Luke 18:33 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”

NIV: they will flog him and kill him. On the third day he will rise again.'

NASB: and after they have flogged Him, they will kill Him; and on the third day He will rise.'

CSB: and after they flog him, they will kill him, and he will rise on the third day."

NLT: They will flog him with a whip and kill him, but on the third day he will rise again.'

KJV: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again.

NKJV: They will scourge Him and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.”

Once again, Jesus is prophesying about His crucifixion and death (Luke 9:21–22, 44–45; 13:33). His training session with the disciples is quickly coming to an end. They are deliberately making their way to Jerusalem (Luke 18:31).

Jesus has already told the disciples He will die, but he uses particularly graphic language here. He tells them He will be "delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon" (Luke 18:32). The Jews will blaspheme Him, beating Him in a way that mocks His deity (Matthew 26:67–68; Luke 22:63–65). The Gentiles will mock His majesty, clothing Him like a king as they beat Him and spit on Him (Mark 15:16–19).

Then, the Roman soldiers will flog Him. As the soldiers put the crown of thorns on His head, His back will pour blood and His flesh will hang in strips. As they put a purple robe on Him, His blood will trickle to the ground (John 19:1–2). The blasphemy they will commit against His deity will be accompanied by violence to His body. Then, they will kill Him by hanging Him on a cross.

And yet, there is one more thing: He will rise again on the third day. After just enough time to satisfy Jewish tradition that He is truly dead, He will come back to life and leave the grave.

The disciples have heard this before, but they're still confused. How could the Messiah die? It is because He is the Messiah that He must die and be raised again.

Luke 18:31–34 begins the end of the so-called "Travelogue to Jerusalem" (Luke 9:51—19:27) as well as the final comparison of the chapter. For the third time, Jesus clearly warns the disciples that He will be killed (Luke 9:21–22, 44–45). They still can't understand. Conversely, a blind man who could not have traveled with Jesus and heard His teaching recognizes that Jesus is the Son of David: the fulfillment of the Davidic covenant and the King of Israel (Luke 18:35–43). Jesus' prophecy is also recorded in Matthew 20:17–19 and Mark 10:32–34.

Luke continues to arrange Jesus' teachings by their topic. Here, he includes two parables: the persistent widow and the Pharisee and the tax collector. Jesus encourages children to approach Him. He interacts with a moral, wealthy man who can't bear to follow Jesus if it means giving up wealth. After another prediction of His death, Jesus encounters and heals a blind man on His way to Jerusalem.

Luke 18 approaches the end of Jesus' "travelogue" to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51—19:27). Luke has selected miracles, teachings, and events to show how Jesus trained His disciples. His emphasis was explaining the kingdom of God in preparation for their work to build the church. Luke 18 includes several contrasts between those who understand God's kingdom and those who don't. Luke 19 includes the story of Zacchaeus and another parable before Jesus' triumphal entry and the Passion Week. These stories are also found primarily in Matthew 19—20 and Mark 10.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.