Jesus Foretells His Death

Mark 8:27-37; Matthew 16:13-28; Luke 9:18-25

GOLDEN TEXT: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s, the same shall save it.”—Mark 8:35

THREE important truths are established in today’s lesson. First, that Jesus was the foretold Messiah, the One through whom the wondrous Kingdom promises of the Old Testament are to be fulfilled. Second, that before He could enter into His Kingdom glory, He first must suffer and die as man’s Redeemer. Third, that those in this age who desire to be His true disciples, must suffer and die with Him, and in so doing be inspired with the hope of living and reigning with Him.

It would appear that the Jewish public generally recognized Jesus as a great prophet sent of God. Opinion varied as to exactly who He might be but the gracious words which He uttered, and the miracles He performed constituted abundant evidence that He was more than an ordinary Jew, and that God’s favor was with Him. The record is that the “common people heard Him gladly.”—Mark 12:37

But not many had the necessary spiritual vision to properly identify the Master as the promised Messiah. By God’s help Peter was able to do this, and Jesus was pleased. “Blessed art thou,” Jesus said to Peter, “for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven.” “Thou art a rock,” the Master said; that is, your name Peter (Greek, Petros, a fragment of a stone, or a pebble) signifies a small stone, “but upon this rock (Greek, petra, a mass of rock or boulder) I will build My church.”—Matt. 16:18

It is evident that Jesus is contrasting the rock upon which He builds His church with the significance of Peter’s own name. This “rock” seems clearly to be a reference to Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah, the Christ. It is upon this great fact that the church is built, Jesus Himself being “the chief corner stone.” Peter was given the “keys of the Kingdom,” that is, the privilege of special service in opening up Kingdom privileges to both Jews and Gentiles, but the church is not built upon him.—Eph. 2:20; Matt. 16:19

How bewildered the disciples must have been when, following this establishment of their faith in the fact that He was the Messiah, Jesus told them that He was to be rejected by the leaders of Israel and be put to death by crucifixion. This was not their conception of what the prophecies taught concerning the Messiah. To their understanding the Messiah was to be a triumphant leader of Israel, and a King over them and eventually over the whole world. How could this be true if He were to be crucified?

True, Jesus also explained that He would be raised from the dead, and the lesson of His miracles should have enabled them to believe this. But, not as yet understanding the redemptive program of God, they would reason that if miracle-working power were back of Jesus, why could it not prevent Him from being crucified just as easily as to raise Him from the dead after He was crucified. To Peter, especially, it seemed that the Master’s outlook was entirely wrong, so he said, “Be it far from Thee, Lord: this thing shall not be unto Thee.”

Then Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get thee behind Me, Satan.” (Luke 4:8) Jesus recognized in Peter’s remarks another attempt by Satan to turn Him aside from the pathway of sacrifice which was God’s will for Him as the world’s Redeemer. The suggestion was akin to the one made to the Master by Satan near the beginning of His ministry; that is, that He use miracle-working power to turn stones into bread in order that He might have food. Jesus could have done that just as now He could call upon twelve legions of angels to prevent His arrest and crucifixion; but to do so meant disobedience to the divine will for Him. And Jesus would not disobey.

Following His resurrection Jesus explained to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus that His suffering and death as well as His Messianic glory, had been foretold in the prophecies. Later this truth was fully revealed to the church so that true believers since have rejoiced in what was accomplished for them on Calvary. However, not many throughout the age have discerned that the suffering of the Christ was not completed at Calvary.

The closing verses of the lesson help to reveal the great truth that the followers of the Master are privileged to suffer and die with Him, as members of His body. “Whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel’s the same shall save it,” our Golden Text reads. Here the Master makes it plain that to be His disciples means the loss of earthly blessings and earthly life. “Are ye able to drink of My cup and be baptized with My baptism?” is the way He put it to the two disciples on behalf of whom their mother had asked if they could sit on His right hand and on His left in the Kingdom.—Matt. 20:22

Later Paul rejoiced in the privilege of filling up that which was behind of the afflictions of Christ, (Col. 1:24) and it was made plain to the early church that only upon such conditions could anyone hope to live and reign with Him in the heavenly phase of His Messianic Kingdom. This phase of the divine plan will be completed with the full ending of the Gospel age. Then, when the church is complete and united with Christ in the glory of the Kingdom, blessings, of earthly happiness and life will flow out freely to all mankind. Then will be fulfilled the promises of “restitution” which were spoken “by the mouth of all the holy prophets since the world began.”—Acts 3:19-23

QUESTIONS:

What did Jesus mean by the statement, “Upon this rock I will build My church”?

What did Jesus mean when He said to Peter, “Get thee behind Me, Satan”?

How can a Christian save his life by losing it?

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