Amazed & Afraid | Mark 10:32-34 | Pastor Daniel Batarseh (Gospel of Mark Series)

Mark chapter 10. Beginning here in verse 32. And the scriptures read, 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 12 again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him 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. And they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. And after three days, he will rise. Father, we ask for one simple thing together as a church, your church. Would you help us be amazed at Jesus?

And, Lord, would that amazement, that awakened awe cause us to be stronger in our devotion to him. Cleanse us now as we sit under the washing of your word. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. This is a crucial and pivotal moment in the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ for one simple reason.

We read that he and his disciples are now making their way towards Jerusalem. Now that might not seem like an alarming transition for us, but it should if we have been studying the gospel of Mark carefully. With every glorious deed that Christ did and every life altering encounter he had in the background, there were powerful men plotting his death. That's something you and I are aware of because we've been studying this book very, very meticulously. And this is something that the disciples themselves were very much aware of.

They understood that there were people who wanted to kill their rabbi, And they also understood because they were close and public associates with him that they themselves were in danger of meeting the very same fate. And so these disciples reacted in a certain way as they realized that their pilot now has changed directions toward Jerusalem. And to bring some proof that this is what the disciples believed, recall when Jesus, as just one example, heard the news of his friends Lazarus, who was sick and died and was planning to go and resurrect him. The disciples understanding this said in John 11 verse eight, the disciples said to him, says that verse, rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again? To make this even more significant, Bethany, where Lazarus Lazarus and his sisters abided, was just a few miles away from Jerusalem.

And so the disciples understood that the closer they and their master were to the city, the greater the danger was. This was a den of lions, so to speak. This is where his enemies had their headquarters. It was a hot spot for trouble. So then it makes sense in Mark 10, what we just read, of the reactions that they had again when they learned that this is where they were going.

The one place that should be avoided is the one place now that they are making their way to. And we read here of two reactions. You heard it. Right? In verse 32, the first thing that we read is that they were amazed.

They were amazed. This is the same word. It's a very strong word that's used in Mark chapter one of the people when they saw Jesus cast out a devil in the middle of the synagogue meeting. They were amazed at the authority that Jesus had. It's also the same word that was used that we studied last week after Jesus that said how difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God.

The disciples were what? They were amazed because it collided with a belief system that they had about those who were wealthy and how they had greater access and favor with God. And so this is an amazement. This is a significant awe that they are experiencing, but no miracle was performed. They're just walking.

There was no profound revelation that was made. Christ is silently making his way toward this place. So why the amazement? Why were they so moved to wonder? I believe it's because of the sight of their master in this transition, on this journey.

Because they understood where he was going and they saw something of a resolve in the redeemer. It wasn't just the fact that he is going there. Look at the way that he is going there. Read carefully again. Look at verse 32.

And they were on the road going up to Jerusalem and Jesus was not just walking, Jesus was walking ahead of them. So the Lord knowing, as we just read, knowing what's about to take place in a few days in Jerusalem, he's not nervously trailing behind his students. He was not pausing from time to time on that trip to second guess his destination. No. What you see here is Christ leading the way.

He is in front of this minuscule parade with perfect stride, completely resolute, absolutely unswerving, and totally fearless. Just envision this. This this Christ who is not saying anything, but is making a statement by this march. And that's what stunned these disciples. The courage of their captain.

The strength of their shepherd. The tenacity of their teacher. They were they were just absolutely blown away by his heart posture in this moment. Can I ask you a question now as we analyze this? Are you amazed at Christ?

Do you stand in awe of him? Are there any thoughts that come to you that cause you to be like these disciples, spellbound by him? I could tell you with confidence that if you just come to this book, there are many things there are many things about him that should amaze us. Where can we go? There's so many places to go.

And as you primarily come to this word, surely the amazement continues as you walk with him and see him intervene and lead and guide your life. He has to be in front of you though, may I add. This is a wonderful model of what discipleship looks like, Christ in front. But I thought about what amazes me about Jesus. And there's so many things in the gospels alone, and there's one particular place I quoted to you earlier, John 11 verse eight, how the disciples were concerned about Jesus being in a very perilous position by going to Bethany.

