How Could They Not Understand

During my quite times this week I read this passage in Luke:

"Jesus took the Twelve aside and told them, 'We are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written by the prophets about the Son of Man will be fulfilled. He will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, insult him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.' The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about," (Luke 18:31-34, NIV).

I read this passage and I could help thinking about the final two sentences. "The disciples did not understand any of this." How could they not understand? How could Jesus be any more clear about what was going to happen to him. Jesus basically spells it out for the disciples. He is going to be handed over, beaten, and killed, and then raise back to life after three days.

It's very clear, easy for anyone to understand. I don't think it was that they didn't understand, but that they didn't WANT to understand. They loved and adored Jesus so much that they didn't want to believe that these things were going to happen. But if they didn't happen then the world wouldn't have been redeemed, and none of us would be able to have a relationship with Christ, and God.

We don't want horrible things to happen to the people we love. But this had to happen so we could be saved. Thank you God for loving us so much. For loving me so much.

TNT,
Words by Ali


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