Mark 8,9,10
With Easter only 3 weeks away, I wanted to take some
time to examine some of the events that lead up to this
most holy day.
Today we are going to look at the 3 occasions that Jesus
predicted his death and resurrection to His disciples.
We are going to be looking at verses in Mark 8, Mark 9
and Mark 10.
Jesus’ First Prediction of His Death
Mark 8:31-33
For some context, Jesus has fed the multitudes, healed a
blind man in Bethsaida, and Peter has confessed that
Jesus was the Christ.
Mark refers to Jesus as the Son of Man.
This phrase is used 81 times in the gospels!
It’s a messianic title.
Son refers to the divinity of Christ. He is the Son of God,
the second person of the trinity. He is fully God.
Man refers to the humanity of Christ. He came to earth in
the flesh. He emptied Himself by becoming in the form of
a servant. cf Philippians 2.
Remember Jesus’ words in Mark 10:45;
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but
to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus lived so He could die on the cross for us.
He paid the ransom for all of our sins.
This is important for us to keep in mind as we live out the
Christian life.
Not only did Jesus die in our place, He modeled humility
and serving others. Remember when He washes His
disciples feet?
What a humble act of service.
Jesus Will Be Rejected by Men
Jesus mentions three groups that will reject Him.
Elders refers to lay people. Wealthy leaders in the
community.
Chief priests included the current high priest and
previous high priests as well as the leaders of the 24
divisions of the priesthood.
Scribes refers to teachers of the Mosaic law, theologians
who also kept the rabbinical traditions.
Jesus speaks this plainly to His disciples.
He knows the Father’s plan and He knows God is going to
raise Him from the dead on the third day.
The disciples can’t wrap their head around the fact that
the Messiah is going to die!!
Peter reacts in typical Peter fashion.
He takes Jesus aside and rebukes Him for saying that He
must suffer many things and be killed and raised on the
third day.
Peter thinks he is protecting Jesus and being loyal, but in
reality he is being a stumbling block.
There’s a lesson for us in Peter’s faux pas:
We must not let our worldly thinking get in the way
of God’s divine plan.
Jesus responds by turning towards His disciples and
telling Peter to get behind Him.
He says that Peter isn’t keeping his mind on things of
God.
Jesus is the suffering Messiah that Isaiah mentioned in
Isaiah 53:3-5; “He was despised and rejected by
men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
and as one from whom men hide their faces he was
despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has
borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we
esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and
afflicted. But he was pierced for our
transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us
peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”
Jesus came to suffer so that we could be reconciled to
God and spend eternity in Heaven with Him.
Keep in mind, the disciples have missed the point that
even though Jesus is going to die, He is not going to
remain in the grave.
God is going to raise Him from the dead.
He will defeat death and the grave.
Jesus’ Second Prediction of His Death
Mark 9:30-32
Again for context, Jesus has now been transfigured on
the mountain with Peter, James and John. They have
seen His Shekinah glory. They know that He is no
ordinary man.
Yet they still don’t understand.
Jesus wanted some protected time with His disciples. He
withdrew from the crowds that had been following Him
everywhere and He continued to teach them about His
death and resurrection.
Jesus Will Be Betrayed by a Man
This time Jesus again calls Himself the Son of Man and
says that He is going to be delivered into the hands of
men.
The Greek word translated delivered can also mean
betrayed.
This points to what Judas is about to do.
For the price of 30 silver coins Judas will betray the only
one who could provide eternal life.
Jesus once more mentions His death and resurrection
after three days.
The disciples don’t understand.
How can the Messiah be going to die?
How can a dying man save anyone?
Despite their lack of understanding they refuse to ask
Jesus questions.
Why? Were they scared of being rebuked as Peter was
when Jesus first predicted His death?
Were they afraid of hearing in full what kind of suffering
Jesus would endure?
Remember, they are His disciples. They will likely face the
safe consequences as Jesus if they continue to follow
Him.
The lesson we can learn here is:
We must not let our lack of understanding interfere
with our faith.
God’s plan will come to fruition.
His plan never fails. He knows exactly what He is doing
and His timing is perfect.
Jesus’ Third Prediction of His Death
Mark 10:32-34
For context around this third passion prediction we find
Jesus leading His disciples to Jerusalem for the passover.
This third and final prediction is the most detailed of all.
Where in the first one He only mentions suffering many
things, here He describes some of the things He will
suffer: mocking, spit, flogging and eventual death by the
Gentiles.
The word crucify isn’t used here but implied in the
delivering over to the Gentiles. That means the Romans
who have perfected the capital punishment form of
crucifixion.
The resurrection is fun and exciting to talk about, but we
mustn’t forget about the suffering that Christ endured in
our place.
Jesus Will Be Killed by Men
He was ridiculed, people mocked Him telling Him to come
down from the cross if He really was the Son of God. He
was spit on which is a sign of contempt.
He was flogged, with a whip made from three thongs of
leather. Often glass and shards of pottery were attached
to the ends. This was an excruciating punishment for a
guiltless man.
Jesus didn’t mention it here, but He also had a crown of
thorns pressed into His skull.
He was killed. Man put Him on the cross, but Jesus gave
up His life so that He could accomplish God’s plan of
redemption.
He was raised. Jesus knew that God would raise Him up
on the third day. Death will be defeated.
The final lesson we can learn this morning is:
God’s Plan Will Always Be Accomplished
We shouldn’t be so proud to think that we can mess up
God’s plan.
What He has said He will do. Nothing we can do will get
in the way of that. God is all powerful.
APPLICATION
My challenge to you church is to
Read, study and meditate on the Easter Scriptures
over the next three weeks.
Read the events that lead up to it.
Read the events that come after it.
Read the accounts in all of the gospels.
Pray and ask God how He would have you respond to His
plan of redemption.