Bible Study series. Mark 9:30-32. He understood his mission, tough though it was.
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Scripture: Mark 9:30-32
30 Leaving from there, they passed through Galilee and did not want anyone to know. 31 He was teaching his disciples and saying to them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed to the hands of men, and they will kill him, and when he is killed, after three days he shall rise.” 32 They did not understand this statement and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:30-32)
Comments:
30:
Jesus was transitioning from Galilee to the rest of Israel, particularly towards the south: Judea and Jerusalem. But the transition was slow, for in v. 33 he goes back to Capernaum, his home base. But he was passing through, maybe as a kind of farewell and a last long look. His life would change forever, once he entered Jerusalem (11:11).
“disciples”: BDAG is considered by many to be the authoritative Greek lexicon of the NT, and it says of the noun (1) “one who engages in learning through instruction from another, pupil, apprentice”; (2) “one who is rather constantly associated with someone who has a pedagogical reputation or a particular set of views, disciple, adherent.”
31:
“Son of Man”: see v. 9 for more comments.
“hands”: they stand in for or symbolize power, because hands do things like make an object, throw a spear or hit someone else. Power and force reside in the hands. They shall arrest or “nab” him. It could be translated as “the Son of Man will be handed over to the power of men.”
“will be betrayed”: this is in the passive, and scholars say that often the passive is a divine passive, meaning that God is behind the scenes orchestrating the coming betrayal and arrest. Judas was going to betray or hand him over (14:10-11; 43-50), but the Father was orchestrating things behind the scene.
“after three days”: Some people take this to mean literally seventy-two hours, because Jonah spent three days and three nights in the big fish (Jnh. 1:17; Matt. 12:40), so Jesus must also spend seventy-two hours in the grave. But we over-read the intent here. The sign of Jonah was his coming out of the depths of the belly and the sea, which was a type of the resurrection. Let’s not over-analyze it. Jesus was crucified and died on Friday; he spent Saturday in the grave—or his body did—and it was raised from the dead early on Sunday morning: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—three days. They don’t have to be seventy-two hours.
Further, how do I prove that “three days and three nights” can be partial? First, in 1 Sam. 30:12 (literally “today three days”), the day before yesterday. Second, in Esther, a period described as “three days and three nights” (4:16) is concluded on the third day (5:1). (Thanks, R. T. France, p. 491, fn. 12!). Third, Jesus says he will rise on the third day (Matt. 16:21; 17:23; 20:19; 27:64, and in Mark and Luke). Those verses in the Gospels where he quotes Jonah 1:17 and here where he says “on the third day” prove that he did not over-interpret Jonah, for the prophet was merely a sign and type. Jesus believed that three days and three nights could be partial. Fourth, even Paul said, “on the third day, according to the Scriptures”, that is, the OT (1 Cor. 15:4). So Paul must be using a semitic inclusive day out of three days of 72 hours. The days are partial.
Go to biblegateway.com and look up “third day.” It is remarkable how many times it means something significant and redemptive. So of course the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus would be accomplished on the third day.
Also see my comments on 8:31.
32:
“did not understand”: it could be translated “were ignorant.” It is the negation of the verb “know.” (Our word agnostic is related to it, but don’t impose an anachronistic definition on it.)
No more Peter wrongly rebuking Jesus, and the Lord correctly returning the rebuke (see Mark 8:32)!
“statement”: The disciples did not understand the statement that he would be arrested, because they believed in their deepest hearts that he was going to parade into Jerusalem, overpower the Romans, throw them out, and hold Jerusalem either by peace or force, forever. And he would bring peace to their whole world. Their deepest (false) beliefs blinded them. It is possible to be so blinded by your deepest convictions. Please be sure your convictions are right. Know Scripture.
“afraid”: Jesus had just rebuked them and the crowds for being unbelieving and twisted. They were nervous because they believed that they should understand and grasp his words, but they did not. And they knew that they did not understand. Maybe they thought that after he was arrested, he would shine forth with his glory and destroy the Romans. “See! I allowed myself to be arrested! But I have broken free by a mighty angel! And now I will call on God to destroy our enemies!” They didn’t understand that he came as the servant-king.
GrowApp for Mark 9:30-32
1. Have you ever been blinded by your inadequate beliefs? How did you recover? What is your story?
RELATED
10. Eyewitness Testimony in Mark’s Gospel
2. Church Fathers and Mark’s Gospel
2. Archaeology and the Synoptic Gospels
14. Similarities among John’s Gospel and the Synoptic Gospels
1. The Historical Reliability of the Gospels: Introduction to Series
SOURCES
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