Luke 9:44

Let these sayings sink down into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered into the hands of men.

Let these {G5128} sayings {G3056} sink down {G5087} into {G1519} your {G5210}{G5216} ears {G3775}: for {G1063} the Son {G5207} of man {G444} shall be {G3195} delivered {G3860} into {G1519} the hands {G5495} of men {G444}.

“Listen very carefully to what I’m going to say. The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.”

“Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.”

Let these words sink into your ears: for the Son of man shall be delivered up into the hands of men.

Luke 9:44 presents a solemn and crucial declaration from Jesus to His disciples, emphasizing the gravity of His impending suffering and death. This verse serves as a stark reminder of His mission and the divine plan unfolding.

Context

This powerful statement comes on the heels of several significant events in Jesus' ministry. Immediately before this, Jesus had displayed His immense power by healing a demon-possessed boy, an event that left the crowds "astonished at the mighty power of God" (Luke 9:43). Prior to that, Jesus had been transfigured on the mountain, revealing a glimpse of His divine glory. Yet, despite these demonstrations of power and glory, Jesus redirects their focus to His suffering. This is His second clear prophecy of His passion in Luke's Gospel, following His earlier declaration in Luke 9:22, highlighting the disciples' ongoing difficulty in grasping this truth. Jesus' call to "let these sayings sink down into your ears" underscores the profound importance of this message, which went against the prevailing expectations of a conquering Messiah.

Key Themes

  • Sovereignty and Divine Plan: The verse underlines that Jesus' delivery into the hands of men was not an accident but a predetermined part of God's redemptive plan. Despite the human agents involved, God was ultimately in control of these events, fulfilling ancient prophecies (Acts 2:23).
  • Jesus' Foreknowledge of Suffering: Jesus knew precisely the suffering and death that awaited Him. This was not a surprise, but a reality He faced with full awareness and resolve, demonstrating His obedience to the Father's will.
  • The Suffering Messiah: This declaration challenges the popular Jewish expectation of a conquering, political Messiah. Jesus consistently presented Himself as a suffering servant who would achieve victory through sacrifice, not worldly power.
  • The Disciples' Misunderstanding: Despite Jesus' clear pronouncements, the disciples often struggled to comprehend the necessity of His suffering. Their minds were still focused on earthly kingdoms and glory, making it hard for these "sayings" to truly "sink down into their ears."

Linguistic Insights

  • "Let these sayings sink down into your ears": This is a strong imperative, indicating a deep, internal reception of the message, not just casual hearing. The Greek phrase implies a need for the words to be fully absorbed and understood, highlighting the critical importance Jesus placed on this prophecy of His passion.
  • "Son of man": This is Jesus' most frequent self-designation. While it emphasizes His humanity, it also carries profound theological weight, often linking to the prophetic figure in Daniel 7:13 who receives everlasting dominion, but also implies suffering and humility in other contexts throughout the Gospels.
  • "delivered": The Greek word is paradidomi (παραδίδωμι), which means "to hand over," "betray," or "deliver up." It's a loaded term used throughout the Gospels to describe Judas's betrayal and Jesus' subsequent handing over to the authorities for trial and crucifixion.

Practical Application

Luke 9:44 calls believers to serious reflection and deep listening to God's Word, especially when the truths presented are challenging or counter-intuitive to our natural desires. Just as the disciples needed to grasp the reality of Jesus' suffering, we too must accept the full counsel of God, even when it speaks of hardship or sacrifice. It reminds us that our faith journey may involve trials, and that God's plan often unfolds in ways we might not initially understand or desire. By internalizing these truths, we can better prepare our hearts to follow Christ, recognizing that His path led through suffering to ultimate glory (Hebrews 12:2). This verse encourages us to truly hear and understand the full scope of Christ's work, including His sacrifice for sin.

Note: Commentary was generated by an advanced AI, utilizing a prompt that emphasized Biblical fidelity over bias. We've found these insights to be consistently reliable, yet we always encourage prayerful discernment through the Holy Spirit. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

  • Luke 9:22

    Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

  • Acts 2:23

    Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

  • Hebrews 2:1

    ¶ Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let [them] slip.

  • Luke 2:19

    But Mary kept all these things, and pondered [them] in her heart.

  • Matthew 21:38

    But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance.

  • Matthew 21:39

    And they caught him, and cast [him] out of the vineyard, and slew [him].

  • Luke 24:6

    He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

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