Where He Leads, Will I follow? Mark 10:32-34

Where He Leads, Will I Follow?

Mark 10:32-34

Introduction: Mark is presenting the story of Jesus, revealing that He is the one promised in the Scriptures, the Rescuer of whom the prophets spoke. He has been correcting the partial and inadequate understanding of who Jesus is by showing that He is the Son of God, God incarnate. Now, on this final trip to Jerusalem, He again shifts to his answer to a second question: Why did Jesus come? Here, for the third time in three chapters, Jesus explicitly details, before the event, what is going to happen in Jerusalem. Each of the three predictions includes the common thread of His death and resurrection, but each also adds something to the picture. What is being described is really the heart of the Good News that is the Gospel: Jesus came to carry out the Father’s plan, to lay down his life so that we could be reconciled to God, and experience new life, life as it was meant to be. Jesus said, "I came that you might have life, and that you may have it more abundantly..." (cf. John 10:10b).

The Context: For the third time Jesus explicitly tells the disciples what will soon happen in Jerusalem. Again, they don’t seem able to understand. The idea of a suffering, rejected, dying Messiah doesn’t compute – they seemingly can’t comprehend it, much less understand the prediction of His resurrection. Remember after the transfiguration, Jesus told them not to tell the others what they had seen until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. The disciples didn’t understand, and were discussing among themselves what this rising from the dead might mean (Mk 9:9-10).

The Maine* Idea: The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to share in His suffering, and also to experience the victorious new life for which we were created. As we look at this passage we’ll see 1) Jesus as a Resolute Savior, His face is “set like flint” toward Jerusalem, where the Lamb will be slain. 2) We’ll see Jesus as a Faithful Teacher, as He heads toward His suffering, culminating in death and resurrection, He continues to train the disciples, preparing them for the mission that lay ahead. And, 3) We are reminded that He is the Omniscient Son, He knows exactly what is going to happen, what must happen, in Jerusalem.

I. A Resolute Savior: Fully aware of what would soon happen, what had to happen, Jesus leads the way to Jerusalem (32a,b).

“…And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid…

       Jesus and the disciples were on the road, “going up” to Jerusalem. We know that from the area of the Jordan River, which runs from the Sea of Galilee  (about 700 feet below sea level) down to the lowest point on earth [?], the Dead Sea (over 1400 feet below sea level).  Jerusalem is 13-14 miles west of the northern tip of the Dead Sea (and about 33 miles east of the Mediterranean Sea), and, is about 2,500 feet above sea level. The journey from the Jordan Rift would be quite an ascent for someone on foot, about 4000 feet, not counting ups on downs on the way. (That would be quite a few flights on your FitBit!). But when the Jews spoke of “going up” to Jerusalem, it was not only a geographical/topographical observation, it was also a spiritual affirmation. After all, Jerusalem was the City of God.

       Jerusalem was the chosen city, the place where God had chosen for his name to dwell. It was there that the Temple was built, the place of God’s presence in the midst of His people. And so, the psalmist could sing in Psalm 24:3,

“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place?”

To approach Jerusalem was to ascend the hill of the Lord. Have you noticed that Psalms 120-134 are called “Songs of Ascent”?  When we did our three-year series on the Psalms we called this group of psalms “Songs for the Journey.” They would be sung by pilgrims as they headed to Jerusalem for the pilgrim feasts. What was it that made Jerusalem the Holy City? It was the presence of the Lord. And now, Jesus, God incarnate, was heading toward the city to carry out God’s plan of redemption. The Temple was there, which was the place that the sacrifices were offered, all of which the writer to the Hebrews tells us were shadows and types, looking forward to the perfect sacrifice that would be offered in the fullness of time.

       The timing of this visit is important to that purpose. From the broader context of the Gospel, we know that this pilgrimage to Jerusalem was as Passover was approaching. Passover was one of the “pilgrim feasts” of Israel, which meant faithful Jews from all over were making the trip to Jerusalem, to remember the deliverance of the people out of Egypt, and to celebrate the deliverance of the first born from the final plague that first Passover. Remember what Luke tells us that Elijah and Moses spoke with Jesus about on the Mount of Transfiguration? His “departure,” that is His exodos, which would be accomplished in Jerusalem (Luke 9:31). Do you recall what John the Baptist said when he first saw Jesus coming? “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29). They were going up to Jerusalem, where Christ, our Passover, would be sacrificed for us (cf. I Cor 5:7b).

