Christ's prediction of His Passion

St Mark Chapter X : Verses 32-34

The Crucifixion. J-J Tissot.

[32] And they were in the way going up to Jerusalem: and Jesus went before them, and they were astonished; and following were afraid. And taking again the twelve, he began to tell them the things that should befall him. 

[33] Saying: Behold we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man shall be betrayed to the chief priests, and to the scribes and ancients, and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles. 

[34] And they shall mock him, and spit on him, and scourge him, and kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 

[32] Erant autem in via ascendentes Jerosolymam : et praecedebat illos Jesus, et stupebant : et sequentes timebant. Et assumens iterum duodecim, coepit illis dicere quae essent ei eventura. [33] Quia ecce ascendimus Jerosolymam, et Filius hominis tradetur principibus sacerdotum, et scribis, et senioribus, et damnabunt eum morte, et tradent eum gentibus : [34] et illudent ei, et conspuent eum, et flagellabunt eum, et interficient eum : et tertia die resurget.

Notes

    32. they were in the way going up to Jerusalem. Since we read in verse 17 of Jesus having gone forth into the way, we may conclude that He and His disciples had descended the road that led from Ephrem (whither He had retired after the resurrection of Lazarus), and that they were now on the highway which led to Jerusalem, and must needs pass Jericho on their way. Our Lord may have gone direct to Jericho from Ephraim, or He may have returned to Perea and then re-crossed the Jordan at the Fords, just opposite Jericho, and so joined the caravan of pilgrims on their journey to Jerusalem.

    Jesus went before them. He led them, contrary to His usual custom of sending some of the Apostles to prepare the people for His coming. He was urged on by His desire to redeem mankind. I have a baptism, wherewith I am to be baptized : and how am I straitened until it be accomplished ? (St Luke xii. 50).

    they were astonished. Possibly our Lord’s majesty of demeanour and His saddened countenance awed them. They were also astonished to see our Lord thus boldly going up to Jerusalem, since a short time before the Sanhedrin had devised to put him to death. Wherefore Jesus walked no more openly among the Jews, but he went into a country near the desert, unto a city that is. called Ephrem , and there he abode with his disciples (St John xi. 53, 54). The Apostles knew also that the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a commandment that if any man knew where he was, he should tell, that they might apprehend him (xi. 56). As they did not realize that the sufferings of which Christ spoke were literally to be undergone, they wondered that He should go so openly to Jerusalem, when the high priests had formally excommunicated Him.

    following were afraid: better, those that followed were afraid. It would seem as though there were others besides the Twelve ; for example, some of the seventy disciples and the holy women who ministered to Jesus and His Apostles. Hence we may represent Jesus walking alone, along the highway that led through the valley, the Apostles astonished follow Him at a distance, and behind them the disciples, who following were afraid. As when He left Galilee, “ he steadfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, ” so He performed the last stage of the journey, “ for the days of his assumption ” were now very close at hand.

    taking again : calling them up to Him, after He had walked on for some time in silence.

    the twelve. They alone were privileged to hear our Lord’s predictions.

    the things that should befall him : as He had previously done on three other occasions —

    (1) After St Peter’s Confession of Faith (viii. 31).

    (2) After the Transfiguration (ix. 11).

    (3) When passing through Galilee (ix. 30).

    The disciples, however, understood none of these things and this word was hid from them (St Luke xviii. 34) once again. This time our Lord speaks more plainly, and reveals the time, place, and circumstances.

    33. Behold. Jesus calls attention to what is shortly to take place.

    we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of man. The Crucifixion is to take place at the end of their journey and in Jerusalem, and it is to take place in fulfilment of the prophecies, in order that all things shall be accomplished which were written (St Luke xviii. 31).

    shall be betrayed: by one of His own Apostles, but Jesus does not reveal the name.

    to the chief priests .... scribes and ancients : to the Sanhedrin, the ecclesiastical court.

    they shall condemn him to death. The Jews, His own people, will deem Him worthy of death. How this prophecy should have come back to the memory of St Peter and St John when in the hall of Caiphas they heard the cry He is guilty of death (St Matt. xxvi. 66).

    shall deliver him, to the gentiles , — i.e. to the Romans, The sceptre had passed away from Judah. The Israelites were no longer free to execute the death sentence. Pilate himself said to our Lord, Thy own nation and the chief priests have delivered thee up to me (St John xviii. 35).

    34. mock him , spit on him , and scourge him. Jesus gives all the details of His Passion. St Mark gives the fulfilment of each prophecy.

    And after they had mocked him they took off the purple from him (xv. 20).

    And they did spit on him (19).

    Pilate .... delivered up Jesus when he had scourged him , to be crucified ( 1 5).

    kill him. St Matthew has, they .... shall deliver him to the gentiles . ... to be crucified (xx. 19). The awful mode of death is at last revealed.

    the third day he shall rise again. Another clear prediction concerning the Resurrection. “As the sun breaks through dark clouds, so does this promise here shed its blessed light.”

Totus tuus ego sum

Et omnia mea tua sunt;

Tecum semper tutus sum:

Ad Jesum per Mariam.