In the Name of the Father and of the  Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord
and Savior sanctify you in the truth; for His word is truth. Amen
The Transfiguration of Our Lord (2014)
Tis Good Lord to be Here
Rev. Toby Byrd
Matthew 17:1-9 (ESV)
And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them
up a high mountain by themselves. [2] And he was transfigured before them, and his face
shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. [3] And behold, there appeared to
them Moses and Elijah, talking with him. [4] And Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good that
we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one
for Elijah." [5] He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a
voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to
him." [6] When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified. [7] But
Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear." [8] And when they lifted up
their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.
[9] And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, "Tell no one the
vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead."
Youth, is a glorious age! Looking around the Nave, seeing the faces of our youth, I cannot help
but impress upon them to make the most of their opportunities to lay a good foundation for life.
Grab every opportunity that presents itself to acquire a good education, both in school and in
college. Shun the influence of those who would lead you astray from your faith, forming instead
desirable friendships and associations that conform to your Christian training. Seek the most of
your opportunity in the church. Our Lord admonishes you to, “Remember also your Creator in
the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near of which you will
say, ‘I have no pleasure in them’” (Eccles. 12:1 ESV). Since our Lord conveys immeasurable
good to us through the church, we can truly say in the words of the text this morning: Tis Good
Lord to be Here!
St. Peter, as he witnessed the Transfiguration of our Lord Jesus, said; “Lord, it is good that we
are here” (v. 4). It is good that St. Peter, St. James, and St. John, this trio of disciples who
formed our Lord’s inner circle of the Twelve, were with Him on the top of that high mountain.
There Jesus was transfigured before them. His humble, human appearance was changed into one
of marvelous splendor. Through this divine event, our Lord Jesus gave His disciples a glimpse of
His true glory. Here, on that mountaintop, our Lord’s transfiguration is incontestable proof that
Jesus is the very Son of the Living God. When St. Peter confessed this to our Lord, it was a
confession made from faith, he did not ask for a sign; however, now, in the transfiguration, Jesus
certifies St. Peter’s confession. Moreover, He certifies the faith of St. Peter and through the
confessions of St. Peter and St. John, the truth of our Lord’s divinity is certified to others, that
although He was born of a virgin in human form, lived as a man among His people, He is, in
fact, the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Furthermore, as our Lord stood there in His full
divinity, Moses and Elijah appear and begin to talk to Him about His imminent suffering and
death for the redemption of men. Seeing and hearing all these things, St. Peter could not help
himself, he had to exclaim; “Lord, it is good that we are here!”
St. Peter uttered these words because of the glorious company that was with him, namely
Moses, Elijah, and Jesus. If you stop and ponder the situation for a moment, you, too, will see
that for that same reason it is good for you to be here this morning. Today, as were the three
disciples, you, too, are in the presence of Christ. Furthermore, as Moses and Elijah, two of God’s
greatest saints were with Jesus on the mountaintop, you, too, are in the presence of saints;
fellow-Christians. St. Paul affirms this when he reminds us, “you are no longer strangers and
aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph.
2:19 ESV). Therefore, it is good for you to be in the company of your fellow-Christians because
they are God’s own people. He says of Christians,: “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,
a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him
who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 ESV). Thus, it is good for
you to be in the company of fellow-believers who have the same faith, the same hope, and the
same God as you. It is good for you to enter the presence of our loving God each seeking the
same blessings that He is desirous to grant you; His forgiveness won for you by the atoning
sacrifice of His Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Moreover, as God blesses us through His Son, and the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit, He
also blesses congregations, communities, cities, and countries through the lives of His saints.
Christians make life in a community more commendable because they proclaim God’s Word,
Law and Gospel to a world dying from sin. Proclaiming the Law, Christians are God’s
spokesmen, opening the eyes of sinners to the depravity of their nature and the hopelessness of
overcoming their sin. Proclaiming the Gospel, Christians are God’s spokesmen, showing sinners
that not all is lost, that God offers a solution to the sinners problems; His Son, our Lord, Jesus
Christ’ death upon the Altar of the Cross. Through His Son’s life, death, and resurrection, all
mankind has been rescued from sin, death, and the devil, justified before God, reconciled to God,
and offered an eternal life of joy and bliss beyond our comprehension. When God gives a person
the gift of faith to believe in His Son’s sacrificial death as the source of their salvation, He calls
them to proclaim the love of God to men through His Son, Jesus Christ. Thus, today, you sit in
the presence of a host of saints called upon to herald the Good News of the Gospel. You are in
good company, Tis Good Lord to be Here!
