Knowing The Word in Luke 9:21-22

Jesus Foretells His Death

9:21 And he strictly charged and commanded them to tell this to no one, 22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Comments

Jesus gave the disciples an injunction not to speak. There was too much speculation going on. Jesus needed to be the revelatory origin for messianic explanation because the people were thinking of a military messiah, not a suffering servant. “Suffer” and “rejected” are the key terms for describing Jesus’ messiahship. He will suffer many things, but the ultimate suffering will be in his rejection by the very people he came to serve and to save. Rejected is a technical term for a rejection after a careful legal scrutiny to see whether a candidate for office was qualified. It implies the hierarchy would consider Jesus’ claims but decide against him. The elders, priests, and scribes form one group in the Sanhedrin, the governing Jewish Council, who will decide Jesus needs to die. Jesus does end on a positive note of resurrection, but the disciples had no idea of what he was really saying.

Application

The world does not equate suffering and rejection with leadership qualities. That is why Jesus, before Pontius Pilate in John 18:36, says, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” How does Jesus’ understanding of suffering and rejection shed light on any suffering or rejection you may have encountered in your Christian life?

Prayer

Lord Jesus, thank you for suffering on the cross for me. Your rejection bought my acceptance as a child of God. I am and ever will be thankful to you, my Messiah.