Jesus to Suffer and Be Rejected - Mark 8:31

Mark wrote how Jesus “went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he said unto them, But whom say you that I am? And Peter answered and said unto him, You are the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him”, and in chapter eight and verse thirty-one of his book, Mark shared how Jesus told His disciples how He would, “suffer” and “be rejected” where we read:

And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

The verse reads, “And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, ...” Mark began with the words, “and he began” which means “and Jesus started, initiated and made a beginning” “to teach them” or “to hold didactic discourses, impart instruction and instill doctrine in His disciples”, “that the Son of man” which refers to “Jesus who is God's Son and is the one who both furnished the pattern of the perfect man and acted on behalf of all mankind” “must suffer many things” or “was certain to be affected by, undergo and receive vexation, painful impressions and bad plight by lots of circumstances and situations”, “and be rejected” which means “and be disapproved and repudiated” “of the elders” or “by the senior members of the great council or Sanhedrin”. Mark shared how Jesus taught His disciples that His future on earth would include “suffering and rejection” at the hands of the “religious leaders” known as the “elders” or “Sanhedrin”.

The verse continues, “... and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.” Mark added the words, “and of the chief priests” which means “pertaining to the high priests who comprise in addition to one holding the high priestly office both those who had previously discharged it and although disposed continued to have great power in the State as well as the members of the families from which high priest were created provided that they had much influence in public affairs”, “and scribes” or “and the men who were learned in the Mosaic law and in the sacred writings, were interpreters and teachers”, “and be killed” which means “and be destroyed, inflicted with mortal death, extinguished and abolished”, “and after three days” or “and three days after Jesus dies” “rise again” which means “Jesus would arise and be resurrected from the dead”. Mark shared how Jesus said the “high priests” “and scribes” would also be involved in His demise, and this would lead to His death. Three days afterward, Jesus was to rise from the dead.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus foretold His death and resurrection to His disciples. Though Jesus was and is indeed the Christ, He was to “suffer” first at the hands of the “religious leaders. They would eventually “kill” Him, and three days later, He would rise from the dead. This is the “gospel” of God that paves the way for all who receive Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” to be forgiven for their sins and live forever with God. Those who are wise will carefully consider Jesus' own words concerning His earthly fate and realize that He came to die and be raised from the dead so they could be “forgiven” of their “sins” and live eternally with God.

Next time Mark shares how, “Peter took him, and began to rebuke him”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".