Matthew 20:18Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He also stated, “This generation seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah” (Matthew 12:39). Additionally, He said, “Yet a little while 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). However, His communication with His disciples was more profound; He disclosed these truths, along with others, with greater clarity. You may wonder why the Lord spoke if they did not grasp the significance of His words. It was so they would later understand that Jesus Christ anticipated His suffering and willingly faced it, rather than being unaware or forced against His will. He forewarned His disciples not only for their understanding but also to fortify them through expectation, helping them endure His anguish and preventing their unexpected shock at the ensuing events. Thus, He first informed them of His impending death; as they began to contemplate this and prepare for it, He then shared further details, such as His betrayal by the Gentiles and the ensuing ridicule and beatings, so that witnessing the fulfillment of these sorrowful prophecies would encourage their anticipation of the resurrection. If Christ did not shy away from revealing distressing events that seemed to tarnish His glory, it was reasonable for them to trust His positive proclamations. Consider how thoughtfully He selected the timing of these discussions. He did not first reveal His sufferings to them for fear it would confuse them, nor did He address it at the very moment it occurred, which might have been disorienting for Him. Rather, after they had observed His omnipotence and received His significant promises of eternal life, He often discussed suffering amidst miracles and teachings. One Gospel writer mentions that He referred to the prophets as witnesses, while another notes that the disciples did not comprehend His words: “But this word was hidden from them” (Luke 18:34), and they followed Him in fear. Some may argue that these predictions were ineffective since the disciples did not grasp what was said; without understanding, they could not have been expectant, and thus lacked hope. I will propose an even more intricate question: if they did not comprehend, why then did they grieve? One Gospel also states that they mourned. Hence, if they were bewildered, how could they mourn? As Peter exclaimed, “Far be it from You, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” (Matthew 16:22). How shall we respond to this? Though they lacked a clear understanding of the mystery of the temple's construction and the nature of His resurrection, they did know He was to die, which prompted their mourning. They had witnessed others being resurrected, yet they had never seen anyone resurrect themselves to the point of living eternally, a miracle beyond their comprehension, even though He had spoken of it frequently. They were equally unclear about the nature of death itself—what it entailed and how it would occur—causing them to feel trepidation as they followed Him. Furthermore, it appears the Lord’s own discussions about suffering instilled fear in them. Nevertheless, this knowledge did not embolden them, despite their frequent hearing of His resurrection. In addition to the fear of His death, they were particularly anxious about the prospect of Him being mocked, beaten, and subjected to torment. When considering His miraculous acts, such as healing the possessed and raising the dead, they found it hard to reconcile such predictions with the magnitude of His earlier works. Thus, they experienced confusion and a mixture of belief and disbelief regarding His words, struggling to fully understand them.

However, unlike that previous occasion, the Lord did not offer them reassurance this time (John 11:9-10). Instead, He drew the twelve disciples aside and provided them with a vivid and unmistakable prophecy regarding what awaited Him in Jerusalem. This stark announcement of the suffering and death that lay ahead deepened their understanding of His mission. By moving ahead of them with such foreknowledge, Jesus inspired courage in His followers, demonstrating that when His time came, He would willingly face death.

It is noted that the disciples "understood nothing" concerning the Lord's predictions of His suffering and resurrection, as "these words were hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what was said."

During this pilgrimage, while sorrowful silence enveloped the grieving crowd, Jesus summoned the twelve apostles and spoke to them: “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). Although this was not the first instance of Jesus sharing such revelations, the apostles struggled to grasp His message then, as they did now. They had recognized through Peter that Jesus was indeed the Christ, the Son of God; however, the notion of the Messiah suffering death was unfathomable to them. If He could die, then how could He be resurrected? The questions—Who is He if He is killed? - lingered unanswered in their hearts, as these truths remained concealed from them, and they could not comprehend what had been spoken (Luke 18:34).

He conveyed for the first time the most harrowing truth: He would be sacrificed, but on the third day, He would rise. However, the disciples were still consumed by their earthly expectations of the Messiah, so focused on the anticipated arrival of God's kingdom in its full glory that they failed to grasp His message. They neither understood nor wanted to comprehend His prophecy, as was evidenced by their reaction to the sorrowful event that distressed Christ.

19:27-30), others, the majority, were filled with dread. They were acutely aware that the malevolent Pharisees had sought to harm their Master on multiple occasions (John 5:16, 18; 10:31, 39). Recently, the Apostle Thomas perceived their journey to Judea as a path leading to inevitable death (11:16). Faced with threats from both their enemies and their own vulnerable state, they anxiously contemplated the peril that loomed not just for the Divine Teacher but for themselves as well. The two prior proclamations from the Saviour regarding His impending sufferings, death, and resurrection (Matt. 16:21; 17:22, 23) could have offered comfort, affirming God's unwavering purpose, yet these words were either disregarded or misunderstood. The Lord, in His infinite wisdom and understanding of their internal struggles, called the twelve apostles to Him once more and for the third time conveyed the forthcoming events with clarity. As Blessed Theophylact explained, this was meant to fortify their spirits, enabling them to endure with courage when they came to pass and not to be overwhelmed by their suddenness, while simultaneously acknowledging that He would suffer according to His divine purpose. According to St. Matthew’s account, a new detail was revealed in this announcement that had not been included in previous prophecies: death by crucifixion. "Behold," the Lord declared, "we are going to Jerusalem, and all that has been written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled: He will be betrayed by the highest priests and scribes, condemned to death, mocked, beaten, spat upon, and ultimately crucified; yet on the third day, He will rise again." However, despite having heard these words before, the disciples still found them incomprehensible, as noted by the holy Evangelist Luke: "These understood nothing of these things, and this saying was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend those who spoke." This lack of understanding among the Lord's closest followers can be attributed to the fact that only after the Holy Spirit descended upon them did they attain complete spiritual clarity. Before this divine enlightenment, as St. John Chrysostom remarked, they oscillated between belief and disbelief regarding His teachings, failing to grasp their full meaning. Limited by their earthly concerns, they often allowed secular notions to cloud their understanding of divine matters (Matthew 16:23). Eventually, witnessing the precise fulfillment of the Saviour's prophecy concerning His suffering and death would reinforce their faith in His glorious resurrection, which emerged as undeniable evidence of His divinity (1 Cor. 15:14).