Matthew 20:17Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He stated to them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John 2:19); or again, "This generation seeks a sign, but no sign will be given to it, except the sign of the prophet Jonah" (Matthew 12:39); and also, "A little while longer I am with you, and then I go to Him who sent Me; you will seek Me and not find Me" (John 7:33-34). Yet, His words to the disciples were delivered with greater clarity. Why did the Lord articulate these matters if the people did not grasp the significance of His declarations? It was so that they might recognize afterward that Jesus Christ anticipated His passion and embraced it willingly, rather than being taken unawares or against His desires. He foretold the suffering not only for this reason but also to fortify them with hope, so that the unexpected nature of His passion would not plunge them into deep despair. Thus, He initially informed them only of His death; and upon their consideration of this and their self-preparation, He revealed the additional details, such as being betrayed to the Gentiles and facing scorn and beatings, so that, witnessing the fulfillment of these sorrowful prophecies, they might hope for the resurrection. If Christ did not withhold the sad and seemingly dishonorable aspects of His suffering, it was reasonable to trust Him regarding the promises of glory. Observe how wisely He timed this instruction. He did not disclose His suffering from the outset to avoid overwhelming them, nor did He do so at the moment of the events for fear of being distressed. Instead, when they had already witnessed His mighty works and received grand promises of eternal life, He spoke often, amidst miracles and teachings, about the reality of suffering. One Gospel writer indicates that He referred to the prophets as testimonies; another mentions that the disciples failed to comprehend His words, stating, "But this saying was hidden from them" (Luke 18:34), and that they followed Him in fear. Therefore, one might argue that these predictions served no purpose; if the disciples did not understand what they heard, they could not prepare for it, and lacking expectation, they couldn’t find hope. However, I would offer another, even more challenging question: if they did not grasp His words, why did they grieve? Another Gospel says they mourned. Thus, if understanding eluded them, how could they mourn? As Peter expressed, "Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You" (Matthew 16:22). How should we resolve this? Although they lacked a complete understanding of the mystery of the building of the house, they were aware He was destined to die, which led to their sorrow. They had witnessed others being raised, but had never seen someone raise themselves to eternal life. This miracle was beyond their comprehension, even though He had spoken of it repeatedly. Furthermore, they did not fully understand death itself—what it entailed and how it would occur—which contributed to their fear as they followed Him. It wasn’t solely this uncertainty that frightened them; it seems that the Lord’s discussions of suffering also instilled fear. However, despite frequently hearing of His resurrection, none of this inspired them to courage. Beyond His death, they particularly feared that He would be scorned, beaten, and so forth. As they envisioned His miracles, such as healing the afflicted and raising the dead, and then encountered these predictions, they were bewildered and astonished, questioning, "Could He who performed such wonders truly endure these torments?" Thus, they found themselves in a state of confusion, both believing and doubting His words, unable to fully grasp their meaning.

Consider how Peter himself reacted upon hearing of Christ’s death; he was distressed and dared to admonish the Lord, saying, “Be merciful to Thyself, O Lord, that it be not so with Thee” (Matthew 16:22). If Peter, the steadfast disciple, was so shaken by the announcement of Christ's suffering, who among us possesses the strength of faith to endure such profound sorrow? If the unyielding rock was nearly moved, how can the earth withstand the fury of the storm?

Thus, as He ascended to Jerusalem, Jesus felt it necessary to remind them once again of the inevitability of His afflictions, “in order that by such a reminder to train their minds to think about it and to soften their grief.” Yet, the Lord chose not to disclose these truths to the crowd; instead, He addressed His disciples privately. He took only the twelve disciples aside, for if they struggled to grasp the purpose of His sufferings, the multitude would likely fall into greater confusion. While the Lord also conveyed messages to the people, it was not done with the same clarity; instead, He spoke in more veiled terms. He remarked, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up in three days” (John 2:19), and “No sign will be given to him except the sign of Jonah the prophet” (Matthew 12:39), and “You will seek Me, and you will not find Me” (John 7:34). To His disciples, however, He communicated these matters with complete transparency. St. Chrysostom poses the question of why the Lord would speak if the people did not comprehend the significance of His words, and he answers that it was to ensure that they would later recognize that Jesus Christ anticipated His suffering and willingly embraced it. He also spoke to His disciples to prepare them for the sudden onset of suffering, cautioning them first about His death, and as they began to contemplate and brace themselves for it, He revealed that He would be betrayed to the Gentiles, mistreated, and beaten. Notice how wisely He selected the timing for these revelations. He did not disclose this information initially; rather, He waited until they had witnessed sufficient evidence of His divine power and had received significant promises of everlasting life. Only then, amidst miracles and teachings, did He frequently speak of His impending trials. He warned them to be prepared for the great tribulation that was approaching.

