Matthew 17:1–9

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why did you choose that place? Natural beauty? Activities you enjoy doing? Nice climate? Friends or relatives to visit? Exotic vacation place? Resort get away for relaxation, away from the hustle and bustle of life; free from worries? Here we read about a place where the disciples visited that was so great they wanted to stay there forever.

¹And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.

²And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

³And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.

⁴And 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."

⁵He 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."

⁶When the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were terrified.

⁷But Jesus came and touched them, saying, "Rise, and have no fear."

⁸And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

⁹And 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."

It's good to be here! But where is "here"? Why was it good to be there? They were on top of a mountain. That's a great place if you like mountain climbing. Or perhaps it offered a beautiful view looking out over the Kidron Valley. Maybe it was peaceful there, away from the noise of the city and the crowds that constantly surrounded Jesus. What was so great about being there that the disciples wanted to stay?

It was a piece of heaven. For a brief moment the disciples experienced what it is like to be in heaven. For that short time, heaven bowed down and touched earth. And they were there! It offered a beautiful view—Jesus glorified, radiant as the sun. It was calm and peaceful—no distractions, noise, pushing crowds, be peaceful rest. They could visit friends—Elijah and Moses were there. There were no worries or cares—they were in the tents of God, under his protection, safe from harm or disease or death.

Then suddenly, when God spoke, they remembered they were sinful men, and being in the presence of God was terrifying. Until Jesus lifted them back up and calmed their fears. It is Jesus that by his death on the cross takes away our sins and brings us into the presence of God. He presents us to the Father as holy, spotless, without stain or wrinkle, all on account of his death on the cross where he paid for our sins. Jesus had gone to the worst of all places, to the cross, to death, and through the torments of hell in our place, all so that he can take us to heaven to live in the presence of God. That is heaven.

We live in the pit, at the bottom of the mountain, where our lives are in turmoil, we are filled with worry and anxiety. We are lonely, depressed, lost and confused. But Jesus invites us to heaven, he brings us into the presence of God, he lifts us back up and calms our fears. He gives us protection, safety from the storms and trials of life. He restores us to fullness of life. And he does it through his word which we proclaim to the world and through the Sacraments. Yes, in worship where we gather around God's word to hear and learn, and receive the Sacrament of Jesus' body and blood, we are in heaven, because God himself is present. It is good to be here!

It is good to be here! As Peter, James, and John stood on the mountain with Jesus, as they beheld him in all his glory as the Son of God, as they shared the company of Moses and Elijah, Peter exclaimed; "It is good to be here!"

But where is here? It must have been someplace very different from where we live. Then again, I suppose that a mountain top in Israel is very different from Aurora, Illinois, but that's not exactly what Peter had in mind. It is good to be here means this place is much better, far superior to where we live our everyday lives the world. For, as Jesus told the church in Pergamum, "I know where you live, where Satan's throne is." Yes, we too live where Satan's throne is. We live in this world that is Satan's kingdom. We live where sin and death rules. Satan rains down on us all the evil and devastation he is capable of. Here our lives are twisted and distorted by sin; we are slaves to sin; we are trapped by all that is wrong—by injustice, addictions, evil desires, sinful thoughts, greed, pride. Here relationships are broken; families torn apart; friends turned to enemies. If you look at yourself and don't like what you see, it is because we live where Satan has his throne. Our nature is corrupt and sinful, our personality twisted. Here all roads lead to death and destruction.

But on that mountain, Peter, James and John were somewhere else; somewhere good; somewhere where Satan's throne was not; where goodness and life ruled, where twisted and broken lives were fixed, where injustice was changed to justice, where men were freed from addictions, where thoughts and desires were pure, where hatred was turned to love, and where God's wrath was turned to peace.

That somewhere was heaven. Yes, for those few minutes heaven bowed down and touched that mountain top, and Peter, James and John stood in heaven. They were in the tent of the Lord; in the presence of God almighty, and, oh, how good it was to be there!

But who shall dwell in God's tent? Who shall dwell on the holy hill? (Ps 15:1). "He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart, who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend...he who does these things shall never be moved." (Ps 15:2-5).

That doesn't sound like any of us! That wasn't Peter or James or John either. And so, face to face with the almighty, the holy, infinite and just God, they fell on their faces and were terrified. The unholy cannot be in the presence of holiness. "No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house" (Psalm 101:7). "Man cannot see God and live." Only the blameless can dwell in the tent of the Lord; only the righteous can dwell on his holy hill. They were not blameless or righteous. We are not blameless or righteous. The appearance of the glory of the Lord is like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain. (Ex 24:17). It consumes all sin. The sinner may not approach or he will be devoured.

