The Turning Point
“From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto His disciples, how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day.” Matthew 16:21
This is the first of three times that Jesus tells His disciples of His impending death and resurrection (see also Matthew 17:22-23 and 20:17-19). He had previously given hints about the events that were going to take place shortly. In Matthew 12:38-40, when the scribes and Pharisees asked for a sign from Him, Jesus gave them the sign of Jonah, comparing Jonah’s three days and nights in the belly of the great fish with His own three days and nights in the heart of the earth which inferred His death and ultimate resurrection.
Jesus’ foretelling of the events of the mission for which He came marked a turning point in His ministry. His mission became less about healing and more about teaching how to live godly lives and being prepared for when He comes again. Once the disciples had received revelation from the Father as to the true identity of His Son (Matthew 16:16), it was time for them to learn and be prepared for what lay ahead. If Jesus had revealed His entire mission to them when He first selected them as disciples, it probably would have been so preposterous to them that they may have rejected His call to them. Everyone learns gradually. The human mind cannot suddenly absorb come earth-shattering or devastating news. The body is designed to protect the brain from overload. It takes time to process a sudden shock to the system. That’s why when one hears some terrible news, he or she has a hard time believing that it is true. The disciples had walked side by side with Jesus now probably over two years. They had seen His demonstrations of supernatural power, had heard His words to the multitudes, and had been involved in intimate conversations with Him. They had been made ready for the revelation of who He was, and now He was revealing to them the purpose for which He came. (There are some folks who hear the gospel for the first time and believe on it, but the majority of people who are saved have heard the gospel over and over again before they truly receive Christ as Lord and Savior.)
Since the disciples had been with Jesus and had heard His many teachings, they likely assumed that He and they would continue on their journey to preach and heal until such time as Jesus would take His rightful place on the throne in Israel for this was what the disciples believed–Jesus as the conquering Hero against Roman rule. (They even believed this after His resurrection. In Acts 1:6, when Jesus met with them for the last time before He ascended back to His Father in heaven, the disciples asked Him if He was now going to restore the kingdom of Israel to the Jewish people.) However, the things that Jesus began to tell them were completely the opposite to what they were thinking. He first told them that they were going into Jerusalem. I doubt the disciples were shocked at that. After all, if Jesus was going to rule, wouldn’t Jerusalem be the logical place to go? Then Jesus said that He would suffer many things of the elders, chief priest, and scribes. Again, though, because of the harsh treatment that He and the disciples had received from the religious leaders, a confrontation could be expected, but then after that, Jesus would be able to ascend Jerusalem’s throne. Wait a minute though. Jesus said that He would be killed. What? And then rise from the dead three days later? I don’t think that I can even imagine the looks on the disciples’ faces. Jesus was certainly not negligent in always trying to prepare people for what lay ahead of them either by a warning, as He did in His previous parables, or in plainly explaining future events.
Jesus’ statement to His disciples concerning His suffering, death, and resurrection is not surprising to us here in the 21st century for we have the written account of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection in the pages of scripture. For those of us who grew up in a church where the Word of God was preached, we have heard the gospel message many times. We also have the written prophecy concerning future events surrounding Jesus’ return to earth. We are like the disciples, in that we do not have a full understanding of exactly what will take place when Jesus comes the second time. There are many different ideas concerning timing, specifics, and logistics by those who claim to know scripture, but most of us, while not having superior spiritual insight into end times, nevertheless believe with all our heart that Jesus is coming again when and how God decides. The disciples, on the other hand, could not and would not believe Jesus when He told them of His impending death and resurrection.
Tomorrow: Peter’s response to Jesus’ statement.