Jesus Foretells His Suffering

MEMORY VERSE: “And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” —Mark 8:34

MARK 8:27-37

JESUS’ entire ministry lasted for only three and one-half years, and our Bible lessons for the month of March pertain largely to events during the last week of that brief ministry. Knowing that he would soon be arrested and crucified, Jesus was interested in learning to what extent the Israelites had grasped the meaning of his teachings, so he asked his disciples, “Whom do men say that I am?” The proper answer to this question revealed much.

The disciples said that the people thought he was “John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.” (vs. 28) These viewpoints of the people concerning Jesus were not at all uncomplimentary, for they indicated that the general opinion in Israel was that Jesus was a special servant of God, which indeed he was. But Jesus was much more than a prophet; and occupied a much more prominent place in the plan of God than even John the Baptist.

Since the general viewpoint of the public came short of the full truth, Jesus asked his disciples, “But whom say ye that I am?” It was Peter who replied, “Thou art the Christ.” In Matthew’s account of this he reports Jesus as replying to Peter, “Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 16:17) It was a great truth which Peter expressed; it was the real truth concerning the true identity of Jesus.

Throughout the Old Testament God had continued to make promises concerning the coming of this Great One, this Messiah (Greek, Christ). This was the One who had been sent by the Creator to die as the world’s Redeemer, and later to establish a powerful government through which all mankind would be blessed with health, life, and joy. And Jesus was this One.

During the course of his ministry Jesus had indicated that he expected to die. He had said, for example, that he would give his flesh, his humanity, for the life of the world. (John 6:51) But he had not been too definite about his death. Now “he began to teach them [the disciples], that the Son of man must suffer many things, … and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly.”—vss. 31,32

Evidently the disciples were quite surprised at this. They expected Jesus to establish a powerful kingdom, and to liberate Israel from the yoke of bondage. How could he do this if he allowed his enemies to put him to death? So Peter “took him, and began to rebuke him.” Then Jesus rebuked Peter, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.”—vss. 32,33

Jesus did not mean that Peter was actually the Devil. Jesus meant that in his endeavor to dissuade his Master from surrendering to his enemies to be put to death, Peter was expressing a thought which was contrary to the will of God; a thought that was not in harmony with God’s will but based on human reasoning. It was necessary for Jesus to die to redeem the world from death, and it was the accomplishment of this aspect of the divine plan which would enable him later to rule over subjects who would have an opportunity to live, not over those who would be hopelessly condemned to death.

Turning to the people, including his disciples, Jesus continued, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (vs. 34) Having explained that he expected to die in the divine cause, Jesus was now inviting those who wished to be his disciples to die with him, to follow him into death.

Jesus then added, “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.” (vs. 36) Once we have dedicated ourselves to die with Jesus, we cannot hold back without loss. Should we repudiate our consecration and seek to avoid sacrificial death, we may well lose everlasting life.

QUESTIONS

Who did the public of Jesus’ day think he was?

Who did Peter say Jesus was?

Had Jesus made it plain to his disciples that he expected to lay down his life?

What does it mean to take up our cross and follow Jesus?

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