When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief.

Matthew 17:22 – 23

Today, let’s stand with the disciples for a moment.  Things seem to be moving toward a crisis.  What next?  If Jesus is to restore the kingdom to Israel, the common hope, how is that going to happen?  The little group of men, 12 of them, had no power whatsoever to do anything, except to heal the sick as Jesus enables them.  Jesus was not preparing them to form a government.

If Jesus is going to establish his kingdom, why does he not get about it?  They seem to be ready for that.  The twelve all just agreed that Jesus is the Son of God, the Messiah, but they had no idea as to how he was going to establish his kingdom.  Up until then he did not speak at all about how he plans to reestablish Israel.  I suppose they thought only of the many ancient passages that predict that the Messiah will reign in Israel, then the nations.

Imagine their alarm when, upon returning to Galilee, Jesus revealed how the kingdom of God was to be established, not through conquering but by an unthinkable death.  “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him.”  This does not sound like a hopeful strategy.  Common experience knows that the conqueror was to do the killing, not to be killed himself.  They never heard of such a thing.  The kings of Israel conquer, do they not?

The thought of death was wrenching.  Matthew noted that the disciples were filled with grief.  Was it the kind of grief that pities another?  Or was it grief that one feels in a blasted hope?  Or was it the grief of self-pity that comes from a heavy disappointment in Jesus?  We do not know.

But we do know one thing, the most significant by far, Jesus predicted his death but followed that fact by telling them that on the third day he will be raised to life.  The disciples seem to have been overcome by sorrow that Jesus was going to be killed thus bringing their hopes to an end.

The words of Jesus that they had just heard in Caesarea Philippi,must have come to mind. “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (16:28)

Once again, Jesus speaks of his death and resurrection!  We may never separate them.