32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise."

The Walk

At this point in Jesus’ mission, Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem, the place the powers of darkness would converge to crucify him. He knew he had to go. It is a beautiful passage because it shows us Jesus right before his last week near Jerusalem. Death looms, and Jesus rushes towards it. His time has come. He has to engage his mission; this is why he'd come. Here, Mark portrays Jesus on his journey. From the valley below, Jesus and his disciples had to climb 3,500 feet to get up to Jerusalem (32). It was a solitary journey for the Lord; he walked alone ahead of the disciples (32). Speaking of the disciples, they were amazed and afraid while on this journey. Isaiah foretold how Jesus would set his face like a rock on this journey (Isaiah 50:7). Jesus' determination and focus was ominous to these men. Intuition told them this journey to Jerusalem would be like none of their previous ventures into the holy city.

The Revelation

Mark tells us Jesus prepared his disciples for what would happen in Jerusalem. He had told them of his death twice earlier, but this time he gave them even more details. He told them the religious leaders would condemn him to death (33). He told them those religious leaders would deliver him to the Gentiles, something they had to do because they could not legally execute him–that was Rome's purview (33). And he told them they would mock him and spit on him, and flog him (34). Then he would die and rise from the dead–details he'd already given them.

Jesus Knew

This detail shows us the dedication of Jesus. He knew the precise details of what he was about to endure. As the Son of God, God the Son, he knew exactly what was coming. And still, he determined to go. He set his face toward the cross. This detail shows us the courage of Christ. There is the type of courage that responds in the moment of emergency. There is no premeditation in that type of courage. Then there is the type of courage that sees the pain and heartache and cost a long way off but still heads towards it. Jesus, from eternity past, knew that even the act of creation would cost him his life. The Son was courageous, willing to suffer and die. This detail showed the disciples, and us today, the sovereignty of God. He was in control. Psalm 22 predicted in astounding detail the events that would come to pass. Many years before crucifixion had been invented, and many years before Jesus came, the psalmist laid out the details of Jesus' death. God was in control then, just as he is in control now. Without these details, the disciples might have become convinced God's plans had been disrupted. The death of the Son of God would appear, at first glance, to be a victory for darkness. And Jesus wanted his disciples to know of God's sovereignty before chaos reigned down on him–and them–in Jerusalem. So let us be thankful. First, let us be grateful for a God who is in control. Even in chaos, he reigns supreme and is unfolding his kingdom and plan. Second, let us be thankful for a courageous God who knowingly rushed to the cross for us. This is love. You are loved.