⭐WEB · Matthew 17:22
What does Matthew 17:22 mean?
"While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,"
— Matthew 17:22 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Then the disciples came to Jesus privately, and said, “Why weren’t we able to cast it out?”
He said to them, “Because of your unbelief. For most certainly I tell you, if you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you will tell this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.
But this kind doesn’t go out except by prayer and fasting.”
While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,
and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” They were exceedingly sorry.
When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?”
He said, “Yes.” When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”
Explanation
Matthew 17:22 records the beginning of Jesus's second clear prediction of his own death, spoken to his disciples while they were together in Galilee, the region where much of his ministry had taken place. In plain language, Jesus tells his closest followers that he, referring to himself by the title "Son of Man," is about to be handed over into the power of men who will do him harm. This statement continues in verse 23, where he adds that he will be killed and on the third day raised again, but verse 22 alone captures the sobering announcement that betrayal and suffering are drawing near.
The context matters greatly here. Matthew's Gospel was written to a Jewish-Christian audience, likely to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah who fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures. This verse comes shortly after the Transfiguration, where Jesus's divine glory was revealed to Peter, James, and John, and after Jesus had already predicted his death once before in Matthew 16:21. By repeating the prediction here, Matthew shows that Jesus was not caught off guard by his coming crucifixion; he understood and accepted it as part of his mission. The phrase "Son of Man" is a title Jesus frequently used for himself, drawn from Daniel 7:13-14, where it refers to a figure given authority and glory by God. It is striking that this exalted figure would be "delivered up into the hands of men," a phrase that emphasizes vulnerability and injustice, since Jesus, though possessing divine authority, would be handed over to human hands that intended him harm.
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