The Death and Resurrection of the Kingنموونە

A new chapter of Jesus’ mission

“When Jesus had finished all these sayings, He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’” (Matthew 26:1-2)

Today’s verses are taken from the gospel of Matthew, chapter 26. In the preceding 25 chapters, Matthew has recorded how Jesus “went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction” (Matthew 9:35, compare Matthew 4:23). This was an important part of Jesus’ mission. He had come to teach people about God’s Kingdom and to show them what this Kingdom is like, by the miracles He did. Many of His sayings are written down in the Bible and we can profit greatly by studying them.

But in chapter 26, Matthew writes about a new episode in Jesus’ mission. He had finished teaching, and was now heading for Jerusalem... to be killed on a cross! In order for God’s Kingdom to break through, Jesus Christ was to sacrifice Himself for sinful humans. He was to lay down His life.

For many, this announcement of Jesus evokes resistance. They appreciate His wise words, for example in the Sermon on the Mount. They marvel at His power and goodness as shown in the miracles He did. But the idea of a Savior who dies in their place repels them.

How about you? What do you think of this part of Jesus’ mission?