Study Format:
1. Read passage aloud. What did you notice in the reading? What words or phrase caught your attention?
2. Read passage aloud a second time. What questions would you ask the text?
3. Read passage aloud a third time. What do you hear God calling you to do or be in response to this text?
Interesting Ideas to Consider:
• This is the first of Jesus’ four predictions of his upcoming death (16:21-23; 17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:2). Both Matthew and Luke keep these predictions from the Markan tradition, though only Matthew adds the fourth.
• “From that time on” (apo tote) in v. 21 marks the turning point in Matthew’s Gospel. Up to this point, Jesus’ ministry was a public one, preaching, teaching, and healing in the Galilee region. From here until 20:34, Jesus’ ministry shifts inward to teaching only the disciples. Chapter 21 is the triumphal entry into Jerusalem and the beginning of the passion narrative.
• 17:22 makes it clear that these passion predictions are about God handing Jesus over to a group of people, not one group of people handing Jesus over to another to be killed. God is the primary actor in Jesus’ impending death.
• A single definite article begins the list of elders, high priests, and scribes that Jesus said he was being handed over to, making the Jewish leadership a united front. It is not the Jewish people whom Jesus is handed over to, but the religious leadership.
• Both the verb for “be killed” and “be raised” are in the passive voice, what is often called the “divine passive.” This is to be clear that Jesus did not rise on his own, but his resurrection was an act of God.
• In v. 22, “took him aside” is probably better translated as “took hold of,” as in “Peter took hold of Jesus [by the arm]…” Peter’s “rebuke” to Jesus uses prayer-like words. In light of Jesus’ reference to God’s thoughts versus human thoughts, it can be read as a prayer. The problem is that Peter’s idea of success is a human one, and is different than God’s. In Peter’s view, Jesus’ success cannot include his suffering and death. But in Jesus’ perspective, that is the definition of success.
• “Get behind me, Satan” (v. 23) recognizes the temptation for Jesus to view his mission by human criteria of success rather than by God’s. The verb for “get” is the same as the verb for “go” in Jesus’ temptation by the devil in 4:10.
• In this story in Mark’s gospel, Jesus began to address the crowd at v. 24. Matthew changed that to focus Jesus’ teachings directly on the meaning of discipleship for those who are already in the community. These words are not an invitation to discipleship for outsiders, they are a challenge for insiders. The word “become” is a poor translation of the Greek, the NIV translation is better. Following Jesus is a matter of will, there is an aspect of decision, but not the initial decision. It’s the difference between justification (Jesus chose/saves us) and sanctification (how we live into that promise) that we’ve talked about before.
• V. 28 could mean a lot of different things. The most likely is that Matthew was literally referring to the end of time, which he thought was coming very soon. Like within the next days, months, or definitely years. It is one of the problems Paul addressed in his writings, when followers started dying of old age and Jesus had not yet returned.
• The point of this scene is to set the fact that the death of Jesus was not an accident, but was part of the divine plan. Jesus was not a victim; he was a knowing and willing participant.
• This call for discipleship is neither self-fulfillment nor meaningless self-denial. Rather it is a lack of focus on self at all.
• The call to discipleship is based on faith in Christ and confidence in future victory. It is not based on a reasonable conclusion about the current status, but the faith that something which already happened is changing things for the better.
• The call to discipleship happens in community.
• Discipleship is not a destination, it is a journey of learning.
Works Sourced:
Boring, M. Eugene. “The Gospel of Matthew.” The New Interpreter’s Bible Volume VIII. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 1995.
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