And just in that first section of John chapter 11, you have a glistening truths of the love of Jesus Christ, rubies of his heart that shine so bright if you would just take the time to meditate on them. So why don't we do that? Allow me to just give you a little bit of a taste of how amazing Jesus is. Go to John 11 with me very quickly. This is a very familiar passage, but maybe maybe not to some and for those who are familiar, maybe this will bring fresh insight.

Lord, amaze us once again. John 11 verse one. Now a certain man was ill. Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill.

So the sisters sent to him saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. Oh, there's so many things in those three verses. Remember, the the reason why I brought you to this neighborhood in the gospels is so that you would see how amazing just a taste of how amazing Jesus is. Notice the description of Mary. There are many Marys in the Bible.

Right? So the Holy Spirit wants to define which Mary this is, but it's more than just him defining which Mary we are speaking of. Because this is a very specific description. Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. So this is to demonstrate the Mary who had a deep devotion to the Lord.

You know, scripture talks about a woman's hair being her glory. In first Corinthians 11, and she took her glory and she put it to the feet of Jesus. She took her perfume that was a year's worth of salary and broke it in a way where she couldn't regather its substance and poured it all out on the Lord. The Holy Spirit wants you to know this is the Mary that Jesus is ready to visit. But it's not just the Mary that he is ready to visit.

This is a Mary who had a particular love for Christ and yet she was not exempt from pain. She gave so much. She worshiped with great intensity. She loved the master and yet now at this juncture, her brother is sick. And this is painful.

It's painful enough for them to send word to the Lord Jesus. Please come. Please come and do something about our brother. We love him. You know, if you serve Christ you're not exempt from trials.

If you love Christ, if you worship Christ, you're not free from pain in this life. You're not free from witnessing loved ones experience pain in your life. And don't you ever mistaken crises in your life as some kind of a punishment for the weakness of your devotion. There is discipline in the Lord, but that's not the case for this woman. That's not the case for many believers.

She loved the Lord. This is what the Holy Spirit is reminding. This is the Mary who had such great adoration, and yet her brother now is sick. And she's broken as well, and she's worried and she's concerned. But that's another message for another time.

They knew Jesus well enough to give the message the way they gave it. Again, look at verse three. Look at what they relayed through these messengers. So the sisters sent them saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. So simple.

So direct. It's so beautiful. There is no elaborate description. There there is no appeal as though Christ is reluctant. Just, Lord, he whom you love is ill.

Notice they didn't give Lazarus his name. Lord, he whom you love is ill. You know what that tells me? It tells me that they knew Christ's love for Lazarus enough for him to just hear that the one that he loves is ill, and he knew exactly who they were talking about. That tells me that Lazarus's identity was woven and wrapped with the love of Jesus Christ.

Wrapped. And they weren't appealing to Lazarus's love for Christ. They were appealing to Christ's love for Lazarus. So many times we come to a place of even prayer, and we try to make our appeal to Christ based on our love for him, and we should love him. We're commanded to love him, but they understood something about Christ.

He moves from the place of love in his own heart. Lord, he whom you love is ill. And Jesus knew exactly who they were talking about. But notice, there's no specific request. They didn't say, Lord, he whom you love is ill now.

Come and heal him. Lord, he whom you love is ill now. Send forth your word from where you are and he will be restored. Just Lord, he whom you love is ill. What does that mean?

Well, I don't think that encourages us not to be specific in our prayers. We're called to give the Lord our specific request, but I think there's a wonderful illustration here about how Christ not only could translate the object of their need. Right? He whom you love is ill. I know that's Lazarus.

He can also interpret their need even though they didn't give the specific need. Amen. Because there are times when pain is so overwhelming and the trial is so confusing and the situation is so complex that you don't even know how to direct the request. You you don't even know how the Lord should move in this situation. And here's the example and here's the illustration to comfort your soul and mine, just bring the need to him.

And he knows exactly what to do with it. He knows exactly what to do with it. Isn't Christ amazing? Isn't he wonderful? Do you stand in awe of him?

