From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This is the precise moment Jesus shifts His teaching from who He is to what He must do. It's not just an announcement of suffering, but a strategic unfolding of God's plan, revealed only after Peter's confession assured the disciples they were ready to hear this difficult truth.
From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Having just confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the disciples now hear Jesus reveal a completely different aspect of His mission: suffering, death, and resurrection. This marks a crucial shift, as Jesus begins to plainly tell them that His path to glory involves going to Jerusalem and being killed by religious leaders, but He also promises His resurrection on the third day. This stark announcement immediately sets the stage for Peter’s protest and Jesus’ strong rebuke, highlighting the disciples’ struggle to grasp the true nature of the Messiah.
Jesus just heard Peter declare Him the Christ, the Son of the living God. What happens next? Not a celebration of earthly power, but a sobering announcement about His own future suffering.
Matthew 16:21 marks a pivotal moment. Before this, Jesus had hinted at His eventual suffering, but now, after Peter's bold confession, He begins to show His disciples plainly what must happen. The word 'must' (Greek: dei) isn't about a suggestion; it points to a divine necessity, a plan woven into God's purpose from the start.
A New Direction
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Jesus names specific groups who will be behind His suffering. Who are they, and why would they reject the very Messiah they were supposed to recognize?
Jesus identifies the 'elders and chief priests and scribes' as the ones who would inflict His suffering. These weren't fringe elements but the very pillars of Jewish religious and political authority in Jerusalem.
The Sanhedrin's Role
The announcement of suffering and death could have crushed the disciples. But Jesus immediately provides a vital counter-balance. What is it, and why is it so crucial?
Right after detailing His impending suffering and death, Jesus adds the astonishing promise: 'and on the third day be raised.' This wasn't an afterthought; it was an integral part of the prophetic message.
The Power of the Third Day
Understand the original words
Hierosolyma · Greek Noun
The central city of Israel, the location of the Temple, and the site where the Messiah was expected to suffer and die to fulfill Old Testament prophecy. It represents the focal point of God's redemptive history.
paschō · Greek Verb
To undergo pain, distress, or death; in the context of Christ, it refers to the voluntary endurance of agony and shame to accomplish the atonement for sin.
dei · Greek Verb
The theological assertion that the Messiah's passion, death, and resurrection were divinely mandated and necessary to fulfill the Scriptures and God's sovereign plan of salvation.
egeirō · Greek Verb
To be brought back to life; a foundational Christian doctrine signifying Christ's victory over sin and death, providing the assurance of the believer's own future glorification.
This verse marks a crucial turning point where Jesus shifts from revealing his identity to preparing his followers for his impending suffering and death, moving the narrative from Galilee to Jerusalem and confronting the disciples' expectations of a triumphant Messiah.
c. AD 27-30
Jesus' Galilean Ministry
Jesus spent much of his public ministry in Galilee, teaching and performing miracles, gathering disciples and gaining a following.
c. AD 30
Peter's Confession
Peter, speaking for the disciples, confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. This marks a pivotal moment in their understanding of Jesus' identity.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus First Predicts His Suffering
Immediately after Peter's confession, Jesus begins to reveal to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer, be killed, and be raised on the third day.
c. AD 30
The Transfiguration
A few days after predicting his death, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain where he is transfigured and speaks with Moses and Elijah about his coming "exodus" in Jerusalem.
c. AD 30
Journey to Jerusalem
Jesus and his disciples travel towards Jerusalem for the Passover festival, with Jesus repeatedly preparing them for the events that will unfold.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Arrival in Jerusalem
Jesus enters Jerusalem triumphantly, then begins to teach in the temple courts, confronting the religious authorities.
c. AD 30
The Passover and Crucifixion
Jesus shares the Last Supper with his disciples, is betrayed, arrested, tried, and crucified by the Roman authorities at the insistence of the Jewish leaders.
This Old Testament prophecy directly foretells the suffering, rejection, and death of a servant figure, which Jesus here begins to reveal as his own imminent future.
Luke 24:26This passage echoes Jesus' statement here, emphasizing the divine necessity ('must') for the Messiah to suffer before entering his glory, highlighting the preordained nature of his passion.
Acts 17:3This verse shows how the early church understood Jesus' suffering and resurrection, demonstrating the importance of this revelation in Matthew 16:21 for their understanding of Christ's mission.
1 Peter 1:11This highlights how the prophets foresaw Christ's suffering and the glory that would follow, directly connecting to Jesus' announcement of his death and subsequent resurrection.
Matthew 20:17-19This represents a later, more detailed announcement of Jesus' suffering and death, showing a progression from the initial, more general revelation in Matthew 16:21.
vincentMatthew 16:21: "From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day."
From that time began (ἀπὸ τότε ἤρξατο)He had not shown it to them before.Must (δεῖ)It was necessary in fulfilment of the divine purpose. See Matthew 26:54; Hebrews 8:3; Luke 24:26.SufferThis first announcement mentions his passion and death generally; the secon…
calvinMatthew 16:20-28: "Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ."
- Then he charged his disciples [451] not to tell any one that he was Jesus the Christ. 21. From that time Jesus began to make known to his disciples, that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and be raised again on the third day. 22. And Peter, taking him aside, [452] began to rebuke him, saying, Lord, s…
This is the precise moment Jesus shifts His teaching from who He is to what He must do. It's not just an announcement of suffering, but a strategic unfolding of God's plan, revealed only after Peter's confession assured the disciples they were ready to hear this difficult truth.
Having just confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the disciples now hear Jesus reveal a completely different aspect of His mission: suffering, death, and resurrection. This marks a crucial shift, as Jesus begins to plainly tell them that His path to glory involves going to Jerusalem and being killed by religious leaders, but He also promises His resurrection on the third day. This stark announcement immediately sets the stage for Peter’s protest and Jesus’ strong rebuke, highlighting the disciples’ struggle to grasp the true nature of the Messiah.
Having just confessed Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God, the disciples now hear Jesus reveal a completely different aspect of His mission: suffering, death, and resurrection. This marks a crucial shift, as Jesus begins to plainly tell them that His path to glory involves going to Jerusalem and being killed by religious leaders, but He also promises His resurrection on the third day. This stark announcement immediately sets the stage for Peter’s protest and Jesus’ strong rebuke, highlighting the disciples’ struggle to grasp the true nature of the Messiah.
"From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised." — This is the precise moment Jesus shifts His teaching from who He is to what He must do. It's not just an announcement of suffering, but a strategic unfolding of God's plan, revealed only after Pe…
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Last reviewed October 2026