JESUS PREDICTS HIS SUFFERING

Humanity needs the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus. Without His death and resurrection we cannot be free from the guilt of our sin, neither can we be adopted into God’s family. If Jesus’ Predictions have not come true then we are all still in our sins and bound for hell (1 Cor. 15:12-19).

THE SETTING

Jesus and His disciples were traveling through Perea to Jerusalem to celebrate the passover. This road would have been crowded with other travellers headed to Jerusalem to celebrate Passover.

Jesus knew that He would suffer a publicly humiliating and painful death in Jerusalem and still He boldly pressed forward.

“and Jesus was walking on ahead of them” (Mark 10:32)

Jesus was certain that His disciples were not fully prepared for the trial and torture He was about to endure, so He pulled the aside and agave them private instruction.

Mark describes the disciples as being fearful (Mk. 10:32)

Luke tells us that the disciples did not understand what Jesus was telling them because the meaning was hidden from them (Lk. 18:34). It was not until after the resurrection when Jesus opened their minds so that they could fully understand His death (Lk. 21:45-47).

THE PREDICTIONS

Jesus predicts that He would suffer alone

“we are going up…the Son of Man will suffer alone” (18a)

Jesus predicts that He will be betrayed into the wicked hand of the chief priest and Scribes (18b)

One of his own-Judas-would be the traitor. A man whom Jesus had eaten with, travelled with, prayed with, and ministered along side of would be the one to betray Him with a kiss and 30 pieces of silver.

Jesus predicts that a corrupt council of chief priests and scribes would put Him on trial and sentence Him to death (18c)

“chief priests”-The highest group of priests. Only the high priest is able to enter into the most Holy place in the temple once a year to make atonement for the sins of the people.

“Scribes”- Experts in the Law-The OT Scriptures.

These two groups would come together in a 71 members council known as the Sanhedrin, and after a series of false testimonies they sentenced Jesus to death on the grounds of blasphemy. They themselves did not have the authority to execute the judgment, but they could render verdict and hand the accused party over to Roman authorities.

Jesus predicts that the chief priest and scribes would hand him over to Roman authorities who, although they found no fault with Jesus, sentenced Him to death by crucifixion (19a)

Josephus (Jewish Historian), who witnessed men dying by crucifixion during Titus’ siege of Jerusalem, calls it “the most wretched of deaths” (JW 7 §203).

Crucifixion has taken on different form. The Assyrians and the Persians would build fortified walls made of posts that were pointed on the top end. They would impale the heads of their enemies or criminals on these “crosses” or stakes so that the public would see them and be deterred from committing similar offenses. This form of crucifixion was practiced in the OT when Saul was decapitated and the Philistines hung his body on the wall (1 Sam. 31:9-10)

When Jesus was crucified, he was exposed to the Roman form of crucifixion. The Romans would often begin the crucifixion with a flogging. The whip used for the flogging was laced with bone or glass fragments ensuring deep and painful lacerations. It was typical for the crucified to receive 13 strokes across the chest and 26 across the back, so Jesus likely went to the cross with lacerations covering most of his upper body. It has been said that the Romans viewed this as an act of compassion to help death come quicker once the person was hung on the cross. Before going to the cross, a crown of thorns was pressed into Jesus’ head as soldiers mocked His claims to be king. From there Jesus was marched to Golgotha-The Place of the Skull (the city dump)- and was nailed to the cross. It was typical for Romans to nail through the wrist or forearms because those bones were bigger and able to bear the weight of the one on the cross, and they would turn the legs so that they could drive the spike through both heels into the cross. Before they lifted the person into the air, they would secure a board to the cross with their crimes listed for all to see. Above the head of Jesus was nailed this title in multiple languages, “Jesus the Nazarene, The King of the Jews”. Death was the result of both respiratory and circulatory complications, except in the case of our Lord who John says cried out “It is finished” and then gave up His Spirit.

Jesus predicts that He would literally die on the cross, be buried, and raise from the dead on the third day (19b)

Friday: Jesus was condemned, crucified, and buried.

Saturday: His body lay in the grave as Roman soldier sealed the stone and guarded the tomb

Sunday: There was a violent earthquake as an angel descended from heaven to roll the stone away. When the women came at sunrise, they saw the Roman soldiers laying like dead men, and the angel gave a glorious victory speech, “He is not here, He has risen, just as He said, Come and see the place where His body lay. He has risen from the dead and indeed is going ahead of you to Galilee, you will see Him there” (Matt. 28:1-7)

THE PURPOSE

The cross is the greatest display of God’s love for humanity. The cross is the crescendo of God’s love. From eternity past God determined to send His Son Jesus into a world corrupted by sin in order to rescue sinners by becoming sin on our behalf. God hinted about saving sinners through a suffering servant all throughout the Bible. In Genesis 3:15 God said to the serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel.” Or in Psalm 22 when the Psalmist wrote, “For dogs have surrounded me; a band of evil doers has encompassed me; they pierced my hands and my feet. I can count all my bones. They look, they stare at me; they divide my garment among them and for my clothing they cast lots” (Ps. 22:16-18). Or, how about Isaiah 53:4, “Surly our griefs He Himself bore, and our sorrows He carried.” When Jesus came, suffered, died, and rose again it became clear that He alone is the one who carried our sorrows and shame.

It is at the cross where God’s mercy and grace toward sinners is on full display. God is a holy and just God, he is a righteous God and he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished. According to Prov. 17:15 it is an abomination for God to justify the wicked. So how can Jesus show mercy and grace to sinners like you and me? He can show us mercy and grace because Jesus, the sinless Son of God, endured all the wrath of God against your sin. You see when Jesus was on the cross He became cursed on our behalf, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE.” What does this mean? We should have been cursed to death for the sins that we committed, but Jesus was cursed for us. Every curse that God promised to pronounce on those who sinned against Him (Deut. 27), God pronounced on Jesus. God cursed Jesus an idolater. God cursed Jesus as liar. God cursed Jesus as an adulterer. God cursed Jesus as one who had taken God’s name in vain. God cursed Jesus as murder. God cursed Jesus as a disobedient child. BUT JESUS WAS NONE OF THESE THINGS. He was without sin, but became sin on our behalf. How incredible that a righteous man would willingly die for wicked men. BUT this is not all, when Jesus was crucified he didn’t only take your sin. No he credited you, the sinner, with His righteousness so that you might be justified before God—declared not guilty. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 3:23-4). The purpose of His suffering is clear: To justify sinners by dying in their place.

The resurrection of Jesus is God’s confirmation that is Jesus His Holy Son, that He did justify sinners through His death on the cross, and that He is the Son of Man who Daniel spoke of saying that, “to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nation and men of every language Might Serve. His is our Savior and our King.

YOUR RESPONSE

Examine yourself: Have you truly repented of your sins? Are you bearing fruit in keeping with repentance? Can you look in the mirror and see a changed man or woman? Can you see in your life where you have surrendered your desires and will over the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Come to Jesus Christ in repentance and faith and you will receive justification. Your sins will be forgiven. Your account will have a new balance, it will not show the debits of sin, but it will show the deposit of His righteousness on your behalf. You must humble yourself and “pay homage to the Son, that He e not become angry, and your perish in they way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!” (Ps. 2:12)

Christians we express gratitude for what Jesus has done. We should meditate on His suffering so that our hearts will overflow with a mouthful of praise.

Christians, make it your priority to teach others the true meaning of the Suffering of Jesus Christ.

Christians, pray with tears for the minds of those around you to be opened to understand the gospel and receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.