Oh, it doesn't end there. I better be careful also. We're gonna stay in John 11 for the rest of the day. But let's go down to verse five. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

You can't just read past these verses. Please don't do that. Jesus' love wasn't just for Lazarus. The Holy Spirit wants us to know that he loved Mary. He loved Martha, and he loved Lazarus.

Now that might not seem like it's a deep thought, unless, of course, you think about these individual characters, and they were characters, and they differed from each other. Mary was the worshiper. Whenever you read Mary in the gospels, you will always find her at the feet of Jesus. Always. Even in John 11, she'll end up finding herself at the feet of Jesus.

When she anoints Jesus, she's at his feet. When Jesus came to their home, remember? Martha was frantic running around. Where was Mary? At his feet.

She was a worshiper. She loved the Lord. Martha was the server. She expressed her devotion by going around and getting things done and and it kinda bothered her to see somebody just sitting there and enjoying the presence of the Lord. Hey, hey, hey, we got things to do.

Let's go. And she was also anxious. She had that kind of temperament. Lazarus, not much is said about Lazarus. He's a very quiet fellow.

But I like to see Lazarus as the silent witness. Because what you'll read in John is that many people heard about his resurrection, and because of his testimony, they came to Christ. And now Lazarus was in danger. Lazarus is a picture of the witness. Mary is the worshiper.

Right? Martha is the server. And Lazarus is the one who testified of what Christ's power can do in a life. Very different, very different strengths, very different giftings, so to speak, different weaknesses, and Jesus loved them all equally. You know, you and I are tempted to look at another brother or sister and dis disapprove of them or criticize them, perhaps because they're not like you, they're not like me.

Christ doesn't discriminate with his love. He looks at each of us. This is what this verse is teaching. He looks at each of us, and we are all familiar with each other enough to know that we're all different. We're all different in many ways.

We laugh at different jokes. We interpret things differently in life sometimes, though it should be ultimately filtered in the word of God. We have different strengths and different weaknesses. This verse teaches Christ loves each of us. His love is personal.

It's individual. It's not just this corporate declaration, I love my church. No. He loves each of us. Are you amazed at Jesus?

I can keep going about how Jesus' love is different the way we understand love because he loved Lazarus, and when he received the news, it says because he loved him that he waited a few extra days. You would think if you loved Lazarus that you would pick up your bags right there and go. But Christ's love is also interwoven with wisdom. He knows how to express his love far greater than you and I think he should. But let's come back to Mark.

They were amazed at Jesus. Oh, I pray that you would be amazed at Jesus. And they were amazed because they were willing they were seeing a Christ who was willing to go into a very dangerous place. You know, the the revelation that the disciples had about Christ and his death still produce an amazement. You and I have a full understanding of the purpose of Christ's death.

Shouldn't that cause greater amazement? It should, but that's not the only response that they had. We read here in verse 32, and they were amazed and those who followed were afraid. And it's generally believed that it's the same people. Some would say it was the crowd, another crowd that was there that was also afraid, but this is speaking primarily about the disciples.

So there was a mixture of emotion here. And we don't have to go into great explanation to why they were afraid. You and I just heard why they were afraid. They put the pieces together. But there's another phrase here, a phrase that's connected to that second emotion that's important for us to consider.

And those who followed were afraid. And those who followed were afraid. Though they were fearful, listen to this, they still followed. Sometimes following the Lord can be scary, can be daunting, can be intimidating, can be threatening, can be risky. And yes, we should ultimately be amazed at Christ, but let's be inspired by these disciples.

They were fearful but they still followed. You know why that's an important thought? Because there are too many professing Christians who allow their feelings to drive their devotion. Whether that be heightened positive feelings or unfavorable feelings of despair, discouragement. You cannot allow what you feel to determine your devotion.

A true mature disciple, though these disciples were immature in many ways, and this place, this is something that we can draw from, they show that it's conviction. It's conviction that should ultimately determine your destination. If you're waiting for feeling, you're never gonna be consistent. You're never gonna know perseverance. You're never gonna know the flourishing of a ministry.

