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Mark 8:31-38 "The Cost of Discipleship"
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Last week we learned that from this point forward Jesus was going to be focusing on His death and travel to Jerusalem. So, it comes as no surprise to us today that the very first thing we read in our Gospel passage today is how Jesus told them that the Son of Man must suffer, be rejected, be killed, and in three days rise from the dead. We also talked about how that even the disciples had hard hearts—that even they, like the blind man who recovered his sight gradually, didn’t see clearly at the start. But, oh how their eyes would be opened over time! Oh, how their faith would be tested even more in days to come! James, sometimes called “James the Greater” is the only one who has his death recorded in Scripture. In Acts 12 we read that Agrippa killed James “with the sword”. The others are not recorded in Scripture, so I take it as what it is—tradition, but it is said that Phillip was crucified near Hierapolis. In 60 AD Matthew was killed with a spear. Andrew was crucified on an X-shaped cross in either Greece or what is now the Ukraine. Simon Peter was crucified by Nero. Thaddeus was crucified in Persia. Bartholomew translated the Gospel of Matthew into India’s language and was beaten and crucified. Thomas was killed with a spear by pagan priests in India. Simon (not Peter) is believed to have made it as far as Britain where he also was crucified. James Alphaeus made it to age 94 at which time he was beaten and stoned. And, as we can verify from Scripture, John is the only one who was not executed, but he was banished to the Isle of Patmos. The cost of discipleship is great. The gospel we believe and preach has been brought to us by the blood of martyrs. The gospel we believe and preach is the blood of Christ. Christians, our faith is one of blood.
From this point in our journey through Mark up to 10:52 we are going to find 3 predictions of Jesus’ death and resurrection. The first one is here today in 8:31. The next one will come in 9:31, and the third one comes in 10:33-34. Each of these passages deal with His travel to Jerusalem, and they challenge us in discipleship. Most importantly, they tell us of our Savior.
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