       Notice too that Mark tells us that “…Jesus was walking ahead of them…” He was leading them on the way. Typically, a rabbi would walk alongside his disciples, conversing with them, teaching them on the way. But as Luke said, “His face was set [like a flint] toward Jerusalem…” (Lk 9:51, 53; cf. Isa 50:7). We see that determination to go to Jerusalem here in Mark as well. He is leading the way. The disciples, Mark tells us, “…were amazed…” That seems to refer to the twelve, to those closest to Jesus. We know from John’s Gospel that they expressed concern about traveling down to Judea and Bethany, near Jerusalem (Jn 11:8). When Jesus affirmed his determination to go, Thomas said, "Let us also go, that we may die with him" (Jn 11:16). They knew the intentions of the leaders, and so it seems that were “amazed” at Jesus’ determination to go, despite the obvious danger.

       Others, perhaps some followers who had not been with them the whole time, perhaps some pilgrims heading to Jerusalem for the feast, and just now caravanning with Jesus and his closest followers, these unnamed others, “…were afraid…” Did they hear the disciples discussing Jesus’ prediction of what would happen when they got there? Or, perhaps, did they anticipate that the arrival of this messianic figure might precipitate conflict when they arrived in Jerusalem? Wouldn’t the messiah go to war with Rome?  Remember back in Mark 8 Jesus said that if anyone would be his disciple, he needed to deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Him. Jesus is showing the attitude of a servant, going before them, despite the cost He was willing, even determined, to do for us, what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. As Paul told the Philippians, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus..." (cf. Phil 2:3ff.).

       That’s the Maine* Idea: The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to share in His suffering, and also to experience the victorious new life for which we were created. And so we see Jesus as a 1) Resolute Savior, and also as…

II. A Faithful Teacher: Jesus continued to prepare the disciples for their future mission (32c). “…taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him…”

      Jesus is not surprised by the spiritual dullness of the disciples, their apparent inability to understand the plain meaning of His words. Even so, He persists. After all, He is planning to launch His church on a mission on Pentecost! He knows that the day will soon come when the “Helper,” the Holy Spirit, will come in a more present and permanent way, and their minds would be opened, as we read in John 14:26…

But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

And then, in the very next chapter, He says in John 15:26, "But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.”

       The Parakletos, the Comforter, that is, the Holy Spirit, will teach and bring to remembrance the things Jesus had said the disciples.  That ministry of revelation and illumination will be of foundational importance to the church. Notice also that the ministry of the Spirit is to bear witness to Jesus. Jesus is the revelation of God to humans, He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no one comes to the Father but by Him. As Peter will say, “There is no other name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12).

       Think about what this prophecy concerning what is coming, reveals about Jesus.  As the prophets gave some broad strokes about the coming messiah, along with some particular details, Jesus is preparing the disciples by revealing ahead of time what will soon come to pass. Some of the psalms spoke about a king, who would be betrayed, rejected, and suffering (e.g. Ps 22,69). Isaiah too spoke of a Suffering Servant, who would be cut off from the land of the living, and who would bear the sins of many (Isa 53). As the day and hour approaches, Jesus has been teaching his disciples of what must come to pass in Jerusalem. As the prophecies came to pass, the disciples would be able to look back and see how the unfolding story was not a defeat, but ultimately a confirmation and vindication of Jesus’ identity and mission.

      By the way, Jesus also knows the tribulation that the disciples would face (cf. Jn 16:33; Mk 10:38,39). So, as a faithful teacher, leading them to Jerusalem, He was also calling them to count the cost of discipleship. According to tradition, all of them, save John who died in exile, would die as martyrs for the sake of Christ and the Gospel. But the day will also come when they will be raised to life and sit on twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Mt 19:28). If you know Him, you too have a part in that Kingdom! You will reign with Him. That points to the Maine* Idea: The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to share in His suffering, and also to experience the victorious new life for which we were created. And so, we see Jesus as a 1) Resolute Savior, 2) A Faithful teacher, and also as…

III. The Omniscient Son: Knowing what would happen, in every detail, He obediently carried out the Divine Plan (33,34).

"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.  ³⁴ And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise."

