Matthew 20:18

KJV

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death,

KJV (with Strong's)

Behold {G2400}, we go up {G305} to {G1519} Jerusalem {G2414}; and {G2532} the Son {G5207} of man {G444} shall be betrayed {G3860} unto the chief priests {G749} and {G2532} unto the scribes {G1122}, and {G2532} they shall condemn {G2632} him {G846} to death {G2288},

Complete Jewish Bible

"We are now going up to Yerushalayim, where the Son of Man will be handed over to the head cohanim and Torah-teachers. They will sentence him to death

Berean Standard Bible

“Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes. They will condemn Him to death

American Standard Version

Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests and scribes; and they shall condemn him to death,

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Matthew 20:18 records Jesus' third and most explicit prophecy of His impending suffering, death, and resurrection, delivered to His disciples as they journey toward Jerusalem. This profound declaration reveals His divine foreknowledge and deliberate submission to the Father's redemptive plan, detailing His betrayal by Judas, His condemnation by the Jewish religious authorities—the chief priests and scribes—and His ultimate sentencing to death. It stands as a stark reminder of the cost of redemption and the unwavering resolve of the Son of Man to fulfill His messianic mission.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** This verse is strategically placed within Matthew's Gospel, serving as a critical turning point in Jesus' final journey to Jerusalem. It immediately follows the Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard ([Matthew 20:1-16](/matthew/20-1-16 "Matthew 20:1-16 - Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard")), which emphasizes God's sovereign grace and challenges human notions of fairness, subtly preparing the disciples for a radical redefinition of greatness and reward. Directly after this prophecy, the mother of James and John makes an ambitious request for her sons to sit at Jesus' right and left hand in His kingdom ([Matthew 20:20-28](/matthew/20-20-28 "Matthew 20:20-28 - The Request of James and John's Mother")), highlighting the disciples' persistent misunderstanding of Jesus' mission, even in the face of such clear pronouncements of suffering. This juxtaposition underscores the stark contrast between Jesus' clear-eyed focus on the cross and His followers' earthly aspirations. This is the third of three major passion predictions in Matthew ([Matthew 16:21](/matthew/16-21 "Matthew 16:21 - Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection"), [Matthew 17:22-23](/matthew/17-22-23 "Matthew 17:22-23 - Jesus Again Foretells His Death and Resurrection")), each becoming progressively more detailed regarding the agents and nature of His suffering.
* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The journey "up to Jerusalem" was a common pilgrimage for Jews, especially during Passover, which was fast approaching. Jerusalem was not merely the capital city but the spiritual and political heart of Judea, home to the Temple and the seat of the Sanhedrin, the supreme Jewish religious and judicial body. The "chief priests" (ἀρχιερεῖς) were the heads of the priestly families, including the high priest, who held significant religious and political power under Roman rule. The "scribes" (γραμματεῖς) were experts in Jewish law, interpreters of the Torah, and often served as legal and religious advisors. Both groups represented the established religious authority that increasingly opposed Jesus, viewing Him as a threat to their power and interpretation of the law. Under Roman occupation, the Jewish authorities had limited power to execute individuals; capital punishment typically required Roman approval, often leading to crucifixion. Jesus' prophecy thus anticipates not only the Jewish condemnation but also the subsequent involvement of Roman power, as seen in the later narrative of His trial before Pilate.
* **Key Themes:** The verse contributes significantly to several overarching themes in Matthew's Gospel. Firstly, it powerfully reinforces the theme of **Divine Sovereignty and Foreknowledge**, demonstrating that Jesus' passion was not a tragic accident but a predetermined part of God's redemptive plan, known and embraced by Christ Himself. This deliberate journey to Jerusalem underscores His willing obedience to the Father's will, even unto death, as seen in His prayer in Gethsemane ([Matthew 26:39](/matthew/26-39 "Matthew 26:39 - Jesus Prays in Gethsemane")). Secondly, it highlights the theme of the **Suffering Messiah**, challenging the popular Jewish expectation of a conquering political king. Jesus consistently redefines His messianic role through the lens of suffering and service, a concept difficult for His disciples to grasp. Thirdly, the prophecy of **Betrayal and Condemnation** by the very religious leaders who should have recognized Him as Messiah underscores the theme of human rejection and spiritual blindness, a recurring motif throughout the Gospels as Jesus confronts the hypocrisy of the religious elite ([Matthew 23](/matthew/23 "Matthew 23 - Woes to the Scribes and Pharisees")).

