사귐의 소리 2025

<사귐의 소리> 블로그 사용 방법

Mark 8:31-33 “The Prediction of Death and Resurrection”

—

6–9 minutes

Mark 8:31-33 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

Explanation:

After strictly warning his disciples not to tell anyone about Peter’s confession, Jesus begins to reveal a new truth. Here, Jesus once again uses the title “Son of Man” (v. 31). As previously mentioned, the title “Son of Man” originates from Daniel 7:13-14, where it was used as a prophetic reference to the Messiah. During Jesus’ time, this title was regarded as a Messianic prophecy. In common usage, “Son of Man” functioned as an idiomatic expression used to refer to oneself indirectly. Jesus called himself the “Son of Man” so that only those with ears to hear would understand.

With the words, “must suffer many things… be rejected… and be killed,” Jesus reveals that suffering and death as the Messiah are unavoidable. This is because it is part of God’s salvation plan. At that time, no Jew expected the Messiah, the promised Savior, to suffer. The disciples were no exception. Therefore, this prophecy came as a shock to them. No one could have imagined that the Son of God, who came as the Savior, would be rejected, suffer, and be killed at the hands of the Jewish religious leaders—the “elders, chief priests, and teachers of the law.”

Jesus’ prophecy does not end there. He declares that after being killed, “after three days, he must rise again.” At that time, the Pharisees believed that all the righteous would be resurrected on the last day. Most of the disciples likely shared this belief in the resurrection of the righteous at the end of time. However, no one had ever imagined that someone would rise from the dead before the last day.

Jesus “began to teach them plainly” (v. 32) about his death and resurrection. The disciples were overwhelmed with shock and confusion. They had just begun to accept the fact that Jesus was the Messiah—yet now he was saying that the Messiah must suffer and die! On top of that, he said he would rise again after three days. They had no idea what he meant. They were so shaken by the idea of the Messiah suffering and dying that they could not even begin to consider what his resurrection after three days might mean.

During extreme shock and confusion, Peter “took hold of Jesus and began to rebuke him.” The Greek word used here, epitimao, means “to rebuke” or “to reprimand.” Peter was essentially saying, “This must not happen! It cannot be!” The structure of the Greek text suggests that Peter’s rebuke was not just a single outburst but something he continued for a while. In Peter’s understanding, there was no scenario in which the Messiah could suffer and die.

Then Jesus “turned and looked at his disciples” and “rebuked Peter” (v. 33). Jesus rebuked Peter in response to Peter rebuking him. The fact that Jesus looked at his disciples before rebuking Peter indicates that the other disciples shared the same mindset. Jesus then said, “Get behind me, Satan!” At that moment, Peter was trying to obstruct the mission that Jesus, as the Messiah, had to fulfill. By standing in that position, he was essentially playing the role of Satan, who seeks to derail God’s plan. The phrase “Get behind me” is not just a rebuke but also a command for Peter to return to his proper place as a disciple—following Jesus, not standing in his way.

Jesus points out Peter’s mistake, saying that he is “not thinking about the things of God, but only the things of man.” Peter stood in Jesus’ way because he relied on his own human thoughts and judgments. If Peter truly believed his own confession—”You are the Messiah”—then he should have set aside his own understanding and followed Jesus completely. However, instead of surrendering to God’s plan, Peter clung to his own ideas and ended up trying to block the path that Jesus had to take.

Meditation:

At this moment, the disciples saw the truth only dimly. They had recognized that Jesus was the Messiah, but they did not yet understand what the Messiah should do. This was because of their own dreams and expectations of what the Messiah should accomplish. They expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom—one where they would reign over all nations. Once they realized that Jesus was indeed the Messiah, they were likely filled with excitement and anticipation for this vision of the future.

Because of this, they resisted when Jesus spoke about suffering and death awaiting him in Jerusalem. Peter and the other disciples did not yet truly understand or believe in the kingdom of God. They did not grasp the promise of eternal life or the coming of a new heaven and new earth. Their focus was solely on fulfilling their earthly desires through the Messiah. This prevented them from seeing the truth. Their spiritual vision was still incomplete—like the blind man from earlier in the chapter who, after his first touch from Jesus, could only see people as “trees walking.” In the same way, the disciples were perceiving Jesus through a blurred, distorted perspective, not yet fully understanding his mission.

Our spiritual vision is much the same. As we read and meditate on Jesus’ words and actions, we grow in our understanding of the truth, but our sight is still not clear. The Holy Spirit has broken through the doors of ignorance and darkness, yet we are not fully there. We see something moving but cannot always discern exactly what it is. Because of this, we sometimes, like Peter, stand in the way of Jesus’ path. We judge, reject, and resist God’s will based on our own human thoughts. That is why today, once again, we ask our Lord to touch our eyes again. Open them fully, so that we may see clearly.

Prayer:

Lord, like Peter, we sometimes stand in the way of your will. Sometimes, we clearly know your will but choose to ignore it. Sometimes, worldly desires blind our eyes, and we act against your purpose. Sometimes, even before you say, “Get behind me, Satan,” we realize, “I have been playing the role of Satan.” Oh Lord, have mercy on us. Help us to live as faithful disciples who follow Your will wholeheartedly. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: Jesus, the Messiah, came not to be a powerful earthly king but to suffer, die, and rise again so that we could have eternal life. Sometimes, we may not fully understand God’s plan, but we can trust that His way is always the best.

  • For Preschool-Lower Elementary
    • Have you ever wanted something to happen one way, but it turned out differently? How did that make you feel?
    • Peter thought Jesus would be a strong king, but Jesus said he would suffer and die. Why do you think Peter had a hard time understanding this?
  • For Upper Elementary-Middle School
    • Peter rebuked Jesus because he wanted a different kind of Messiah. Have you ever wished God would do something differently in your life?
    • Jesus told Peter, “You are thinking about the things of man, not the things of God.” What does that mean, and how can we learn to think more like God?
  • For High School
    • Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan,” to Peter. What does this tell us about the seriousness of thinking in human terms rather than God’s?
    • What practical steps can we take to shift our focus from worldly expectations to God’s greater purpose?

Leave a comment