Could anything be more wonderful? They are talking with the Lord about His death. How striking a theme on that mount of glory! These two men are conversing with Jesus as to His death, while they at the moment see Him glorified. Marvelous mystery! He told them, as He had told His disciples a few days before, that He must die. Why die? Because there is no way for you and me into God’s presence except through death. There is no life for you and me except by death; not our own death, but the death of One upon whom death had no claim, and who was going down to die for God’s glory, to destroy the power of Satan, and to deliver and redeem man. And Moses and Elijah were talking with Him about His death. And do you know what you and I will do in heaven? We shall always be talking either with Him, or about Him, and about His death.

What is the song of Revelation? “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood” (Rev. 5:9). Eternal paean of the redeemed! “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends” (Jn. 15:13), yet Christ has laid down His life for us when we were not His friends but were opposed to Him, and when we did not love Him. Could you honestly say that you have loved Jesus? No! Then learn this, Jesus loved you, and He went down into death for you; and therefore death is the basis and groundwork of salvation. It is by His death that our redemption is accomplished. It is by His death that sin is put away. It is by His death that Satan’s power is broken, and by which you and I are brought to God. It is only by His death, nothing but His death.