A Third Time Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, saying, "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and deliver him to the Gentiles; and they will mock him, and spit upon him, and scourge him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise."
Bede - The disciples remembered the discourse in which the Lord had foretold that He was about to suffer many things from the chief priests and scribes, and therefore in going up to Jerusalem, they were amazed. And this is what is meant, when it is said, "And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went before them."
Theophylact - To shew that He runs to meet His Passion, and that He does not refuse death, for the sake of our salvation; and they were amazed, and as they followed, they were afraid.
Bede - Either lest they themselves should perish with Him, or at all events lest He, whose life and ministry was their joy, should fall under the hand of His enemies. But the Lord, foreseeing that the minds of His disciples would be troubled by His Passion, foretells to them both the pain of His Passion, and the glory of His Resurrection.
Wherefore there follows: "And He took again the twelve, and began to tell them what things should happen unto Him."
Theophylact - He did this to confirm the hearts of the disciples, that from hearing these things beforehand, they might the better bear them afterwards, and might not be alarmed at their suddenness, and also in order to shew them that He suffered voluntarily; for he who foreknows a danger, and flies not, though flight is in his power, evidently of his own will gives himself up to suffering. But He takes His disciples apart, because it was fitting that He should reveal the mystery of His Passion to those who were more closely connected with Him.
Chrys., Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. sed v. Chrys. Hom. 65 - And He enumerates each thing that was to happen to Him; lest if He should pass any thing over, they should be troubled afterwards at suddenly seeing it.
Wherefore He adds, "Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man."
Gloss. - That is, He to whom suffering belongs; for the Godhead cannot suffer. "Shall be delivered," that is, by Judas, "unto the Chief Priests, and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death"; judging Him to be guilty of death; "and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles," that is, to Pilate the Gentile; and his soldiers "shall mock Him, and shall spit upon Him, and scourge Him, and put Him to death."
Chrys., Hom. in Matt., 65 - But that when they were saddened on account of His Passion and death, they should then also look for His Resurrection, He adds, "And the third day He shall rise again"; for since He had not hid from them the sorrows and insults which happened, it was fitting that they should believe Him on other points.
- text taken from Catena Aurea - Gospel of Mark by Saint Thomas Aquinas, translated by William Whiston, 1842