The Determined King and His Stunned Entourage Text: Mark 10:32-34
Introduction: The Gravitational Pull of the Cross
There are certain moments in any great story where the plot takes a sharp, decisive turn, and everything begins to accelerate toward the climax. The shadows lengthen, the music changes key, and the hero sets his face like flint toward his destiny. This is precisely what we are witnessing in this passage from Mark's gospel. Jesus is on the road again, and this is His final journey up to Jerusalem. And as He walks, the cross is exerting a kind of gravitational pull on the entire narrative, drawing everything and everyone toward itself.
But the hero of this story is not like any other. His disciples, the men who have been with Him for three years, are caught completely off guard. They are a mixture of amazement and fear. They see His resolve, His determination, but they cannot yet comprehend the nature of the victory He is walking toward. They are still thinking in terms of earthly kingdoms, of political power, of a coup in Jerusalem that will put their man on the throne. They are thinking about a crown, but Jesus is thinking about a cross. And because of this disconnect, their fear is entirely misplaced. They are afraid of the Romans, of the Sanhedrin, of a failed rebellion. Jesus is teaching them that the only thing truly to be feared is a life lived apart from the will of God.
This passage is the third and most detailed passion prediction in Mark. Jesus is not being vague. He is laying out the entire brutal itinerary for His men. He is telling them that the plan of salvation was not a haphazard affair, not a tragic accident that God later repurposed for good. No, this was the plan from before the foundation of the world. Every detail, from the betrayal to the spitting to the flogging to the resurrection, was written into the script by the sovereign playwright of history. God is not in the business of improvising. The cross was not plan B. It was the wisdom of God, hidden from the princes of this world, ordained before the ages for our glory.
And so, as we look at this text, we must see it as more than just a historical travelogue. It is a revelation of the heart of God. It is a lesson in the nature of true kingship. And it is a stark reminder that the path to glory, for the Messiah and for all who follow Him, runs directly through the valley of suffering and death.
The Text
And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful. And again He took the twelve aside and began to tell them what was going to happen to Him: "Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again."
(Mark 10:32-34 LSB)
The Resolute Leader and His Rattled Followers (v. 32)
We begin with the scene on the road:
"And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking on ahead of them; and they were amazed, and those who followed were fearful." (Mark 10:32)
Mark, in his characteristic, fast-paced style, sets a scene of palpable tension. Jesus is out in front, leading the way. There is an intensity in His stride, a resolute focus that sets Him apart from the group. He has set His face to go to Jerusalem, and nothing will deter Him. This is not the posture of a man being dragged to His doom; this is the posture of a king marching to His coronation, though the coronation will be accomplished in a way no one expected.
The reaction of His followers is telling. It is twofold: amazement and fear. The disciples, the inner circle, were "amazed." The wider group of followers trailing behind were "fearful." Why? They were amazed at His courage, His sheer audacity. They knew the plots against Him. They knew what awaited Him in Jerusalem. Every step He took was a step deeper into the enemy's headquarters. And yet, He walks on, not with grim resignation, but with sovereign purpose. His demeanor is so otherworldly, so contrary to all human instinct for self-preservation, that they can only marvel.
And the others were fearful. They were right to be. They were walking into the teeth of the storm. The religious establishment hated Jesus, and the Romans were not known for their tolerance of would-be messiahs. Their fear was rational from a worldly perspective. What they failed to grasp is that the most dangerous place on earth is anywhere outside the will of God, and the safest place on earth is right in the middle of it, even if that means a cross. Their fear was a failure of vision. They saw the cross, but they could not see past it. They saw the temporal threat of men, but they missed the eternal purpose of God.
This is a perpetual problem for the church. We are often amazed at Jesus, but fearful of the road He calls us to walk. We admire His sacrifice from a safe distance, but we tremble when our own comfort or reputation is put on the line. We want the resurrected Christ, but we are not so keen on being crucified with Him.
The Sovereign Script (v. 33)
In response to their fear and confusion, Jesus pulls the twelve aside to give them the divine commentary on the events to come.
"Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and will deliver Him over to the Gentiles." (Mark 10:33 LSB)
Notice the certainty in His voice. He does not say, "I might be betrayed," or "there is a good chance they will condemn me." He says the Son of Man "will be" betrayed. This is not prediction in the sense of a weather forecast; this is a statement of divine decree. This is the playwright telling the actors what is written in the script. The betrayal by Judas, the condemnation by the Sanhedrin, the handover to the Romans, these are not unfortunate accidents. They are integral parts of a sovereign plan. As Peter would later preach on the day of Pentecost, Jesus was "delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God" (Acts 2:23).
