31 Then 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. 32 He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and insulted and spit upon. 33 They will flog Him and kill Him, and on the third day He will rise again.”

34 But the disciples did not understand any of these things. The meaning was hidden from them, and they did not comprehend what He was saying.

REFLECTIONS

Written by Tara Sing

Sometimes I feel really sorry for the apostles. Walking with Jesus while he healed people, calmed storms, walked on water, multiplied bread and fish, raised dead people to life and many other miracles must have been very confusing at times. How many times do the apostles ask each other "Who is this man?" and how many times were they absolutely baffled by things Jesus said or did?

Today's passage is another one of those moments, where Jesus speaks clearly and plainly but completely baffles his friends. They believed he was the Messiah, the Christ sent from God. They believed he was the one whom the prophets spoke about. And yet there was so much that didn't make sense to them.

Firstly, because it didn’t fit with what they thought the Christ would come and do. They were expecting political revolution, freedom for God's people from oppression and foreign rule. They weren't expecting him to die.

Secondly, they couldn't make sense of what Jesus said because the true meaning was hidden from them. In God's wisdom, it wasn't the right time for them to fully understand exactly how or what would happen.

To you and me, Jesus’ words seem very clear. We know that he went with his disciples to Jerusalem. We know that he was handed over to the Gentiles when the Pharisees brought him before Pontius Pilate. We know that he was mocked, insulted and spit on by Roman soldiers, brutally beaten before being sent to die on a cross. We know he was nailed to the cross, and mocked and insulted again whilst hanging, gasping for air. And we know that after he died, he rose again on the third day.

But it wasn't time for the disciples to know yet. In God's kindness, he does reveal to the disciples the full meaning of these things once Jesus has risen. It all clicks and makes sense, because God allows it to.

At the end of the day, the gospel message can really only make sense to anyone because God allows it to be so. God conceals knowledge and God enables understanding when he sees fit. Give thanks that in God's kindness, we understand Jesus’ words. Pray that God would show his mercy to those who do not understand and that one day they will understand and accept what Jesus has done for them too.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara is a member of our Bossley Park Morning congregation.