You're never gonna come to this house consistently. I don't feel like it. Why are you not gonna go very far? And so these disciples show here that it's not about emotion. And again, though they were failures in different regards and though they had shortcomings, here's one thing that moves me.

Wherever Christ was willing to go, they were gonna go. So again, I told you about John 11. I don't know why we keep going back there, but why not? So they understood even in John 11, Lord, if you go there I mean, they they try to kill you. You wanna go in the same vicinity?

You wanna go in the same parameters? And Jesus said, I'm going. We must go to our friend Lazarus. And one of the disciples spoke up. He said something that is so profound because he he tends to have a negative reputation among evangelicals.

Thomas. Who is Thomas known as? Doubting Thomas. Pessimistic. But you know what Thomas said in John 11?

Maybe you've never seen Thomas in this light. When they learned Jesus was going to Bethany, Thomas said in John eleven sixteen, so Thomas called the twin and said to his fellow disciples, let us also go that we may die with him. How about that for doubting Thomas? Alright. Lord, we told you that if you go there, you might get stoned again.

Lord said, we're going to our friend Lazarus. So Thomas looks at the disciples and says, alright guys, let's go and be prepared to die. That's discipleship. Okay, Lord. I don't know where or why you're leading me in this way.

There's a lot of fear in my heart right now because I know exactly where this might be going in terms of this moment, but I'm still gonna go. I'm still gonna follow you. And don't limit that challenge to fear. We don't have much to be afraid of here in the West. We will in a few years, in the flesh at least.

But paint that for everything. Across the whole board, any feeling that would challenge your commitment to follow Christ further, know that what will be the secret to overcoming those obstacles, it's conviction. I know this to be true. I know what his word says. Whether my feelings at this time agree with it or not, he is Lord.

He is worthy. I am his servant. I am his child. I have one life. I wanna live it for him.

I'm gonna serve him. I'm gonna follow him. Now we come here to Jesus in Mark 10 pulling his disciples aside, and it says here, and taking the 12 again the latter part of verse 32, he began to tell them what was to happen to him. And Jesus now for the third time in the gospel of Mark is foretelling his death, his suffering, his resurrection. This is the third time he's going to do it.

And each time he shared it with the 12, he added more detail than the last. So it's very close in Mark. Go to Mark eight thirty one. Let's read these different instances where he shares and predicts his death, and let's do a comparative analysis. In Mark eight thirty one, we read, and he began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priest and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

So this is the most basic explanation he gives. He's going to be rejected by the chief rulers. He is going to suffer. He is going to die, and he is going to resurrect. That's the first time.

Now notice the second time the detail that he adds. In Mark nine thirty one, not eight thirty one, nine thirty one. It says here, for he was teaching his disciples saying to them, the son of man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed after three days, he will rise. What does Christ add here?

He will be delivered, which is synonymous with what? He will be betrayed. There is gonna be a betrayal that's gonna make this death possible. And so he says to the disciples and he brings further light, there is going to be a betrayal. And now we come to the last time.

And notice the great detail of the suffering and also another important feature. Verse 33. 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 them to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. There's a third and final most important detail that's added before Christ actually experienced this prediction. What is this all to mean?

Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him. Exactly. Every scene he has been prepared for. And every time he explains it and they come closer to this, he wants to let them know I have a full understanding of what's about to take place, and that's important for you to know for many reasons. Let me give you a real life example to why.

Just a few days ago, I had a conversation with a Muslim. And, obviously, it didn't take too long for us to get to the person of Jesus Christ and the deity of Christ. And this very passionate individual began to criticize what seems to be contradictions in our Bible concerning the person of Jesus Christ and his dual nature. And it came to this point. Your Christ, apparently, your God who came in the flesh was overtaken, overcome by Jewish people, by his enemies, and they nailed him up.

What kind of a God is that? You claim that he's god and he was arrested and he was dragged to his death. That's your god? And he was coming from the place as though Christ was taken by surprise. And we have to understand that Christ was not taken by surprise.

He predicted it. Listen. Not only did he predict it, he permitted it. And here's where the conversation ended where Jesus says there in John ten eighteen, no one takes it from me. But I lay it down on my own accord, and of my own accord, I will rise it up again.