Separating the twelve from the rest, the Lord took them aside to caution them about what awaited Him in Jerusalem. He revealed that He would be betrayed into the hands of His adversaries, specifically the Sanhedrin, who would condemn Him to death. However, they themselves would not execute Him; instead, He would be handed over to the Gentiles, notably the Roman authorities governing Judea. The Gentiles, in turn, would not carry out the Sanhedrin's verdict immediately, but would first mock Him, scourge Him, and spit on Him before ultimately putting Him to death. The Lord emphasized that all of this must come to pass in accordance with prophecy, and He concluded by stating that the Son of Man would rise from the dead on the third day, a condition far less than that of Lazarus in the grave.

However, unlike that earlier occasion when He reassured them (John 11:9-10), the Lord now distinctly withdrew the twelve and presented them with a clear and definitive prophecy about what was to occur in Jerusalem. By foretelling the suffering and death that awaited Him, Jesus went ahead of them, instilling courage in His followers and demonstrating that He was prepared to face death when His appointed time arrived.

It is noteworthy that the disciples grasped little of the Lord's prophecy regarding His death and resurrection: "these words were hidden from them, and they did not understand what was said."

During the journey, while the sorrowful crowd walked in silence, Jesus gathered the twelve apostles and spoke to them, saying, “Your foreknowledge does not deceive you; yes, we are going to Jerusalem, and there all that the prophets have foretold concerning the Son of Man will be fulfilled: they will deliver Him up to the Gentiles, and they will mock Him, and insult Him, and spit on Him, and scourge Him, and beat Him, and kill Him: and the third day He will rise again” (Luke 18:32-33). This was not the first occasion He had imparted this message to them, yet they remained unable to grasp its meaning then, just as they had before. They had recognized in Peter that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God; however, they could not accept that the Messiah, the Son of God, could face death. If He were unable to die, how could He then rise again? If Jesus were to be killed, it would imply that He was neither the Messiah nor the Son of God. This led to profound questions about His identity — questions needing answers that the apostles could not provide, for these truths were hidden from them, and they failed to comprehend what was said (Luke 18:34).

He revealed specifically that the Gentiles would mock and scourge Him, and for the first time, He disclosed the most dreadful aspect of His fate—that He would be poured out. However, He also assured them that He would rise again on the third day. Yet, their hearts and minds remained absorbed in earthly hopes for the Messiah, preoccupied with thoughts of the approaching kingdom of God in all its glory. Thus, His ominous prediction seemed to leave them completely unresponsive; they did not comprehend it, nor did they desire to grasp its meaning. This was profoundly illustrated by a subsequent event that brought sorrow to Christ.

19:27-30) literally, envisioned the imminent establishment of this reign with great anticipation. Others, the majority, grappled with fear. They were aware that the malicious Pharisees had repeatedly plotted against their Master (John 5:16, 18; 10:31, 39), which had led the Apostle Thomas to perceive a journey to Judea as one leading to certain peril (11:16). Given their state of vulnerability and the intense animosity surrounding them, they anxiously contemplated the threats that awaited not only the Divine Teacher, but also His closest companions in Jerusalem.

The Savior's predictions about His impending sufferings, death, and resurrection (Matt. 16:21; 17:22, 23) could have brought solace to the disciples by demonstrating the unwavering resolve of God, yet these revelations seemed to be forgotten or misunderstood. Knowing their thoughts and feelings, the Lord called the twelve apostles to Him and, for the third time, spoke more openly about the events to come. According to Blessed Theophylact's interpretation, He aimed to fortify their spirits so that, having received this foreknowledge, they might endure the reality with courage, rather than be taken aback by its suddenness, while also understanding that His suffering was in accordance with divine will. In St. Matthew's gospel, there's a new element in this revelation: His death by crucifixion. The Lord declared, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all the things written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled: He will be betrayed by the chief priests and scribes, condemned to death, mocked, scourged, and crucified, and on the third day He will rise again." However, these solemn words did not resonate with the disciples, as highlighted by St. Luke, who noted that they "understood nothing of these things; the meaning was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said." This struggle for comprehension among Jesus’ closest followers can be attributed to the fact that it was only after receiving the Holy Spirit that they attained the full measure of spiritual insight. Until that Divine illumination, as St. John Chrysostom articulated, they "either believed or disbelieved His words and could not grasp their meaning," noting that “before the cross they did not know much.” Still influenced by worldly ambitions, they sometimes focused on human perspectives rather than divine truths (Matthew 16:23). Eventually, witnessing the exact fulfillment of Jesus' prophecies regarding His suffering and death served to reinforce their faith in His triumphant resurrection, which became undeniable evidence of His divine nature (1 Cor. 15:14).