This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

In our readings from Tuesday, and Wednesday, we were given themes of the kingdom of God, in preparation for yesterday (Thursday) which was the celebration of the Feast of the Ascension (Matthew 28:16-20).  Today's reading takes up where Monday's left off, in which we read that, as Jesus was alone praying, His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  so they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and raised on the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and In His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   Our reading today describes the event called the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμόρφωσης/Metamorphosis) after the appearance-altering effect of the brilliant holy light seen by the disciples surrounding Jesus' person, His face, and His clothing, in which even His robe became white and glistening.  These three disciples form Jesus' inner core of His closest disciples, the ones referred to as the "pillars" by St. Paul), the ones whose faith was the strongest.  This event is a theophany, or a revelation of God.  Additionally, the communion of saints is revealed in the appearance of Moses and Elijah, known and recognized by the disciples in this experience.  Christ's decease (in Greek, ἔξοδος/exodus; literally, "departure") refers to His death.  My study Bible comments that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, for Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  In the liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church, my study Bible points out, the Feast of the Transfiguration (August 6th) comes forty days before the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14th), showing the connection between Christ's glory and His Cross.  That the term exodus is used here in the text is an expression revealing Christ's Passion as a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  Additionally, this revelation of divine power confirms that Christ's upcoming death was not imposed on Him by outside forces, but is a voluntary offering of love.  My study Bible comments that no arresting soldier could withstand such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).  

 

 But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Peter senses that the Kingdom is close at hand, and knowing that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, he suggests building tabernacles for Christ, Moses, and Elijah as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Again, the glory of Christ is a revelation of the divine reality present.  My study Bible further notes that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- as he didn't experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence, it says, shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  

 

 While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Here, finally, the Holy Trinity is manifest here, as Christ is transfigured and revealed in the brilliant holy light, the Father speaks from heaven testifying to Christ's sonship, and the Spirit is revealed in the form of the dazzling light which surrounds Christ's person, and overshadows the whole mountain.  The bright cloud recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present, as my study Bible notes.  

 

Everything about this extraordinary witness tells us about the presence of the Kingdom, even in our midst.  This transfiguration of Christ is, in fact, a revelation of a reality so deep that it is, in fact, timeless.  Our own experience of time doesn't apply to this experience of the disciples, for as we can read, Moses and Elijah, although living in completely different historical times both from one another and from Christ and the disciples, appear and are immediately recognizable.  All is present here at once, and the knowledge of each person is present to the others as well.   In this sense of a timeless eternal reality, it's understood that the Father's declaration, "This is My beloved Son," indicates that the divine glory witnessed by the disciples is Christ's by nature.  That is, as my study Bible puts it, from eternity past, infinitely before Jesus' Baptism and Transfiguration, He is God's Son, fully sharing in the essence of the Father.  As God is light (1 John 1:5), the bright cloud, the alteration of His appearance, and the white and glistening quality of His clothing, testify to the same.  Thus in the Creed of the Church we can say He is "Light from light, true God of true God."  It's these experiences and stories we're given that define the theology of the Church.  In the hands of the Church Fathers and Mothers, they became tools and prisms through which we have come to know and to understand Christ, and our faith, to the extent that we do.  This would include our understanding that so much of the reality of the kingdom of God is a mystery, and we approach through mystery and the sacraments.  Let us understand that what we're given -- what's revealed to us -- holds so much more than we know.  But it's given to us through the apostles and the life of Christ so that we may find our faith and seek to know and understand. 

 

 

 

The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil

 

 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee.  But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 

- John 7:1–13 

In yesterday's reading, Jesus continued His discourse to the religious leaders, giving them four witnesses to His identity as the Son:  "I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me.  If I bear witness of Myself, My witness is not true.  There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the witness which He witnesses of Me is true.  You have sent John, and he has borne witness to the truth.  Yet I do not receive testimony from man, but I say these things that you may be saved.  He was the burning and shining lamp, and you were willing for a time to rejoice in his light.  But I have a greater witness than John's; for the works which the Father has given Me to finish -- the very works that I do -- bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me.  And the Father Himself, who sent Me, has testified of Me.  You have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His form.  But you do not have His word abiding in you, because whom He sent, Him you do not believe.  You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life and these are they which testify of Me.  But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.  I do not receive honor from men.  But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you.  I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive.  How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God?  Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you -- in whom you trust.  For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me.  But if you do not believe his writings how will you believe My words?"

