Disciples Global Network

The Son of Man is revealed and comprehended in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies .  This theme is found several times in the Gospel of Mark , namely, the inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until AFTER his crucifixion and resurrection, and most paradoxically, the first man to identify him as the “ Son of God ” was the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable and distasteful to unregenerate men. He was the kind of Messiah no one expected or wanted.

In Galilee, the disciples witnessed Jesus heal the sick, cast out demons, forgive sins, and even calm a violent storm, all supernatural acts performed with great authority. However, all too often, his words and deeds produced confusion followed by the question – “ Who is this man? ” Only at his execution on Golgotha did a human being begin to understand who he was.

Jesus experienced growing conflict as he began his journey to the city of Jerusalem. In Galilee, he displayed his lordship over nature, demons, disease, and even death, and the crowds welcomed him, at first, enthusiastically. However, among his own people, he was met with unbelief and rejection, and in the Gospel of Mark , this serves as the prelude to the execution of John the Baptist. More importantly, it becomes the pattern for what disciples of Jesus may expect when they preach the Gospel.

To be the disciple of Jesus one must take up the cross and follow in his footsteps, even if it results in rejection, impoverishment, or death . Jesus sent his twelve disciples to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom throughout the region. In the Gospel of Mark , this incident is followed by the execution of John the Baptist. His death serves as a warning to the would-be disciple that rejection will inevitably follow his decision to follow Jesus no matter where he leads. To walk in his footsteps, one must first COUNT THE COST to have any hope of seeing the journey through to the end.

In his Discourse on the Mount of Olives, Jesus included several warnings about coming “ deceivers ,” “ false messiahs ,” and “ false prophets ,” men intent on misleading his followers. His warnings are reiterated and expanded in the writings of the Apostles. The ‘ Olivet Discourse ’ began with a stern warning - “ Beware lest anyone deceive you! ” - “ MANY ” deceivers will come and “ deceive MANY .” Deception in the Body of Christ is NOT a new phenomenon or an exceptional problem.