Luke 2:34

2:34 Then ¹  Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: ²  This child ³  is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising ⁴  of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. ⁵ 

Luke 9:22

9:22 saying, “The Son of Man must suffer ⁶  many things and be rejected by the elders, ⁷  chief priests, and experts in the law, ⁸  and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” ⁹ 

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¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

² tn Grk “behold.”

³ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (the child) is supplied in the translation for clarity.

⁴ sn The phrase the falling and rising of many emphasizes that Jesus will bring division in the nation, as some will be judged (falling) and others blessed (rising) because of how they respond to him. The language is like Isa 8:14-15 and conceptually like Isa 28:13-16. Here is the first hint that Jesus’ coming will be accompanied with some difficulties.

⁵ tn Grk “and for a sign of contradiction.”

⁶ sn The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.

⁷ sn Rejection in Luke is especially by the Jewish leadership (here elders, chief priests, and experts in the law), though in Luke 23 almost all will join in.

⁸ tn Or “and scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 5:21.

⁹ sn The description of the Son of Man being rejected…killed, and…raised is the first of six passion summaries in Luke: 9:44; 17:25; 18:31-33; 24:7; 24:46-47.