Bible Study series: Mark 10:32-34. Jesus understood his ultimate mission. He was ready.
Friendly greetings and a warm welcome to this Bible study! I write to learn, so let’s learn together how to apply these truths to our lives.
I also translate to learn. The translations are mine, unless otherwise noted. If you would like to see many others, please click here:
If you would like to see the original Greek, please click here:
At that link, I also offer more commentary and a Summary and Conclusion, geared towards discipleship. Scroll down to the bottom and check it out!
Let’s begin.
Scripture: Mark 10:33-34
32 They were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was leading them. They were astonished, but those following him were frightened. He again took the twelve aside and began to tell them the things that were about to happen to him. 33 “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and to the teachers of the law; they will condemn him to death and then hand him over to the Gentiles. 34 They will ridicule him, spit on him, flog him and kill him. Then after three days, he will rise.” (Mark 10:33-34)
Comments:
Jesus foretells his death a third time. The first two times: 8:31 and 9:30-32.
32:
“going up to Jerusalem”: from the east in Judea to Jerusalem was a long climb up a main road. It is called going up also because Jerusalem is the Holy City.
So there are two groups: the twelve and a larger groups of followers. This verse is full of emotion. The twelve were amazed or astounded or astonished (possible translations), while the large group of followers were frightened or scared or afraid. This description feels like an eyewitness, as if Peter observed and preached it, and Mark wrote it down. (Many scholars believe Peter is behind the Gospel of Mark).
So Jesus takes the twelve aside and predicts his suffering, death and resurrection. He does not want to tell the crowd because they might misinterpret God’s plan and believe that Jesus was mustering an army to run amok in Jerusalem. If the twelve could not grasp the theology of a suffering and dying Messiah (and a resurrected one), then much less would the crowds understand the true and deeper mission.
33:
Jesus had already predicted his death in Matt. 16:21 and 17:22-23. In the first passage Peter took him aside and said it would never happen. But Jesus rebuked him: “Get behind me, Satan.” The second time, they were grieved when they heard his prediction. They didn’t focus on the promised resurrection, but on his death. Here they remain silent. That’s usually best if you don’t speak words of support. They were not quite catching on.
Jesus was predicted in the entire Bible. He fulfilled many of them about his first coming—even right now—and he will fulfill the rest at his Second Coming. Please see my post with a long table of the OT verses next to NT verses:
But his fulfillment goes beyond the table of OT and NT verses at that above link. He also fulfills the types and shadows and themes of Scripture, like salvation, the sending of the Spirit to live permanently in the surrendered believer, the animal sacrifices, and even Israel itself.
“the twelve”: these are the twelve disciples. See v. 13 and the link for more comments about disciples and discipleship.
“Son of Man”: it both means the powerful, divine Son of man (Dan. 7:13-14) and the human son of man—Ezekiel himself—in the book of Ezekiel (numerous references). Jesus was and still is in heaven both divine and human. It can rightly be translated as “Son of Humanity”
4. Titles of Jesus: The Son of Man
“chief priests”:
“teachers of the law”: Some translations say “scribes.”
Please see this link for a quick write-up about them:
Quick Reference to Jewish Groups in Gospels and Acts
See v. 33 for the “watchdog” roles.
This verse (plus the elders) will be literally fulfilled in Mark 14:53, when the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law bring him into the council room and interrogate him and conclude that he committed blasphemy (Luke 22:66 // Mark 14:62-64), which deserves death (Lev. 24:10-16, 23).
34:
Jesus will be placed in the hands of Pontius Pilate and his guard. He’s the Gentile (non-Jews).
“flog”: it means to lash with a whip. It may allude to Is. 50:6, which says that the Suffering Servant gave his back to those who strike. After the flogging, they shall kill him. They did this on the cross.
“ridicule”: it can also be translated as “mock, make fun of.”
“after three days”: Some interpreters 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 his body was raised from the dead early on Sunday morning: Friday, Saturday, and Sunday—three days. They don’t have to be seventy-two hours. It was a Jewish custom to count a partial day as one day. 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.
How do I prove that “after three days” 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 amazing how many times the two words appear and how significant they are in many contexts.
Rising on the third day is the key to early apostolic preaching. All throughout the first five chapters of Acts, Peter and the others refer to it time and again. Paul referenced the resurrection when he spoke to the Athenians in Mars Hill (Acts 17:30-32).
Jesus will be placed in the hands of Pontius Pilate and his guard. He’s the Gentile (non-Jews).
But on the third day, he will rise or be resurrected again. This is the key to early apostolic preaching. All throughout the first five chapters of Acts, Peter and the others refer to it time and again. Paul referenced the resurrection when he spoke to the Athenians in Mars Hill (Acts 17:30-32).
1 Cor. 15:3-8 is all about the resurrection:
3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. (1 Cor. 15:3-8, NIV)
Paul omitted the fact that he appeared to women first. (No he did not do this out of malice.) Jesus appeared then to Cephas (Peter) and then to the twelve. Next, he appeared to more than 500 at a time. Where did that happen? In Galilee? In or around Jerusalem? Probably the holy city. Amazing. In any case, Paul recounted what he knew. And the resurrection is the key reality and doctrine. Never give it up as nonessential, people of God. It is the core of our faith.
GrowApp for Mark 10:32-34
1. Jesus gave up his life for us. What does this much love mean to you?
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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