18:31
The time of Jesus’ crucifixion was getting ever closer, and they were on their way to Jerusalem. It is probably fair to say that at this stage the disciples really didn’t have a clue of what was going to happen. We need to appreciate that to human understanding the cross makes no sense at all. Jesus tells them that “everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled”. There are a number of points to note. The first is that Jesus saw His mission as the fulfilment of Scripture, after the resurrection He will tell the disciples on the road to Emmaus that the Scriptures foretold everything that had happened. secondly when He uses the term “Son of Man” He is referring to the Messiah in the Old Testament.
18:32-34
Jesus then expands on what He means, for the disciples would still have been expecting a military Messiah, a saviour from the oppression of Rome. But Jesus tells them that He would be handed over to the Romans, to the Gentiles. The Gentiles would then mock Him, beat Him, insult Him and spit upon Him. Finally they would kill Him, but then on the third day He would rise again.
Jesus has spoken quite plainly, not sparing any details, or sugar-coating any of it. Yet the disciples understood nothing, for it was “hidden from them”. We need the work of the Holy Spirit to take away our blindness and to open our eyes. Only then can we truly see. It is worth noting that the gospels do nothing to glorify the disciples, they are portrayed as the slow witted, blind human beings that they were, just like the rest of us.
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