Luke 9:21Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

His complete conquering of death, the destruction of destruction, the vanquishing of hell, the overthrowing of the enemy's tyranny, the removal of the world's sin, the opening of the heavenly gates to those who dwell on the earth, and the uniting of heaven and earth are all evidence of His divine nature as previously stated. Thus, He instructed them to maintain silence regarding this mystery until the entire plan of salvation had reached its appropriate fulfillment. It was then, upon His resurrection, that He commanded the revelation of this mystery to be announced to all people, demonstrating to everyone the justification through faith and the redemptive power of holy baptism. He declared: “All authority has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth: go, teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, and teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” For Christ abides with us, and within us through the Holy Spirit, residing in the hearts of all believers; to whom, and with whom, may God the Father be glorified, along with the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen.

This pattern is evident in Paul’s journey, as he exclaimed, “But I do not desire to boast, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 6:14).

Consider why, as stated in Matthew’s Gospel, the disciples were instructed to refrain from revealing that He is the Christ (Matthew 16:20). Here, it reiterates that He commanded them to keep silent regarding His suffering and resurrection. All essential truths are captured within the single name of Christ. He is the One conceived by a virgin, performed miracles among people, died for our transgressions, and rose again. If any of these truths are omitted, the gift of salvation is lost. Many, even heretics, claim to possess Christ, as no one refutes His name. However, one who fails to confess all aspects of who Christ is cannot be said to truly affirm Him. Thus, for various reasons, He instructed the disciples to be silent, aiming to confound the ruler of this world, discourage pride, and teach humility, so that His disciples, still inexperienced and imperfect, would not be burdened with the weight of significant preaching.

Now let us examine the rationale behind His command for silence regarding unclean spirits. Scripture has revealed this as well, as the Lord questioned a sinner, “Why dost thou preach My statutes?” (Psalm 49:16). Such admonition serves so that those listening to the preacher might not be misled by falsehoods. The devil is an unworthy instructor; he often substitutes truth with false claims, disguising deception as truth.

Let us also explore whether this was the first instance in which He instructed His disciples not to disclose His identity as the Christ, or if He had previously done so when He appointed the twelve apostles. He directed them: "Do not go the way of the Gentiles, nor enter the cities of the Samaritans, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel... Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons" (Matthew 10:5-6, 8). Here, they were not reprimanded for preaching about Christ, the Son of God.

The sequence of our argument aligns with the principles of interpretation. As Gentiles are called into the Church, we must sequentially present the commandments, first highlighting that the Creator of the universe and everything within it is one God. This is supported by the apostle Paul's preaching in Athens (Acts 17:24-31), affirming that “in Him we live and exist and move... for we are indeed His offspring” (Acts 17:28), compelling us to love Him, not only for the gift of life and light but for all humanity as well. Then, one must dismantle the prevailing misconceptions surrounding idols, emphasizing that materials like gold, silver, or wood lack inherent divine power. Once one is convinced of monotheism, it is essential to illustrate that salvation is available through Christ, beginning with His works in the flesh and alluding to His divine attributes, underscoring that He is more than merely human. Demonstrating that He alone triumphed over death and rose from the abyss provides a gradual increase in faith; upon recognizing His superiority over humanity, people will acknowledge Him as God. If the supernatural power within Him cannot be established, how then can His mighty works be validated?

But perhaps our voices lack sufficient authority or credibility? In that case, consider the sermon Paul delivered to the Athenians. Had he initially sought to eradicate idolatry, the Gentiles might have rejected his message. Thus, he began by proclaiming the one God, the Creator of the universe: “God, who made the world and everything in it” (Acts 17:24). They could not contest the existence of a singular Creator; hence, Paul asserted that it was inappropriate for the Lord of heaven and earth to reside in temples built by human hands, and it was utterly implausible to contain the power of divinity within lifeless materials of gold or silver. To combat delusion, he pointed to the need for repentance. Subsequently, he introduced Christ not as God yet, but as a man, asserting that God provided assurance to all by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:31). During discussions, it is crucial to consider the disposition of the audience; otherwise, they may mock rather than listen. Would the Athenians have accepted that the Word became flesh (John 1:14) and that the Virgin conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-38) if they scoffed at the notion of resurrection? Nonetheless, Dionysius the Areopagite and others embraced belief in Him as the Man (Acts 17:34) and ultimately recognized Him as God. The order of belief does not detract from validity; initial disbelief does not preclude eventual affirmation of perfection. This exemplifies the method Paul employed in teaching the Athenians, establishing a model for us to follow with Gentiles.

In contrast, when the apostles spoke to the Jews, they presented Him as the Christ foretold through the prophets’ words. Initially relying solely on their authority, they highlighted Him as the Man of testimony, the righteous Man, the Man raised from the dead (Acts 2:32-36; Acts 3:14; Acts 13:23-30), aligning with the prophecy: “Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee” (Psalm 2:7). Similarly, strengthen faith by scriptural authority when encountering beliefs that may seem challenging; affirm that prophecy foretold His coming and validate His resurrection through Scripture. The resurrection was not merely the general resurrection of all people but a testament to His eternal divinity. By illustrating the decay of all other bodies at death, we can demonstrate that the One declared, “Thou shalt not let Thy Holy One see corruption” (Psalm 15:10), stands apart from human mortality, confirming His divine nature and allowing for comparison with God rather than man.

