Glory on the Mountain
They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were deeply grieved. Matthew 17:23 · Berean Standard Bible
The disciples were devastated by what Jesus said. They heard 'killed' but couldn't yet hold onto 'raised to life.' Grief clouded their hope.
When God tells you about difficult times ahead, it's natural to focus on the pain and miss the promise. The resurrection is always part of the story.
Matthew describes the disciples' deep sorrow.
The weight of what's coming presses down on the disciples. They grieve because they love Him. But the best part of the prediction hasn't sunk in yet.
The disciples were elypēthēsan sphodra ('deeply grieved'), indicating that they now comprehend at least the suffering portion of the prediction, even if the resurrection remains opaque to them.
The grief suggests progress from Peter's outright rebuke (16:22) to sorrowful acceptance. The disciples are beginning to grasp the reality of the Messiah's suffering.
The narrator describes the disciples' emotional response.
The disciples are beginning to understand what lies ahead, and the knowledge fills them with grief. They can hear the words about death but cannot yet grasp the resurrection.
22When they gathered together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.
23They will kill Him, and on the third day He will be raised to life.” And the disciples were deeply grieved.
24After they had arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, “Does your Teacher pay the two drachmas?”
25“Yes,” he answered.
Read all of Matthew 17 — Three disciples witness Jesus transfigured in blinding light alongside Moses and Elijah. Then they come back down to a world that still needs healing.
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