Matthew 17:22-23 22And as they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be handed over into the hands of people, 23and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.
This passage is a pause in the narrative of Matthew and serves as a summary what has come before and a preview of what is to come next. The present participle as they were gathering implies ongoing action. The whole group of disciples was now coming together. The subject of the participle is unclear but likely was the twelve inner circle since Jesus had many followers by this point. The events that follow in chapter 18 all take place in the Galilee. This is the last of Jesus’ ministry in that location before he heads to Jerusalem (19:1). This is the third time Jesus has predicted his death and resurrection (16:21; 17:12). Would the disciples at last begin to put the pieces of the puzzle together? Had their faith grown?
Jesus’ prediction is simple and a clear summary of the passion. He uses his favorite self-designation of the Son of Man. The the voice of the infinitive to be handed over is passive because God is in complete control of the situation. The Jewish and Roman leaders may have thought that they were in control and were making the decisions but Jesus’ death on the cross was all part of God’s eternal plan. The voice of the verb they will kill is active because that is the human action done. The leaders were guilty of killing Jesus (Acts 3:13-15). The voice of the verb will be raised shifts back to passive because this is another divine act of God. Only God can bring life from death. The way Jesus makes these statements implies God’s plan in it all.
The disciples seemed to have focused in on the word “kill” and did not understand the idea of “resurrection.” What caused their distress? Their worry and grief may have come from their worldly thinking. They needed to make the transition to consecrated faith, but that would take the work of the cross, the power of resurrection, and the presence of the Holy Spirit to happen. Jesus laid out the path for them to take, but they needed to make the crucial decision of self-crucifixion. This is the same path we all must take as well.
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