The Scandal of Jesus
Truth Taught- Jesus tells His disciples that they will all fall away.
Last time, we left Jesus and His disciples in the upper room where they were celebrating the Passover Meal together. Our Lord took that very long-standing tradition and renewed it and shared with His disciples the true meaning of the Bread and the Cup.
So, Jesus was giving His followers a new remembrance. No longer were they to look back and remember the Passover in this old covenant sense but now, they are to remember the cross and the body and blood of Jesus. Jesus gave that meaning before it happened. He was teaching about His body and blood even before His crucifixion. So, they did not really understand at that moment, and they wouldn’t until after the cross and after our Lord’s resurrection.
Also, remember Jesus began the Passover Meal with the statement that one of them would betray Him.
Mark 14:18 (ESV)
18 And as they were reclining at table and eating, Jesus said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”
We learned last time that one by one all the disciples would leave Jesus, Judas from greed and the others from fear. All would forsake Jesus. So, around the Passover Table sat 1 traitor and 11 deserters. They were the followers of Jesus.
This really does exhibit human frailty and sin. We may have good intentions and, like Peter, make bold statements like…even though they all leave You, Jesus I will not. I’ll even die with you. However, when the test comes most fail.
So, we desperately need God’s grace. We need the Lord to do for us what we cannot do ourselves. The more you struggle and fight against sin, the more you value the Lord’s righteousness being given to us who believe.
We also learned that the Lord’s Table is not a table of merit but a table of grace.
One point to make is that the Passover Meal was eaten in anticipation of redemption. Just as the Hebrews ate it with anticipation of their redemption from their bondage in Egypt, so too the Passover Meal through the centuries was to be eaten in the same manner. On this, the last Passover Meal, Jesus showed all of them that their redemption was at hand as He explained the meaning of the bread and the cup…My body and blood which is for you.
We too are much the same as the disciples. If we were confronted with the same, we too would have fled.
Their fear was fueled by a lack of knowledge. Their expectations of the Messiah were not accurate. No matter what Jesus taught them, they didn’t truly understand because His Words of truth were always filtered through their false ideas. It would not be until after the resurrection that they would really understand.
Please Stand in honor of God’s Holy, Inspired, and Inerrant Word
Mark 14:26–31 (ESV)
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ 28 But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” 29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
1. You Will All Fall Away (14:26-27)
26 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. 27 And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
Jesus’ statement that they will all fall away is based on an OT prophecy.
Jewish experts are convinced that the song that was on the lips of Jesus was, in fact, the words of Psalm 118. This was the typical Passover benediction.
I’d like to share a few verses as we imagine Jesus, our Savior finding strength in these verses for Himself as He walks toward the Garden of Gethsemane.
Psalm 118:1–9 (ESV)
118 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
“His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the Lord;
the Lord answered me and set me free.
6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear.
What can man do to me?
7 The Lord is on my side as my helper;
I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in man.
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in princes.
These wonderous words of truth are meant for us as well. When we encounter trials, be encouraged that God’s steadfast love endures forever.
Now, as Jesus leads His disciples late at night out of the City of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley and then to ascend the Mount of Olives where their claims that they would not flee away would be tested through the night and into the early dawn.
What we must consider is that the disciples are destined to scatter. Jesus knows the Scriptures. He knows that He is the Good Shepherd and that the disciples are the sheep.
What the Zechariah text tells us is that it is God who will strike the Shepherd in order to accomplish many purposes and one of them being to scatter the sheep.
This scattering is by necessity. It will work to bring about their salvation. The sheep will be scattered and at the resurrection, they will be reunited in a new life of restoration.
Why did they all fall away?
You will all fall away. The Greek verb. is skandalizō. You will be scandalized. You will be offended. You will defect. The idea is that Jesus will become a stumbling block to His followers. They will be greatly afraid because of Jesus. The issue is that Jesus will very quickly become a scandal. There came a point when all of the disciples became ashamed of Jesus. How could all He told be true in this moment of great crisis? When their own lives were in danger, they defected and denied that they even knew Him.
