Matthew 16:28

16:28 I tell you the truth, ¹  there are some standing here who will not ²  experience ³  death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” ⁴ 

Matthew 23:36

23:36 I tell you the truth, ⁵  this generation will be held responsible for all these things! ⁶ 

Matthew 24:34

24:34 I tell you the truth, ⁷  this generation ⁸  will not pass away until all these things take place.

Luke 21:32

21:32 I tell you the truth, ⁹  this generation ¹⁰  will not pass away until all these things take place.

[16:28]  ¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[16:28]  ² tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.

[16:28]  ³ tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[16:28]  ⁴ sn Several suggestions have been made as to the referent for the phrase the Son of Man coming in his kingdom: (1) the transfiguration itself, which immediately follows in the narrative; (2) Jesus’ resurrection and ascension; (3) the coming of the Spirit; (4) Christ’s role in the Church; (5) the destruction of Jerusalem; (6) Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of the kingdom. The reference to six days later in 17:1 seems to indicate that Matthew had the transfiguration in mind insofar as it was a substantial prefiguring of the consummation of the kingdom (although this interpretation is not without its problems). As such, the transfiguration would be a tremendous confirmation to the disciples that even though Jesus had just finished speaking of his death (in vv. 21-23), he was nonetheless the promised Messiah and things were proceeding according to God’s plan.

[23:36]  ⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:36]  ⁶ tn Grk “all these things will come on this generation.”

[24:34]  ⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[24:34]  ⁸ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (v. 30), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.

[21:32]  ⁹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[21:32]  ¹⁰ sn This is one of the hardest verses in the gospels to interpret. Various views exist for what generation means. (1) Some take it as meaning “race” and thus as an assurance that the Jewish race (nation) will not pass away. But it is very questionable that the Greek term γενεά (genea) can have this meaning. Two other options are possible. (2) Generation might mean “this type of generation” and refer to the generation of wicked humanity. Then the point is that humanity will not perish, because God will redeem it. Or (3) generation may refer to “the generation that sees the signs of the end” (vv. 25-26), who will also see the end itself. In other words, once the movement to the return of Christ starts, all the events connected with it happen very quickly, in rapid succession.