Luke 9:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Delve into the significance of this analogy, and you will notice that it seems to preclude any form of death except the cross. Why is that? Only Paul, who was granted access to the heavenly realm and heard inexpressible truths, can shed light on this... Paul alone can unravel this mystery of the cross, as he partially did in his letter to the Ephesians, where he states: 'May you be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height, to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God' (Eph. 3:18-19). It is not coincidental that the apostle's divine insight encounters the image of the cross; rather, this indicates that this vision, enlightened from the shadows of ignorance, has discerned the profound truth — for in the four arms emanating from a common center, he perceives the encompassing power and wondrous providence of Him who chose to reveal Himself to the world through it. Thus, the Apostle attributes specific names to each segment of this figure: he refers to the downward part as the depth, to the upward part as the height, and the two horizontal parts as the breadth and length. By this, it seems evident that he intends to convey that everything within the universe, whether in the heavens above, the depths below, or across the earth from one side to the other, exists and is sustained by the Almighty under the shadow of the Cross. You too can contemplate the divine aspects within your own soul by gazing up toward heaven while envisioning the underworld, stretching your thoughts from one corner of the earth to the other, and considering that mighty center which unites and encompasses all things. Then you will conceive the form of a cross in your spirit, stretching from top to bottom and from one end of the earth to the other. The great David also envisioned this form when he expressed, ‘Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend to heaven (this is height), You are there; if I make my bed in hell (this is depth), You are there; if I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea (this represents longitude), even there Your hand shall lead me’ (Psalm 139:7-10). Do you recognize how David portrays the outline of the cross? 'You are,' he acknowledges, 'the One who is everywhere, the One who unites all things within Yourself, and holds all things together; You are above and You are below, with Your hand ever-present to guide me.' The holy Apostle explains that, at the culmination of all things filled with faith and knowledge, He who is exalted above every name shall be honored and worshipped in the name of Jesus Christ, whether in heavenly realms, on the earth, or in the depths below (Eph. 1:21; Phil. 2:10). The mystery of the cross is also veiled in another aspect, which we might consider with its upper transverse line, stronger than the heavens and more enduring than the earth, of which the Savior proclaimed: Heaven and earth will pass away, but one jot or one stroke shall by no means pass from the law (Matt. 5:18). These Divine words seem to indicate, in a mirror-like fashion, that through the image of the Cross, all that exists in the world is encompassed, and that it is eternally more enduring than all that resides within it. Therefore, when the Lord spoke of the necessity for the Son of Man to die, He did not merely say to die, but to be crucified, revealing to those with the deepest understanding of theology that within the cross is concealed the all-powerful force of Him who rested upon it and decreed that the cross should prevail in all things.

The gravity of this trial was already evident; the announcement of His sufferings deeply troubled the disciples, who struggled to accept the notion of their Master, recognized as the Messiah, enduring such anguish. Despite their awareness of His enemies who conspired against His life, they hoped for a dramatic shift where He would soon reveal Himself in the full glory of His Messianic authority. Yet, in the midst of their expectations, the Lord asserted that His path must include suffering and death. In response, Peter, embodying the feelings of the apostles, implored Him, "God be merciful to You, Lord; let it not be so." This statement reflected his friendship, affection, and loyalty. However, the Lord admonished Peter, indicating that there was a hidden, satanic element in his words, suggesting an unintended temptation and a desire to divert Him from His God-appointed mission—akin to how Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness with suggestions that would bypass the divine plan. The Lord rebuked Peter sharply, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan," indicating that he posed a temptation because he focused not on God’s will but on human desires. This stern admonition was necessitated by the understanding that Peter’s words were, in essence, a distance temptation to Christ, and thus the Lord had to vehemently reject it, especially as it contrasted with His sinless nature. Mark further illustrates this moment by stating that Jesus spoke these words after turning to look at His disciples, revealing that Peter’s thoughts and feelings were reflective of all the apostles.

His endeavors in Galilee were effectively complete, even if not entirely fulfilled, as they faced significant challenges. He could return and preach there, as He had indeed done before, but nothing would counteract the fierce conspiracy of His adversaries who pursued Him relentlessly. To finish His task, He needed to head to the heart of Judaism, having embraced the Messianic role, and now required to declare it openly before His opponents in their stronghold. Aware that only death awaited Him, He understood that this death had been foreseen in the eternal counsel of God as a profound atonement for humanity’s transgressions. Any announcement concerning the monumental event involving the formal recognition and acceptance of His Messianic title would be premature. It was vital for the apostles to grasp this significant truth, but for the moment, the people were to remain in their established beliefs. He was to be proclaimed to the masses as the crucified and resurrected Savior rather than the Jewish Messiah, which could not be done until the appropriate time arrived. Moreover, the apostles themselves did not yet possess a clear understanding of God’s salvific plans, and the Jews could exploit this proclamation for rebellious endeavors. It was so crucial to keep this profound truth hidden for the moment that He instructed His disciples firmly not to disclose to anyone what had transpired between them. Yet, the concept of a suffering Messiah was so foreign to prevailing views that it became necessary to elucidate to the apostles the impending catastrophe in Jerusalem, which Christ had foresaw from the start but was now nearing its fulfillment, emphasizing it as part of God’s wise Providence in establishing a new spiritual realm. Some contemporaneous scribes recognized the notion that the Messiah would endure suffering and death, referencing well-known passages from the prophet Isaiah about the suffering servant bearing our iniquities; however, this idea lacked widespread acceptance and directly contradicted the popular perceptions of the people. Consequently, Christ began methodically to prepare the apostles for the agonies of His impending death, addressing this sorrowful topic whenever possible so that the troubling truth, which clashed with their established beliefs, might gradually settle into their spirits, allowing them to understand that these events were in accordance with the divine design of His kingdom. He had spoken of this before, but now He eliminated all ambiguity, articulating with utmost clarity, undoubtedly referencing Scriptures they were familiar with, as He later did in His conversation with the disciples on the road to Emmaus, explaining how ‘Christ must suffer and enter into His glory.’ Disrupting a deeply entrenched belief is never simple, as it requires convincing both the intellect and the will. Up to this point, their minds had not been conditioned for such a shock, and even now, as evidenced on multiple occasions, they were often too hesitant to relinquish their preconceived notions to grasp what appeared so foreign and illogical. Nevertheless, they could not overlook their Master’s warnings, no matter how challenging it may have been to reconcile these with their own perspectives. ‘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.’

While the profound mystery of the cross was not yet fully disclosed, the foretelling of the suffering and demise of their beloved Master deeply affected and astonished Peter more than anyone else. Unable to reconcile his human understanding, Peter believed that suffering for Christ, whom he had just recognized as the Son of God, was unwarranted and out of character. He was correct in what had been revealed to him, but failed to grasp the salvific significance of the God-Man's suffering and death that remained hidden from him. The Lord discerned the true source of Peter's mindset, as "the adversary wished that Christ did not suffer" (St. John Chrysostom). Thus, addressing His disciples with a firm rebuke, He said, "Get behind Me, Satan; you are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men." St. John Chrysostom comments that Christ referred to him as Satan not to humiliate the Apostle but to illustrate that Peter's words were not genuinely his, but rather so foreign to his true self that he, although he was Peter, could be labeled as Satan without offense.