Yet, if you seek to deepen your understanding, recognize that He alone can be compared to God. When one prepares for the sacraments, it must be evident that there is one God, from whom all things are, and one Jesus Christ, through whom all things exist (1 Corinthians 8:6). They cannot be regarded as two Lords. Perfect is the Father, perfect is the Son, yet both share one essence. The Son is the eternal Word of God, originating from the Father without being spoken. Thus, the apostles were restricted from proclaiming the good news of Him as the Son of God, allowing them to subsequently share the gospel of Him who was crucified. Herein lies the pinnacle of faith: truly understanding the cross of Christ. I have no use for any other crosses; only Christ’s cross has true significance for me—through it, the world is crucified to me, and I to the world (Galatians 6:14). If the world is crucified to me, I recognize it as dead, and I do not cherish it; I see that the world is transient, and I do not yearn for it; I understand that decay will ultimately consume the world, and I reject it as foulness; I guard against it as a threatening illness, abandoning it as a blight.

Not all can swiftly comprehend that salvation has been offered to the world through the cross. Using Greek history, prepare them to consider the plausibility of such an idea. Paul sometimes engaged nonbelievers by referencing verses from pagan authors (Acts 17:28), dismantling the falsehoods of poets. Recall instances from Greek history where the sacrifice of individuals led to the salvation of entire armies or nations. For example, Codrus, the Athenian king, sacrificed his life for their victory over the Dorians, and Iphigenia, Agamemnon’s daughter, was offered up before the campaign against Troy. Within our own Scriptures, it is noted that “the blood of goats and calves and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh” (Hebrews 9:13). It is written that the death of one can remove the plague that results from human sin. Whether such occurrences can be rationally explained or viewed as divine providence, they serve to help listeners have greater faith in the cross of Christ. Ultimately, they may find it easier to accept our teachings when they see that they cannot refute their own historical narratives.

No human being, not even Enoch nor Abraham, was capable of bearing the sins of the world in their entirety; even Isaac, though offered, escaped death (Genesis 22:11-13) because he lacked the power to eradicate all sin. Which person could truly be so exceptional that through them all transgressions would cease? Thus, not a single individual from the people, but the Son of God, was chosen by the Father. He is above all, thus He could offer Himself for all. It was fitting for Him to undergo death so that, being more powerful than death, He might liberate others, enabling those who were helpless amidst the dead to find freedom (Psalm 87:5). He offered liberation not through human intervention but solely through Himself, obtaining genuine freedom as He rejected the captivity of sinful desires and remained unbound by death itself.

It became evident that it was not the Jewish people, once chosen by God, but the Apostles who were destined to spread Christ's message to the entire world. This small assembly of followers would be empowered to triumph over worldly challenges. As He bid farewell to the Apostles during the Last Supper and prepared for the Cross, Jesus assured them, ‘Be of good cheer: I have overcome the world’ (John 16:33). Therefore, at the moment when Peter, representing all the apostles, expressed his belief in Jesus, it was unnecessary and futile to make this faith known to others.

Although His mission in Galilee essentially reached its end, it was not completely finished, having faced immense challenges that hindered its advancement. He could indeed return and preach there, as He had done, but His opponents relentlessly pursued Him, rendering effective ministry amid such opposition nearly impossible. He needed to complete His task, which required Him to journey to Judaism’s capital. Having embraced the Messianic role, He was now called to declare it openly within the stronghold of His adversaries. Acknowledging that death awaited Him, He understood this demise was anticipated in God’s eternal plan as a profound expiation for humanity’s transgressions. Prematurely announcing the forthcoming significant event of His formal recognition as Messiah could not occur yet. It was crucial for the apostles to grasp this monumental truth, while the populace remained encumbered by their established beliefs. He was to be presented to the people as the crucified and resurrected Savior rather than solely as the Jewish Messiah, which was not feasible until all was fulfilled. Furthermore, the apostles lacked a clear comprehension of the divine design for salvation, making them susceptible to potential misuse by the Jews for insurrectionary purposes. The necessity to keep this vital truth concealed was so significant that He strictly instructed His followers not to disclose what transpired between them. However, the notion of a suffering Messiah was so foreign to prevailing beliefs that it became essential to clarify to the apostles the impending calamity in Jerusalem, which Christ had anticipated from the start but was now nearing its realization. He needed to convey that this catastrophe was part of God’s wise Providence in establishing a new spiritual kingdom. Some scribes during Christ’s time were familiar with the idea that the Messiah would endure suffering and death, derived from well-known passages in the prophet Isaiah about the servant of God bearing our iniquities. However, this concept did not gain widespread acceptance and directly contradicted the views of the general populace. Consequently, Christ methodically prepared the apostles for the impending anguish of His death, revisiting this somber topic regularly to gradually instill this distressing truth—so contrary to their preconceived notions—into their hearts and minds. He sought to reassure them that it aligned with the divine purpose of His kingdom. Although He had broached this subject before, He now spoke unequivocally, illuminating the Scriptures they knew, similar to His later discussion with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, explaining how “Christ must suffer and enter into His glory” (Luke 24:26, Matthew 16:21-28, Mark 8:31-38, Mark 9:1, Luke 9:22-27). Challenging deeply rooted beliefs is never straightforward, as it necessitates not only intellectual acceptance but also a shift in will. Until that point, their understanding hadn’t braced for such a revelation, and even now, as proven multiple times, they were often reluctant to abandon their biases to grasp what seemed peculiar and dissonant. Regardless, they could not overlook their Master’s cautions, despite the difficulty of reconciling them with their own convictions. “He began to reveal to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day rise again.”