What IS A DISCIPLE? | Implications from the Cross of Jesus

A strong argument for the veracity of the account given to us by the Apostles in the New Testament is its harsh honesty regarding these men. None of His disciples foresaw or believed that the Messiah would be rejected, suffer cruelty, and die. Peter, once again, led the group even if it was into incredulous unbelief. Like many today, these men following Jesus was the road to power, prosperity, and acceptance. We’ve studied the Spirit-given confession voiced by the Apostle Peter, “You are the Christ.” What a mountaintop experience! Flesh and blood had not revealed this great truth to Peter. God the Father through the Spirit had revealed this to Peter’s heart and mind. This was a shift in the storyline in that up to this point The Twelve, Mark tells us, have struggled to comprehend Jesus’ divinity. Most of Jesus’ ministry was contained in the region of Galilee. But now, Jesus is headed to Jerusalem and He not only reveals His divinity to the Twelve but also the plan of God for Him to suffer on behalf of the people. This news hit Jesus’ disciples like an earthquake! Before the Messianic Crown, He Must Bear a Cross (8:31-32a). Mark 8:31 "And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he said this plainly."