Clouds on the Horizon

A Sucker for a Sunrise

I’m a sucker for a beautiful sunrise. It’s one of the many reasons I love going on a cruise. Early in the morning on board one of those mega-ships, most folks are still sleeping in and sleeping it off. It’s a great time to grab a cup o’ Joe and spend a little time with Jesus.

My wife and I recently enjoyed cruise to the eastern Caribbean. Our first morning on the boat, the sunrise was spectacular. It certainly didn’t start off that way. There were lots of clouds on the horizon before dawn. But those same clouds soon became a canvas for the Creator.

How often does that happen in our lives? God takes the stuff we think is obscuring our view of Him to paint a new spectacular self-portrait!

Messiah’s Not Supposed to Die

Something similar happens in Mark 9:30-32. It’s a short but very important passage where Jesus tells His team about His upcoming betrayal, murder, and resurrection for a second time.

The boys didn’t respond too well the first time around (Mk 8:31-34). When He did, Peter tells Christ that He’s got it all wrong. The Messiah’s not supposed to die. He’s supposed to dominate!

When it was all said and done, Jesus calls the leader of His disciples the devil. Not exactly the kind of reference you’re hoping for from the Son of God. The boys clearly can’t get past the betrayal and murder part. He may be telling them about rising from the dead, but they’re just not hearing it.

Are We There Yet?

Now He’s telling them a second time. They’re currently on their way back from a trip to the mountains near Caesarea Philippi and Mount Hermon in northern Palestine. Mark drops a pin on the map for us. “Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee” (v30).

The author selects an interesting word to describe their journey (Gr. παραπορευμαι/paraporeumai). It means to travel through some particular place. Wherever you are is not your final destination. Your trip is far from over. No, kids, we’re not there yet.

Just Passing Through

Just like our cruise ship sailed through the Bahamas to the Virgin Islands, Jesus and His disciples are passing through Galilee on this particular trip. They’re not stopping this time around. It’s not their final destination.

This is especially interesting when you lay this story in the larger narrative of Jesus’ life. Looking at both Matthew and Luke’s Gospels, it becomes very clear that Christ has set His sights on Calvary and the cross.

As a matter of fact, Dr. Luke describes how Jesus has “set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Lk 9:51 ESV). Our Savior may slow down a few times on their way to the big city, but they’re not stopping. Places to go. People to see.

Back in the ‘Hood

Despite being back in the Galilean ‘hood, “Jesus didn’t want anyone to know He was there” (v30). He’s not swinging by to visit family. There’s no meet-up with buddies for a quick beer.

At first I wondered if it would be hard for the Lord to pass through Galilee without stopping. I mean, this is home. He grew up in Nazareth. His mom probably still lives there as well as His brothers and sisters.

Avoiding Nazareth

Then again, the last time He was home, it didn’t go well. The folks in Nazareth weren’t buying what He was selling (Mk 6:1-6). If anything, Jesus was blown away by their unbelief.

And then there’s the time His own family came to take Him back home because they thought He had lost His marbles with all this Messiah talk (Mk 3:21). So maybe stopping by the old hometown isn’t at the top of His to-do list.

Have you ever made a quick trip through a familiar place and not told anybody you were in town? Maybe you didn’t have time. Maybe you don’t need the drama. Is this the case for Christ as He’s passing through Galilee? Could be.

Keeping It on the Down Low

There is a very specific reason Jesus wants to keep His trip through Galilee on the down low. “For He wanted to spend more time with His disciples and teach them” (v31). In other words, He needs to get them alone and get their undivided attention.

Because this is home turf for our Savior and the majority of the Twelve, they know all nooks and crannies. They’re familiar with the places to hide and NOT get noticed.

Setting the Stage

What’s the topic of His teaching? “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies. He will be killed, but three days later He will rise from the dead” (v31).

As we mentioned before, this is the second time the Lord is setting the stage for His team of what’s about to go down. The first time ended, um, rather awkwardly to say the least.

His Messianic Nickname

Once again, Jesus uses His favorite messianic nickname when talking about His betrayal, murder, and resurrection. The Son of Man. It comes a wild vision of the heavenly throne room God gives Daniel.

Danny Boy describes how he catches a glimpse of “Someone like a Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven” to receive eternal authority over the universe from God the Father (Dan 7:13-14).

