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Author: Stephen Weller
739 words, 4 minutes read time

Jesus Must Go To Jerusalem and Die

Scripture: Matthew 20:18-19; Mk 10:32; Lk 18:31, 34

In the previous lesson we drew a parallel between the owner of the vineyard and God in choosing who would be the recipients of grace. With this lesson we will cover a new section in which Jesus again predicts his death and resurrection.

^{Mk 10:32} “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. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him.”

In Mark 8:31ESV: “[Jesus] 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.” In Mark 9:31 ESV, Jesus again says to his disciples: “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.” Here in Mark 10:32, as they travel toward Jerusalem, we have the third time Jesus tells his disciples. Many years ago, Isaiah spoke of Jesus who would come as our sacrifice (Isaiah 53:1 – 12).

As they walked toward Jerusalem, Jesus walked ahead of his disciples, showing solemn determination in the face of forthcoming suffering. The disciples were amazed at the resolve Jesus showed and following behind, were afraid of what might lie ahead and how it might affect them. This fear might stem from their belief that Jesus was a political messiah and would face a fierce battle in Jerusalem.

Once again, Jesus takes the disciples aside and privately tells them what was going to happen to him in Jerusalem. One would think that by now the disciples would understand, but they didn’t.

^{Lk 18:31} “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. ^{Mt 20:18} And the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death ¹⁹ and deliver him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified, and he will be raised on the third day.”

As mentioned above, Isaiah spoke of the suffering and death of Jesus. Another major text is Psalm 22. The disciples see the cross as a horrible accident to be avoided, not the fulfillment of prophecy in securing our salvation. Jesus had to die in our place on the cross to satisfy justice, as the wage of our sin was death. Jesus had to pay that wage to redeem us. To accomplish that Jesus, as the Son of Man, would have to be delivered over to the chief priests and scribes to be condemned to death. They would then deliver him offer to the Gentiles, who would mock and flog and crucify him.

However, more that the death of Jesus was required. He had to rise from the grave in victory over death. ⁵⁵ ‘“O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” ⁵⁶ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.’ (1 Corinthians 15:55 – 57 ESV). Jesus was placed in the tomb and the entrance sealed and a guard posted, but on the third day he rose as promised and left the tomb alive.

^{Lk 18:34} “But [the disciples] understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.”

Surely the disciples understood the words Jesus was telling him, but what they couldn’t get their minds around and grasp was how this could fit into God’s plan for the Messiah. In their minds, the Messiah was still a political figure who would lead them in victory over Rome. They could not grasp the idea that the Messiah had to suffer and die and rise again to accomplish his work.

Conclusion

As we walk with Jesus along the harmonized gospel path, we are drawing closer and closer to the cross. Very soon in our study we will enter that last week in which so much happens in Jerusalem.