Mark 9:30-50

By this time, Jesus’ closest disciples had been following him, watching him, and learning from him for several years. They knew him — or at least should have known him — very well.

But the disciples still don't really get it. They don’t yet understand what kind of Messiah Jesus is. They don’t yet understand his willingness and determination to face and endure death. They don’t yet understand what deep faith looks like. They don’t yet understand what discipleship (faithfully following Jesus) really requires of them.

Mark doesn’t clean up, improve, or do an extreme makeover of the disciples to make them seem stronger or better or perfect. He shows us what they were really like, including all their mistakes, faults, weaknesses, and shortcomings.

But if you read more about the disciples after Jesus’ resurrection (those stories are in Matthew, Luke, John, Acts, and some of the epistles or letters), you'll see that after Jesus’ death and resurrection, the disciples were some of the bravest and most radically obedient people ever. What happened to cause such change?

All the things they’d seen, learned, and experienced took on new importance and meaning because Jesus left the Holy Spirit with them — his very own Spirit — the same Spirit that he gives us when we follow him.

READ & REFLECT

Mark 8

verses 30-32 (Jesus teaches about his death)

Why do you think Jesus’ closest friends were afraid to ask him what he meant when he talked about his death and resurrection?

verses 33-37 (Jesus teaches about humility and his Kingdom)

Following Jesus is costly. It means giving up dreams of being great, famous, and powerful. It means pursuing humility, kindness, and a servant’s attitude — like Jesus. How have you experienced the costs of following Jesus? What has been most difficult? In what ways have you avoided or rejected the costs of following Jesus?

General Reflection:

What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
What do you learn about following Jesus from this passage?

Extra Info

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Son of Man is a term Jesus often used to describe himself. It comes from a strange dream in Daniel 7:1-14. In the dream, the Son of Man is “given authority, honor, and power over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him. His rule is eternal — it will never end. His kingdom will never be destroyed” (Dan. 7:14).
Jesus often used hyperbole when he taught. Hyperbole is over-the-top exaggeration that isn’t meant to be taken literally. Verses 42-48 include examples of Jesus using hyperbole.

Old Testament References

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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2103 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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