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Behold (Greek, _idoú'_):** This interjection serves as an imperative, drawing immediate and urgent attention to the following statement. It signals a profound and significant revelation, emphasizing the certainty and gravity of what Jesus is about to disclose. It's a call for the disciples to truly "see" and comprehend the unfolding divine plan.
* **Betrayed (Greek, _paradídōmi'_):** Derived from *para* (alongside) and *didomi* (to give), this verb means "to hand over," "to deliver up," or "to surrender." While it can be used neutrally, in this context, especially concerning the "Son of Man" and the "chief priests and scribes," it carries the sinister connotation of treachery, abandonment, and the handing over of an innocent person to hostile authorities. It points directly to Judas's role in the passion narrative.
* **Condemn (Greek, _katakrínō'_):** This word combines *kata* (down, against) and *krinō* (to judge), meaning "to judge against," "to sentence," or "to pronounce guilty." It signifies a formal legal judgment resulting in an adverse verdict. Here, it explicitly states that the religious leaders will not merely accuse but will formally pass a sentence of death upon Jesus, establishing their culpability in His demise.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Behold, we go up to Jerusalem;"**: Jesus begins with an emphatic call to attention, "Behold," underscoring the gravity of His words. The phrase "we go up to Jerusalem" signifies a deliberate, purposeful ascent. Jerusalem, situated on a high plateau, was physically "up" from most other locations, but this phrase also carries spiritual and theological weight, indicating the climax of Jesus' earthly ministry and the place where His ultimate redemptive act would occur.
* **"and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes,"**: Jesus identifies Himself by His preferred self-designation, "Son of man," a title that simultaneously emphasizes His humanity and His divine, authoritative role as prophesied in Daniel. He explicitly states He "shall be betrayed," indicating a pre-ordained handing over. The agents of this betrayal and subsequent legal process are specifically named: the "chief priests" and "scribes," the leading religious authorities in Israel. This highlights the internal opposition from within Judaism that Jesus would face.
* **"and they shall condemn him to death,"**: The prophecy culminates with the most severe outcome: these religious leaders will not only receive Him from betrayal but will actively "condemn him to death." This foretells the formal legal judgment passed by the Sanhedrin, setting the stage for His execution. The specificity of "to death" leaves no ambiguity about the ultimate consequence of their judgment.

#### Literary Devices
Matthew 20:18 is rich with several literary devices. **Foreshadowing** is prominently used, as Jesus explicitly predicts events that are yet to unfold, building dramatic tension and demonstrating His divine foreknowledge. This is a clear instance of **Prophecy**, a direct divine utterance about future events, which serves to validate Jesus' messianic claims and the predetermined nature of God's plan. There is also a strong element of **Irony**, as the disciples, despite these clear warnings, continue to misunderstand the nature of Jesus' kingdom and His suffering, as evidenced by the request of James and John's mother immediately following this passage. The consistent use of the title **"Son of Man"** functions as a significant literary and theological motif, linking Jesus' identity to both His human vulnerability and His eschatological authority, particularly in the context of suffering and future glory.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Matthew 20:18 is a cornerstone passage for understanding the nature of Christ's mission and the sovereignty of God in salvation history. It reveals that Jesus' suffering and death were not accidental but were integral to God's predetermined plan for human redemption, willingly embraced by the Son. This prophecy connects deeply with Old Testament themes of the Suffering Servant, particularly those found in Isaiah, where the Messiah's role involves bearing the sins of many through His suffering. Jesus' deliberate journey to Jerusalem and His explicit foretelling of His betrayal and condemnation underscore His obedience to the Father and His profound love for humanity, demonstrating that His life was laid down voluntarily as the ultimate sacrifice. This passage thus highlights the divine necessity of the cross, not as a defeat, but as the means by which God's justice and mercy are perfectly reconciled.

