Jesus doesn't just announce his impending suffering; he frames it as the necessary fulfillment of everything written about the Son of Man in Scripture. This means his passion wasn't a tragic accident, but the divinely orchestrated climax of God's ancient promises, making sense of suffering through the lens of God's unfolding plan.
And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.” But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and he pulls the twelve disciples aside to prepare them for what's coming. He tells them that their journey to the city will fulfill everything the prophets foretold about the Son of Man, which includes his suffering, death, and resurrection. Though the disciples are amazed and afraid, and don't grasp the full meaning, Jesus is deliberately revealing the prophetic roadmap of his passion.
Jesus wasn't just heading to Jerusalem; He was walking a path foretold by prophets. What does this tell us about His mission and our own journeys?
As Jesus and his disciples journeyed, he made a significant point of taking the twelve aside. This wasn't a casual remark; it was a deliberate act to prepare them.
A Specific Destination
"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem." This wasn't a mere travel update. Jerusalem was the spiritual and political heart of Israel, the place where the Passover lambs were sacrificed. Jesus was intentionally heading towards the culmination of God's redemptive plan, a place of both immense religious significance and intense opposition.
Fulfilling Ancient Words
He didn't just state the destination, but also its purpose: "and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished." Jesus saw His impending suffering and death not as a tragic accident, but as the fulfillment of Scripture. This perspective underscores His divine foreknowledge and the deep, ancient roots of His mission. His journey was a prophetic roadmap, meticulously laid out long before.
This highlights that Jesus’s life, death, and resurrection were not spontaneous events but were part of a divine, preordained plan revealed through the prophets. He embraced this destiny willingly.
Jesus openly speaks of His coming suffering. Why was it crucial for Him to reveal this, and why were the disciples so confused?
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Jesus's words were not just a statement of fact but a profound revelation of His identity and mission.
The Predicted Suffering
Jesus explicitly states that "everything that is written... will be accomplished." The "Son of Man" – a title Jesus often used for Himself, linking His humanity with divine authority – was destined for suffering. The prophecies didn't just speak of His glory, but also of His humiliation, betrayal, condemnation, and ultimately, death.
A Divine Blueprint
The commentaries highlight that Jesus saw His journey to Jerusalem as the point where the prophetic writings about the Son of Man would find their ultimate fulfillment. This included His delivery to the religious leaders, condemnation, and handing over to the Gentiles. He knew the details – the mockery, the scourging, the crucifixion – all foretold.
The Disciples' Blindness
Despite Jesus's clear words, the disciples struggled to grasp the reality of His suffering. Their preconceived notions of a triumphant Messiah overshadowed their ability to understand the prophetic necessity of His death. They couldn't reconcile the suffering servant with the conquering king they expected.
Understand the original words
huios tou anthrōpou · Greek Noun Phrase
A title used for Jesus that emphasizes both His humanity and His divine messianic authority as the heavenly figure described in Daniel 7:13-14. It highlights His role as the suffering servant and the future judge of the world.
prophētai · Greek Noun
In biblical usage, a prophet is one who speaks on behalf of God, conveying His message, warnings, or predictions to His people, often under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Prophets in the Old Testament provided the foundational revelation regarding the coming Messiah.
paradothēsetai · Greek Verb
The act of being given over to others, often used in the Gospels to refer to Jesus being handed over to His enemies or to authorities for judgment. It carries overtones of divine providence, as Jesus was 'delivered up' according to the predetermined plan of God.
ethnesin · Greek Noun
A term referring to non-Jewish nations, representing the world outside the covenant of Israel. In the context of the Passion, it highlights the universal nature of the rejection of Christ.
tē tritē hēmera · Greek Adverbial Phrase
A historical and theological marker pointing to the transition from the old covenant to the new. It signifies the completion of the period of humiliation and the commencement of the age of resurrection and vindication.
anastēsetai · Greek Verb
The central miracle of the Christian faith, where Jesus Christ returned to life after His death. It signifies victory over sin, death, and the grave, and validates His identity as the Son of God.
Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem wasn't just a pilgrimage; it was a mission to fulfill ancient prophecies about the suffering Messiah, a truth his disciples struggled to grasp amid their expectations.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus taught, healed, and performed miracles throughout Galilee, gathering disciples and facing increasing opposition from religious authorities.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Journey to Jerusalem
Jesus and his disciples begin the final journey to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, a trip that would culminate in his crucifixion.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Predicts His Suffering
Jesus forewarns his closest disciples that his arrival in Jerusalem will lead to his betrayal, condemnation, suffering, death, and resurrection.
c. 30 AD
Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
Jesus enters Jerusalem riding a donkey, hailed by crowds as a king, fulfilling prophecy but further alarming the religious leaders.
c. 30 AD
Final Week in Jerusalem
Jesus teaches and debates in the Temple, confronts the religious authorities, and institutes the Last Supper with his disciples.
c. 30 AD
Crucifixion and Resurrection
Jesus is arrested, tried, crucified, and three days later, rises from the dead, fulfilling the Scriptures.
This passage is a powerful prophetic picture of the Suffering Servant, the Son of Man, whose experiences of suffering, rejection, and atonement are directly foreshadowed here, aligning perfectly with Jesus' statement that all written by the prophets would be accomplished.
Daniel 9:24-27Daniel's prophecy speaks of a Messiah who would be cut off after a period, but not for himself, and the establishment of an everlasting kingdom. This directly connects to Jesus' message of suffering and death as part of God's ultimate plan for the Son of Man.
Luke 9:22This verse is a prior instance where Jesus explicitly tells his disciples that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected. It highlights the ongoing theme of Jesus preparing his followers for his sacrificial path, as stated in Luke 18:31.
Psalm 22:1-31This psalm vividly describes the anguish and suffering of a righteous one, including being forsaken and mocked, with a prophetic turn towards vindication and worship. It resonates deeply with the 'accomplishment' of all things written about the Son of Man, particularly his passion.
Acts 17:2-3This shows Paul using the Scriptures to prove that the Messiah had to suffer. It demonstrates how Jesus' own teaching in Luke 18:31 became a foundational interpretive lens for understanding his life, death, and resurrection through the Old Testament.
calvinLuke 18:31-34: "Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished."
- And Jesus, going up to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples apart in the way, and said to them, 18. Lo, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and scribes; and they will condemn him to death. 19. And they will deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to…
vincentLuke 18:31: "Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished."
By the prophets (διά)Lit., through; the preposition expressing secondary agency.
Jesus doesn't just announce his impending suffering; he frames it as the necessary fulfillment of everything written about the Son of Man in Scripture. This means his passion wasn't a tragic accident, but the divinely orchestrated climax of God's ancient promises, making sense of suffering through the lens of God's unfolding plan.
Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and he pulls the twelve disciples aside to prepare them for what's coming. He tells them that their journey to the city will fulfill everything the prophets foretold about the Son of Man, which includes his suffering, death, and resurrection. Though the disciples are amazed and afraid, and don't grasp the full meaning, Jesus is deliberately revealing the prophetic roadmap of his passion.
Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, and he pulls the twelve disciples aside to prepare them for what's coming. He tells them that their journey to the city will fulfill everything the prophets foretold about the Son of Man, which includes his suffering, death, and resurrection. Though the disciples are amazed and afraid, and don't grasp the full meaning, Jesus is deliberately revealing the prophetic roadmap of his passion.
"And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and sham…" — Jesus doesn't just announce his impending suffering; he frames it as the necessary fulfillment of everything written about the Son of Man in Scripture. This means his passion wasn't a tragic accide…
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Last reviewed October 2026
