(Verse 29-30) - The disciples understand now what Jesus was saying. The plainness of speech has made it clear for them.  The disciples, as presented in the Gospel accounts, are not the most perceptive of groups. They continually miss the point of what Jesus says to them. They continually need to have Jesus explain or illustrate His teaching further. They frequently misunderstand the point of His teaching and draw the wrong conclusions concerning what He intends for them to learn. They persist in their old ideas and understandings about what is true and how God operates. They quite frequently contradict the Lord and try to impose their own understanding and perception on Him. They act and react in fleshly ways and all in all are splendid example of humankind at its' best/worst.

(Verse 31-32) - Jesus answers their confident assertion with a cold  dose of reality. This, of course, is the problem with dealing with an omniscient God. He knows all about us. We can bluster and brag and impress each other because we are not omniscient. We don't know all about each other, or about the future. God does. Christ did.

He knew exactly what was inside of each of His chosen group. He knew what they were capable of and what they were incapable of. He knew their strengths and weaknesses. He also knew the future. He knew what the plan of God was and what it included. He knew what part they were to play in it. The disciples meant well, but they were dealing with One who knew the future and Who knew them. They forgot this.

Christ, drawing on that perfect knowledge, gives them a look at themselves. He challenges their self-assurance with a revelation of their immediate future. They will abandon Him and be scattered. This would have been quite a revelation to them. Also, it would have been quite a shock.

The question arises, why did Christ tell them this? What purpose did it serve? Christ never did anything arbitrarily or maliciously. He isn't toying with them or simply putting them in their place. He is definately seeking to accomplish a purpose in them. It was important for the disciples that they operate on the basis of what was real and true, not on the basis of feelings and intentions. They needed to see and grapple with the truth about themselves. It was essential that they not rely on emotional impressions or on ecstatic enthusiasm. Their joyous enthusiasm was wonderful and accurate but was not sufficient for the job Christ had ahead for them. And so He confronts them with the truth about their inadequacies and their immediate future. 

It was important that these men see that their only hope is in having a true and accurate view of themselves that would, in turn, force them into more complete reliance on the Sard as their source of strength and enablement. It is only when we are fully convinced of our own insufficiency that we can truly be suited to serve the Lord as He desires.

How do those facts apply to my life?:

It is just as essential that I be aware of my own weaknesses and failures as well. I cannot be fully dependent and serve the Lord as effectively as possible until and unless I have faced myself as I really am. True service to God must arise from a genuine understanding of ourselves and how much we truly need Him.