What is the meaning of Matthew 17:23? They will kill Him Jesus speaks plainly: hostile hands will take His life (Matthew 16:21; Luke 18:32-33). • The verb “kill” shows deliberate intent, not accident (Acts 2:23). • God’s plan, long foretold, unfolds through human opposition (Isaiah 53:7-10). • Jesus is no helpless victim; He “lays down His life” willingly (John 10:17-18). Hearing these words, the disciples confront the sobering reality that Messiah’s mission includes the cross, contradicting their hopes of immediate earthly triumph (Zechariah 9:9 juxtaposed with Psalm 22:16). and on the third day He will be raised to life. Suffering is not the final word. • Jesus anchors the promise to a specific timetable—“the third day”—which He keeps (Matthew 28:5-6). • Scripture had foreshadowed resurrection on the third day (Hosea 6:2; Jonah 1:17; 12:39-40). • The resurrection authenticates His deity (Romans 1:4) and secures our justification (Romans 4:25). • It also guarantees future bodily resurrection for believers (1 Corinthians 15:20-23; 1 Peter 1:3). Jesus’ words blend sorrow with unstoppable hope: death comes, but life triumphs. And the disciples were deeply grieved. Their grief shows limited understanding. • They grasp the death but miss the resurrection, focusing on loss (John 16:6). • Emotional heaviness often precedes fuller revelation; later their sorrow turns to joy (John 20:20). • Jesus remains patient, later opening their minds to comprehend the Scriptures (Luke 24:25-27, 45). Their reaction reminds us that faith grows gradually; hearing divine truth can unsettle before it comforts. summary Matthew 17:23 presents the core of the gospel in three strokes: intentional sacrifice, promised resurrection, and honest human response. Jesus foretells His death—God’s redemptive plan accomplished through human hostility—then promises victorious resurrection on the third day, ensuring hope beyond the grave. The disciples’ grief underscores how hard it is to see glory through impending loss, yet their sorrow sets the stage for the joy that erupts on resurrection morning. |
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