 

  After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.  The lectionary skips over chapter 6 of John's Gospel, in which Jesus taught about Himself as the Bread of Life, giving an extensive foundation for the Eucharist.  It will return to chapter 6 after next week.  So these things is a reference to the many events in chapter 6 which further alienated Christ from the religious leaders, and even from many of His followers.  Once again, the term the Jews here, as is most often the case in John's Gospel, is a reference to the religious leadership and not to the people.  The author of this Gospel was also a Jew, as was Jesus, His disciples, and indeed all the people we read about, with exceptions which are usually clearly specified.

Now the Jews' Feast of Tabernacles was at hand.  The Feast of Tabernacles (called Sukkot in Hebrew) is an eight-day autumn harvest festival.  It is a commemoration of the time when Israel wandered in the wilderness of Sinai, and the people lived in tents, or tabernacles, sometimes referred to also as booths. Together with Passover and Pentecost, my study Bible explains, this was one of the three most important festivals of the ancient Jews.  It included many sacrifices and celebrations (Leviticus 23:33-43).  In later times, it also included on the final day of the feast the drawing of water from the pool of Siloam (referenced in this chapter).  This water was mixed with wine and poured at the foot of the altar, both as purification and in remembrance of the water flowing from the rock that Moses struck (Exodus 17:1-7).  Additionally on the final, eighth day, there was the lighting of the great lamps in the outer court of the temple, commemorating the pillar of light that led the Israelites, and illuminating the whole city of Jerusalem.  All of these will be reflected in Jesus' preaching and the events of this chapter, which will cover eight days during this festival.  It is now the final year of Christ's earthly life.  Throughout this festival, He will teach in the temple and attract a great deal of public attention, as we will see. 

His brothers therefore said to Him, "Depart from here and go into Judea, that Your disciples also may see the works that You are doing.  For no one does anything in secret while he himself seeks to be known openly.  If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."  For even His brothers did not believe in Him.  Then Jesus said to them, "My time has not yet come, but your time is always ready.  The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil.  You go up to this feast.  I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet fully come."  When He had said these things to them, He remained in Galilee. Jesus' brothers could be any number of extended family or kin.  In Scripture, and still today across the Near and Middle East, "brother" is used this way.  Abram called his nephew Lot "brother" (Genesis 14:14); Boaz spoke of his cousin Elimelech as his "brother" (Ruth 4:3); and Joab called his cousin Amasa "brother" (2 Samuel 20:9).  My study Bible explains that Christ Himself had no blood brothers, for Mary had only one Son: Jesus.  These "brothers" are either stepbrothers (sons of Joseph by a previous marriage), or they are cousins.  As further evidence of this, we look to Jesus committing the care of His mother to John at the Cross (John 19:25-27).  In the context of the culture, had Mary had other children to care for her, this would have been unthinkable.  

But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, "Where is He?"  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, "He is good"; others said, "No, on the contrary, He deceives the people."  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.   Not openly, my study Bible explains, means not with a grand, public entrance as on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-16).  We can see already the effects of Jesus' public appearance at the festival.  We see that right from His arrival, the religious leaders seek Him.  There are those who think He is good and others who believe that He deceives the people.  But no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the religious leaders, among whom there are those who already sought to kill Him (verse 1, above).

