“Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here.”
Any Bible student will readily realize that Peter, James and John were on the Mount of Transfiguration where Jesus was transfigured before their faces. Here they got a view of the Glorified Christ.
Peter gives us a commentary in 2 Peter 1:16-18. Here Peter relates what he, James and John saw in Matthew 17:1-5 as to the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peter said, “(We) were eyewitnesses of His Majesty.” He also said they heard a voice from heaven where He received Honor and Glory from the Father. Peter said this is a sure and certain witness. We saw and we heard. What Peter, James and John saw was Christ in His Second Coming in Power and Glory; Hebrews 9:28b, “…and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Then Peter said in Matthew 17:4c, “…Lord, it is good for us to be here.” Why is it good for the child of grace to be in Christ’s presence as King of kings and Lord of lords?
1) First Moses was there representing the Law. The Law has been fulfilled in Christ. Christ came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfill the Law, which He did. He kept every jot and tittle of the Law. He satisfied the demand of the Law. (He that sinneth shall surely die.) We all sinned in Adam (Romans 3:23), so death (spiritual) passed on all mankind (Romans 5:12; 6:23). The law is not given to give life (Galatians 3:19, 24; 2:16) (Romans 3:24-28). But to point us to Christ, that we might be justified (or declared righteous) by Faith; that is by Christ, Who is the Faith (Galatians 2:16).
Therefore, Christ paid the penalty of the Law (Isaiah 53:1-12) (Romans 3:24-28;5:1-21) (2 Corinthians 5:21) suffering the eternal punishment for our sins through being our Substitute, the Sinless Sacrifice; wherein God was satisfied with Christ being the full payment for our sin debt. So it is good for us to be in the presence of our Glorified Lord. Our presence in His Glory is proof of our justification for it reveals that Christ is victorious over death, hell and the grave; being raised from the dead proving Him to be “…the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:4). When this knowledge comes into your spirit by the Power of the Spirit of God, then you have peace “with God” (Romans 5:1). You know that your standing before God is in Christ and His Atoning Work at Calvary and not resting on your works in keeping of the law for your eternal salvation.
2) Elijah was there with Peter, James and John in Matthew 17:1-4. Elijah represented the prophets that foretold of the sufferings of Christ and the Glory that should follow (1 Peter 1:11). Christ is “that” prophet that Moses spoke of that was to come (Acts 3:19-28). Paul relates to us in Hebrews 1:1 that God “spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets.” But in verse 2, “Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son.”
Christ is the fulfillment of all revelation of the Glory of God (2 Corinthians 4:6) (John 1:1-3, 14, 18). So in “that” prophet, or in Christ, we have the Glory of God revealed to us in the face of Jesus Christ. It is good to be in the very presence of the Revelation of the Glory of God. It is the knowledge of God. Proverbs 9:10b, “…and the knowledge of the holy is understanding.” That is in Christ we can see and enter into the Kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5). When we are born again we have the capacity to see, understand and perform the Words of Christ. We are illuminated with truth by the Spirit of Truth as He implants the Knowledge of God and reveals truth to us. Peter said in (2 Peter 1:2) “Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” Secondly, Peter states in verse 3, “According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue (moral excellence).”
So, as we have the knowledge of God given to us, we learn of grace, peace and all things that pertain to life and Godliness. Therefore, it is good for us to be here – that is, in a position of justification or righteousness before God and be illuminated with the Knowledge of God. That is, you now know Him by experience. You can see or perceive that He is your Savior, your Salvation, your life, your Hope of Glory. Yes it is good to be in the Presence of the Lord of Glory, the King of kings. It is good to rest in His Finished Work of Redemption and to know that you are a possessor of Faith. To know that the Spirit of Truth dwells in you and has sealed you, “Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1:14)
Yes we have a down payment of our inheritance in Christ. Yes it is good to be in His Presence, for here we have peace and understanding.
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