Disciples Global Network

Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies . The inability of men to recognize Jesus as the Son of God until after his crucifixion is a central theme of the Gospel of Mark . Ironically, the first man to do so is the Roman centurion on duty at his execution. His self-identification as the suffering “ Son of Man ” made him unrecognizable to unregenerate men. He was the Savior no one expected or wanted .

Overused by both the Church and the surrounding society, the English term ‘spiritual’ has become meaningless. To some people, it is synonymous with the word religion . To be religious is to be spiritual . To others, it refers to things that are not of this physical universe, things and beings that are supernatural, otherworldly, noncorporeal, invisible, and timeless.

To be the Messiah of Israel meant suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow that same path  – Mark 8:31. Jesus explained what it meant to be Israel’s Messiah and the Son of God as his entourage approached Jerusalem,  suffering and death . This was contrary to popular expectations, including those of his closest disciples. He also summoned anyone who wished to follow him to take up his cross and emulate his example. Failure to do so would result in shame before the Lord of Glory.

As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus queried his disciples: Who do men say that I am? At least nine times, the Gospel of Mark declares that Jesus was “ ON THE WAY .” His march to the City of David echoed the words in the Book of Isaiah applied previously to John the Baptist- “ Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare YOUR WAY .”

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 performed miracles, exorcised demons, and taught with great authority, often attracting large crowds. Nevertheless, his contemporaries failed to recognize who he was despite displays of supernatural power. In the end, only the Roman centurion on duty at Golgotha perceived him to be the “ Son of God ” when the Nazarene breathed his last.

Jesus admonished his disciples: If anyone wishes to come after him, “ Let him deny himself daily, take up his cross, and follow after me .” This is more than metaphorical or hyperbolic language. He said this when he was on his final journey to Jerusalem where he would demonstrate what it meant to “ deny yourself and take up the cross .” To borrow a phrase from the older Holiness Movement, Death to Self.

When Jesus dispatched his disciples to announce the “ Good News ” to the “ lost sheep of Israel ,” he warned that they would find themselves as “ sheep among wolves .” Hostile men would haul them before “ councils and whip them in their synagogues .” His followers would be hated “ by all men for my sake .” That was the harsh reality they discovered, one faced later by many in the early Church. The very men who should have welcomed Israel’s Messiah instead fought what he represented tooth and nail.

Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the role of the ‘ Suffering Servant ’ described in the  Book of Isaiah . Unlike Adam, he did not attempt to grasp the “ likeness of God .” Instead, he humbled himself and submitted to a shameful death on the Roman cross. For this reason, God highly exalted him and made him “ Lord ” over all things. His exaltation did not precede his death – His enthronement followed it, and he died utterly alone.

The Bible speaks of the “ mysteries ” of God, His ways that are hidden from this world’s “wisdom” and defy human expectations. In his teachings, Jesus declared that not everyone can understand the “ mysteries of the kingdom .” It is God who reveals the deep and obscure things to whomever He pleases, and in His Son, He has done so for all the world to see. In the death and resurrection of the Nazarene, God has disclosed His true nature and the salvation that He now offers to all men and women.

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained to his disciples what it meant to be the Messiah of Israel. In the city of David, he was about to face his final confrontation with the Temple authorities which would end in his violent and unjust death at the hands of the Romans. Was not Jerusalem the appointed place where the prophets sent to proclaim God’s word to Israel were slain, where the Messiah himself must suffer rejection and death, according to the Scriptures?

The submission of Jesus to an unjust death is the pattern of the love and service to others that his disciples are called to imitate . The obedience of Jesus to his Father becomes the model for how we emulate him. His willing submission to death on the Roman Cross is the pattern for the conduct and attitude of his disciples. His elevation to the Messianic Throne resulted from his submission to “ death upon a cross .” Conforming our lives to this example is how we learn to “ follow him wherever he goes .”

Christ Crucified is the example we are summoned to follow daily, and it is the test of the genuine Apostolic Faith and true spirituality . The death of Jesus provides the indispensable pattern for how we must live in this fallen world, and the measuring rod for judging spirituality. Whether examining a man’s wisdom, teachings, conduct, or supernatural deeds, the Cross of Christ is the bright line between truth and falsehood. No man can know God apart from “ Christ crucified .” God has revealed Himself in His Son, the Crucified Messiah.