What They Missed
Matthew 17:22-23 ESV
22 As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, "The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, 23 and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day." And they were greatly distressed.
We can't be too hard on these disciples, but they missed the most important thing that Jesus said to them. He was telling them what was going to happen to Him. That He would suffer and die. But Jesus also told them He would be raised from the dead. Just something to keep in mind, Jesus was speaking prophetically, based on the Scriptures, when Hespoke of His death and resurrection. He was clear about what was going to happen. And His disciples missed it.
Oh, they heard the part about Jesus being rejected and dying. But they missed the part about being raised from the dead. The reason we know they missed the resurrection was that they were greatly distressed. If they had believed that Jesus was going to be raised up, they might have been puzzled, but they wouldn't have been so upset. They heard dying and missed being raised up. And being raised up was the most important part. If they had believed in the resurrection of Jesus, there would have been a sense of hope, not great distress.
This is not the first time we see the disciples miss what Jesus was talking about. His sermon about being the Bread of Life that came down from heaven got past them. The leaven of the Pharisees they mistook for their forgetting to take bread. Some of the misunderstanding was that Jesus' words were spirit and life and on a higher level than fleshly understanding. Some of the disciples' inability to grasp what Jesus was saying was due to being dull of hearing. Some of what Jesus said they would understand later. Evidently, the resurrection was in that category.
Application
This tells us something today. We can hear what God is saying to us by His Word and His Holy Spirit, and catch part of the message and miss the rest. Sometimes we'll just need to ask the Lord for clarity.
I was getting a sensing from the Lord years ago about being a pastor. I heard the pastor part and jumped to North Carolina to start a church. I missed the part about when to be a pastor. When it comes to the Lord's direction, a bit slower is better than plowing ahead. Ask the Lord for clarity, don't be afraid to say you don't quite understand. Take it from me; the part you miss can be the most important part.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for Your words of guidance and direction. Please show me what You have spoken to my heart that I missed or misunderstood.