Title Matthew 20:17-19
The content of today's text is a word that Jesus has already repeated many times, and very clearly, the third time foretelling his suffering and death. However, this notice is different from the previous notices. The first is the difference in the place and time of the notice. The first time Jesus clearly foretold his suffering and death in Jerusalem was when Peter made his famous confession, and the place was Caesarea in Philippi. It was in Galilee that Jesus clearly foretold his suffering and death in Jerusalem the second time (Matthew 17:22-23). However, the notice given in today's text was actually given while he was going up to Jerusalem. Look at verses 17-18: "As Jesus was about to go up to Jerusalem, he took the twelve disciples by himself and said on the road, Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem." Now that the previous notice is approaching the reality in front of you, you can feel the tension even more than when the previous notice was made.
The second difference between Jesus' third and clear predictions found in today's passage differs from the previous ones is that He spoke in more detail about His sufferings. Previously, He simply said that He would suffer many things, be put to death, and rise again on the third day (Matthew 16:21). But today's text is a little more specific. Look again at verses 18-19: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man is delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they are determined to kill him, will live on."
“The Son of Man is delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will decide to kill him and will hand him over to the Gentiles.” The “Son of Man” is a unique title that Jesus used when referring to himself. This is a title that was used to refer to himself, especially in connection with the fulfillment of his mission as the Messiah. In other words, although he was originally the Son of God in glory, he humbled himself as the Son of man to save the world, and after completing his work as the Messiah by taking up the cross, the name that refers to himself who will again sit at the right hand of God the Father is “Son of Man”. It was.
He said, "The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and they will decide to kill him and will hand him over to the Gentiles." Here, "Gentiles" means the Romans, or more specifically, the Roman governor Pilate and the Romans who carried out his orders. It's soldiers. At that time, the Jewish council could have sentenced Jesus to death, but Roman law did not allow them to be executed. In John 18:31 we read, "Pilate said, "Take him and judge him according to your law." The Jews said, "We have no authority to kill." The Gospel accounts of Jesus' suffering and death in Jerusalem show us that what Jesus foretold in today's text was actually fulfilled. Jesus was clearly looking forward to what procedure he would take to be crucified.
However, what we should note above all is that whenever Jesus spoke of suffering and death on the cross, he always mentioned that He would rise again. In today's text, the Lord said, "As we see in verse 19, they will mock him, scourge him, and crucify him, but on the third day he will rise. The words he did not forget to add at the end of each notice, “but he will rise on the third day,” show his conviction that God the Father guarantees his ultimate victory. In the Korean Bible, it is simply translated as "I will rise on the third day", but to be more precise, it is a part that needs to be translated into a passive voice, such as "I will be raised up and raised up" and "I will be raised to life". That is, God the Father will save you. Jesus will be thrown into suffering and death, but it will not be abandoned, but will be accomplished for his ultimate victory and glory in the will and care of God.
The time of Jesus' death was not that long. When I say "on the third day" I don't mean for three days. The Gospels unanimously report the time when Jesus died as “the ninth hour”. "Nine o'clock" means 3:00 p.m. He died at 3 pm on Friday and rose to life at dawn on Sunday, so he was resurrected in a day and a half. There was only one day when Jesus was completely in death. This means that Jesus' resurrection and victory took place without delay. The power of evil that went against God's will and drove Jesus to death and the victory of that injustice can never last long, and it shows that it returns to vain in an instant.
What do these facts in today's text teach us about the cross of each of us that the Lord has asked us to do? Two things in particular should be remembered.
The first is that the suffering the Lord spoke of is not an abstract suffering that can be easily suffered. When we truly want to follow the Lord, we have to endure realistic and concrete sufferings. The pain of being scourged to tear the flesh and bloody, the mockery of being stripped naked, a crown of thorns in one's head and a reed in one's hand, and insults like being spit on and being beaten in the head. will be
Faith in rightly following the Lord is accepting all these sufferings. But here we must turn our eyes to Jesus Christ and to God the Father. Although He died on the cross of suffering, we must look to the resurrected Jesus and the God who raised Him up again, just as He said, “But he will rise on the third day.” We must hold on to the words of the Lord, "Take up the cross, but live." "But I will live", these words promise God's victory over all evil. To declare the victory of righteousness over all injustice and oppression. It confirms the glorious and blessed life that must follow after all the sufferings of faith. I hope that we will be those who hold on to this word, “But I will live,” and carry the cross that the Lord bears for each of us with joy.