And all were astonished at the mighty power of God. But while all wondered at all the things he did, he said to his disciples: Lay you up in your hearts these words, for it shall come to pass that the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.
θεσθε υμεις εις τα ωτα υμων τους λογους τουτους ο γαρ υιος του ανθρωπου μελλει παραδιδοσθαι εις χειρας ανθρωπων
9 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 10 commentaries
Jesus, stepping away from the crowd, addresses His disciples, instructing them to “put all these things, miracles and words about miracles, into your ears.” Why does He say this? Because He has been betrayed and nailed to the cross, so that when they witness His crucifixion, they won't assume it is a result of His inability. The One who performs such divine miracles could not merely be defeated through crucifixion.
To ensure that the teachers of the entire world grasp His mystery with precision, He wisely and necessarily reveals it to them in advance, stating, "Put these words on your hearts, for the Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." The motivation behind Christ’s statement is a significant theme for our reflection. Subsequently, He took Peter, James, and John up a mountain, where He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun, revealing to them the glory with which He would eventually present Himself to the world. He will not arrive in a state of humiliation like us, nor in the humility of humanity, but with the majesty and splendor of divinity, shining in transcendent glory.
Moreover, upon descending from the mountain, He liberated individuals from evil and oppressive spirits. He was indeed destined to endure suffering for our salvation, facing the malice of the Jews, as the steward of His mysteries declares, "by the grace of God to taste death for every man." Consequently, when this occurred, it is understandable that the disciples were troubled; in their innermost thoughts, they might have questioned, “How can He, so glorious and with the power to raise the dead, who commands the seas and winds, and defeats Satan with a single word, now be captured and ensnared by these murderers? Have we mistaken Him for God? Have we lost the true understanding of His nature?” The dismay of those who were unaware of the divine mystery that Jesus Christ would suffer crucifixion and death is evident from Peter’s response. Although he had not yet witnessed the Passion, he had heard about it beforehand, and he interrupted Jesus, saying, "This is far from Thee, Lord; it shall not be to Thee." Hence, to prepare their hearts for what was destined to transpire, He instructed them to keep the mystery in their minds: "For lay it," He commands, "upon your hearts." In this declaration, "you" sets them apart from others, indicating His desire for them to understand what would occur without revealing it to the public. It was not fitting to disclose His impending Passion to those unprepared; rather, it would have been more beneficial to assure them of His divine resurrection and the abolition of death, thereby safeguarding them from despair. Therefore, when the time arrives for His suffering, He tells them not to question how it is that He, who is so glorious and has performed such signs, falls unnoticed into the hands of His adversaries like one of us. Rather, they should contemplate the divine arrangement and recognize that He is not compelled by human force but chooses this path willingly. For what can deter Him, who foretells the future with clarity, from refusing to suffer if it were His desire? Rather, He embraces suffering to redeem all creation under heaven. In another instance, He imparts this truth clearly, stating, "No one takes My life from Me, but I lay it down according to My will. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again."
In the context of suffering, it is essential for those sent to proclaim His message to grasp the depth of His mystery. Therefore, He articulates it to them in an enlightening and essential manner beforehand. He instructs, “Put these words into your ears, ‘The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men’” (Luke 9:44). The Lord made this statement as it was vital for our understanding. He then ascended the mountain with Peter, James, and John, where He was transfigured before them, His face radiating like the sun. He revealed to them the glory that He would manifest to the world in due time, coming not in the state of humiliation that we endure nor in an ordinary human appearance, but enveloped in the glory and brilliance of God.
Later, upon descending from the mountain, He freed a man from an evil and unclean spirit. For our salvation, He willingly faced the profound agonies and endured the hostility of the Jews. As the executor of divine mysteries, He was destined to experience death for all humanity by God's grace (Heb 2:9). In light of these events, it is understandable that the disciples were perplexed. In their hearts, they might have reflected, “How could He, who is so magnificent, who raised the dead, who with His divine authority calmed the seas and winds, and who decisively defeated Satan, now be captured like a criminal and ensnared by these murderers? Did we err in our belief that He is God? Have we strayed from the truth in our reverence for Him?” Those who fail to comprehend the mystery surrounding our Lord Jesus Christ would succumb to the cross and death and be misled regarding Him.
