Matthew 17:22-23 Meaning: Why the Disciples Were Exceedingly Sorry

²²While they were staying in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men,

²³and they will kill him, and the third day he will be raised up.” They were exceedingly sorry.

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Meaning in one sentence

In Matthew 17:22-23, Jesus foretells his betrayal, death, and resurrection.

Matthew New Testament Greek

Context

Jesus and his disciples have just come down from the mountain of transfiguration, where Peter, James, and John saw him in glory. Now they are back in Galilee, passing through quietly. He is not preaching in public this time. He is focused on the twelve, preparing them for what is coming. This is the second time he has plainly told them that he will be handed over, killed, and raised on the third day. The first announcement, back in chapter sixteen, made Peter rebuke him. Now the disciples do not argue. They are simply crushed by it. Mark tells us they did not understand the saying, and they were afraid to ask. Matthew records only their sorrow: deep, heavy sorrow.

Key Words

Three Greek words give this passage its weight. The first is paradidōmi, often translated “betrayed” but better understood as “delivered over.” The same word describes Judas handing Jesus over, but also God the Father delivering his Son for our sake (Romans 8:32). The gospel writers use it both ways, and that double meaning is intentional: what human treachery intends, divine love ordains. The second word is mellei, “is about to.” It carries the force of imminence, something already in motion. Jesus is not predicting a distant event; he feels it pressing in. The third is elupēthēsan, “they were grieved,” strengthened by sphodra, exceedingly, violently. This is not mild disappointment. It is the kind of grief that sits in the chest and does not move. The disciples loved him, and his words broke their hearts.

How Christians Read This Verse

Christians have read these verses through different lenses. Reformed commentators like Calvin highlight how the disciples’ preconceived ideas about a glorious messianic kingdom kept them from hearing what Jesus said plainly. Wesleyan interpreter Adam Clarke stresses God’s sovereign plan: Jesus was delivered up by the counsel of God, not merely by human conspiracy. Anglican scholar Cambridge Bible notes that both Mark and Luke add the disciples did not understand the saying, it contradicted their hopes. Across traditions, most agree that the disciples’ sorrow came from loving Jesus and from clinging to expectations he was about to shatter. Their grief was real, but it was not the end of the story.

A common misunderstanding

Some readers assume the disciples should have taken comfort from Jesus mentioning the resurrection. He said they would kill him, and he would rise on the third day. Why were they still so sorry? In fact, the resurrection promise only deepened their confusion. They could not grasp how the Messiah could die at all, let alone rise again. The sorrow was not a lack of faith in the resurrection; it was the unbearable weight of losing the one they had pinned all their hopes on. They simply did not see how death could lead to anything but defeat.

Living This Out

Jesus tells you the whole truth, not just the comforting parts. This week you may face a piece of news that feels like a defeat: a diagnosis, a broken relationship, a closed door. Your first reaction might be raw sorrow, just like the disciples. That is not a failure of faith. But let Jesus finish his sentence. He always adds the third day. You do not have to manufacture hope. You just have to stay close to him while the grief works its way through. The pattern is suffering, then resurrection. Not the other way around. Hold on to the third day.

Main takeaway: Jesus’ path to glory runs through suffering, and our sorrow does not cancel God’s plan to raise what was dead.

For Families

For ages 5, 8

Jesus told his friends something very sad. He said bad men would hurt him and he would die. His friends were so sad. But Jesus also said he would come back alive! Even when things look very sad, Jesus knows what will happen next.

For ages 9, 12

Jesus had already told his disciples once that he would suffer and die, but they still could not believe it. When he said it again in Galilee, they were deeply grieved. They loved him and did not want him to go. But Jesus was not caught by surprise. He knew the Father had a plan, his death would save the world, and his resurrection would defeat death forever. Sometimes what we dread most is exactly what God uses for something good we cannot see yet.

Questions People Ask

Why were the disciples so sad if Jesus said he would rise again?

They were sad because they loved him and could not imagine him dying. They also did not really understand what rising from the dead meant. The promise of resurrection did not erase their present grief. Their sorrow shows us that even when we trust God’s plan, we still feel the pain of loss.

Does 'delivered up' mean betrayed by Judas or given by God?

The Greek word paradidōmi can mean both. Judas delivered Jesus over to the priests, but the early church also said God delivered him up for us (Romans 8:32). Matthew uses the same word for both human betrayal and divine purpose. The verse holds both meanings together: what people did out of evil, God used for salvation.

Why did Jesus keep predicting his death?

Jesus warned his disciples repeatedly so they would not be destroyed by shock when it happened. They had strong ideas about a victorious Messiah who would restore Israel. Jesus needed to reshape their expectations. Repetition helped, though they still did not fully understand until after the resurrection.

What does 'the Son of Man' mean in this verse?

It is the title Jesus uses most often for himself. It comes from Daniel 7, where a human-like figure receives eternal authority. Jesus uses it to show he is the Messiah, but also to connect his suffering with God’s plan. The Son of Man must be delivered up because that is how the kingdom comes.

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