenly world as the representatives of the Old Testament, Moses represents the law and Elijah the prophecy, to do homage to Christ Who was the fulfillment of both: Law and prophecy. The close of the ministry of each was not after the common death of all men. No man knew of the tomb of Moses (De 34:6) and Elijah had passed away into heaven in the chariot and horses of fire.

+ (2Ki 2:11) Both were associated in Jewish minds with the glory of the coming kingdom of the Christ. The Jerusalem Targum (Ex 12:1) ... connects the coming of Moses with that of the Messiah. Another Jewish tradition predicts his appearance with that of Elijah. And now Moses the law giver and Elijah the chief of the prophets both appear talking with Christ the source of the gospel, to show that they are all one and agree in one.

+ St. Luke (Lu 9:31) adds the subject of their talk: "They spoke of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem." Among the apostles the three favorite disciples, Peter, James and John were the sole witnesses of the scene-- "the sons of thunder and the man of rock." The event itself. --The transfiguration or transformation, or, as the others call it, the glorification, consisted in a visible manifestation of the inner glory of Christ's person, accompanied by an audible voice from heaven. It was the revelation and anticipation of His future state of glory, which was concealed under the veil of His humanity in the state of humiliation. The cloud which overshadowed the witnesses was bright or light-like, luminous, of the same kind as the cloud at the ascension of our Lord.

+ The transfiguration served as a solemn inauguration of the history of the passion and final consummation of Christ's work on earth.

+ It confirmed the faith of the three favorite disciples, and prepared them for the great trial which was approaching, by showing them the real glory and power of Jesus.

+ It was a witness that the spirits of the lawgiver and the prophet accepted the sufferings and the death of Christ which had shaken the faith of the disciples as the necessary conditions of the messianic kingdom. As messengers from the eternal Majesty, clearly affirmed that it was the will of the Father that by His own begotten Son’s precious blood He should make atonement for sin. They impressed a new seal upon the ancient, eternal truth that the partition wall which sin had raised could be broken down by no other means than by the power of Christ’s sufferings; that He as the good Shepherd could only ransom his sheep with the price of His own life.

+ It provides us also a remarkable proof of the unity of the Old and New Testaments, for personal immortality, and the mysterious intercommunion of the visible and invisible worlds. Both meet in Jesus Christ; He is the connecting link between the Old and New Testaments, between heaven and earth, between the kingdom of grace and the kingdom of glory. It is very significant that at the end of the scene the disciples saw no man but Jesus alone. Moses and Elijah, the law and the promise, types and shadows, passed away; the gospel, the fulfillment, the substance Christ remains--the only one who can relieve the misery of earth and glorify our nature, Christ all in all.

+ Jesus showed His disciples the robes of his divine glory to demonstrate and testify the truth of his divinity; for his divine glory was an evidence of His divine nature, and a sign of the glory of His Church which He and His disciples, and all His faithful servants and followers, shall enjoy together in heaven.

+ The transfiguration of faithful Christians is accomplished by the renewing of the mind whereby, in absolute abandonment to the will of God, the disciple displays the mind of Christ as St. Paul stated (Ro 12:2) “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God”; and by that intimate fellowship with God, through which, as with unveiled face he beholds the glory of the Lord, he is "transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit" (2Co 3:18).

May God help us to transform and renew ourselves according to His will, and increase our faith every moment. Amen.