And that's where the conversation ended. Christ knew. He predicted it. He was aware of it, and he permitted it. No one can take it from him.

He in his own authority, he by his own accord lays it down, and he will bring it up. But notice something else about these three instances where Christ predicts and foretells of his suffering, death, and resurrection. He speaks in a certain tense. Each time. Right?

He speaks in the third person. The son of man will be delivered over. And if you look at the text that we have before us today, notice the last part. It says here in verse 34, they will mock him and spit on him and flog him and kill him. Well, isn't it Christ?

So why isn't he saying, they will deliver me over to the chief priest. And they will condemn me to death. And deliver me over to the Gentiles. And they will mock me, and spit on me, and flog me, and kill me. Why is he speaking in the third person?

Because it's strategic and he's a teacher and he understands his audience. Christ in explaining what's about to happen to him, the culmination of his mission here is from the standpoint of prophecy. That's why he's speaking this way. He wants to let him know that this event is not isolated from something that has been predicted and prophesied throughout the centuries. This is something that has been anticipated.

This is something that has been declared by the mouths of men of God. And he's trying to help his disciples who were very ignorant especially of these prophecies concerning the Messiah. What's about to happen is not random, is not isolated to me, it's something that is part of redemptive history. And so he speaks about it as though he is an outsider, not because it's not gonna happen to him because he wants him to know of the bigger picture. And if you need proof of that, when you look at Luke's parallel account of the same thing that we're studying let me just read it to you and you could write down as a reference.

Here is the confirmation that this is why Christ spoke in this format. In Luke eighteen thirty one, we read, and taking the 12, he said to them, see, we are going up to Jerusalem and everything that is written about the son of man by the prophets will be accomplished. You see, disciples, I'm trying to show you that this was written. And what I'm going to do is going to accomplish what has been written. And so he speaks in this way.

But you know what that tells me? Something that you know, but let it awaken a fresh amazement. Christ's death, the way of his death, his betrayal, his burial, his triumph, his victory over the grave can be found in the Hebrew scriptures. It's been written. It's there.

I wanna challenge you. You've heard me say this before. Can you and I present the gospel using the Old Testament alone? We should be able to. We should be familiar with what has been written.

And Jesus here emphatically declares, the passion of the Christ is not a spontaneous story, it has been a forecasted one. It is something that's been declared from the ages ago. And even the resolve here of the savior is demonstrated as a fulfillment of prophecy. Did you hear what I just said? Even Christ here in his attitude towards what's about to come, this impending moment was prophesied about.

Let me prove it to you. Just to go to show how rich the scriptures are. So here's a prophecy about the suffering servant in Isaiah 50. And look at this. If you wanna know this moment of Jesus making his way toward Jerusalem, can this be found in the Hebrew scriptures?

I say to you, yes, it can. In Isaiah 50 verse five, notice what we read. Hundreds of years, several hundred years before Christ's incarnation. Isaiah 50 verse five, just to wet your appetite. Here's Isaiah speaking with the prophetic tone of the Messiah speaking.

The Lord God has opened my ear. Pause. Do you know what that means? Open my ear. If you were a Hebrew slave and you served your master for six years, on the seventh year you were released.

And if you loved your master, goes to show what kind of slavery they actually endured. If you loved your master, if you want to remain with your master, you can turn back to your master and say, I wanna be your servant forever. And the ordination for that, the event that would seal that relationship is that the servant would allow his ear to be pierced with an all that would brand him as a servant of that master forever. And here's the Messiah saying, the Lord has opened my ear. I am his servant, his permanent servant.

And notice what he says next, and I was not rebellious, I turned not backward. Verse six. I gave my back to those who strike and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard. I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. Verse seven.

You wanna know why he was so confident? You wanna know why he had such strength? But the Lord God helps me. Therefore, I have not been disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be put to shame.

That's Messiah. And Luke nine, in describing Jesus' turning point in his ministry where he goes towards Jerusalem, he borrows the language of Isaiah 50. He says, he set his face toward Jerusalem. Where does that come from? Isaiah.

