His Imminent Death
Jesus explained that he was “on the way” to Jerusalem to suffer arrest, trial, and his execution, according to God’s plan – Mark 10:32-34.
The text adds the very apt description: they
were “going up to Jerusalem.” The city was
approximately 1,060 meters above the Jordan River valley - (Mark 1:2-3,
2:23, 8:27).
In Mark, this passage contains the
third prediction of his death. In all three cases, it was made while Jesus and
his disciples were on the way to Jerusalem, and in each
instance, he referred to himself as the “Son of Man.” In this
way, the gospel account links the title to his death - (Mark 8:31, 9:31).
- (Mark 10:32-34) - “Now, they were on the way going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them, and they were amazed, and those following were afraid. And again taking the twelve, he began declaring the things that were going to happen to him, that, ‘Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death, and hand him over to the Gentiles and they will mock him and spit on him and flog and kill him, and after three days he will rise up’” - (Parallel passages - Matthew 20:17-19, Luke 18:31-34).
Jesus “was going before” his
disciples, for he knew what lay ahead. Nevertheless, he pressed on all the same.
He was not led to the slaughter like a prisoner of war or a sacrificial animal.
Instead, he pushed on in accord with God’s purpose. He was fully aware of what
would occur at Jerusalem. This demonstrated his grim determination to fulfill
his Father’s will, regardless of the consequences.
The notation that those who were journeying
with Jesus “were afraid” suggests they had some inkling of what lay
ahead. While the disciples did not yet understand his messianic mission, previously,
he had predicted his future sufferings at Jerusalem.
His pronouncement emphasizes the complicity
of the religious leaders of the Jewish nation in his death. However, Jesus was
also handed over to the Gentiles. It was the representative of the Roman
government who executed him, though this was at the instigation of the Temple
authorities. The Gentiles also had guilt in his death. In the end, no one’s
hands were clean.
The Greek verb rendered “handed over”
(paradidōmi) means “hand over, to deliver up, to betray.” This is
a theologically loaded term in Mark. It was first used when John the
Baptist was arrested and handed over to Herod Antipas - (Mark 1:14).
The imprisonment and execution of John were
harbingers of what was in store for Jesus. Beginning with the first ‘Passion
Prediction,’ “handed over” is used consistently for the betrayal
of Jesus into the hands of those who were plotting his death. Moreover, he used
this same verb to describe how, in the future, his followers would likewise be “handed
over” to suffer for the gospel - (Mark 13:9-12).
As before, Jesus referred to his rising “after
three days.” Mark reckoned the three days per the Jewish custom
of counting even part of one day as a full day - (i.e., Friday evening,
Saturday, and Sunday morning).
Since the disciples did not understand, or
would not accept, the prediction of his death, so, also, they had yet to
comprehend what he meant by his rising from the dead “after three days.”
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