 

 What a controversy Jesus stirs up!  It is now the final year of His life, but already His preaching and teaching -- even before He arrives at this festival -- has stirred an enormous amount of controversy and extreme opinions, from those who are devoted to Him as disciples to those who already seek to kill Him among the religious leaders.  From the text of this Gospel, we may deduce that such opinions run the gamut of interest and passionate debate.  Note that such discussion among the people must be done in a hidden or secret way, for fear of the religious authorities, adding to the atmosphere of controversy and danger.  This tells us something important about truth, related to what we read in the beginning of John's Gospel.  John 1:4-5 tells us about the Son, the Logos (or Word), "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."  That darkness that neither understands nor can fully "take in" or overcome the light of truth and life also resists, and it does so voraciously.  If we think about this in these metaphoric terms, we know that light extinguishes darkness altogether, and makes it disappear.  So it is with those who resist or fight Christ's truth.  So identified with whatever darkness cannot stand in that light are they, that they must fight tooth and nail, even to the death, to extinguish the light for their perceived survival.  So much so, that they feel they must seek to kill Him because He poses a threat to their way of life.  We can see this with truth of different levels in our world, society, communities, and families.  Secrets that some wish to keep hidden, because they cover up things that are wrong, become a type of shibboleth -- depending upon how dearly we cling to lies we think are necessary for us.  There have been elements in my own life that the light of Christ has exposed to me, made necessary for me to identify, and change, and from which to distance myself.  Some of these have been very hard and painful processes, but in the end there is the necessary trade off for what Christ offers instead.  So it is with those who seek to kill Christ.  We also see the depth of controversy that inescapably surrounds Him, which include rumors, misunderstandings, and in the long dynamic of the Church and religious controversy, a host of heresies that continually come to light and must be addressed.  This is a process that began long ago in the earliest Church and continues now. Jesus says to His brothers, "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it that its works are evil."  Sometimes, simply by bearing His light as best we can, we also give such testimony.  St. Paul compared discipleship with the struggles of an athlete competing for victory in a race.  Let us be prepared for our own race, our own good fight of faith.

 

 

 

 

 

And when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.   The event described in today's reading is called the Transfiguration, as Christ's appearance is altered.  My study Bible calls this occasion a theophany -- meaning a manifestation of God, especially of the divinity of Christ, through a display of His uncreated, divine energy.  The light reflected in all aspects of the visual display to the disciples is seen as a heavenly light, rather than light of an "earthly," created origin.   Jesus' face takes on a different appearance (just as it did in His post-Resurrection appearances to His followers; such as in John 20:14), and His robe became white and glistening.  As God is light (1 John 1:5), my study Bible says, so the light reflected here expresses that Jesus is God. 

 

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.   My study Bible notes that Christ's decease (Greek εξοδος/exodus; literally meaning "departure") is a reference to His death.  It says that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, as Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  In the liturgical cycle of the Orthodox Church, the Feast of the Transfiguration is August 6th, coming forty days before the feast of the Holy Cross (September 14), showing the connection between Christ's glory and His Cross.  This term exodus used here reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover; it is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation, liberation.  Moreover, my study Bible adds that this revelation of divine power confirms that Christ's coming death was not imposed on Him, but is a voluntary offering of love.  No arresting soldier could have withstood such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).   Additionally, there is the presence of the kingdom of God here.  My study Bible remarks that Moses represents the law and all those who have died.  Elijah represents the prophets and -- since he did not experience death -- all those who are alive in Christ.  Their presence declares that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  This also manifests the communion of saints (Hebrews 12:1).  Both men are immediately known by the disciples, and they speak with the Lord.  Now the disciples will be able to understand Christ's word that "Elijah has come already" (Matthew 17:12) as referring to John the Baptist.  They will understand that Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6) refers to one who comes "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17) rather than to Elijah himself.  

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Peter sees Christ's glory, and the appearance of Moses and Elijah (whom he recognizes) as a sign that Christ's Kingdom has come.  He knows that the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast of the coming Kingdom, and so asks to make three tabernacles, as at that feast, as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. The cloud recalls temple worship and the cloud that went before the Israelites in the wilderness, the visible sign of God being extraordinarily present, my study Bible says.  It notes that the dazzling light surrounding Christ gives us the presence of the Holy Spirit, coupled with the Father's voice bearing witness to Christ as God's beloved Son, makes an appearance of the Holy Trinity.  My study Bible asks us to observe that the Father doesn't say, "This has become My beloved Son," but rather "This is My beloved Son," which indicates that Christ's glory is His by nature.  From eternity past and infinitely before Christ's Baptism and Transfiguration, He is God's Son.  He fully shares in the essence of the Father.  Thus the Creed declares Jesus is "Light of Light, true God of true God."

