Redundant Repetition?

Jesus had already said much the same thing not long before this (Matthew 16:21). Why this second prediction of His death and resurrection – to be followed by a third (20:18-19)? Is this merely redundant repetition? No! Jesus would never engage in “vain repetitions” (6:7) or utter an “idle word” (12:36). We should note that this second prophecy of His death and resurrection: - Includes new words: He is the Son of Man who will be betrayed. - Comes after His stunning transfiguration and a remarkable miracle of deliverance, lest His disciples forget the first prediction of His imminent departure. - Clarifies that the “Son of Man’ is not just the resplendent and transcendent victor of Daniel’s prophecy (Daniel 7:13-14), but the representative Man who must suffer in order to “save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). - Re-directs our attention from the earthly benefits of healing, feeding, and exorcism to His main work of bringing eternal life through His own sacrifice and resurrection. - Shows that Jesus was a true prophet, who knew what God would do. - Proves that the betrayal and execution of Jesus were not just the acts of sinful men, but the “determined purpose” of God (Acts 2:23). - Prepared the minds of the disciples for both the awful horror of the Cross and the glorious triumph of the empty tomb. - Reveals what occupied the mind of Jesus every moment of His short life on earth, the purpose for which He lived, and the goal towards which He moved with every step. Perhaps because they did not fully comprehend the promise that Jesus would rise on the third day, but surely also because of their love for Him, the disciples were “exceedingly sorrowful” at these solemn words. Should we not also be moved with profound gratitude for our Savior’s self-denying devotion to our eternal welfare, and deeply grieved both for the cause of His death – our sins – and the cost of our deliverance?