And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. — Mark 8:31 KJV
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. — Mark 8:31 NIV
Thought and Reflection
Knowing that Jesus as God’s Messiah can be one thing. Being a follower of Jesus as Lord of our lives is a different matter. Making our minds, hearts and lives to be in sync is never easy. Once Jesus’ disciples confessed Him as the Christ, He knew the need to instruct them on the true path to glory. Every one of the Gospels emphasizes that this road took us to the cross of pain before it brought us to the glory crown.
The early church narrated the story in a song in which they were reminded that they too have to walk the same road. We are a God-centered people however, we can be certain that we will encounter bumps and potholes along the way, and perhaps even the most difficult hills to climb when Satan attempts to block our path and derail us. Our Lord, however has already traveled this path and is our greatest reminder that this path will lead us to be a part of the glory of His name, too.
My Prayer
Heavenly Father, I have come across many believers struggling to follow Jesus with a wholehearted commitment. Lord, I ask You to grant these believers the courage and faith to endure and use me to encourage them and help them during this difficult moment within their life. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.