In Mark 10:32 there was an obvious sense among the people that this would not be a normal visit to Jerusalem. There was no way the people could have fully grasped the fact that Jesus would be crucified less than a week after his arrival in the City of David. Nevertheless, Jesus clearly explains exactly what is about to take place in verses 33-34. (I already taught on the three shocking predictions Jesus makes in Mark 8:31 so I won't take a lot of time to explain this Sunday.)
It's clear that Jesus, the God-Man, not only knew what would happen but was in complete control of the situation. The script had been written before the foundation of the world and it was about to reach its climax according to the purpose and will of God the Father (cf. 1 Pet. 1:20; Isaiah 53:1-12).
Jesus would be delivered into the hands of men and tortured until He died. Amazingly, though, He would rise from the grave three days later. Jesus is the spotless, sinless Lamb of God who was sacrificed to take away the sin of the world, just as John the Baptizer had proclaimed almost three years earlier in John 1:29.
"God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life." - 1 John 5:11-12
Do you have the Son? Trust in Him... Receive true life in Him... Abide in Him... Eagerly wait for His return... (cf. Romans 10:9; 1 John 2:28)
"so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time,
not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly awaiting for him." - Hebrews 9:28
I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom
of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers
has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they
have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony,
for they loved not their lives even unto death. 12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you
who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to
you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” - Revelation 12:10–12
May we love not our lives "even unto death."
