Mark 10:32-34

Mark 10:32-34  Living Bible (TLB)

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

³² Now they were on the way to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking along ahead; and as the disciples were following they were filled with terror and dread.

Taking them aside, Jesus once more began describing all that was going to happen to him when they arrived at Jerusalem.

³³ “When we get there,” he told them, “I, the Messiah,^[a] will be arrested and taken before the chief priests and the Jewish leaders, who will sentence me to die and hand me over to the Romans to be killed. ³⁴ They will mock me and spit on me and flog me with their whips and kill me; but after three days I will come back to life again.”

Jesus continues to instruct his disciples as they make their way to Jerusalem.  This is the third time that Jesus brings up his death with the disciples and He gave them more details as to what was ahead.   The disciples also now knew where his death was going to occur, in Jerusalem.  The disciples still struggled to take on board what Jesus was saying.  It still didn’t make sense to them what was being told to them and they were terrified.  They were panicked about what was ahead for them personally.  I wonder if the graphic detail of what Jesus described in His upcoming death made the disciples wonder if they would endure such atrocities also.

Jesus was very aware of what was going to happen and yet He moved towards Jerusalem with boldness.  He didn’t follow behind the disciples but led the way.  He showed His commitment to His Father’s will despite what was being asked of Him.

I wonder what we would do if we had been one of the disciples.  Would we have continued with Jesus on the way to Jerusalem or would we call it quits then and there.  It is not always easy to stand out for Jesus and be counted.  It can cost us but are we willing to do it despite the cost?  These are not questions that are easily answered.