References:

Mark 8.31-33;John 14.5; Mark 11.18; 14.53-65; Mark 27.24; John 3.16; I John

Questions for Focus:

1. What was Jesus' attitude toward his impending death?

2. Why were the apostles afraid of Jesus' departure?

3. What was the attitude of the Jewish leaders toward Jesus? Why did they desire to kill Him?

4. Was Pilate concerned about Jesus or politics?

5. How was God working in these events?

1. JESUS AND HIS BIRTH
   1. He was aware as a child of His mission.
      1. His early understanding (Luke 2.41-50). As a boy of 12, Jesus was taken to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. When Mary and Joseph left to return to Nazareth, Jesus was nowhere to be found. When Jesus was found he was "sitting among the teachers" of the law and they were amazed at Him. Jesus' parents had been searching for Him. Jesus asked them "Why, didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?"
      2. Jesus understood He had a mission on earth. He did not come to do His own will but the will of His Father.
   2. In His adult ministry His forum was the cross.
      1. He always understood His mission. In Jesus' adult ministry an early reference to His death is found in Mark 2.20. Jesus knew the time would come when He no longer would be with the apostles. Jesus knew that He would be taken away from them.
      2. He prepared His followers (disciples). After the ministry of Jesus had begun the apostles were prepared by Jesus for his death and departure.
      3. He taught specifically about His death. In Mark 8.31-33, the Scripture says Jesus taught specifically about His suffering and rejection by the rulers of the Jewish nation.
      4. The disciples did not understand Jesus had to die. When Jesus mentioned this suffering again, Mark 9.30-32, the Bible says "they did not understand." In the earlier instruction Peter took Him aside to rebuke Him. Jesus told Peter that he did not have the things of God in mind. The apostles were puzzled at Jesus' mention of death and suffering.
      5. Jesus resolutely fulfilled His mission. Jesus was not puzzled over the idea that He would suffer. When Jesus started out for Jerusalem the last time before His death He told His apostles and followers that in Jerusalem He would be betrayed, condemned, mocked, spat on, flogged and killed. Mark 10.32-34. When Jesus headed for Jerusalem His resolution to get there and do what had to be done was high (Matthew 17.22-23).
   3. His name indicated His mission.
      1. The name "Jesus" indicated His mission. At Jesus' birth the angels of God named Him. His name said he would be "Savior", Matthew 1.21. God used His angels to announce to the world that the birth was not just another male child.
      2. This birth marked by the star in the sky and the gifts of the shepherds was the birth of our Jesus which means Savior.
      3. All through His life people called Him "Savior" but did not know what they were saying until the death on the cross took place. God sent Jesus into the world and from His birth, into his childhood, adulthood, and ministry. Jesus was well aware of His purpose. He came to die and Jesus knew that fact. Few who followed Him understood until it was over.
2. JESUS' DEATH AND THE APOSTLES
   1. The apostles were chosen to lead after Jesus' death (Mark 1.14-20, 2.13-14).
      1. In the beginning of Jesus' ministry Jesus went into Galilee and selected men whom He would train and later send out to preach what they had been taught. Jesus told them he would make them "fishers of men."
      2. These men were the first "disciples", the word means followers.
         1. They were to spend their time, all their time, with Jesus.
         2. Later, these men would be sent out as messengers of Jesus.
         3. They would be His apostles, ones sent by their instructors.
         4. The charge to the apostles is found in Mark 16.15-16 and Matthew 28.19-20.
         5. Before they could receive their charge they had to be prepared. As they followed Jesus he prepared them with his teaching, preaching and healing.
      3. Jesus was dedicated to their understanding of his ministry. Often He would ask them "Don't you understand?" (Mark 4.13; 8.21)
         1. All of the teaching of Jesus was aimed first at these apostles.
         2. Jesus was preparing them to take His place after His death. When the Apostles and Jesus had arrived in Jerusalem the last time the apostles were told Jesus would leave. Thomas, one of them, was scared and said, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way" (John 14.5)? Jesus assured them he would not leave them alone.
   2. The Holy Spirit was to take Jesus' place.
      1. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would take His place.
         1. The Spirit would be their guide and teacher (John 14.15, 26; 15.26; 16.7)
         2. Even after this explanation the apostles were afraid.
         3. They continued to ask why and wondered what He meant, John 16.17-18.
      2. To the Apostles the death of Jesus meant the loss of the leader.
         1. Their feelings of loss are understood by those who have seen the departure or death of someone in whom they had put their trust.
         2. Just as Americans felt lost at the death of John Kennedy in 1963 and Russians feel loss at the changes in their nation, the apostles felt deep loss at the death of their leader.
   3. The apostles did not understand Jesus' leaving.
      1. Jesus had told the apostles they would be "scattered" (Mark 14.27).
         1. They all denied it and said they would never abandon Jesus (Mark 14.31).
         2. Reality did not sink in, however, after Jesus died.
         3. The apostles were scattered and even had to be looked for after Jesus' resurrection (Mark 16.7).
         4. To the apostles the death of Jesus was the end. The had left all to follow Jesus and at His death, in their minds, Jesus was gone.
      2. It was only after Jesus appeared to them (John 20.19-21.25) and sent the Holy Spirit which he had promised (Acts 2.1-4) that the apostles realized that Jesus was really gone physically.
      3. Jesus' promise to be with them "always" (Matthew 28:20) now assured them. What seemed to be the end was in reality the beginning.
3. JESUS AND THE JEWISH LEADERS
   1. The Jewish leaders were jealous of Jesus' following.
      1. Jesus was born a Jew, Galatians 4.4
         1. Matthew opens his gospel tying Jesus to the father of the Jews, Abraham; and to David, the greatest king of the Jews (Matthew 1.11-17)
         2. The Jewish nation had been created by God and this nation of people, or at least part of the nation, would both honor Jesus on His final entry into Jerusalem, Mark 11.1-11; and demand that He be killed a few days later, Mark 15.1-15.
         3. Peter, one of the apostles, would tell the Jews some days later that they had killed their own Messiah (Acts 3.12-15).
      2. When Jesus began His ministry the Israelites were drawn to Him.
         1. They said He taught as one who had authority, Matthew 7.29.
         2. Crowds, multitudes of people, followed Him everywhere He went (Mark 2.13; 3.7; 3.30; 4.1).