Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34
Jesus and His disciples are heading to Jerusalem. Jesus pulls the twelve disciples out of the crowd and walks alone with them. He reminds them what He has said about Jerusalem and what will happen there. The Son of Man, which Jesus refers to Himself as many times, will complete what the prophets have foretold. (Daniel 7) Jesus warns them that it will be a violent end, but He will be raised on the third day. Luke adds that the disciples didn't understand; the word for hidden is "krupto" where we get the word cryptic.
Jesus is telling the disciples the story of His death for the 3rd time. (Matthew 16:21-23 and Matthew 17:22-23) The disciples didn't understand because they didn't WANT to understand. The foresight Jesus is offering them does not line up with what they hope will happen. They really want Jesus to be a conquering king, ushering in a kingdom that will once and for all release them from the bondage of Rome. (We will learn more about this tomorrow.) I can't imagine how Jesus could've spoken the truth any more clearly, but since it didn't fit their narrative, the disciples essentially ignored it.
I am once again feeling very judgmental of Jesus' disciples. I know they are famous for being simple men, but Jesus has spelled it out for them. Jesus has spelled things out for me before, too. I can think of times when I have my mind set on a certain scenario that looks and sounds logical to me I’m so convinced in my mind that even if Jesus Himself told me otherwise, I wouldn’t believe it. As Jesus so often says, “He who has ears, let him hear.” Jesus invites us to hear and to understand ❤️
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