The Cross Before Him; Simplified English discussion prompts based on Mark 10:32-34

The meaning of the cross

When you see a cross what do you think about?  What does it mean to you? Where do we see crosses?

At the time of Jesus, about 2,000 years ago, the cross was the worst form of execution, used for terrible criminals. When they saw a cross beside the road it caused feelings of fear, humiliation, horror, shame, and disgust.

It seems almost beyond explanation then that the cross became the symbol that Christians wear around their neck, tattoo on their arms, and display in their places of worship. But the cross was where Jesus died, and so because of our love for Him and what He did, we cling to the cross as a symbol of our faith, instead of rejecting it as something offensive.

The cross before him

Jesus told his disciples many times that he was going to be killed. His friend Mark wrote about it. He said:

Jesus… 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…                                                                                                                         Mark 8:31(ESV)

“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…”

                                                                                            Mark 9:31(ESV)

Jesus was walking ahead of them. Those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve 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…”                                                                                                                                                    Mark 10:32–34(ESV)

How did he know about the cross before him?

Jesus knew that he would die because of the hostility of the Jewish religious leaders toward him.

          – Mark says that from the very beginning of his ministry, the Pharisees went out and began to plot how they might kill Jesus. Mark 3:6.

          – Jesus knew that their increasing resentment toward him would end in his death.

Jesus also knew about his death because of what the Old Testament said. His death was a fulfillment of these prophecies.  The purpose of Jesus as the Messiah was to suffer and die for the sin of mankind.

          Jesus quoted Isaiah in Luke Ch. 22. He identified himself as the Messiah, the one “despised and rejected by men… pierced for our transgression and crushed for our iniquities…” He said, “this must be fulfilled in me!”

The cross before him was his purpose.

As the hour of his crucifixion drew near, he said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose, I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

                                                                                            John 12:27 (ESV)

Through the cross his purpose was fulfilled, and God was glorified.

That sounds strange, doesn’t it? That God is glorified through the cross? 

What did Jesus mean by that?

Jesus prayed before he was arrested. He lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do…. “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world.                                                                                                                                                           John 17:1-6 (ESV)

By his death on the cross, Jesus showed God’s love to us.

The cross is where the Son of God gave his life so that we might have life.  By Jesus’ death on the cross, we are made holy and righteous. When we look at the cross, we see pain and suffering.  But Jesus wants us to see so much more.  He wants us to see God’s plan and purpose in bringing us redemption.  Jesus wants us to accept his forgiveness.  He wants us to see how much God loves us, and he wants us to glorify him by telling others.

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