People were confused when Jesus said he was to be crucified. “We have heard from the law that the Christ remains forever; and how can you say, ‘The Son of Man must be lifted up?’ Who is this Son of Man?” (John 12:34).
Prophecy in the Old Testament spoke both of Jesus suffering and his glorious eternal reign. The prophecies were scattered through different books and hundreds of years apart. Many details were interspersed in passages dealing with current events as well as future events. So it was no surprise that people who depended on priests to interpret the Law and the prophets were confused. Naturally people focus on the coming Messiah’s power rather than his suffering.
Do we also focus so much on the promises of eternal joy and freedom from suffering that we miss passages like 1 Peter 4:12-13; James 1:1-3; and Galatians 4:13-14?
