Mark 8:27-38— Jesus teaches that He must suffer and die and calls upon His disciples to follow Him in the same.
Jesus and the Disciples are at Caesarea Philippi. Peter had confessed Jesus as the Christ. Thereupon Jesus explains to His disciples that as the Messiah He must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die. This did not fit into Peter’s conception of the Messiah and, therefore, he rebukes Jesus. Jesus sees this as a temptation not to go to the cross. He turns down the temptation by seeing Satan in Peter. Then, in the second part of the lesson (verses 34-38), Jesus explains to both disciples and people that they, too, are to take the way of the cross that involves denial, suffering, and sacrifice.
Jesus reminds his disciples, “After three days I will rise again.” Jesus tags this on to the end of the distressing forecast: suffering, rejection, death. As a kind of postscript Jesus adds that he will rise again. It seems to detract from the dreadfulness of the cross. Sometimes we wish it were not there because it seems to detract from the passion of Lent. It belongs to Easter and we are not ready for it now. On the other hand, it is a most important phrase, for it tells us how it is going to end. We can, therefore go through Lent with its sorrow and pain in a joyful spirit of hope. We can endure the pain for the joy of ultimate victory.
In telling his coming passion Jesus spoke “plainly.” He was honest, frank and pulled no punches. He told it as it was going to be. Heretofore, Jesus taught primarily in parables. He let his hearers decide what he meant. Now there must be nu misunderstand. He, the Christ, is going to suffer shame, suffering and death. That is plain talk.
The rugged cross means a rugged way of life for a follower of Christ. The Christian style of life is a hard life. Jesus’ life consisted of sorrow, rejection, suffering, and death. His followers can expect no less. The Christian life has a cross at its center. John Donne said, “No cross is so extreme, as to have none. There is no gain without pain.” President Truman had a sign on his desk: “Bring me only bad news. Good news weakens me.”
In Tom Sawyer Clemens wrote, “He had discovered a great law of human action, without knowing it – namely, that in orders to make a man or a boy covet a thing, it is only necessary to make the thing difficult to obtain." 1
A Prayer in times of temptation: Almighty and everlasting God, through Your Son You have promised us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit that in our daily needs, and especially in all time of temptation we may seek Your help and, by a true and lively faith in Your Word, obtain all that You have promised; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. 2
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