Have you ever defected? Have you ever been ashamed of Jesus? Perhaps at work or school have you joined in with unbelievers in speech and actions rather than standing up for Christ and your beliefs?
This will be a lapse of faith not a total falling away forever but for a time.
Jesus first called His disciples by the Sea of Galilee…
Mark 1:16–17 (ESV)
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.”
It would be at the Sea of Galilee where He would bring them back into the flock after His resurrection…
Mark 16:7 (ESV)
7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”
They all intended to remain faithful but then the events of this night, for them would shake them into defection.
When God would strike the Shepherd, His sheep would scatter. They would flee away just as the Prophet Zechariah tells us.
It was the will of the Lord to crush Him– Isaiah 53:10
Even though all our Lord’s followers fell away, even His closest friends left Him, He stayed the course. He was willing and able to accomplish the Father’s will. He stayed true while everyone else fell away. Jesus is the true super-hero of our salvation.
2. Peter’s Brash Response (14:29-31)
29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” 30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” 31 But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
Every time Jesus has told His disciples about His suffering and death it has been met with denial and arrogance.
Mark 8:31–33 (ESV)
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. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
It’s like they’re not listening. The reason is that what Jesus is telling them does not match their idea of the Messiah. He cannot die and still lead an army against the Romans. If Jesus dies then it’s all over, all their dreams are gone.
Mark 9:31–32 (ESV)
31 for 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. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” 32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Mark 10:32–34 (ESV)
32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 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. 34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”
Following this one is when James and John ask that they can sit on His right and left hand in the Kingdom.
Then He gave them the Lord’s Supper teaching about His shed blood and beaten body. They do not get it, it does not compute for them.
There are reasons why. One again is that what Jesus tells them is going to happen is not part of their plan. It has been selectively not listened to. They don’t listen even to the point of missing what Jesus taught them about the resurrection. They were prideful and arrogant and really denied the truth.
Another reason is that they thought they were above sin and falling away. I want to focus in on Peter for a moment. Notice what he says in response to Jesus…
29 Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.”
Our biggest danger in the Christian life is to think we are above and beyond falling into sin and above and beyond others.
Rather than responding to Jesus in humility and caution over sin they were brash and arrogant. Peter especially, made very bold claims that even if they fall away (showing that he thought that they might or it wouldn’t surprise him if they did) but he would never fall away. He said he would even die with Jesus in need be. Yet, he was one of the first. He denies Jesus three times before the rooster crowed the next morning.
Peter thought he was the exception to the rule. When others fail, he would stand. This is a good word for us today. We must be very careful to not think we are above certain sins or we are holier than others. When we start thinking we have arrived and are beyond certain sins that’s when we fall.
30 And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.”
Jesus teaches Peter that he will not simply have a momentary lapse once, but he will deny Jesus three times. A three-fold denial is not a momentary slip of weakness. Three times will be the point that will later drive Peter to repent with many tears.
We are taught that we must be very careful where sin is concerned. We can be like Peter very quickly. If they all fall away I will not…We are often very quick to arrogantly condemn the sin in others that we also commit. We don’t know what other believers struggle with nor do we really know their lives and situations. It’s very easy to say Jesus, I will never fall away while standing in a safe place. However, when the crises happens it may very well be a different story all together.
There is one more interesting note found in Mark’s Gospel. He records the rooster crowing twice, just like Jesus said. He’s the only Gospel writer to do this.
Mark 14:66–72 (ESV)
66 And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, 67 and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” 68 But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. 69 And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” 70 But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” 71 But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” 72 And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
So, after the first denial, Peter heard the first crow of the rooster. I wonder if this was Jesus’ warning to not keep going?
Then there were two more denials followed by the second crow of the rooster and in that moment Peter’s heart was pierced by our Lord’s arrow and he went out and wept bitterly. Peter will not be the same as he was. His arrogance and pride will be stripped away by the Holy Spirit and replaced with humility.
Where are you today? Do you think you are above certain sins? Do you think you’re more pious and holy than others. We must be careful in this world because Satan is very sneaky and our sin nature always ready to descend into sin. Fight the good fight.
Resources Used:
Mark by William Lane
Mark by James Edwards
Words of grace
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