       This is the heart of this paragraph. It’s what the Faithful Teacher is sharing with His disciples on the way. This is what the Resolute Savior will accomplish this Passover Week in Jerusalem.  For the third time in three chapters Jesus clearly predicts His betrayal, death, and resurrection.  In this case, His omniscience is further revealed in that more detail is given about what will soon happen. Notice in the progressive unfolding of the predictions and the detail that was added …

8:31	9:31	10:32-34
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.	"The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise."	"See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.  34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise."

       First of all, notice that Jesus is still describing Himself using the third person, and the title the Son of Man, as He did in the previous two passages. He is teaching the disciples, who have already confessed Him as the Messiah, so it seems that His intent is to reinforce the messianic implications of the title. He wants them to understand what will soon happen, but also to look ahead to the victorious Second Coming envisioned in Daniel 7:13,14…

¹³ I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.  ¹⁴ And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.

Jesus is that Deliverer, the One who will establish an eternal, world-wide kingdom and rule the nations. But He is the Passover-King, and the forensic basis for the deliverance that will one day result in the Kingdom on earth must first be laid. Humans are separated from Holy God by sin, and as a consequence, are by nature children of wrath. Soon the transaction described by Isaiah would unfold,

⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted.  ⁵ But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed.  ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all… (Isaiah 53:4-6).

     In our context in Mark 10:33,34, the Lord says the Day of His suffering was drawing near. Jesus now describes what is about to happen, He lays out two stages: 1) Being delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes and being condemned by them, and 2) Being delivered over by them to the hands of the gentiles who will mock, torture, and execute Him. That is pretty specific. Not a spontaneous stoning as Stephen would experience in Acts 7, or being thrown off a cliff as the crowd tried to do at Nazareth. Specifically, being delivered to the leaders of the Jews (cf. 9:31), condemned to death, and then being handed over to the gentiles, where He could be mocked, spit upon, flogged, and executed.

       Being "delivered" to the leaders could refer to His betrayal by Judas. Remember Judas is still one of the twelve. He has been present to hear Jesus’ teaching on what would soon happen, now for the third time predicting His death and resurrection. Considering Jesus’ determination to carry out the plan of God, I can’t help but think of the words on Peter on Pentecost, in Acts 2:22,23…

²² "…Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know-  ²³ this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men…”

Human responsibility and divine sovereignty go hand in hand. Peter says, “You crucified Him by the hands of godless men." They are responsible for rejecting Him, and handing Him over to the Romans for execution. Even so, He was “delivered up according to the definite plan [the predetermined purpose] and foreknowledge of God…” God has a plan, He is sovereign, in control. Humans are responsible for their actions. How does that work? God’s over-arching sovereignty is guiding His story according to His will. Within that story we are responsible for the choices we make.

What is God saying to me in this passage? And so, we see Jesus as a 1) Resolute Savior, 2) A Faithful teacher, and 3. The Omniscient Son… We see a little more about who He is. We see some details about would He would soon do. Will you follow Him? The call to follow Jesus is an invitation to share in His suffering, and also to experience the victorious new life for which we were created.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? The Gospel of Mark began with the statement, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The Gospel is “good news” because God, in Christ, was reconciling us to Himself. Paul described our desperate need and God’s indescribable gift in Eph 2:1-7,

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-  ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  ⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ- by grace you have been saved-  ⁶ and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  ⁷ so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.

That is Good News! Do you understand that we owed a debt that we could not pay? Even so, the price has been paid, by Christ. Jesus came as our substitute to take in His sinless body the punishment for our sin. Because of what He has done for us, we who believe, those who call Jesus Lord and believe that He died for us and rose again, have peace with God! And even more, we call Him Abba, Father (cf. I Jn 3:1). Do you believe? Is your trust, your hope, in Christ alone?

       In this passage, Jesus is leading the disciples toward Jerusalem. He’ll tell them more in the upper room about the promise of the Spirit, and also more about the persecution that would follow. But He has already said, if anyone would be His disciple, we must deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. Do you believe Him? Will you trust Him? Will you follow?  AMEN.