What is glory?  Let us think about this word.  The disciples, when they became fully awake, saw His glory.  Certainly Christ's glory shows in the divine light completely surrounding His entire person, reflected in His white and glistening robe.  The text says that Moses and Elijah also appeared in glory, and so this glory indicates a heavenly origin, a sign of holy presence.  If we look at the word "glory," we see it connected not so much with an appearance such as radiance but rather with a reality surrounding a person in a different sense.  In its core definition, the Greek word (δοξα/doxa) means opinion (in a good, positive sense); Strong's also gives the definitions of praise and honor.  So Christ's glory appears evident, manifesting as something visibly real -- most certainly in the glistening light that seems to have surrounded this whole mountain, including Moses and Elijah and the cloud that overshadows the disciples like the one that led the Israelites through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21-22).  Perhaps this is a glimpse of what it is to be in the presence of the Kingdom, to dwell that much "closer" to God -- we would be able to perceive glory, those things that are praise and honor in some sort of visible sign, perhaps of light.  Certainly the halos we see in depictions of Christ and the saints and angels teach us something about that.  Perhaps there are those with a sort of "heavenly" sight who view these things about certain people, and we may think, easily, that Christ and our angels who watch over us can see all these things about us.  The notion of the Kingdom being so much more visibly present, almost palpable in the ways that the disciples grasp without being told that they're in the presence of Moses and Elijah, hearing the voice of God and seeing the cloud, all tell us about the reality that dwells within the Kingdom which is not always so visibly close to us, but remains with us and within us nevertheless (see Luke 17:20-21).  Perhaps to be closer to the Kingdom, or even to dwell in that Kingdom, means that we will see what is unseen and usually invisible to us.  Like Abraham and his wife who "entertained angels unawares" (Hebrews 13:2), we may be living and interacting with those who have a glory we can't see or perceive, honor and praise from the only God, who truly sees (Genesis 16:13).  Let us consider all the things that may truly be present to us, of which we are yet unaware, and the glory that shone around Christ, which He shares with His saints and those who carry the Kingdom within and among them.

 

 

And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered; and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen. 

 

- Luke 9:28-36 

 

Yesterday we read that it happened, as He was alone praying, that His disciples joined Him, and He asked them, saying, "Who do the crowds say that I am?"  So they answered and said, "John the Baptist, but some say Elijah; and others say that one of the old prophets has risen again."  He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  Peter answered and said, "The Christ of God."  And He strictly warned and commanded them to tell this to no one, saying, "The Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day."  Then He said to them all, "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world and is himself destroyed or lost?  For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father's, and of the holy angels.  But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the kingdom of God."

 

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered; and His robe became white and glistening.   The event which we read about today is called the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμορφωσις/Metamorphosis).  This "altering" of His appearance is a transfiguration.  The specific type of change here gives us a sense of what is being revealed, for this is what is called a theophany, a revelation of God.  In particular this indicates the divinity of Christ, through a display of His uncreated, divine energy.  The white and glistening light from His robe is not a reflection of the sun, but a showing forth of something that is natural to Christ Himself.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus asked the disciples, "But who do you say that I am?" and St. Peter confessed, "You are the Christ of God."  Here, my study Bible points out, several elements of the Transfiguration show that Christ is Messiah and God.  Let us note that this is about eight days after that confession of Christ, and also Christ's first warnings to the disciples about His Passion to come.  This is one hint about what is revealed here, for often the Resurrection is referred to as the eighth day, the beginning of a new kind of life, a new time.  Because God is light, my study Bible says, the light all around demonstrates that He is God.  