* [Isaiah 53:5](/isaiah/53-5 "The Suffering Servant")
* [Luke 9:22](/luke/9-22 "Jesus Foretells His Death")
* [Acts 2:23](/acts/2-23 "Peter's Sermon on Pentecost")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
Matthew 20:18 offers profound lessons for contemporary believers, inviting us to contemplate the depth of Christ's commitment and the nature of God's sovereignty. Jesus' clear foreknowledge and willing submission to suffering, even betrayal and death, call us to a deeper trust in God's overarching plan, even when our own paths involve hardship, injustice, or misunderstanding. It reminds us that true discipleship often involves a willingness to embrace sacrifice and suffering for the sake of God's kingdom, rather than seeking earthly glory or comfort. Just as Jesus' journey to Jerusalem was purposeful, so too can our trials be seen as part of a larger, divinely orchestrated narrative, leading to ultimate victory and resurrection. This passage challenges us to align our expectations with God's will, recognizing that the path to true life often passes through the shadow of the cross, empowered by Christ's example of unwavering obedience and self-giving love.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does Jesus' foreknowledge of His suffering impact your understanding of His love and obedience?**
* **In what ways do you, like the disciples, sometimes struggle to reconcile God's sovereign plan with your own desires or expectations?**
* **What specific "Jerusalem" might God be calling you to "go up to," even if it involves anticipated difficulty or sacrifice?**
* **How does the certainty of Jesus' betrayal and condemnation, yet His willingness to face it, encourage you in moments of personal injustice or betrayal?**

### FAQ
**Why did Jesus repeatedly predict His death and resurrection to His disciples if they didn't fully understand it?**

Answer: Jesus' repeated predictions, like the one in [Matthew 20:18](/matthew/20-18 "Matthew 20:18 - Jesus' Third Passion Prediction"), served multiple crucial purposes, even if the disciples initially struggled to grasp their full meaning. Firstly, they established His divine foreknowledge and sovereignty over events, demonstrating that His death was not a tragic accident but a deliberate, predetermined act of redemption. Secondly, these prophecies prepared the disciples, however imperfectly, for the traumatic events to come, so that when they occurred, they would remember Jesus' words and understand them as fulfillment rather than defeat. This understanding would be vital for their faith and future ministry, especially after His resurrection, as seen in [John 14:29](/john/14-29 "John 14:29 - Jesus' Words About the Future"). Thirdly, the predictions challenged their prevailing messianic expectations of an earthly, conquering king, continually redirecting their focus toward the suffering servant motif essential to His true mission.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Matthew 20:18 finds its profound Christ-centered fulfillment in the actual passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which are the very heart of the Gospel. This prophecy, delivered with such clarity and resolve, underscores that Jesus was not a victim of circumstance but the willing Lamb of God, deliberately laying down His life for the salvation of humanity. His "betrayal" by Judas ([Matthew 26:14-16](/matthew/26-14-16 "Matthew 26:14-16 - Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus")) and subsequent "condemnation to death" by the chief priests and scribes ([Matthew 26:57-68](/matthew/26-57-68 "Matthew 26:57-68 - Jesus Before the Sanhedrin")) were not failures of His mission but the very means by which He accomplished it. This willing submission to the cross, as foreshadowed in this verse, is the ultimate demonstration of God's sacrificial love ([Romans 5:8](/romans/5-8 "God's Love Demonstrated")). Jesus, the "Son of Man," fully human yet fully divine, embraced the path of suffering to atone for the sins of the world, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies of the Suffering Servant ([Isaiah 53](/isaiah/53 "The Suffering Servant")). His death, though a condemnation by human courts, was God's chosen path to bring about reconciliation and eternal life, culminating in His glorious resurrection, which validates His claims and secures our hope ([1 Corinthians 15:3-4](/1_corinthians/15-3-4 "The Gospel Message")). Thus, Matthew 20:18 is not merely a historical prediction but a foundational statement of the redemptive work of Christ, pointing directly to the cross as the centerpiece of God's saving plan.

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.

Cross-References

Matthew 16:21

¶ From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again 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:

Matthew 27:1

¶ When the morning was come, all the chief priests and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus to put him to death:

Matthew 26:66

What think ye? They answered and said, He is guilty of death.

Matthew 17:22

¶ And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men:

Matthew 17:23

And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Matthew 26:2

Ye know that after two days is [the feast of] the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified.