MPV Commentary

Our Lord of His Approaching Death and Resurrection.

The time of this section is immediately after the first explicit announcement of His death and the transfiguration, both occurring between His third and fourth Passover.

Healing of the Demoniac and Lunatic Boy (Mt 17:14-21).

For an explanation of this portion, see Mark 9:14-32.

Second Announcement of His Death (Mt 17:22, 23).

While they were in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "As we leave this place, let's travel through Galilee without drawing attention to ourselves." This was not a public preaching tour but a private journey. In fact, His public ministry in Galilee was nearing its end. Although He would later send out the Seventy to preach and heal, He Himself would soon be absent from public view in Galilee.

The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men ... And they were extremely sorrowful—though not as shocked as at the first announcement (Mt 16:21, 22), their grief was likely even deeper this time. Luke (Lu 9:43, 44) connects this event with the miracle and teaching that followed, saying Jesus warned the Twelve that they would soon need to remember all He had taught them: "While they were amazed at everything Jesus did, He said to His disciples, 'Let these words sink into your ears. The Son of man shall be delivered,' &c.: 'Don't let the grandeur you've seen in Me carry you away; instead, remember what I've told you and now tell you again—that the light you're experiencing will soon give way to darkness.'"

The antithesis in Jesus' words is striking: "The son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men." Luke adds that "they did not understand this saying, and it was hidden from them, so they could not grasp it" (Lu 9:45). The disciples were deterred from asking Him about these sayings by His somber tone and fear of being rebuked for their lack of understanding.