Luke 18:31-34

4. Jesus’ passion announcement and the disciples’ lack of perception 18:31-34 (cf. Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 10:32-34)

Jesus’ passion announcements to His disciples constitute important structural markers in Mark’s Gospel. Luke and Matthew did not use them this way. The incident before us was the third passion announcement that Jesus gave beside other allusions to His death that He made (cf. Luke 5:35; Luke 12:50; Luke 13:32-33; Luke 17:25).

Luke presented this announcement as part of his travelogue that records Jesus moving from Galilee to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51 to Luke 19:27). He played down the amazement and fear of the disciples that Mark stressed here. Instead he focused the reader’s attention on the disciples’ failure to understand what was going to happen in Jerusalem. There is a continuation of the theme of responding to Jesus’ words that precedes. The rich young ruler failed to respond to the good news that Jesus proclaimed. Similarly the disciples, though believing the gospel, failed to respond to the bad news He told them. There is also a continuation of the theme of entering the kingdom. The disciples would enter because they believed in Jesus, but they would have to go through trials and tribulations, as Jesus would, before they did. The death of Jesus provided the basis for God’s gracious dealings with believers through His Son (Luke 18:26-27).