Contextual Overview

In Luke 18:31, Jesus speaks to His disciples, indicating a significant transition in His ministry as they approach Jerusalem. This moment shows Jesus’s awareness of the impending events surrounding His crucifixion and the fulfillment of prophecy.

Commentary Insights

• Matthew Henry:

  Henry emphasizes the notion of fulfillment, stating that Jesus's journey to Jerusalem is not a mere trip but a divine appointment where prophecies will come to fruition. This highlights Jesus's role as the prophesied Messiah.

• Albert Barnes:

  Barnes elaborates on the gravity of these instructions, noting that Jesus is preparing His disciples for the events that will soon unfold, ensuring they understand their significance and embrace the teachings of the prophets.

• Adam Clarke:

  Clarke focuses on the prediction aspect, where Jesus asserts that everything written concerning Him must be accomplished, showcasing His divine knowledge and control over the events of his life and death.

Thematic Connections

This verse connects to several themes within Scripture, particularly around the concepts of prophecy, the fulfillment of God’s plan, and the inevitability of the events leading to the crucifixion.

Bible Verse Cross-References

• Isaiah 53:5: “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”
• Zechariah 12:10: “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced...”
• Matthew 20:18-19: “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...”
• John 12:32-33: “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die.”
• Luke 24:44: “And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.”
• Acts 3:18: “But those things, which God before had showed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.”
• Hebrews 1:1-2: “God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son...”

Applications and Reflections

This verse challenges believers to reflect on the prophetic nature of Scripture and the completeness of God's plan in Christ. It invites deeper exploration into how different Scriptures interconnect and emphasize the cohesion of biblical narrative.

By utilizing Bible cross-reference guides and Bible concordance tools, one can deepen their understanding of the links between various scriptures as represented in the narrative surrounding Luke 18:31.