And he taught his disciples and said to them: The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise again the third day.
και εκειθεν εξελθοντες παρεπορευοντο δια της γαλιλαιας και ουκ ηθελεν ινα τις γνω
8 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Throughout His ministry, Jesus consistently linked His message of suffering with miraculous acts, ensuring that His suffering was not seen as a sign of frailty. After proclaiming the distressing truth that "they shall kill Him," He follows with the uplifting promise that "on the third day He shall rise again." This assures us that sorrow is invariably succeeded by joy, encouraging us not to despair during our hardships but to remain hopeful for the joy to come.
Matthew recounts that during their time in Galilee, Jesus spoke to them, saying, "The Son of Man will be handed over to men, and they will put him to death, but on the third day he will be resurrected." This saddened them deeply. Similarly, Mark and Luke provide an account of these events in the same sequence.
After the Lord departed from the crowd, He proceeded on His path in quietness. He devoted additional time to His disciples, periodically reminding them that the Son of Man would be betrayed into the hands of men and that He would face death, yet on the third day following His death, He would rise again. The disciples remained perplexed by these revelations. Though they felt sorrow at the thought of His grim fate, they did not have the courage to inquire about its meaning or necessity.
Following the occurrences on the Mount of Transfiguration and its base, Jesus journeyed through Galilee, as noted by Mark, with the intention of keeping this movement concealed. Thus, His travels in Galilee were discreet and unobserved. The conjunction "for" in verse 31 serves to explain why Jesus chose not to move openly in Galilee at that moment: He needed to focus solely on His disciples, preparing them for the impending trials of His suffering and death. This journey marked the final one before His ascent to Judea, a fact supported by subsequent Gospel narratives (Matt. 19, Mk. 10, Lk. 9:51). In this context, the Lord provides His disciples with a second prophecy regarding His suffering (Mk. 8:31-32). Luke connects this moment with the reaction of the crowds to Jesus' miracles.
As the people were astonished by all His deeds, He addressed His disciples, stating:
Interpretations of the term "for" in verse 44 vary. Some see it as emphasizing that the disciples should fully grasp the significance of His impending sufferings, especially at a time when their hopes for Him as the Messiah were heightened due to His miracles. Others interpret this "for" as a reminder for the disciples to reflect on the impact of His miraculous works, so that when they faced His passion, they could draw strength from their faith in that remembrance.
The disciples struggled to accept that the genuine Messiah, sent to redeem the Jews, could endure suffering and death; such a notion conflicted with their understanding of the Messiah. As a result, the death of Jesus had the potential to momentarily weaken their faith in Him until He rose again. Thus, during their final moments together, Christ repeatedly informed the apostles that His death was necessary, aligned with His Father’s will, and assured them that He would rise again on the third day.
Having reflected on the experiences they endured alongside the guidance and solemn prophecies given to them, the disciples were compelled to believe that a significant transformation was imminent in their Master’s fate. The moment of His glorification on earth had not yet arrived; He would soon cease to be the humble teacher they had known and would reveal Himself in the full splendor of the Messiah their people anticipated, establishing a magnificent and glorious kingdom. This notion, while invigorating their spirits, also stirred up the common biases of the people, leading them to worry about securing their most favorable roles in the upcoming kingdom of the Messiah.
The new prophecy of the Lord regarding His suffering, death, and resurrection is articulated in Mark using language identical to that found in Hebrews. Similarly, in Matthew, the same prophecy is expressed, although Matthew includes certain remarks absent from the former account (refer to Matthew 17:22-23). The Lord desired that no one should be aware of His presence during this period as He traversed Galilee in anonymity, wishing to privately impart to His disciples the profound mystery of His impending suffering, death, and resurrection. This concept had long been misunderstood by the disciples, and even upon the initial revelation of this truth, the foremost Apostle, who had declared Jesus to be the Messiah, felt compelled to admonish Him (Mk. 8:31ff.).
Subsequently, they continued to question one another in confusion (Mk. 9:10ff.). At this point, they had yet to grasp the significance of the Lord's words, for His teachings regarding the Messiah’s suffering and death were in direct opposition to the prevailing expectations of that time. Despite their lack of understanding, they were too intimidated to inquire further, recalling the Lord’s sharp rebuke given to Peter when he had challenged Him under similar circumstances. This led them to hold back from asking about the Lord’s statements concerning His suffering and death, which they found perplexing, leaving them to feel deeply troubled (Matthew 17:23). Although they did not fully comprehend the implications of His words, there was no mistaking that their Master and Lord was destined to suffer and die, as He had plainly communicated this to them multiple times, without ambiguity or subtlety.
From the summit of the Transfiguration, Jesus Christ made His way to Capernaum, keeping His identity concealed from those in Galilee. As He journeyed, He reiterated to His disciples the prophecy regarding His fate in Jerusalem, aiming to ensure that they did not perceive His forthcoming sufferings as something borne unwillingly. Rather, He wished them to grow accustomed to the idea, so they would not be taken aback when His afflictions unfolded (Blessed Theophylact). Take these words to heart—remember that all will come to pass: the Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men, they will put Him to death, and after His death, He will rise again on the third day.
This announcement starkly opposed the lofty expectations of the Messiah's glorious kingdom that the Lord's disciples harbored; thus, they felt deep sorrow, though they had yet to grasp the full weight of His words. The notion that their exalted Master, who went about doing good and healing all (Acts 10:38), could face any form of violent demise was too much for them to bear. According to the holy Evangelist Luke, the meaning of the Lord's declaration was concealed from them. They recalled the stern reprimand given to the Apostle Peter, who had previously challenged the same prophecy (Matt. 16:22-23), and this left them hesitant to seek clarification for their confusion.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 12 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS