Reader Yevgraf Jakimowicz
The Transfiguration of Our Lord
Aug. 6 / 19, 2026
Holy Trinity Monastery
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit!
Dear brothers and sisters,
Today the Holy Church celebrates the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus Christ on Mount Tabor.
The accounts of the Transfiguration in the three synoptic gospels all begin the same way; “And after [this many] days, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and went up a mountain to pray …” The diligent listener will wonder, “after what?”
The preceding verses tell us of a conversation between Christ and His disciples—or more precisely between Christ and Peter, the other disciples being present—wherein Christ tells them that He must go to Jerusalem, and be rejected, and suffer, and die. In his zeal the chief disciple rebukes Christ, not desiring that his beloved teacher and master suffer injury, much less death. But despite his best intentions, Peter receives what may be the harshest censure ever delivered by Christ: whereas the merchants in the temple receive “den of robbers”, the Caananite woman is numbered among “dogs”, the scribes and Pharisees are called “hypocrites”, “blind guides”, “brood of vipers”, and, among others, even “sons of the devil”, with the exception of the price of darkness himself, Peter is the only one who ever receives the title “Satan”. Christ calls his most zealous disciple “Satan”; “Adversary”.
“Get behind me, Satan.”
And so, about six days later, he takes Peter, together with the sons of Zebedee, to Mount Tabor.
And being transfigured before them, there appeared with Him Moses and Elijah. We heard in last night’s canon,
The apostles from among those on earth, and Elijah the Tishbite from the heavens, and Moses from among the dead, stood before Thee, O Christ, as before [the Lord of earth], the Master of heaven, […], [and] the One Who hath dominion over the nether regions […]1
St John Chrysostom remarks2 that in addition to signifying His power over the living and the dead, the presence of Moses and Elijah served to vindicate His perfect innocence: Moses, who gave the law, vindicates Him against the accusation of having transgressed the law, and Elijah, exceedingly jealous for the glory of God, vindicates Him against the accusation of having usurped a glory not properly His. As for Peter, Chrysostom continues that the appearances of the two prophets show him “that [he] should be meek like Moses, and jealous for God like Elias, and full of tender care, as [he already was]”.3
But despite not yet having the time to reflect upon and understand what he saw, in that the persons of Moses and Elijah are conversing with his Master, Peter is given every reason to trust in the wisdom of Christ’s intentions. He fears the Master leaving him, but see how the Master summons Elijah from places far off? He fears the Master dying, but see how the Master demands the presence of Moses—a bodiless man in hell? He fears the Master suffering, but despite the exiles, threats of violence, betrayals, despite being hunted by this king or that queen, despite the heavy burdens and despondency incurred, all for the sake of the missions with which they were tasked, Moses and Elijah roughly ten centuries later appear on either side of Christ, continuing to do the will of God.
If for His purposes, the God Who made Moses “a god to Pharaoh”, and supported the words of Moses with plagues and clouds and pillars of fire, shall He not see His Will accomplished in Jesus Christ, to Whom even Moses ministers?
If for His purposes, the God Who vindicated Elijah against the priests of Baal, and sent down fire from heaven; Who worked through Elijah to raise the dead and brought Him away from the earth in a fiery chariot, shall He not see His Will accomplished in Jesus Christ, to Whom even Elijah attends?
Peter does not yet understand that when Israel fought against the forces of Amalek, and Moses stretched out his hands as if he himself were crucified, in doing so he called upon the power and grace of that very event which Peter so fears will come to pass. But he will. Peter will understand.
In the kontakion for the Transfiguration we hear “Thy disciples beheld Thy glory as far as they could bear it […] so that when they would see Thee crucified, they would know Thy passion to be voluntary”. In seeing their Master crucified, they would still be confused, and terrified, and despondent, and broken-hearted—but after having heard His words and seen the authority given Him from the Father, they could never conclude that the betrayal, the scourges, the blows, the mockery, the crucifixion, and death—was anything but the will and intention of their Master, and the “God [Who] was in [Him]”.4
But in the moment, seeing his Master converse with the prophets, Peter feels that he has to say something. He’s involved. “My Master”, he thinks, “didn’t take me here so I could gawk at signs and miracles. What do I do? What do I say? Certainly something positive.” And so, despite Christ’s previous censure, still being relatively sure that He doesn’t want his Master to die, Peter says, “It is good for us to be here”, meaning, “it is good for us to be on an isolated mountain, and more importantly, nowhere near Jerusalem”.5 How then, Peter might wonder, could he only manage to get Jesus to stay on this mountain for longer? And he proposes to Christ that they build three tabernacles—one for Christ, one for Moses, and one for Elijah—illustrating that he has failed to grasp the simplest reading of the sight he has just witnessed.
In Matthew’s gospel, Peter’s suggestion is not commented upon.
Luke adds, “not knowing what he said”
Mark adds, “he did not know what to say, for [he] was afraid”
Who replies? Does James comment on how impractical such a project would be? Does John rebuke him for speaking when it is better to keep silent? Does, Christ tell Peter that “the Law and the Prophets have only given witness to [Me], that it behove[s] [Me] to suffer, and to rise again from the dead the third day, and to enter into [My] glory”?6 No, they do not.
Instead, the God and Father replies out of “a bright cloud [which] overshadowed them: and behold [His] voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.”
Now these words do not seem to be a straightforward answer to Peter’s suggestion—but the presence of God in the cloud is the only answer He provides. Let us briefly call to mind to Moses at the end of Exodus, having defeated Amalek, having contracting the covenant at Sinai, and having built the Tabernacle. Exodus 40 reads,
Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.7
Much like when Christ answered the Jews, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up”,8 God answers Peter: here is My tabernacle, here is My earthly dwelling, here is My Mercy-seat, My Bread, My Incense, “my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him”.
