Jesus’ Passion Predictions

³¹ Then Jesus began to tell them that the Son of Man (Jesus’ favorite title for Himself) must suffer many terrible things and be rejected by the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but three days later He would rise from the dead. ³² As He talked about this openly (plainly, explicitly) with His disciples, Peter took Him aside and began to reprimand (correct) Him for saying such things. ³³ Jesus turned around and looked at His disciples, then reprimanded (corrected) Peter. “Get away from Me, Satan!” He said. “You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.” Mark 8:31-33 (NLT)

After Peter correctly identified Jesus as the Messiah (Christ) and Son of the living God (Matthew 16:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 9:20; see also Mark 1:1; John 20:31), Jesus began to teach His disciples about His coming Passion in Jerusalem (Mark 8:31 see also Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22). Jesus told His disciples openly and plainly that He must suffer many terrible things and that He must be rejected by the elders, the Jewish leaders, the chief priests, and the teachers of religious law (Mark 8:31; see also Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22). Then, Jesus told His disciples clearly that these people will kill Him, but He would rise from complete death after three days (Mark 8:31-32; see also Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22).

²¹ From that time on Jesus began to explain to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that He must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. Matthew 16:21 (NIV)

Jesus’ prediction of His coming death was His first Passion prediction and began a new phase in Jesus’ public ministry (Mark 8:31; see also Matthew 16:21; Luke 9:22). From this point on, the Gospels will shift focus from Jesus’ Galilean ministry to Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Now, the Gospels will emphasize Jesus’ coming death and resurrection to bring salvation to the world – the Passion (e.g., see Matthew 16:21-28; Matthew 17:22-23; Matthew 20:17-19; Mark 8:31-33; Mark 9:30-32; Mark 10:32-34; Luke 9:22-27; Luke 9:44-45; Luke 18:31-34). Jesus knew His mission and purpose from God was not self-interest and self-service but to serve others and to give His life as a ransom to bring salvation to the world (Matthew 1:21; Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; Luke 2:11; John 3:16-17; John 4:42; see also Isaiah 52:13-53:12). As the Servant of the Lord, Jesus’ mission was to be saving sacrifice for God’s people. Without Jesus’ sacrificial death and resurrection, there would be no forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22). Previously, Jesus had given a number of “hints” about His coming death, but now Jesus began to proclaim His coming death clearly and explicitly to His disciples (e.g., see Matthew 12:38-40; Mark 2:19-20; John 1:29; John 2:19; John 3:14).  

At this moment, Jesus’ suffering and death were unthinkable and shocked the disciples, as Peter declared (Mark 8:32; see also Matthew 16:22). Suffering and rejection had no place in the disciples’ conception of Messiah. If Jesus is the Messiah (Christ) and Son of the living God, then why would He suffer and be killed by the religious leaders? Everyone in the first century expected the Messiah to come as a conquering King. Even though Jesus was the Messiah and King, He still had to suffer, be rejected and killed, but rise from the dead on His first coming. However, one day Jesus will return as King and in glory to set up His eternal kingdom (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; see also Psalm 110:1). At His second coming, Jesus will return and reign on as King of kings and Lord of lords (see Revelation 17:14; Revelation 19:16). But for now, Peter took Jesus aside and began to tell Jesus not to talk like that and corrected Jesus (Mark 8:32; see also Matthew 16:22). Then, Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, and He told Peter not to talk that way (Mark 8:33; see also Matthew 16:23). Jesus rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan. . . . You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (Mark 8:33, NIV). Evil was using Peter to discourage Jesus from God’s purpose to bring salvation to the world salvation through Jesus’ Passion (see also Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). Jesus told Peter, the listening disciples, and the crowd that their thinking and values were wrong and evil. Even more, the disciples did not have God’s values, thinking, and mind in the matter (Mark 8:33; see also Matthew 16:23; Philippians 2:3-8).

Peter found it difficult to understand how the Messiah and Son of God could die and suffer. Peter’s attitude and thinking were like humans as most people want to escape suffering and death and unwittingly accommodate ourselves to a realm ruled by Satan. Even more, many people do not place a premium on suffering, being second, losing, service, and dying. Peter and the other disciples wanted Jesus to be King, but not the Suffering Servant predicted in Isaiah 52:13-53:12 to give His life for service to bring salvation to others by faith (Mark 10:45). However, God’s viewpoint and values are not selfishness and self-centeredness but unfailing love, mercy, truth, kindness, compassion, patience, forgiveness and faithfulness towards others (Luke 10:25-37; see also Leviticus 19:18; Micah 6:6-8; John 13:34-35; Galatians 5:22-23; Philippians 2:3-5; Colossians 3:12-15; 1 John 4:19-21). These good fruits (works) reflect God’s very character and nature (Exodus 34:6-7). Besides, Jesus was not a loser. As Lord and King, His death brought salvation to all people (see Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:11; Act 5:30-31; Acts 10:43)! If Jesus had not graciously suffered and given His life for our sins, Peter (and we) would have died in our sins.

⁵ In your lives you must think and act like Christ Jesus. ⁶ Christ Himself was like God in everything. But He did not think that being equal with God was something to be used for His own benefit. ⁷ But He gave up His place with God and made Himself nothing. He was born to be a man and became like a servant. ⁸ And when He was living as a man, He humbled Himself and was fully obedient to God, even when that caused His death — death on a Cross. Philippians 2:5-8 (NCV)

References

Disciple's Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 1988).

Life Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).

Cabel, Ted. The Apologetics Study Bible: Understanding Why You Believe (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2012).

Zondervan NIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008).

Loyd, Melton, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament (Due West, SC: Erskine Theological Seminary, 2015).

Wiersbe, Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary – New Testament (Victor Books, 1989).