Luke 18:31–34
The cross is the ordained fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
31 He took the twelve aside, and said to them, “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and all the things that are written through the prophets concerning the Son of Man will be completed.
32 For he will be delivered up to the Gentiles, will be mocked, treated shamefully, and spit on.
33 They will scourge and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.”
34 They understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they didn’t understand the things that were said.
The cross is the ordained fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan.
To show that Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection fulfill prophetic Scripture and unfold according to divine necessity.
Immediately following the rich ruler’s failure (18:18–30), Jesus clarifies that entrance into eternal life depends upon His forthcoming sacrificial work. This prediction prepares for the triumphal entry and passion narrative.
Persistent Faith, Humble Mercy, and the King on the Road to Jerusalem
The kingdom is received by persistent, humble, dependent, surrendered faith in the Son of David who goes to Jerusalem to suffer, rise, and give sight to the blind.