So even the journey to the suffering, the prophet said, it's gonna happen. It's gonna happen. He didn't turn his back. He didn't become rebellious. He knew exactly the play by play of his passion, and he went with the strength of the Lord.

That's our Christ. But notice what Jesus also says in these three instances of foretelling his death and his resurrection. He calls himself the son of man each time. The son of man. The son of man.

The son of man. In fact, this is the Lord's favorite title to ascribe to himself in the gospels. And the common understanding in looking at those two major titles that Christ gives himself and that others also give, son of God implies his what? Deity. Son of man infers his what?

Humanity. That's a basic understanding of those two titles, those designations. And it's true. You you look at Ezekiel, and Ezekiel over and over again by the Lord is referred to as son of man, son son of man, son of man. You see them in the Psalms in describing humanity and their frailty.

Son of man, son of man. When Ezekiel was called son of man, all that the Lord was saying is you're human and you come from a human. But when you look at and analyze and survey the gospels completely, you understand that Jesus's referral to this title has a deeper significance. And some of you are already very familiar with this, maybe some are not. There's a profound truth in Christ saying, I am the son of man.

And the clearest description and meaning of this is found during Jesus's trial, which I think is one of the strongest references you can go to to prove Jesus his understanding, and his emphatically clear identification as the Messiah. Here's the high priest looking at a silent man who's not defending himself because he is a lamb who is silent and he's ready to embrace his slaughter. And finally, he demands, speak up. I adjure you by the living God. Tell us if you are the Christ, the son of God.

And this is in Matthew twenty six sixty three. And in 64 of Matthew 26, Jesus said to him, you have said so. He didn't deny it. Are you the Christ? Are you the son of God?

You're right. I'm not rejecting that claim. I embrace that claim, but he adds to it. You have said so, but I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power and coming on the clouds of heaven. And you know what the response of the high priest was?

He tore his robes. Blasphemy. What more do we need to hear? He's not only confirmed my claim, he's added to it with what? If son of man strictly means I'm human, then the response of the high priest doesn't make much sense.

But if you understand Jesus reference here to a specific instance in the Hebrew scriptures of an exalted heavenly divine figure, then it makes sense. I am the son of man. And those who understood the scriptures knew exactly what Christ meant clearly by their response. It's a prophecy in Daniel seven verse 13. Daniel seven thirteen.

Daniel has a vision. He has a vision of the ancient of days on his throne and yet that scene is interrupted by one who had a human form like appearance. And when he enters, we read how he enters a verse 13 of Daniel seven. I saw in the night visions, Daniel says, and behold with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man. And he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him.

Now, he doesn't just come this this human like individual doesn't just appear on the scene, he comes with the clouds of heaven. That's an important detail. And the reason why that's important is because to ride on the clouds, to have authority with the clouds is a prerogative and a privilege that is only experienced and demonstrated by Yahweh alone. And there are many verses in the Old Testament that ascribe Yahweh with the clouds as a display of his majesty and power, and yet, here is Daniel now having this vision of the ancient of days, and he sees this human like individual appear, not just appear, but with a right that exclusively belong to Yahweh. He came with the clouds of heaven.

So he looks like a human, but he's sharing divine rights. And the ancient of days has no problem doing it. He is presented before him. And you read later on the same prophecy. The kingdom was given over to him.

Dominion was given over to him. Glory was given over to him. And the peoples served him. And if you look at that word serve, it's not just helping somebody or or giving somebody some assistance, it means worship. One like a son of man.

That's how Daniel is describing it. There's someone here. He looks like a man, but he can't be a man. He's coming with the clouds of heaven. And he's been given all of this all these things that belong to God alone.

Who is this man? Jesus. He tells this people and his trial, you will see him, the son of man, that's me, coming at the right hand of the power and with the clouds of heaven. So what's the blasphemy here? That he's Messiah.

More than that, that he is a divine Messiah claiming to be God. And this is why they responded in the way they did. And so we come here in closing. He says, son of man will suffer. Son of man will die.