Jesus’ use of this particular title serves a couple of purposes. One, He clearly sees Himself as not just Messiah but fully God. Two, by picking this little used messianic term, He’s likely to draw a lot less attention from the Roman occupiers as well as the folks at the Hebrew home office.

The Wheels Are Turning

The Lord teaches His team that He is “going to be betrayed into the hands of His enemies” (v31). The grammar here strongly suggests that the plot to take Him down has already begun. The verb παραδιδωμι/paradidomi is in what’s called the futuristic present tense. The wheels are already turning.

Mark has already tipped us off to that fact. In you’ve been following along in the second Gospel, you may remember the time at the Capernaum synagogue when Jewish authorities wanted to see if Jesus would break their religious rules and heal somebody on what was supposed to be His day off (Mk 3:1-2).

Bitter Enemies with a Common Foe

Our Savior couldn’t believe they could be so hard-hearted that their regulations took precedent over helping someone. He looked them right in the eye and healed a man with an atrophied hand (Mk 3:3-5).

As a result, the Pharisees and the Herodians, two of Israel’s most bitter political enemies had a common foe. None other than the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth. They began to conspire how and when they could take Him down once and for all.

A Messy Murder

This plot is no secret to Jesus. And He wants His disciples to know what’s right around the corner. What’s He’s NOT telling them yet is how one of the Twelve will be the one to deliver Him over. This will be an inside job.

The Son of God explains to them how His enemies “will kill Him” (v31). In doing so, He makes it clear that His murder will be messy. VERY messy. He uses a Greek verb (Gr. αποκτεινω/apokteino) that describes an incredibly violent death.

In the Greco-Roman world of the First-Century, there is no more violent form of death than crucifixion. The Romans use it as an extremely slow and torturous form of public execution on any threat to their power.

Jesus’ Most Radical Prediction

Jesus then makes what will be the most radical prediction regarding His Passion. “And when He is killed, after three days He will rise” (v31). I’m sure there were other rebels against Rome who had a pretty good idea they’d end up on a cross at some point. Our Savior is the first person to say He would rise again!

The Lord won’t simply pass out and regain consciousness. It will be brutal and bloody. He. Will. Die. But He won’t stay dead. Three days later, He’ll stroll boldly out of the cemetery!!

Andy Stanley likes to say that anytime someone can predict not only His own death but His own resurrection, we should go with whatever He says. That’s somebody you can trust. Everything else seems minor at that point, doesn’t it?

An Inside Source

But the original Dirty Dozen can’t get past the betrayal and murder prediction, much less wrap their brains around all this talk of rising from the dead. How do we know? Mark adds a little inside commentary about their reaction. “They didn’t understand what 

He was saying, and they were afraid to ask Him” (v32).

The author knows this because he has an inside source. Most of the earliest followers of Jesus believed that none other than Peter is the one giving Mark his first person account of the life of Christ.

Jesus’ prediction is certainly hard for the boys to swallow. His talk of betrayal and murder are like dark storm clouds. The cloud cover of the crucifixion totally obscures the glory that’s about to shine.

The Dark Shadow of Circumstances

How many times have our current circumstances overshadowed any hope for what’s ahead? Maybe your supervisor has just broke the news that you’ve been downsized. The doctor delivers the diagnosis you never wanted to hear. Your spouse announces your marriage is over.

In times like these, it’s easy to think a nasty storm is a certainly and any thought of a sunrise is crazy talk. But Jesus has a patented way of not wasting anything in our lives. Disappointment. Pain. Tears. They all become paint on His palette.

Our Good and His Glory

The Apostle Paul puts it like this. “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them” (Rom 8:28). 

Read that again. Slowly. He uses absolutely EVERYTHING. For our good. For His glory.

I’ve lost count on how many times I’ve almost given up on a sunrise because of heavy cloud cover, only to have the sun use it to create something totally breathtaking. That’s what’s happening here in Mark’s Gospel.

The Ultimate Son Rise

The disciples can’t see beyond Christ’s insistence on being handed over to His enemies to be killed. But it’s only against that terrible tragedy that Jesus will display His glory on Resurrection Sunday.

Right now, the Twelve can’t see any of that. The clouds are too thick. But just wait until the ultimate Son rise.

©2018

Jay Jennings