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Jesus Predicts His Death – Manger to the Cross – Six
Yes, Jesus predicts His death several times as the time grew nearer. He understood that it would be hard for His followers to understand.
For many years I could not understand how those close to Him could not understand what He said. They knew the Scriptures, they were expecting the Messiah and they understood that He was the One.
Every town of any size had a synagogue and His followers would have learned all the Scriptures about the coming Messiah. All of Israel lived in the hope of the coming Deliverer that would set them free from the Roman conquerors.
Once they recognized that Jesus was the promised Messiah, these Scriptures should have been at the top of their minds. Yet they, much like we do today, focused on the wrong thing. We often only see what we want to see.
They were only looking for a conquering King. Often we are guilty of only seeing the Savior and not seeing the King. Is our lack of understanding any different than theirs?
Isaiah spoke of Jesus’s death
Seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Isaiah told of how He was to die. Probably all of the disciples could have quoted the following prophecy.
12 Therefore I will divide Him a portion with the great,
And He shall divide the spoil with the strong,
Because He poured out His soul unto death,
And He was numbered with the transgressors,
He bore the sin of many,
And made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12 NKJV
Isaiah clearly states that He will pour out His life with the transgressors. He will carry our sins.
Jesus knew this Scripture and He knew that His short ministry would end on the cross. He did not hide this from His followers as you will see.
Daniel foretold Jesus’s death
Six hundred years before Jesus, God gave Daniel a detailed vision of how the Messiah or Anointed One would be put to death. God even revealed to Daniel how long it would be before this was to happen.
In this one Scripture, Daniel not only tells about Jesus (the Anointed One) being put to death but when it would happen. Daniel also tells us about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple by the Romans.
26 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. Daniel 9:26 NIV
Why the Old Testament?
The Prophets told how the Messiah would die. I want you to understand that the disciples had plenty of information to understand what Jesus meant when He predicted His death.
Once they believed that He was the Messiah they should have known from the prophets that He was going to die.
No Blind Faith
God does not expect blind faith. He provides more evidence about the coming Messiah than we have on any other individual in history. Jesus even said, to His followers, 11 Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. John 14:11 NIV
Prophets told what Jesus would do when He came and He fulfilled each prophecy concerning Himself. He cast out demons, opened the eyes of the blind, and healed all manner of sickness. Jesus even raised the dead and preached the Good News of the coming Kingdom.
I would like to point out that one of the proofs of God-given Scriptures is the historical facts it reveals. Above I have quoted two prophets of God living 100 years apart in different parts of the world telling about the coming of Jesus. They tell where and when He is to be born.
Scripture is filled with verifiable historical facts. These are facts you can check against other historical documents.
The life and history of Jesus is an irrefutable fact. God only leaves you with the option of believing in Him as your Savior or not. God has given each of us free will so it is now up to us.
Peter Declares Jesus Is the Messiah
Did the disciples know who Jesus was? It seems that they were very confused as to what it meant to be the Messiah. So Jesus starts building their knowledge by asking them a question.
13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”
14 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”15 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
17 Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matthew 16:13-18 NIV
Peter understood that Jesus was the Messiah. His problem was he could not separate the King from the suffering Servant. He did not understand that Jesus’s first task was to preach the coming Kingdom and die for our sins.
At the appointed time, He will return in glory as our conquering King and, at that time, all nations will bow to Him.
He understands this confusion and starts preparing His disciples for His death.
Jesus Predicts His Death
Early on Jesus starts telling His disciples what will take place to fulfill all Scripture. It seems to us that it is so very clear because we come from different backgrounds. Present-day Jews are still looking for that coming King, someone who fits their understanding
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, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.
Peter wanted a King to serve under. He wanted to see the Romans conquered and thrown out of the Holy Land. This was what he expected and therefore believed that somehow Jesus was confused.
22 Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. “Never, Lord!” he said. “This shall never happen to you!”
Jesus was quick to correct Peter and He did it with strong words. Notice that He accused Peter of only being anxious about human concerns. This makes me think about the Church today. Are we any different than Peter? Where are our concerns and how can we get right with God?
Peter’s Lord rebukes him
23 Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus follows up Peter’s rebuke with the truth about following Jesus that we need just as much as the disciples did in Jesus’s day. DO YOU WANT TO BE JESUS’S DISCIPLE?
