And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said to them, The Son of man is about to be delivered up into [the] hands of men,
These words come right after the glory on the mountain and the casting out of a demon. The One just seen shining now says He will be handed over to men. Two questions press. Why speak of death after such a display of glory? And why did men who loved Him take the news so hard?
This is the second time Jesus tells the disciples what is coming. Where it falls in the story matters.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThis new announcement of His suffering comes after the transfiguration and after the sign of His power over the devil. It reminds us that the glory could only be reached through the cross. In chapter sixteen He announced that He would build His church, and then came the first statement of His suffering. There the elders, chief priests and scribes are named, and His glory as the Son of Man is shown. Here He speaks of His death again. This time He does not name the chief priests and elders. He says He is about to be delivered into the hands of men.
The wording changes. In chapter 16 the named religious leaders kill Him. Here the hands are just "men."
William KellyThen comes another announcement of His sufferings... In Matthew 16:21 we had His sufferings at the hands of the Jews (elders, chief priests and scribes). Here it points rather to rejection by the Gentiles: "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." This one follows the showing of His glory as Son of Man. The earlier one followed the confession of His still deeper glory as Son of God.
The title matters too. The first announcement followed the confession of His glory as Son of God; this one follows the showing of His glory as Son of Man. Commentators differ on how far "men" reaches. Some read it as the Gentiles. Others read it as the whole human race.
The Bible TreasuryIt was the religious power that rejected and killed Him as the Christ. But as Son of man, both the political and the religious powers denied His claims and put Him to death... As Son of man, the Lord shows that the whole world would have a part in His rejection, that "men" would kill Him — Jew and Gentile.
He could have kept His death to Himself. He chose to open it to His followers.
G. V. WigramIt was man's act — the Gentiles (Mark 10:34; Luke 18:33) did it, though the Jews might have first sought it: while His opening of it to His followers was the proof of His love to them.
The next verse says their grief was great. They were Jews waiting for a kingdom on earth, and His death would cost them that hope.
W. T. TurpinWhy? It killed all their hopes on earth; it ended everything they expected here... For Jewish hopes, the death of Christ was the death of the heir. He was their link to all the prospects and promises that God had given them as a people here on earth. That is why they grieved and sorrowed.
Their sorrow was love with short sight. They could not see past the loss in front of them.
J. N. DarbyFull of patience, He takes up again the teaching He was giving His disciples about His rejection and His resurrection as the Son of man. They love the Lord, and they cannot carry their thoughts beyond the moment, so they are troubled. And yet this was redemption, salvation, the glory of Christ.
Every announcement of His death carries the third day with it. His disciples missed it. His enemies did not.
The Bible TreasuryHe had spoken of His own resurrection several times (John 2:20-21; Matt. 16:21; Matt. 17:9, 23; Matt. 20:19; Matt. 26:32...). His enemies understood from His words that He was predicting the raising of His body. That is why they asked Pilate for a guard to watch the tomb, in case His disciples came by night and stole Him away... The soldiers did guard the tomb, yet He rose.
- Timing. He speaks of the cross right after glory and power, because the glory could come only through the cross.
- Widening. Chapter 16 named the Jewish leaders. Here the hands are just "men" — Jew and Gentile alike.
- Love. He told His followers what was coming, and that telling was proof of His love for them.
- Sorrow. They grieved because His death ended their hopes of a kingdom on earth. They loved Him, but could not think past the moment.
- Reversal. What crushed them was redemption, salvation and His glory. They missed the third day. His enemies took it seriously enough to post a guard.
and they shall kill him; and the third day he shall be raised up. And they were greatly grieved.
This is the second time Jesus tells His disciples what lies ahead, and the news lands on them as pure loss. He names three things: betrayal, death, and rising on the third day. Only the first two reach them.
The wording here is not the same as the earlier announcement. One commentator sets the two side by side.
William KellyThen comes another declaration of His sufferings... In Matthew 16:21 we had His sufferings through the Jews — the elders, chief priests and scribes. Here it is rather Gentile rejection: "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men." This one follows the display of His glory as Son of Man. The other followed the confession of His still deeper glory as Son of God.
Commentators differ on how wide the word "men" is. Another writer reads it as taking in the whole world.
The Bible TreasuryThe religious power rejected and killed Him as the Christ. But in His character as Son of Man, both the political and the religious powers denied His claims and killed Him... As Son of Man, the Lord shows that the whole world would have a part in His rejection. "Men" would kill Him — Jew and Gentile.
The disciples had staked everything on earthly promises. His death cut the cord.
W T Turpin"And they were greatly distressed." Why? It killed all their earthly hopes; it was the end of all their earthly prospects... the death of Christ was, to Jewish hopes, the death of the heir. He was their link to all the earthly prospects and promises that God had given them as a people down here on the earth. So they grieved and sorrowed.
Under the dying hope and the dread, one writer finds real love for Christ.
Messiah, Prince and SaviourThe hope of the earthly glory was dying out of their hearts. The dread that He might be taken and killed weighed on them. As yet, faith in His word that He would rise again had no place in their hearts. But a few simple words in verse 23 show deep and true affection for their beloved Master — "and they were greatly distressed."
Jesus ended on resurrection, not on death. Their grief shows that the ending passed them by.
Arno Clemens GaebeleinThis new declaration of His suffering follows the transfiguration scene and the display of His power over the devil. It reminds us that the glory could only come through the cross... His disciples heard these words and grieved deeply. All these sayings of the Lord were a mystery to them. They did not know that only His death and triumphant resurrection could bring all the hope of glory and the kingdom. If they had known, they would not have grieved.
He did not keep the news to Himself. One writer names whose act the killing was, and what the telling proved.
G. V. WigramIt was man's act. The Gentiles did it, though the Jews may have sought it first. And His opening it up to His followers was the proof of His love to them.
What they mourned was the very thing that would save them.
J. N. DarbyFull of patience, He takes up again the teaching He was giving His disciples about His rejection and His resurrection as the Son of Man. They love the Lord, but they cannot carry their thoughts beyond the moment they are in. So they are troubled. And yet this was redemption, salvation, the glory of Christ.
- Delivered. Christ is handed over "into the hands of men." The earlier warning named Israel's leaders. This one names men — read as Gentile rejection, or as Jew and Gentile together.
- Disclosed. He tells them in advance. Opening His death to His followers proved His love for them.
- Distressed. Real affection mixed with ruin. The death of the heir looked like the end of every earthly promise they held.
- Deaf. He ended with resurrection on the third day. They stopped listening at death. Had they heard Him, they would not have grieved.
- Design. What looked like the ruin of everything was redemption, salvation, and the glory of Christ. The cross was the only road to the glory they wanted.