God is so sovereign that He can ordain the free and wicked choices of men to accomplish His own righteous purposes without being culpable for their sin. The chief priests and scribes will act out of their own envy and hatred. The Gentiles, Pilate and his soldiers, will act out of political expediency and cruelty. Judas will act out of greed. They are all morally responsible for their actions. And yet, through it all, they are simply doing what God's hand and God's plan had predestined to take place (Acts 4:27-28). This is the great mystery of providence. God is 100% sovereign, and man is 100% responsible. We don't reconcile these two truths; we believe them, because the Bible teaches them both.
Jesus specifies that He will be delivered over to the Gentiles. This was a crucial detail. For a Jew, to be handed over to the pagan, occupying forces for execution was the ultimate humiliation. It was also a fulfillment of prophecy. But more than that, it was a sign that this death was not just for the Jews. His death would be an affair for the whole world. The Jewish leaders would condemn Him, and the Gentile powers would execute Him, and in so doing, they would unwittingly collaborate to provide a sacrifice for both Jew and Gentile.
The Brutal Details and the Triumphant End (v. 34)
Jesus does not spare them the gruesome details. He wants them to understand the cost. But He does not end with the cost. He ends with the victory.
"And they will mock Him and spit on Him, and flog Him and kill Him, and three days later He will rise again." (Mark 10:34 LSB)
Mockery, spitting, flogging, killing. This is the world's response to the Son of God. This is the wisdom of man on full display. When God becomes incarnate, walks among us, heals our sick, and teaches us truth, our instinct is to mock Him, spit in His face, tear His flesh with whips, and nail Him to a tree. This is a graphic depiction of human depravity. The cross is not just the place where our sin is paid for; it is the place where our sin is fully revealed for the ugly, God-hating rebellion that it is.
Each of these actions is a profound insult. Mockery is an assault on His prophetic office. Spitting is an assault on His priestly purity. Flogging and killing are an assault on His royal authority. The world cannot stand a prophet who speaks truth, a priest who is truly holy, or a king who demands allegiance. And so it does everything in its power to humiliate and destroy Him.
But the sentence does not end with a period after "kill Him." The world gets its say. The chief priests, the scribes, the Gentiles, they all get to act their part. But God gets the last word. And the last word is resurrection. "And three days later He will rise again." This is the pivot upon which all of history turns. Without this last clause, the story is a tragedy. With it, the story is a divine comedy, a gospel. The cross is not the final act. It is the necessary prelude to the empty tomb.
This is the joy that was set before Him. He endured the cross, despising the shame, because He knew the resurrection was coming. He knew that His death would not be a defeat, but rather the very instrument of His triumph over sin, death, and Hell. He is telling His disciples, "Don't be afraid of the flogging and the spitting. See past it. The resurrection is coming." This is the cruciform shape of reality. The way up is down. The way to life is through death. The way to glory is through shame.
Conclusion: Walking in the Story
The disciples were amazed and fearful because they thought they were walking toward the end of their story. Jesus was resolute because He knew He was walking toward the true beginning. They were still trying to write their own story, a story of earthly glory and political power. Jesus was inviting them to find their place in His story, a story of sacrifice and resurrection.
And this is the same invitation He extends to us. The call to follow Christ is a call to walk this same road to Jerusalem. It is a call to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him. This means we will face mockery. The world will think our faith is foolishness. It means we will be spit upon, metaphorically or literally. The world will show its contempt for our King and for us, His ambassadors. It means we will be called to die, to die to our own ambitions, our own comforts, our own sinful desires.
But we do not walk this road in fear. We walk it with the same resolute purpose as our Lord, because we know how the story ends. We know that the cross is not a dead end. We know that our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed. And we know that if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His (Romans 6:5-6).
The world sees a man walking toward a cross and calls it a tragedy. The disciples saw it and were filled with fear. But faith sees a King walking to His throne. Faith sees the captain of our salvation, marching into battle to conquer our enemies. And faith hears that final, glorious promise: "and three days later He will rise again." Because He did, we who are in Him will rise also. Therefore, let us not be fearful followers, lagging behind. Let us walk with amazement, yes, but also with resolute joy, right behind our conquering King.