In other words, hear His message. Submit yourself to the mission I have given Him. Peter is the one who offers the idea of tabernacles, but it is God Who says, “I already have a tabernacle, do not oppose the Sacrifice which must be offered in Him.”
And the close connection between the transfiguration and the cross is further shown by the Evangelist Luke when he writes, “Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem”.9
Which leaves us with only one question: why is He transfigured? Why does He show His glory to Peter, James, and John, if not to show them what he intends to give them?
In his epistle to the Philippians, the Apostle Paul writes,
[There are many that] are the enemies of the cross of Christ: […] [But] our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body.10
And likewise in his homily on the Transfiguration, St John Chrysostom writes,
the righteous shine forth as the sun; or rather more than the sun. [And thus] He chose by the known example to set forth the future brightness of the saints.11
It is for the Church that Christ accomplishes all things. It is for the Church that He reveals His glory on Tabor. It is for the Church that He divests Himself of His brilliant vesture—that He might give it to His Bride. Nothing but this can be understood in the baptismal service, when we sing, “Grant unto me the robe of Light, O Thou Who coverest Thyself with Light as with a garment…”12
Perhaps there be some that erroneously believe they can, to use a modern colloquialism, “have their cake and eat it too”. No doubt, Peter would have liked to. It is in that same spirit of Satan, no matter how well-intentioned, some of us ask “certainly, in giving us His garment, He can keep it, right?” or “He doesn’t have to take it off to give it to us, does He?”
But if you can understand Chrysostom’s call, “let us lay aside our filthy garments”, 13understand also the prophecy of Zechariah, “now Jesus”, he writes, “was clad in filthy garments”.14
Whose filthy garments? What filthy garments? “The filthy garments of my sins”, replies St Ambrose.15 “Our own sinful abominations”, answers St Dimitri of Rostov.16
In his own sermon on the Transfiguration, the godlike Augustine comments,
[you have heard] “He is the light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.” What wonder [then,] if the Church is signified by white raiment, when you hear the Prophet Isaiah saying, “Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow”?17
And when Christ ascends into Heaven, how is our Lord greeted by the angels?
“Who is this”, they ask, “and why are His garments red?”18
That is, “Who is this who has ascended into Heaven, as a man with a body, with wounds as the lawful recompense for sin, without a wedding garment?”
But the great catechist, St Cyril of Jerusalem, sees at Christ’s side another figure when he writes:
Angels shall dance around you, and say, “Who is this that comes up in white array, leaning upon her beloved”?19
The Master is vested in the scarlet of sin, and His bride, the Church, is vested in the white light of His transfigured glory, leaning upon her Deliverer, and Redeemer, and Bridegroom. Peter is loath to see the former, but His Master rebukes Him: not for his lack of zeal or lack of love, but because unless Jesus is vested in our filthy garments, unless He goes to suffer for debts He did not incur, He cannot give to His bride—including Peter—the robe of immortality. This is the Lord’s love: that He divested Himself of all He had for the sake of His beloved. This is the Lord’s desire: “That he might present [Her] to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that [she] should be holy and without blemish.”20
Peter stands in awe of the Transfiguration, but in accordance with Christ’s will, he fails to appreciate in the moment the answers he is receiving. He doesn’t comprehend that the Lord is preparing Him to teach the wisdom and necessity of that thing which he so fears will come to pass. But we know that he does come to understand, because it was he, and John who was there with him, and Paul who saw that same light on the road to Damascus, together with the other Apostles and Prophets, who have taught us to believe and confess this awesome and terrible thing. Peter, who so resisted the idea of the Lord’s sufferings, now addresses himself to us as “an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ”.21
And now, brothers and sisters, I offer you only that same exhortation that Peter has given to us, “But sanctify the Lord Christ in your hearts, being ready always to satisfy every one that asketh you a reason of that hope which is in you”.22 Receive the garment of His Transfiguration, and confess boldly that you are a Christian, that you have seen the True Light, that you have been saved by Him, and that “the God of all grace, who hath called us into his eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a little, will himself perfect you, and confirm you, and establish you. To him be glory and [dominion] for ever and ever. Amen”.23
- Doxasticon at Ode VIII of the Canon for Transfiguration ↩︎
- John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew ↩︎
- Ibid., Paragraph 3 ↩︎
- 2 Corinthians 5:19, KJV ↩︎
- Cf. John Chrysostom, Homily LVI on Matthew ↩︎
- Augustine of Hippo, Sermon XXVIII.5 ↩︎
- Exodus 40:34-35, KJV ↩︎
- John 2:19, KJV ↩︎
- Luke 9:30-31, KJV ↩︎
- Philippians 3:18, 20-21, KJV ↩︎
- John Chrysostom, Homily LVI.7 on Matthew ↩︎
- Troparion of the Baptismal Service ↩︎
- John Chrysostom, Homily LVI.8 on Matthew ↩︎
- Zechariah 3:3 ↩︎
- Ambrose of Milan, Sermon V on Psalm 118, paraphrase ↩︎
- Dimitri of Rostov, A Lesson on the Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ, paraphrase ↩︎
- Augustine, Sermon XXVIII.2 ↩︎
- Isaiah 63:1-2, paraphrase ↩︎
- Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lecture III.16 ↩︎
- Ephesians 5:27, KJV ↩︎
- 1 Peter 5:1, KJV ↩︎
- 1 Peter 3:15, DRA ↩︎
- 1 Peter 5:10-11, DRA ↩︎