The Road to Calvary

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained what it meant to be the Messiah and the destiny of the Son of Man - Mark 8:27-38.

As they approached Jerusalem, Jesus asked his disciples: Who do men say I am? At least nine times, the Gospel of Mark declares that Jesus was “on the way.” His march to the City of David echoed the words in the Book of Isaiah applied previously to John the Baptist- “Behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way.”

Since his first appearance in “Galilee of the Nations,” the Nazarene was on the Road to Calvary. However, his journey did not end in Jerusalem or the Temple, but on the Roman Cross.

[Photo by Mitchell Luo on Unsplash]

One of his disciples identified Jesus as the “Christ,” the Messiah of Israel. But he immediately commanded his disciples not to divulge this information. This occurred in Caesarea Philippi, a town built in honor of Caesar Augustus. Possibly, he avoided the label “Messiah” since it was a politically charged term in its popular usage.

Though his closest disciples understood him to be the Messiah, they did not yet understand what that meant. When Jesus asked what others were saying about him, they gave a threefold answer that matched the speculation of the crowds. He was John the Baptist, Elijah, or “one of the prophets” - (Mark 6:14-16, Mark 8:27-38).

This is the first time since the opening of the Gospel of Mark that he is called “Christ” or Messiah. From here on, the stress is on him as the Suffering Servant of the Lord who is on the “way” to his inevitable death.

SUFFERING SON OF MAN

By predicting his death, Jesus explained who the Messiah was and what would be done to him. Three times in Mark, he tells his disciples of his imminent arrest and execution - (Mark 8:31-38, 9:31, 10:33-34).

The idea of a suffering Messiah was contrary to popular expectations. There were different ideas about this figure, but no devout Jew expected the Messiah to be killed by the nation’s greatest enemy, Rome. Though the Empire was guilty of carrying out his judicial murder, the machinations of the “elders and the chief priests and the scribes” of Jerusalem caused it.

When Jesus raised the subject of suffering, Peter began “to reprove” him, emphasizing how seriously he objected to this prediction. Christ had spoken “plainly” about his impending death. This was no parable or enigmatic saying. The fact that Peter reacted so sharply demonstrated that he understood the words of his Master.

Jesus recognized that Peter’s opposition originated from Satan, and he was determined to thwart the Messiah from following God’s ordained path. Therefore, Jesus responded immediately and sharply. He previously announced that his mission was to destroy Satan and his strongholds. As it turned out, that could only be accomplished in a way no one expected - Through his sacrificial death - (Mark 1:24, 3:27).

An incorrect understanding of the Messiah and his mission would produce a false view of what it meant to be his disciple. Just as God called His Son to self-denial and suffering, Jesus summoned every disciple to deny himself and walk the same path he did.

In Mark’s account, Christ’s call for disciples to emulate his example was made to the entire crowd, not just his inner circle. It applied to every disciple. The cross was an image of suffering and shame, and crucifixion symbolized the irresistible power of Rome. To follow Jesus was to embrace the very things the world despised.

The image of a disciple taking up a cross would strike a grim chord with his first-century audience. The Roman practice was to force the condemned man to carry the same cross on which he would be hung to the place of execution.

His reference to “this adulterous and sinful generation” echoes the past rebukes of Israel by the prophets. The words, “whenever he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels,” refer to his future return.

The two images Jesus used to portray his messianic role were that of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah and the ‘Son of Man’ described in the Book of Daniel - (Isaiah 57:3-13, Ezekiel 16:32-41, Hosea 2:2-6, Daniel 7:13-14).

The image of the Suffering Servant emphasized his rejection, suffering, and death on behalf of others. Not exclusively so, but most often in the three synoptic gospels, the term “Son of Man” is applied to his future “arrival on the clouds of Heaven.”

In God’s redemptive plan, the unjust death of Jesus of Nazareth must precede his resurrection and exaltation to the Messianic Throne; therefore, he found himself “on the way” to Jerusalem where his enemies would put him to death. This was not an aberration but went to the heart of his Messianic mission. The Messianic road leads to Calvary.

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RELATED POSTS:

• Way of the Cross - (To follow Jesus wherever he goes requires a life of self-denial and mercy and sacrificial service to help others – Matthew 20:20-28)

• His Path - (Jesus proclaimed a very different political reality, the Kingdom of God, one that bears little resemblance to the governments of this evil age)

• Ransom for many - (His disciples are called to engage in self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:35-45)