Luke 18:33Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The wise Paul testifies to this truth, saying in his time, “For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead.” And he also states, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.” Therefore, let not those who were responsible for His crucifixion grow arrogant, for He did not remain in the grave, having all authority as God. Instead, they should grieve for themselves, having been complicit in the murder of the Lord. Thus, the Savior addressed the mourning women: “Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but for yourselves and your children.” It was inappropriate for them to lament for Him who was destined to rise from the dead, thereby abolishing corruption and challenging the power of death; it was far more suitable for them to weep over their own afflictions.

Jesus had earlier assured them in Galilee that, as a reward for their sacrifices and toil, they would be judges of Israel, seated on twelve thrones. This promise, infused with profound spiritual implications yet taken literally by the disciples, fueled their hope that this final journey to Jerusalem would herald the commencement of the Messiah's reign as the Passover approached. The public's mood toward civil and religious change, particularly the widespread admiration for Jesus, further filled their minds with joyous thoughts.

However, as their dreams faded and they confronted the harsh realities of their situation—their vulnerability, poverty, and the power and malice of their adversaries—they were overwhelmed by confusion and fear. Their hearts trembled as they walked, gripped by anxiety. This state of fear could not escape the notice of the Heartbreaker. Recognizing that their fear stemmed from uncertainty and ignorance of the future, He felt compelled to clarify once more what they had failed to grasp until now: that in Jerusalem, He was not destined for a throne, but for a cross. This cross, however, would not thwart God's work or His mission; rather, it would bring salvation to humanity and glory to Him that far exceeded any earthly honor they could envision. Hence, calling the disciples closer to Him and distancing Himself from the other travelers, the Lord proclaimed: “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn Him to death, and hand Him over to be mocked, scourged, and crucified, and on the third day He will rise again!”

Such clear and detailed foretelling of His fate had never been spoken before. In these words lay the essence of the soon-to-come events, encompassing both the profound sorrow and the tremendous hope contained within them. “Our Master will soon face betrayal, condemnation, torture, and death; yet He will rise again in glory; therefore,” the disciples must have thought, “what purpose does it serve for us to dwell on unfulfilled aspirations of His earthly kingdom or to fear for Him and our own safety? The divine plans must unfold!” Yet, contrary to these considerations, the disciples failed to draw any such conclusions from His prophecy; in fact, as the Evangelist testified, they did not grasp even a single word of His message. “And they understood nothing of these things: and this word was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.” The level of their incomprehension is astonishing, as we, who find it challenging to immerse ourselves fully in the mindset and emotions of Jesus' disciples, struggle to relate. They had never envisioned, as was the common belief, that the Messiah would suffer death, let alone in the horrific manner foretold by Christ—by crucifixion. Rather, they anticipated, day by day, the unveiling of His glorious reign. With sincere hearts, they could not comprehend His words as they were meant to be understood.

To illustrate this, consider a scenario in which someone close to a king hears that the monarch favors him as his heir. After multiple affirmations of the king's support, this friend learns that corrupt individuals would subject him to humiliation, suffering, and death despite the king's ongoing love and intentions. Would this friend easily believe such a prediction? Or would he risk interpreting the message allegorically, especially knowing his friend’s tendency for parables? The same was true for the apostles: they likely interpreted the Master’s words through a lens of metaphor unknown to them. But what then is the purpose of the Lord's prophecy regarding His suffering and death? It holds significance despite their misunderstanding. Furthermore, it was later revealed that the God-Man foresaw the grim realities of the cross and had the power to avoid it, yet chose to embrace death willingly for the sake of humanity. Moreover, some of the disciples, at the onset of the Master's suffering, would recall this prophecy and, witnessing its tragic fulfillment, would find encouragement in anticipating the joyful aspect of the promise: the glorious resurrection of the Lord. Is it not through this very forecast that St. John would later find inspiration, demonstrating remarkable courage amidst the trials and death of Jesus, surpassing even the bravery of his fellow disciples?

This may have diminished the fear of danger that lingered in the hearts of the disciples and perhaps ignited their hopes for the Messiah's kingdom. The Lord then took aside His closest disciples, the twelve, to forewarn them about the trials that awaited Him in Jerusalem. He revealed that He would be handed over to His adversaries and specifically to the Sanhedrin, which would condemn Him to die. However, they would not execute the sentence themselves; instead, they would turn Him over to the Gentiles, the Roman authorities governing Judea. The Gentiles would not immediately carry out the Sanhedrin’s judgment but would first mock Him, flog Him, spit upon Him, and subsequently bring about His death. The Lord emphasized that all of this was necessary to fulfill the Scriptures, and He concluded with the promise that on the third day, the Son of Man would rise from the dead (a state less than that of Lazarus in the tomb).

However, unlike that previous occasion when He reassured them (John 11:9-10), this time the Lord takes aside the twelve and provides them with a clear and unmistakable prophecy regarding the suffering and death that awaited Him in Jerusalem. By offering such a poignant foreshadowing of His impending agony and demise, Jesus precedes them, thereby instilling courage in His followers and exemplifying His readiness to face death when the time arrived.

It is noteworthy that the disciples “understood nothing” of the Lord's foretelling of His death and resurrection: “these words were hidden to them, and they did not understand what was said.”

As they progressed on their journey, amidst the grief-stricken crowd walking in silence, Jesus summoned the twelve apostles and expressed to them, “Your fears are not unfounded; indeed, we are on our way to Jerusalem, where all that the prophets have prophesied regarding the Son of Man will come to pass: They will hand Him over to the Gentiles, mock Him, insult Him, spit on Him, scourge Him, beat Him, and eventually kill Him; yet on the third day, He shall rise again.” This was not the first occasion on which He shared such revelations, but, as before, they were unable to grasp His words. Through Peter, they acknowledged Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, yet they could not fathom how the Messiah, the Son of God, could face death. If He could indeed die, it raised the troubling question: how could He rise again? Should Jesus die, then He would not be the Messiah or the Son of God. This left the apostles grappling with unanswered questions; the truth of His words eluded their understanding.

They would condemn Him to death and hand Him over to the Gentiles, who would mock and scourge Him, and for the first time, He revealed the horrifying truth that He would be crucified, yet He assured them that He would rise again on the third day. However, the disciples were still preoccupied with their earthly hopes of the Messiah; their minds were consumed with visions of the Kingdom of God in all its glory, leading them to overlook His prophecy entirely. Their lack of understanding was further evidenced by a selfish and poorly timed request from some of the disciples during this journey, highlighting that even those closest to Him had yet to grasp the enlightening truth of the Gospel (Matt. 20:20-28, Mk. 10:35-45).