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah give us the communion of saints (Hebrews 12:1), all those who live to Christ.  Moses represents the law and all those who have died; while Elijah represents the prophets and -- as Elijah did not experience death (2 Kings 2:11) -- all those who are alive in Christ.  My study Bible comments that their presence shows that the law and the prophets, the living and the dead, all bear witness to Jesus as the Messiah, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament.  There is a lengthy note on what is translated here as Christ's decease.  In Greek this word is exodus/εξοδος which literally means "departure" or "road out."  It refers to Christ's death.  My study Bible says that His death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, because Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  The term "exodus" reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and that it is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.  My study Bible adds that this revelation of divine power confirms that Christ's death will not be imposed upon Him by outside forces, but will be a voluntary offering of love -- no arresting soldier could have withstood such glory if Christ had not consented (Matthew 26:53).  And this will be the understanding that the disciples take with them.  

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Note that Moses and Elijah are recognizable to Peter, also affirming the communion of saints in Christ.  My study Bible tells us that these aspects of the Transfiguration are seen by Peter as confirmation that the Kingdom has come.  He knows that the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, which incidentally takes place this week) is the feast of the coming Kingdom, and so he asks to build tabernacles (also called booths, or tents), as was done at that feast, to serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  This event makes possible the understanding of John the Baptist as one who came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" at the time of the Messiah (Luke 1:17), rather than a return of Elijah himself, which many expected as an interpretation of Malachi's prophecy (Malachi 4:5-6).  

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  Finally, the Holy Trinity is manifest here at the Transfiguration.  The Father's voice is heard from heaven testifying to Christ's divine sonship, and the Spirit is present in the form of the white and glistening light surrounding Christ's person, and the cloud overshadowing the whole mountain. 

The Transfiguration presents us with a kind of "fullness" about who Christ is.  This event, occurring about eight days after Peter's confession, and Jesus' affirmation that He is the Christ, together with His prophesy of His Passion, more fully reveals what it is to be the "Christ of God" (see yesterday's reading, above).  We're given a theophany, a revelation of God.  And this is God in a complete sense -- not that all possibilities and manifestations of God are present in explicit detail for the disciples, but that God the Holy Trinity is here, Jesus revealed as divine Son is here.  These are all stunning and vivid images that the disciples will take with them as they proceed together with Jesus toward Jerusalem and His Passion.  This vision will sustain them through what will unfold, and it informs the experience of the Passion from the correct point of view -- giving to the disciples, and to we faithful who follow, the correct picture of Christ's voluntary sacrifice, His defeat of death and sin, and the power of the Cross.  For it is not only Christ who is transfigured in this event, but this event defines the very power of Christ in our world.  His death on the Cross will forever transfigure death and suffering, turning the most dreaded instrument of the Empire's punishment into a symbol of Resurrection and the power to conquer evil.  Transfiguration is the very act which characterizes Christian faith, for redemption and salvation have the effect of transfiguring us, the divine power of God helping us internally to turn away from sin, to become transfigured in the image of Christ into those faithful who may produce spiritual fruits (Galatians 5:22-23).  The revelation we're given through the Transfiguration gives us the fullness of the picture of Christ's identity, which we must take with us through His Passion, death, and Resurrection -- especially through His suffering on the Cross.  We can take away from Him neither His humanity nor His divinity, for both inform us of His voluntary suffering on our behalf, His willingness to lay down His life for His friends (John 15:13), and His Ascension through which our humanity becomes a part of heaven, preparing the way for the end of the age.  Let us consider His transfiguring power in us, for this is part of the work of faith in the One revealed to us.  

 

 

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.

- Luke 9:28-36

Yesterday we read the final passage in Matthew's Gospel, in commemoration of Ascension Day in the West (which will be celebrated on June 6th in the Eastern Orthodox Church).  After Christ's appearance to the women at the tomb (Matthew 28:1-10), the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them.  When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.  And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.  Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."  Amen.

 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray.  Today's reading follows in sequence the reading from Monday (see Who do you say that I am?).  In that reading, the disciples made their confession of faith (through Peter) that He is the Christ, and Jesus also revealed to them His suffering that is to come, and spoke of each one who would be His follower taking up his or her own cross daily.  Eight days is symbolic of what is called the "eighth day"; that is, the day of the Lord's Kingdom, the day we commemorate His Resurrection.  In the early Church, Sunday was frequently referred to as the "eighth day."

