Mark 8:31-33, 9:30-32, 10:32-34
Jesus predicts his death
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. ‘Get behind me, Satan!’ he said. ‘You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.’
Jesus predicts his death a second time
30 They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.’ 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
Jesus predicts his death a third time
32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 ‘We are going up to Jerusalem,’ he said, ‘and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.’
These three passages from Mark’s Gospel are referred to as Predictions of the Passion. That’s a nice alliterative term I learnt at school, and handy for an RE exam.
Jesus knew at some point in his life that he would have to die. He knew, too, that it wouldn’t be an easy death. There would be shame, ignominy and crucifixion. He would be handed over. That term is associated with betrayal, just as Joseph was handed over to the Midianite merchants and Samson to the Philistines.
If you were one of the twelve, you might like to wonder how you’d receive the first of these announcements from Jesus. You can imagine how Peter must have felt after he tried to dissuade Jesus from the path he’d stepped out on. Was he trying to keep things nice, or could he simply not comprehend Jesus’ words? Wouldn’t you want to keep things nice when change is on the horizon?
Three times Jesus told them. I wonder what was going on inside him. I know what the anticipation of an appointment with the dentist can feel like, and some of you will have had more serious ordeals to go through. To know that you were choosing to suffer the most painful death, in an act of love even toward those who hated you enough to plot your demise, who gratuitously would scourge you and nail you to a cross, who would mock you, is a heavy burden to bear.
Someone would betray him. Someone from among his close circle.
Did Peter deserve to be called “Satan”?
What is the message of hope in each of these three passages?
Father God, your son Jesus suffered the agony of knowing how he would die, and that it would be in the prime of his life. While I may ponder on his suffering, teach me not to wallow in piety but to reflect on the precious gift he has given me in forgiveness and the sure hope of eternal life with him. Amen.
1:15:31 Mein Jesus schweigt (Arioso)
34. Recitative T (Chorus II)
My Jesus is silent at false lies,
in order to show us
that his merciful will
is bent on suffering for us,
and that we, in the same trouble,
should be like him
and keep silent under persecution.
Ends at 1:16:58