So along with Peter, we fall to the ground in fear. When we come into the presence of God, we must humble ourselves and confess our sin. We must, like beggars, plead for mercy. Or we shall be consumed by the fire of God's holy anger.

But it was Jesus who reached down and touched them and said, "Rise, and have no fear" (Matthew 17:7). It is Jesus who raises you from the dead. It was Jesus who poured his blood over you and washed you from your sins in Holy Baptism to make you blameless and righteous. It was Jesus who clothed you in his righteousness. It is Jesus who stands between you and God and was consumed by the fire of God's wrath on the cross. It was Jesus who turned the consuming fire of wrath to the purifying fire of God's love that burns in his heart for you. It is Jesus who lifts you up to heaven and you will say, "It is good to be here."

Where Jesus is, there is heaven. Jesus says, "Come to me and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28). "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink," (John 7:37). Today we come to Jesus in word and Sacrament: here is heaven. It is good to be here! When and where the word is preached and the Sacrament is offered is where Jesus is; it is where heaven bends down and touches the earth. Here we step out of the world where Satan's throne is and into heaven where Christ's throne is. It is good to be here!

This is the place where God dwells with his people and your soul takes refuge in the shadow of his wings (Psalm 57:1). Here he covers you with his pinions and under his wings you find refuge (Psalm 91:4). O Lord, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells (Psalm 26:8). I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever (Psalm 23:6). It is good to be here!

By the word of God we dwell in the tent of the Lord. Jesus is the tent. Jesus is our shelter. Jesus is "a mighty fortress," where we are safe from the storms of life, the troubles of mankind, the arrows of the devil and the flames of temptation. In Holy Communion we receive the body and blood of Jesus. But Jesus is alive. It is not a dead body. We don't just get a piece picked off a carcass as if we were eating a hamburger. We receive the living body and the living blood of Jesus. The same glorified body that the apostles saw on the mountain shining like the sun. We drink the living blood of Jesus that gives us life and washes away our sin. Jesus invites all who labor and are heavy laden to come. It is here in the Sacrament that he gives us rest. It is in the Sacrament that we behold that living and glorified body that the disciples saw on the mountain top. It is good to be here!

But the disciples could not remain there. They had to go back down the mountain to the place where Satan has his throne. We too, must leave this place and go back to the world of sin and death where Satan has his throne. In our world there is still evil, oppression, slavery, sin, poverty, injustice, addictions, illness, old age, and death. We must return to the dying world, but not as citizens of the world, rather as the children of God, bearing the image of Jesus, touching others with the healing love of God. We are not of the world, because we are now the children of God and heirs to the kingdom of heaven. Therefore we must return to that world in order to show them the way here; to lead them into the presence of Jesus where it is good to be. We must return to the world so that through our gospel invitation they can trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins. We must return to a hurting and dying world so that through our deeds of mercy we touch their lives, their bodies, their spirits with the love of Christ, to help the needy, to protect the weak and defenseless, to heal the sick, and to comfort the dying. Because, having been here, having beheld the glory of Christ in word and sacrament, we are being restored to the image of God. We do not leave here the same, but are renewed in faith in Christ and in love for our neighbor. It is good to be here, so that we can go and bring others to this good place.

And in the end, because we have eaten that same body shining as the sun, our bodies will be raised from the ground, and they too will shine as the sun.

As God declared "This is my beloved Son," so in Baptism he declares that you are his beloved sons and daughters. He adopted you in Baptism. "Beloved, you are God's children now, and what you will be has not yet appeared, but when he appears we shall be like him." (I John 3:2). You are being renewed in the image of Christ, and on the day when Jesus returns you will be like him totally. The image of God will be completely restored in you. You will share in the glory that the disciples saw on top of the mountain. You will shine like the sun. On that day, your sinful flesh will be purified, and no sin will reside in you anymore. On that last day you will be raised incorruptible. What is sown in dishonor will be raised in glory. What is sown in weakness will be raised in power. What is sown a natural body will be raised a spiritual body. Just as now you share the image of the man of dust, Adam, on that day you shall share the image of the man of heaven, Jesus Christ. (I Cor 15).

On that day you will be completely and entirely free from all sin and sickness. You will be completely restored in the image of Christ. You will be in heaven forever and you will shout with joy: "It's good to be here!"

Amen.