And while they stayed in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: And they shall kill Him, and the third day He shall be raised again." And they were exceeding sorry. (vv. 22-23)
Here in our text, Jesus reminds His disciples about His future sufferings. He rarely told His disciples about His coming death without also telling of His coming resurrection. We know that the disciples didn’t really comprehend the glorious triumph of the resurrection, because they were "exceedingly sorrowful."
I think if His disciples would have just listened closer to what Jesus was telling them (that He would raise from the dead in three days), they would not have been nearly so grieved. Their grief was a bitter grief such as non-believers, who have no hope beyond this life when they lose their loved ones. The disciples simply could not (at this point) conceive of life without their Savior being their in the flesh by their side.
Yet Jesus, though He had the power to call upon heaven to save Him from His future agony, was willing to accept what was to come, to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world - even though many would reject His deity and His resurrection.
While none of us will ever face such a death, we will one day face it. And during that moment, or other difficult seasons in life, may we learn to endure the path we must walk, endure the pain that comes our way, and to be content with His will in our lives. For a New Heaven and a New Earth awaits those who believe on Him.
The Truth: “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4)
