Matthew 16:21

“From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hand of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law and that he must be killed and on the third day raised to life.”

After three years of revealing himself to the Twelve he now confides with them that he must go up to Jerusalem where he will be killed.  I can imagine how the disciples gasped at hearing that! Everything that he was doing – healing the sick, feeding the hungry, even raising the dead and speaking the mind of his Father – pointed to an earth-changing future for Jesus and his “fortunate” disciples. Everything looked possible.

The Kingdom of heaven that Jesus spoke of so often and so passionately was appearing! Will all the world fall under his victorious feet?  The disciples may have thought that but it is clear that such triumphalist aspirations could not hear Jesus’ calm prediction that the Jewish leaders would so work with the Romans that they will kill him.   What they saw contradicted such a thought. Jesus did no explaining, but just as calmly went on to say that on the third day after his death he will arise again.

Of course Matthew is writing as an eye-witness of all this.  He does not share how he felt but he elaborates on what Peter felt! (Maybe reflecting some of his own feelings.)