“Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19
For a third and final time, Jesus predicts His Passion, but for the first time He referred to the way He would die – crucifixion. Ironically, Jesus’ three predictions of His death and resurrection match the number of Peter’s denials of Jesus.
The word “Gentiles” is referring to Pontius Pilate, the highest Roman authority in Jerusalem who would write Jesus’ death sentence, and the Roman soldiers.
The depth of humanity’s sin is such that only the death of God’s Son can atone for it. No one took Jesus’ life from Him, as His Passion predictions make clear. Rather, He willingly laid down His life in order to save us. Now … that is the very definition of love! Blessings on your day…