What does Luke 18:31 mean?
Luke 9:51—19:27 is sometimes called the "Travelogue of Jesus" or the "Travelogue of Luke," depending on if the scholar is emphasizing Jesus' actions or Luke's literary organization. It is a collection of stories. Some are ordered by time, like a historical account. Others are arranged by theme, to show how Jesus teaches the disciples about the kingdom of God, preparing them for His death and resurrection and the building of the church.This verse marks the beginning of the end. Jesus and His followers are headed specifically for Jerusalem. The remainder of the travelogue tracks their geographical movements.
Jesus knows He is going to the cross. Everything He has told the disciples about the kingdom of God cannot happen unless He dies. He has told the disciples this clearly twice (Luke 9:21–22, 44–45) and obliquely once (Luke 13:33). The disciples are still confused, although they vaguely understand there is a threat (John 11:16).
One of the biggest arguments facing Jesus and the early church is that the Jewish leaders refuse to see how many prophecies from the Old Testament Jesus fulfills. Even today, this is still a point of conflict between Christians and religious Jews. Jesus may be speaking about Psalm 22 which prophesies people casting lots for His clothing, God forsaking Him, His bones coming out of joint, and Gentiles piercing His hands and feet. Or He could be referring to Isaiah 53 which says Jesus will be like a silent lamb—not offering a legal defense when charged (Luke 23:9)—and will inhabit the tomb of a rich man (Luke 23:50–56). Or perhaps He had in mind Psalm 16:10 which promises God will not abandon His soul to the land of the dead or let His body decay. Jesus elsewhere told the religious leaders, "You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me" (John 5:39). The Old Testament is filled with the truth of the gospel and replete with references to Christ.
The Jewish religious leaders of Jesus' day do not understand these prophetic passages and certainly do not associate the passages about suffering with the Son of Man (Daniel 7:13–14) who will receive authority and dominion over God's creation. Today, many religious Jews re-interpret certain messianic prophecies specifically to avoid applying them to Jesus. The disciples can't understand how Jesus' death fits in with God's plan for the Messiah and Israel. It isn't until later that the disciples are able to put the pieces together (Luke 24:27, 44–47; John 2:22; 14:26).