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Luke 9:43b–45
“While they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.’ But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying.”
We have noted in past studies that the disciples did not fully understand the mission of the Messiah before His death, resurrection, and ascension. The transfiguration gives us one proof of this observation. When Jesus’ glory was revealed on the Mount of Transfiguration, Peter responded that they should make three tents—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Luke comments that Peter did not know what he was saying (Luke 9:28–33). The Evangelist wants us to recognize the impropriety of Peter’s remark, but what made it improper? In essence, Peter wanted the revelation of Christ’s glory to be permanent at that point. He had no conception that the transfiguration was only a temporary revelation of the Lord’s glory and that the full and abiding display of the glory of Christ could come only by His passing through the suffering and death of the cross, as is evident in Jesus’ prayer on the eve of His crucifixion (John 17).
Today’s passage features more evidence of the disciples’ lack of understanding of Jesus’ mission. While the crowds in Galilee marveled at such things as Jesus’ healing of the epileptic boy, our Lord turned to the disciples to tell them that He, the Son of Man, was about to be “delivered into the hands of men” (Luke 9:43b–44). Jesus, of course, was referring to His betrayal by Judas and His subsequent death at the hands of the Jewish and Roman authorities (see Luke 22:3–6, 47–53). The disciples did not understand Christ’s saying (Luke 9:45), almost certainly because they were expecting the Messiah primarily to liberate the Jews politically from the Roman Empire and were not yet fully aware of His work to free people from the curse of sin.
Luke adds that the meaning of our Lord’s prediction “was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it” (Luke 9:45). Ultimately, the disciples were confused because God willed that their lack of understanding would remain at that point during our Lord’s earthly ministry. We see a parallel here to the broader work of God in the salvation of His people. No one but the Holy Spirit comprehends the thoughts of God, and no one but the Holy Spirit can convince sinners regarding the true scope of the Savior’s work. In our natural state since the fall, we cannot accept divine truth until the Spirit opens our minds and hearts to understand and believe it (1 Cor. 2:6–16). Until He does that, our sin makes us incapable of saving faith. Only if God gives us faith will we be saved (Eph. 2:8–9).
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
It is good for us to strive to be as clear as possible when we are sharing gospel truths with other people. Yet their reception of these truths will finally occur not because we are sufficiently clear and persuasive but only because of the work of the Holy Spirit. Let us pray this day for God to grant faith to the non-Christians with whom we are sharing the gospel.
for further study
- Exodus 7
- Proverbs 28:14
- John 12:36b–43
- Ephesians 3:14–21
the bible in a year
- 1 Kings 19–20
- John 2