Another illustration of suffering is found in the observance of the Mosaic Law, where two goats were presented. These goats were alike in size and appearance. One was designated for the Lord, and the other was designated as the scapegoat (Lev 16:8). The goat chosen for the Lord was sacrificed, while the other was set free, hence earning the name of the scapegoat. Who was figuratively identified in this manner? The Logos, being divine, assumed our humanity and took on our fallen nature, for the condition of the flesh was tainted. The goat was sacrificed for transgressions. Our mortality represented the wilderness as we were bound by the divine curse due to our sins. When the Savior of all took upon Himself the task of redeeming humanity, He bore our sins and offered His life so that we might be liberated from death and decay.
Matthew narrates that during their time in Galilee, Jesus informed them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men, and they will put Him to death, but on the third day He will rise again." This statement left them deeply saddened. Similarly, Mark and Luke share this account in the same sequence.
Listen closely to these words. They are those spoken by Him in the twenty-ninth chapter of this Gospel (Luke 9:22) regarding His suffering, death, and resurrection. By starting with these statements to clarify His message, He chose to leave out the additional details, assuming they were already understood.
The Lord, after stepping away from the gathering of the people, continued His journey in relative anonymity. He spent time with His disciples, periodically reminding them that the Son of Man would be betrayed into the hands of others, that He would face death, and that He would rise again on the third day following His death. The disciples, however, remained confused by these statements. When they learned about this grim destiny, they felt sorrowful but lacked the courage to inquire directly about its meaning or necessity.
Following the occurrences on the Mount of Transfiguration and at its base, Jesus Christ, as noted by Mark, journeyed through Galilee, desiring to keep this movement concealed. This period of travel through Galilee was marked by secrecy and discretion. The reason provided in verse 31 explains why Jesus chose not to publicly traverse Galilee at this moment; His primary focus was on His disciples, preparing them for His impending suffering and death. This journey through Galilee was the final one before His ascent to Judea, as indicated by subsequent Gospel narratives (Matthew 19, Mark 10, Luke 9:51). In this context, the Lord offers a second prediction of His impending sufferings to His disciples (Mark 8:31-32). Luke associates this prediction with the impact of His miracles on the crowds.
Despite the people's astonishment at His works, He directed His words towards His disciples. Some interpret the Greek term in verse 44 as "exactly," suggesting that the disciples were urged to understand and internalize the forthcoming words about the sufferings of Jesus at a time when their hopes were particularly buoyed by His miraculous deeds. Others read this term as "for," implying that Jesus was encouraging His disciples to remember the effect of His miracles on them and on the people so that, when He faced His sufferings, they could find strength and reassurance in this memory.
Arrival at Capernaum It has been noted previously that following His discourse on the bread of life, Jesus sought solitude from the throngs, preferring to be with His disciples. As He journeyed to Capernaum, He traversed Galilee, expressing a wish for their presence to remain undiscovered. The apostles struggled to accept the notion that the true Messiah, sent to redeem Israel, could endure suffering and perish; this idea conflicted with their understanding of the Messiah, and thus, the imminent death of Jesus might momentarily weaken their faith in Him, until the moment of His glorious resurrection. Therefore, during this final time alone with His disciples, Christ repeatedly conveyed that He was destined to die according to His Father’s purpose but assured them of His resurrection on the third day.
"Put into the ears" serves as a heightened call to pay close attention to what is about to be stated; it is synonymous with remembering and retaining in one’s thoughts. "Shall be betrayed," and the subsequent details can be explored more thoroughly in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark.
From the summit of the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ set His course toward Capernaum, keeping His identity concealed as He traversed Galilee. Along the journey, He reiterated to His disciples the prophecy concerning His impending fate in Jerusalem, aiming to ensure that they would not perceive His suffering as something He would avoid, but rather that they could become accustomed to it and not be taken aback by the trials that lay ahead. He urged them to listen carefully, reminding them that all He foretold would indeed happen: the Son of Man would be handed over to humanity, and they would put Him to death; yet, He would rise again on the third day.
This prophecy starkly opposed the lofty aspirations of the Messiah's glorious kingdom that had captured the disciples’ imaginations, leaving them troubled even though they had yet to grasp the full gravity of Jesus' words. They struggled to accept the notion that their exalted Master, who consistently did good and healed all, could face a violent demise (Acts 10:38). The meaning of the Lord’s predictions was obscured to them, as noted by the holy Evangelist Luke, yet they recalled the firm rebuke directed at the Apostle Peter, who had previously challenged the same prophecy (Matt. 16:22-23), causing them to hesitate in seeking clarification for their confusion.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 19 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS