The Light of Tabor

In recounting the Transfiguration, the Apostle and Evangelist Matthew specifies: “Six days later.” This is not merely a chronological detail, but a reference to another Gospel event, without which it is impossible to understand the context of the feast—the confession of faith by the Apostle Peter at Caesarea Philippi. At that time, Christ asked His disciples whom the people considered Him to be, and Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). In response to these words, the Savior revealed Himself in divine glory on Mount Tabor. Christ’s appearance in glory opens up an eschatological perspective: on the Day of Judgment, He will appear in glory, and the righteous will shine like Him.

The choice of the three apostles as witnesses is no coincidence. St. John of Damascus writes: “He took Peter to show that Peter’s testimony is confirmed by the Father’s testimony… He took James, as the one who was to die for Christ before all the other apostles… He took John, as a virgin and the purest vessel of theology.” The appearance of Moses and Elijah was also providential. Once, when Moses received the Law from God on Mount Sinai and came down from the mountain, the people could not look upon his face, so radiant was it after his communion with God. However, as Saint Gregory Palamas notes, Moses’ transfiguration “arose from the influence of God’s power upon him and was, so to speak, of a passive nature,” whereas “our Lord Jesus Christ possessed this radiance within Himself.”

At Caesarea Philippi, in response to Christ’s question, the apostles said that some people regarded Him as John the Baptist, others as Elijah, and still others as Jeremiah or one of the prophets. In Old Testament times, Moses and Elijah were revered as embodiments of the prophetic ministry. Their appearance on Mount Tabor was meant to confirm the truth of Peter’s confession: Christ is not Moses, not Elijah, and not a prophet, but God Himself, as attested by the Father’s voice: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” These words link the Transfiguration with the Epiphany. There, at the Jordan, the Father also testified that Jesus is His beloved Son.

Upon seeing the Lord transfigured, the apostles did not want to leave the mountain. This is also connected to the profession of faith. Then Christ told His disciples that they would kill Him in Jerusalem. Filled with the joy of the Transfiguration, Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it is good for us to be here.” With these words, he seemed to be asking: “Don’t go down there, to the crowd thirsting for miracles and bread, to the Pharisees and scribes seeking Your death—let’s stay here, in joy.” The apostle’s desire is understandable, but it serves as a rebuke to us: do we feel the same joy in the church, or are we drawn downward, toward worldly vanity?

We have quoted the Holy Fathers and discussed the dogmatic meanings of the Transfiguration—but has it remained for us merely one of the Gospel narratives? The Gospel is our life in miniature. Baptism and the cross on our chest—that is our Christmas. The realization that Christianity is impossible without sacrificial love—that is our Easter. When we understand that faith is not just about rituals, we, like the apostles, go out to preach personally, sharing our experience of communion with God. This is our Pentecost. The result of this journey must be our own transformation—becoming like God.