“The Son of Man must suffer many terrible things,” he said. “He will be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead.” (Luke 9:22 NLT).
Jesus revealed His purpose and destiny to His disciples on many occasions. He said that He “must suffer.” In the Greek, the word “to suffer” is “paschō” (πάσχω), which is the origin of the English word “passion.” Yet, they didn’t grasp His meaning until after these things had happened.
It must have been particularly difficult to understand Christ’s words on the day that Peter was commended for rightly identifying Jesus as the “Messiah and Son of the living God” (Matt. 16:16). Their view of the Messiah was one of a conquering king, not a suffering servant. They had not understood the many prophecies found in Bible passages like Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22 that Jesus “must” fulfill.
So on that Good Friday, Jesus suffered just as He said and just as the prophets had foretold. And on the third day, He was raised, overcoming sin, death, and the grave!
PRAYER: Dear Father, thank You for giving us Jesus, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. For You so loved us that You gave Him to us. And He was obedient to accomplish our redemption. We praise You and worship You for Your great love and for Christ’s sacrifice for us. In Jesus’ name, amen.