However, the number one reason that it is good to be here; is because you are in the company
of Jesus. To be with Jesus—is that not our foremost need today and everyday? Too many believe
they don’t need anyone but themselves, but God has blessed you to know that without Christ you
are a lost and condemned sinner wandering a world filled with sin; a world which does not love
you, a world which desires to enslave you to its sinful ways. Ah, but you have been called and
given the gift of faith to believe in Christ and His atoning sacrifice which saves you from your
sin. Therefore, is it not good to be in the company of your Savior? He is your divine Redeemer
who poured out His life-blood into the dust of Calvary for your sake. He is the great Teacher,
who opens your heart to the Word of God, exposing the darkness of your sin to the Light of
Truth, thereby, lighting the path that leads to the doors of heaven. Do we need Jesus, more than
all the wealth and honors the world could ever offer?
Again, St. Peter said, “Lord, it is good that we are here” because of the conversation that took
place between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. St. Luke tells us in his Gospel account of the same
divine event that this was a discussion regarding the redemption of the world through the
vicarious atonement of Jesus. Therefore, Tis Good Lord to be Here in the Divine Service this
morning that we may also hear and listen to the same thrilling topic.
To be sure, we could select any one of a number of subjects to discuss from the pulpit; subjects
such as politics, world events, moral issues, how to feel good about yourself, how to stop
worrying, how to be prosperous, pragmatism, enthusiasm, and a host of human, earthly issues.
However, even as important as these subjects are for some, they are not important for your
salvation nor do they lead to your salvation. There is but one topic of importance when it comes
to preaching; “we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles” (1
Cor. 1:23 ESV). Christ crucified, where God, because of His Son’s atoning sacrifice, which
appeased God’s wrath against sinful man, poured out His grace upon all that they might be saved
from the fires of eternal damnation.
Seeing our Lord’s transfiguration and hearing Him speak to Moses and Elijah regarding His
suffering and death, the apostles are at first overwhelmed with its divine majesty. However,
when God spoke from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased;
listen to him” (v. 5) the apostles were frightened and fell on their faces terrified. However, our
Lord Jesus came to them and touched them saying, “Rise, and have no fear” (v. 7) then St.
Matthew tells us, “when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (v. 8). Today
and every Sunday when you attend Divine Service, you, too, see Jesus, “the founder and
perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the
shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:2 ESV).
Tis Good Lord to be Here, to be in Your presence, to hear Your words of invocation inviting us
to worship You and to receive Your gift of forgiveness. Tis Good Lord to be Here, to come to
the Altar rail and receive the true Body and Blood of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ in,
with, and under the Bread and Wine of Holy Communion for the forgiveness of our sins and the
strengthening of our faith. Tis Good Lord to be Here, to sing Your praises and petition You
through prayer. Tis Good Lord to be Here, to receive Your blessing through the pastor’s
pronouncement of absolution and the benediction. Yes, this is the place where those whom You
have made Your children, congregate in Your presence, witnessing through the eyes of faith,
Your Son’s divine presence while receiving Your outpouring love through His unselfish
sacrifice, which brought us Your forgiveness and eternal life.
Each Sunday we are grateful that we can come and be in Your presence. Thus, we say with the
Psalmist; “One thing have I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the
house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in
his temple” (Psalm 27:4 ESV). Grant us heavenly Father, and all who worship You, this simple
plea: to seek after You all our days, to be among those who also seek after You, and to dwell in
Your house for all eternity.
Yes, Lord, it is Good to be Here, for today you have strengthened us to be witnesses of Your
transfiguration through the gift of faith which comes from hearing the preaching of the Gospel,
His holy and Saving Word (Rom. 10:17). Thus, we ask, for all who are here that they would
seek the most of the opportunity You have given them through Word and Sacrament, while
blessing all who are gathered here today with Your outpouring love and a lifelong desire to
tabernacle with you forever. Amen.
May the Peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ
Jesus. Amen