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1. What they spake of none could Divine, unless it had been told us, and the Evangelist Luke telleth us, that it was of His death. This argument was chosen —

(1) Because it was at hand. The next solemn mediatory action after this was His death and bloody sufferings; after He was transfigured in the Mount, He went down to suffer at Jerusalem.

(2) This was an offence to the apostles that their Master should die (Matthew 16:22, 23).

(3) This was the Jews' stumbling-block (1 Corinthians 1:23).

(4) This was prefigured in the rites of the Law, foretold in the writings of the Prophets.

(5) It was necessary that by death He should come to His glory, of which now some glimpse and foretaste was given to Him.

(6) The redemption of the Church by Christ is the talk and discourse we shall have in heaven. The angels and glorified saints are blessing and praising Him for this (Revelation 5:9, 12).

(7) It is an instructive pattern to us, that Christ in the midst of His Transfiguration, and the glory which was then put upon Him, forgat not His death. In the greatest advancement we should think of our dissolution. If Christ, in all His glory, discoursed of His death, surely it more becometh us, as necessary for us to prevent the surfeit of worldly pleasures; we should think of the change that is coming, for "Surely every man at his best estate is vanity" (Psalm 39:5). In some places they were wont to present a death's head at their solemn feasts; merry days will not always last, death will soon put an end to the vain pleasures we enjoy here, and the most shining glory will be burnt out to a snuff.

2. The notion by which His death is expressed, His decease ἔξοδον, which signifies the going out of this life into another, which is to be noted.

(1) In respect unto Christ His death was an "exodus," for He went out of this mortal life into glory, and so it implieth both His suffering death, and also His resurrection (Acts 2:24).

(2) With respect to us; Peter (2 Peter 1:15) calls His death an "exodus." The death of the godly is a "going out," but from sin and sorrow, to glory and immortality. The soul dwelleth in the body as a man in a house, and death is but a departure out of one house into another; not an extinction, but a going from house to house.

3. The necessity of undergoing it. "Accomplishing."(1) His mediatorial duty, with a respect to God's ordination and decree declared in the prophecies of the Old Testament, which, when they are fulfilled, are said to be accomplished. Whatsoever Christ did in the work of redemption was with respect to God's will and eternal decree (Acts 4:28).

(2) His voluntary submission which He should accomplish, noteth His active and voluntary concurrence; it is an active word Dot passive, not to be fulfilled upon Him, but by Him.

(3) That it was the eminent act of His humiliation; for this cause He assumed human nature. His humiliation began at His birth, continued in His life, and was accomplished in dying; all was nothing without this, therefore there is a consummation or perfection attributed to the death of Christ (Hebrews 10:14).

(T. Manton, D. D.)

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KJV: And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias:

WEB: Behold, two men were talking with him, who were Moses and Elijah,