As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening.  God is light (1 John 1:5), and the presence of an extraordinary light permeated this transfiguration experience is a sign of the presence of God, and a revelation that Jesus Himself is God.

And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.  Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, and also the communion of saints.  (Note that they are immediately known to the disciples without any apparent communication.)  Moreover, Moses represents all those who have died, while Elijah, who did not experience death, represents those who are alive in Christ.  Jesus' decease (which is literally the word exodus, meaning "departure" in the original Greek) refers to His death, which He has just predicted to His disciples (see Monday's reading).  My study bible says that Christ's death is intimately connected to the glory of the Transfiguration, for Christ is glorified through His death (John 12:23).  It adds that the Greek term exodus reveals that Christ's Passion is a fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and is the true exodus from enslavement into salvation.

But Peter and those with him were heavy with sleep; and when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men who stood with Him.  Then it happened, as they were parting from Him, that Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles:  one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah" -- not knowing what he said.  Peter's slightly inchoate response to what he was witnessing makes sense in terms of the associations he has made between his perception of the presence of the Kingdom and the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the feast of the coming Kingdom, during which Israel's time in the wilderness was commemorated, when the people dwelt in tents (or tabernacles) and the Lord's presence went with them in the tabernacle of worship.  The tabernacles at the feast serve as symbols of God's dwelling among the just in the Kingdom.  Note again the presence of glory; light pervades this whole experience upon the mountain.

While he was saying this, a cloud came and overshadowed them; and they were fearful as they entered the cloud.  And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My beloved Son.  Hear Him!"  When the voice had ceased, Jesus was found alone.  But they kept quiet, and told no one in those days any of the things they had seen.  This is a manifestation of the Trinity, or what is known as a theophany.  Christ is transfigured and revealed as divine and beloved Son, the Father speaks from heaven, testifying to Jesus' identity, and the Spirit is present in the form of the cloud and the dazzling light which surrounds Christ and overshadows the whole mountain.  When the voice had ceased, Jesus is found alone, just as He appears in worldly form.  But these disciples will not forget what has been revealed to them here.

It's interesting to think about the small, closed circle of disciples to which the Transfiguration (Metamorphosis in Greek) has been revealed, and the eventual revelation to all of this event.  In going up to the mountain in the first place, Jesus takes only His closest circle of disciples, Peter, John, and James.  These are the disciples with the strongest faith, the same ones He took with Him for the resurrection of Jairus' daughter at a time when all others were ridiculing Him because she was dead (see this reading).  It reminds us of Jesus' teaching, given in quite another context (as a warning to His disciples against hypocrisy) that "there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore whatever you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have spoken in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the housetops" (12:2-3).  In that case, Jesus was warning the disciples against the "leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."  But the same saying applies to that which is revealed in today's reading of the Transfiguration:  the mysteries of the Kingdom may be initially revealed to very few, but what is given is the truth which is eventually revealed to all, and for all in the edification of the Church.  In his second Epistle, St. Peter writes about the revelation in today's reading, saying, "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.' And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit."   In the "light" of today's reading, we are also reminded of the shepherds of Bethlehem in Luke's second chapter, and the appearance to them of an angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord that shone all around them, and the good tidings of great joy for all people given to them (see Luke 2:8-20).  What is given by the Spirit finds its way for the illumination of all, and the help of the whole of the body of the faithful, past, present, and future.  In this we should take great heart and great hope, because the light that shines for one who may be truly illumined by God is meant for all those faithful who will profit by it, and with whom it may be shared.  In this we take our own glory and understanding, for we also are in turn so gifted.  Let us rejoice (as the shepherds were told) in this light that shines in a dark place, as St. Peter puts it, the light that we are promised and given today through the revelation of Transfiguration.  It is given to us all, and we who follow as disciples also seek in this example our own transfiguration, or metamorphosis, in His light.  So may we all find ourselves and our true identities in His way.