Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”
Horsham: 12th February 2025
A few steps behind: Jesus is walking along the road from Galilee towards Jerusalem. As a Rabbi, we’d expect to see the disciples close on his heels, listening for his every word, relishing the light covering of dust from his sandals as they walk in his footsteps.
This scene invokes a very different image. In every sense, the disciples are not in a good place. They are in a state of ‘astonished bewilderment’ (Wm Barclay, Loc 5074). I sense that they are a few steps behind their Rabbi. Further back, beyond the disciples, there’s another anxious group of people following Jesus.
Look at the calm resolution of Jesus, stepping out with determination towards Jerusalem. It’s all the more noticeable in contrast to the palpable tension of everyone else.
I’ve told you twice: It is in Mark 8 that Peter first declares that he believes Jesus to be the Messiah. Immediately afterwards, Jesus teaches the disciples that he would be killed and rise again (Mark 8:31-33 ). The text says that ‘He spoke plainly to them about this.’ (Mark 8:32). Whatever he said, they didn’t understand. You may remember that Peter was so shocked by Jesus talking about his own death that he took him aside and told him not to say such things. Peter was rebuked by Jesus.
In Mark 9:30-32, Jesus predicts his death a second time. This time he tells them that he will be ‘delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him and on the third day he will rise.‘ (Mark 9:31) Once more, the disciples didn’t understand and, perhaps because of his earlier reaction to Peter, they were not going to be asking questions.
The Third Warning: Jesus takes the disciples to one side. Once more – this is the third time – he tells them that he will be killed. This time there is more detail. He mentions Jerusalem. He says that the Chief Priest is involved. He says that he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They ‘will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him.’
‘Calmly and deliberately he tells the disciples of his coming passion at Jerusalem. One after another He describes all the leading circumstances which will attend to His death. Nothing is reserved. Nothing is kept back.’ (Ryle p156)
They sense that Jesus is resolved to accept his own death. This is not what they want to hear. It makes no sense to them.
The challenge for the disciples is this. They believe that Jesus is the Messiah. They believe that they know what the Messiah should be like. They know what he should achieve. They have been raised to anticipate this conquering hero of Israel who will restore the nation to glory. They thought that they were watching history being made. They were excited to be part of it. His violent death in Jerusalem was not on their agenda. He is supposed to be victorious – to rid Israel of the Roman invaders, not to be put to death by them.
We must try to understand the bewilderment and fear of his followers, for this was a difficult experience for them and not at all what they had planned or expected. Each new announcement of his death only added to their perplexity.’ (Wiersbe: p125)
End Piece: We shouldn’t blame the disciples for being scared. In their place, we would have been scared too. We can’t blame them for misunderstanding what to expect of the Messiah. I can imagine the whispered conversations. You can almost feel their anxiety. If Jesus’ death is approaching, what does that mean for them? Are they supposed to die alongside him? What would that achieve? Is this the end? No wonder they are bewildered. This isn’t what they signed up for. No wonder they are hanging back. No wonder they are a few steps behind Jesus.
We’re not so different. We have our own view of who Jesus is, and there are times when he doesn’t meet our expectations. We get distracted by our own life ambitions and plans. We anticipate great things. We forget that we are supposed to be following, not leading. We fall out of step, feeling anxious and bewildered. We fall back. Just like those disciples, we find ourselves feeling uneasy. We find ourselves a few steps behind where Jesus wants us to be.
Following Jesus is about moving forwards. It’s about letting Him lead. It’s about trust. It’s about confidence in Him. It’s about keeping close. He wants you to be there at his heels, ready to listen, and ready to serve. He wants you to be so close that you can feel the dust from his sandals landing on you. Straining to hear his voice. Following closely in his footsteps.
That’s what it means to follow Jesus. Don’t get left behind.
Try to keep up.