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Commentaries
English
Luke
  
CHRIST CONFIRMS HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION
(Luke 18:31-34)
31Then He took the twelve aside and said to them, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be accomplished.32For He will be delivered to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.33They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again."34But they understood none of these things; this saying was hidden from them, and they did not know the things which were spoken.


Jesus met separately with his twelve disciples. He took them aside from the multitudes, and distinguished them for the third time with important news about the mystery of the top of his being. The King of God was prepared to die. He was not willing to consume his enemies with the sword, as earthly politicians do, or to seize power with the help of angels, but prepared himself to die for the evil, and decided to reconcile the sinners with God, and went toward the cross with determination. As he was preparing himself to die denying himself, his disciples conversed about the amount of the reward and their jobs. They thought of earthly matters. But Christ thought of heavenly matters, and tried, in vain, to draw his disciples to the level of thoughts. They did not understand how the power of God should look weak, and how he who prevailed over diseases, death, and Satan should surrender without defense, and agree to be slain, silently, as a sheep in the hands of its shearers, without opening his mouth.
Christ depicted before their eyes the truth of his suffering, death, and resurrection with all clarity that they might not be moved in their faith if events attacked them. He did not build them only on his own predictions, but established them first on the texts of the Old Testament, which cleared his suffering and death in advance, for the Holy Spirit had been oriented since hundreds of years toward this decisive hour of human history, that is the hour of the world’s redemption, and the true prophets had taken the cross of Christ as a center of their prophecies (Isaiah 50:6; Isaiah 53; Zechariah 11:12; 12:10; 13:7; Psalms 22; et al.)
The King, who was ready to die, prepared his ignorant disciples for the most difficult hour in his life and in theirs. He did not say to them, "Behold, I go up in the midst of the wild mountains to the high Jerusalem", but said, "Behold, we go up, for you will participate with me in contempt, persecution, and weeping, as you fall immediately into the shaking sieve of Satan, for he intends to destroy you, my future apostles.
Christ called the greatest distress coming on him as "his being delivered to the Gentiles", for such delivery to an unbelieving authority was considered as a great shame to the believing Jews, as if God forsook him who had surrendered, and did not protect him any longer. His separation from his Father on the cross from the beginning is the mystery of the true cross, about which Jesus was sad, knowing that his Father would hide his face from him, and become separated from his beloved Son, to pour out all his wrath on the Lamb of God, and condemn him instead of the sinners.
All the other sufferings, mentioned beforehand, are an explanation of this divine forsaking. They mean serial temptation to Jesus that he might hate those who oppressed him, and fall into sin; thus losing his worthiness of dying sacrificially for us, as the unique Lamb of God. But he continued in eternal love, blessing those who oppressed him, and praying with all his heart. He cried out his first words on the cross, saying, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do."
The destruction of the Holy One of God was the design of Satan, and the man Jesus was delivered to him. The slaves of Satan preyed upon Jesus’ body with their whips, which consisted of leather thongs each of which was loaded with small pieces of iron tied into it at intervals, for tearing the flesh out of the bones. In the end, they crucified him that his muscles might be torn under the weight of his body, and consequently die by himself. His torn body became motionless, and his heart stopped; but his Spirit continued alive, for he had committed it into his Father’s hands.
Christ remained sinless, even on the cross, suffering devilish temptations. With his kind humility, he overcame the cunning devil and all his power. Yet he who remained sinless shall not die, for the wages of sin is death. Christ rose from the dead. He left death as a torn dress, and his soul prevailed over sin, Satan, and death that he pacified God’s anger, and reconciled all men with the Holy One. Jesus’ resurrection is the symbol of his triumph, and the picture of our hope. Let us not forget that Jesus had foretold his death before his resurrection, confirming that the life of God would not die in him.
Nevertheless, the disciples did not understand the mysteries of Jesus’ character and office. They not only became blind to the meanings of his suffering, death, and resurrection; but also considered such events impossible, and thought that he had given an untrue parable. The Holy Spirit was not poured out yet into their hearts, neither was the redemptive plan of God revealed to them. Thus they were blind, though they had followed their Lord since long. Are you also still blind, or do you worship the Lamb of God?

Prayer
O Holy Lord, we thank you for you became a man to suffer and die instead of us. We also thank you for bearing contempt, scourging, spitting, strokes, and death that we may participate in your resurrection and everlasting life. Please open our friends’ eyes that they may find your life in your cross.
Question
How did Jesus prepare his disciples for his sufferings, death, and resurrection?