24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. 26 What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Matthew 16:21-28 NIV
Heavenly Rewards
What kind of rewards will you get in Heaven? You may work hard every day to gain riches here on earth, but as the saying goes, “You can’t take it with you.” However, there will be rewards in Heaven for what you do here on Earth.
Each person will be rewarded! What will your reward be when you stand before God? Will your deeds be burned up and you escape as if through the fire or will your deeds be worthy? We should always be asking ourselves this question.
As a Christian you want your deeds to count in Heaven. You want God to count them worthy of a reward. Your faith in Jesus and your faithfulness in following Him will save you, but wouldn’t you want to receive a reward for what you have done?
Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
Our Lord tries again when they come together in Galilee. Jesus understands how hard it is for them to comprehend even though it was prophesied hundreds of years before. That a man could die and be raised again was hard to accept even though they had seen the dead raised by Jesus.
So Jesus tells them again.
22 When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. Mathew 17:22-23 NIV
They may not have truly understood, but they were not going to argue with the Master. We know that they still did not believe what Jesus was saying because He repeats the message to the Twelve a third time as they were going up to Jerusalem.
Jesus tried to prepare them for the shock of what was to happen to Him. He wanted them to know without a doubt that it was all happening because it was God’s plan.
Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
Twice Jesus spoke to all the Disciples following him, however, this time He takes aside the Twelve and speaks just to them.
Jesus tries again to reach His inner circle with the truth one more time. He does this so that after it happens and He is raised they will be able to remember that He told them what would happen.
17 Now Jesus was going up to Jerusalem. On the way, he took the Twelve aside and said to them, 18 “We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death 19 and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life!” Matthew 20:17-19 NIV
In the Gospel of John, we are told how Jesus also explains to the Disciples that these things are going to happen. That He is going to lay down His life by His authority.
His authority
Jesus testifies about Himself as recorded by those who personally witnessed His life, death, and resurrection. Witnesses heard him say the following after seeing many of His miracles.
17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” John 10:17-18 NIV
Jesus tells of His death and resurrection before it takes place. He proclaims what will happen and that it will happen by His authority. Jesus told them that He could lay down His life and take it up again by His authority. History tells us that He did exactly that.
Another time, after Jesus tells the Pharisees that He will be lifted up (meaning on the cross), they ask Him for a sign.
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.”
They are asking for a sign and yet they are aware of the many miracles that He has performed over the last year. I believe that each one of us wants to see a personal miracle on demand. God does not work that way, but He always provides enough evidence that we can believe.
39 He answered, “A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. Matthew 12:38-40 NIV
Jesus told them what the sign would be and that it would be by His authority. He was placed in a grave for three days and He arose as witnessed by several hundred followers and by the Apostles.
His Fourth Prediction
1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, he said to his disciples, 2 “As you know, the Passover is two days away—and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified.” Matthew 26:1-2 NIV
Yet the King of Glory, the Prince of Peace, our Mighty God proceeded on toward the cross. He chose to lay down His life for our sins. He chose to suffer the most agonizing death on the cross to pay a debt He did not owe. Jesus decided before Creation that when the time came He would offer Himself up for our sins.
That is the Love of God. The wrath of God only comes when we reject His offer of pardon.
Conclusion:
Jesus sent His disciples out to preach the coming Kingdom, cast out evil spirits, and heal all manner of diseases. They had a job to do much as Jesus calls us to do. We also are to go out and proclaim Jesus where we now live.
Each of these articles telling of Jesus’ march from the manger to the cross is designed to encourage you to become a true follower. He makes it clear that there will be trials. Walking in the truth of Christ sets us apart from the world and the world does not like for us to be different. This is especially true when we stand for the Word of God!
I hope that you will read them all and share them with your friends. Do take time to comment if you can. Thank You!
This is a sequence of the life and ministry of Jesus. It is best if you can read them in order, but each one will stand alone. You can reach any of the articles by clicking the link in blue. Prophecies and His birth – Manger to the Cross – One, Jesus proclaims the Kingdom – Manger to the Cross – Two, Jesus’ Teaching – Manger to the Cross – Three, Jesus Appoints the Twelve – Manger to the Cross – Four, Opposition Grows – Manger to the Cross – Five, Jesus predicts His death – Manger to the Cross -6, and Jesus’ death and resurrection – Manger to the Cross -7