A Basic Introduction:The Feast and Story of The Transfiguration of Jesus as Understood in Modern Christianity

The Feast of the Transfiguration, on August 6th, is an annual celebration observed by Catholic, Anglican, and some Protestant ministries in Western Christianity. It is also celebrated in Eastern Orthodox Christianity. However, in the Orthodox view the Transfiguration is not only a feast in honor of Jesus, it is also one in honor of The Holy Trinity as well. The feast of the Transfiguration is celebrated in the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as well, which is a part of The Oriental Orthodox Christian Church in Ethiopia. The Feast commemorates what many Christians in these churches consider to be the highest point of Jesus' earthly life, when he was "transfigured" by a brilliant white light at the top of a mountain and proclaimed to be the well-loved Son of God from a heavenly voice.

The Origins of the Feast

The Feast of the Transfiguration is said to have been founded by Saint Gregory the Illuminator, some time in the early third century, AD. It is said that the Feast took the place of an earlier pagan ritual known as "roseflame", as Christ's transfiguration was also similar to a flaming rose. The Feast was relatively slow to be adopted by the majority of churches, though most took up the practice by the 15th century.

The Story of the Transfiguration

According to the Gospels of Luke (9:28-36), Mark (9:1-8), and Matthew (17:1-6), the Transfiguration occurred when Jesus traveled to the top of a mountain to pray with three of the Apostles, Peter, John, and James. Upon reaching the summit, Jesus was transfigured, his entire body being filled with a shining white light, as though his person were filled with clear fire.

Moments later, the prophets Elijah and Moses appeared to either side of Jesus, and began to speak with him of his burden and impending death. Then, a blazing cloud appeared overhead, and a voice spoke from heaven (typically taken to be God), saying that Jesus was his beloved son, in whom he was well pleased. After the event was over, Jesus asked the three Apostles to keep the occurrence a secret until the Son of Man rose from the dead.

Interpretations of the Transfiguration

Generally speaking, the primary significance of the Transfiguration exists in the light which shines from Jesus' body on the mountaintop, which is typically held to be a sign of his internal divinity fully manifesting itself in the material world. It is also the second time he is called a beloved son by a heavenly voice, the first being when he is baptized by John the Baptizer. As a result of these events, the Transfiguration is considered the turning point between Jesus' prophetic ministry and priestly (or divine) ministry or the turning point between his birth and ascension.

For hundreds of years, the Transfiguration was considered to be a literal occurrence. In recent centuries, however, the event has come to be seen as an allegory by some Christians, with Elijah and Moses representing the Law and the Prophets, respectively, symbolizing the fulfillment of Jesus' words in Mathew 5:17:

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (NIV--New International Version Bible)

In effect, Jesus, standing between the Law and the Prophet, became the fulfillment of both in the eyes of God, as evidenced by the commendation of the voice from the clouds.

The popular conception is that the mountain on which the Transfiguration occurred is Mount Tabor, a mountain in Israel west of the Sea of Galilee. Mount Hermon is also sometimes raised as a possible sight, but is considered an unlikely option because it would have been snow-covered and hard to travel at the time of the Transfiguration, and the Gospels make no mention of snow.

For Christians around the world, the Transfiguration remains an important observance. It is a chance to reflect upon the glorious divinity of Christ made manifest in the material world.

Photo Credit: The Transfiguration by Lodovico Carracci, 1594, depicting Jesus, the prophets Moses and Elijah and the apostles Peter, John and James.

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