Afraid To Ask

Afraid to Ask! Mark 9:30-32 (NLT)

30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.” 32 They didn’t understand what he was saying, however, and they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

On Thursday I was in the office reading this passage of Scripture in preparation for today’s sermon.

• Like most preachers reading this passage, my intention was to read it several times and plan on preaching a sermon about what happened after v.32 – where Jesus and the disciples come to a home in Capernaum and there Jesus asks the disciples what they had been arguing about earlier.

• None of them would answer Jesus because they had been arguing about which one of them was the greatest disciple.

• So, Jesus, already knowing what the argument was about, takes a child in His arms and says in v. 37 “Anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf welcomes me, and anyone who welcomes me welcomes not only me but also my Father who sent me.”

• That’s my plan on what the sermon was going to be this morning.

But we know that there are times when God changes our plans.

• I began reading the passage and when I got to v.32, God said, “Stop right there.”

• Before we can go any further, we have to get a little backstory.

• Jesus had just driven a demon out of a young boy, because the disciples couldn’t do it.

• They are way up north of Israel – actually they were the farthest Jesus had ever been from Jerusalem.

• Now it’s time to head back – not to get themselves home, but so that Jesus can fulfill His mission (which was what? To be crucified and die for our sins, and then to rise from the dead).

I). Let’s look at part of our text again: 30 Leaving that region, they traveled through Galilee. Jesus didn’t want anyone to know he was there, 31 for he wanted to spend more time with his disciples and teach them.

A). So Jesus and the disciples (we could say) are sneaking through Galilee, trying to go unnoticed.

• Now, this is the last mention of Galilee until after the resurrection.

• Jesus is done with Galilee - they had their chance to believe in Him and blew it.

• From now until he gets to Jerusalem will be a traveling classroom where the disciples get their final semester of training. And you’ll never guess what the topic is (let’s look at the rest of v.31

B). “He said to them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He will be killed, but three days later he will rise from the dead.’”

• Now, this isn’t the first time that Jesus has talked about His coming death and resurrection.

• So, some of the disciples might have been thinking, “Her we go again – He’s talking about dying again. Not only that, but this crazy idea that He is going to rise again three days later.”

• He had just told them that part on the last chapter (8), v.31 – and v.32 tells us that He talked openly about it.

• So much so that Peter took Him aside and sort of chewed Jesus out about it (look it up – it’s in there). That’s when Jesus told Peter, “Get behind me, Satan!”

C). But this time, Jesus gives them (and us) another detail of what is going to happen: For the 1st time Jesus mentions His betrayal and His being delivered into the hands of His enemies.

• Jesus is going to be betrayed and turned over to the people who hate Him and have been wishing (and planning) to see Him dead.

D). I want you to understand how bad it is for a man of God to be delivered into human hands.

• They would have known the account of King David, in 2nd Samuel 24.

• David took a census of the people without the Lord’s permission – which was a sin. God sent the prophet Gad to David and offered King David a choice of punishments.

• 2nd Samuel 24:11-14, 11 The next morning the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, who was David’s seer. This was the message: 12 “Go and say to David, ‘This is what the LORD says: I will give you three choices. Choose one of these punishments, and I will inflict it on you.’” 13 So Gad came to David and asked him, “Will you choose three years of famine throughout your land, three months of fleeing from your enemies, or three days of severe plague throughout your land? Think this over and decide what answer I should give the LORD who sent me.” 14 “I’m in a desperate situation!” David replied to Gad. “But let us fall into the hands of the LORD, for his mercy is great. Do not let me fall into human hands.”