Luke 18:31

Luke 18:31, in plain English

Jesus takes His twelve closest followers aside and tells them plainly: we're going to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets wrote about the Son of Man is about to happen.

Why it's here

This is the third time Jesus has tried to prepare them for what's coming. He's being as clear as He can — this trip to Jerusalem will end in His suffering.

Who's speaking

Jesus speaks privately and seriously to His inner circle, bracing them for what lies ahead.

Where it sits in the story

Jesus knows exactly what's waiting for Him in Jerusalem. He doesn't run from it — He walks straight toward it. And He wants His closest friends to understand that this is the plan, not a disaster.

The scholarly reading

Jesus privately takes the Twelve aside to reveal that the journey to Jerusalem will fulfill all prophetic writings about the Son of Man. The emphasis on prophetic fulfillment (telesthēsetai panta ta gegrammena) frames the Passion as divinely ordained.

Language and setting

This is the third Passion prediction in Luke (cf. 9:22, 9:44). Each grows more detailed. The reference to 'the prophets' connects Jesus' suffering to Isaiah 53, Psalm 22, and other messianic texts.

Voice

Jesus speaks privately to the Twelve, preparing them for what awaits in Jerusalem.

Significance

Jesus pulls His closest followers aside for a sobering conversation. They're heading to Jerusalem, and He wants them to know this isn't a triumphal march — it's the fulfillment of everything the prophets foretold about suffering.

29“Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God

30will fail to receive many times more in this age—and in the age to come, eternal life.”

31Then Jesus took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything the prophets have written about the Son of Man will be fulfilled.

32He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon.

33They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”

Read all of Luke 18 — A stubborn widow, a humble tax collector, and a rich ruler who can't let go. Jesus shows that the kingdom belongs to those who won't give up and won't pretend.