Son of man will resurrect. Here's a practical point for us to conclude our time before we providentially reflect on the suffering of our Lord. Here's Jesus fully aware of the script of his suffering. You know what he does? Think about it.

Just think about it. If you knew this evening you were going to die a grueling torturous death. Hey, sometimes we we disconnect from the humanity element of this. Yes, he is God, but he's also a man. And so it's okay to think on a practical level of what the implications of this are.

Well, he's going to resurrect. Well, yeah, you're going to resurrect and so am I. But can you imagine knowing that if you go to a certain place today that you would be arrested, that you'd be tortured, that you'd be humiliated? Would you go there? I don't think so.

Think you would go in the direct opposite direction. Right? Not the Lord. He goes toward it. And as he's going toward it, what kind of preparation do you make for that?

That in a few days, this is how I'm gonna go. In a few days, this is where everything is gonna change. I wonder what he was doing as he was walking ahead. Was he praying to the father? Was he communing with him as he was striving?

We're not told. But you know what happens at some point? As Christ is there, focused with resolve, strength, glory, majesty, he pauses and he takes his fearful disciples aside and he teaches them. Why is he teaching them this? Why is he taking the time to do this?

Because he wants to prepare them. Says as much as he is there ready to fulfill prophecy, ready to honor the father, he's thinking of his students and he wants them to be ready. Think about the compassion, the tenderness of the Lord. He's so much invested in these talk. He's so much invested in us that as he is leading us, as he is walking ahead of us, he is mindful of us.

He is mindful of you and I. So he tells these disciples, look, this is what's gonna happen and let me be as detailed as possible so you're not shocked by it. It's been written. It's gonna happen. I'm going to accomplish it.

And it's not until I get back two weeks from now where you and I will be able to explore I mean, the inspiration of the disciples doesn't last very long, does it? Yes. They're falling while they're afraid, and Jesus is talking about his humiliation and his suffering, and then what's gonna happen next? Hey, Lord, can we sit closest to you in the kingdom? When are you gonna get it?

When am I gonna get it? When are you gonna get it? Takes some time, but he is a patient shepherd. He is a kind god. Today, you and I have an opportunity by God's perfect leadership with this text on the first Sunday of the month to be amazed at the Lord.

Can we prepare our hearts to do that? As you are bowing your head, I hope that you're also bowing your heart. We're gonna hear a brief exhortation in a moment concerning the Lord's table, but I just wanna do my part and let you know that if you're here visiting to us, visiting with us, we're so grateful that you can be here. But this this part of the worship service is dedicated to Christians who have professed their faith and repented of their sin and are confident that they are a child of God by faith. And so this is reserved for Christians and we just kindly ask you to reserve from participating.

You have every right to watch and participate as an observer. And as you're observing, what you're seeing is people who are making a declaration that they are saved by the grace of God, not by their own merit, not by their own efforts, not by their own obedience, but by the obedience of Christ. And believers, as you're sitting there today, please, this is a holy moment. This is a sacred scene. Just forget what's happening around you right now.

Don't be distracted. This is very precious to the Lord and he calls us to see it as such. Just reflect on the performance of Jesus Christ. You have eternal life because of his body and blood. There may be many uncertainties in 2024 and for the rest of your life, but one thing is guaranteed, you have heaven because of the love of the savior for you.

And please remember, he loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary. Christ's love is for you, not just his church as a whole, but you. Put your name on it. Jesus loves you. At the same time, he calls us to be reflective.

If our hearts have not demonstrated a conscious devotion to him, if we're holding on to sin, and yet we come here to declare the sufficiency and the beauty of his cross, then we do so in vain. And so we must repent. If there's any sin in us, we must relinquish it, divorce ourselves from it, and plead with the Lord to forgive you because his grace does not stimulate sin. It should stimulate holiness. If you're at odds with someone, if there is contention, if there's tension that has not been addressed between you and another believer, the Lord does not want you to participate at this table.

He wants you to lay your gift at the altar, go make it right, and then come and do this again. So relish in his redemption, reflect on your life. We're gonna sing in a moment here, and then we're gonna partake after pastor Daniel shares a few verses with us. If the team can come now in preparation to sing.