Astonished Fearful and Content

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MARK

ASTONISHED FEARFUL AND CONTENT

Mark 10:32-34

32 They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him. 33 "We are going up to Jerusalem," he said, "and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, 34 who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise." 

NIV

Many of the things Jesus said were indeed astonishing and we should not be surprised that his disciples were astonished. It may also not surprise us that some who followed Jesus were afraid. They had never heard such teaching like his, and at times it can shake people right to the core. But when he took his twelve aside and spoke to them about the future events that were to happen, we will see how they respond in the next narrative, at least how some responded, James and John, but for now we should be astonished, mixed with a little fear as well as contentment. We should be astonished because we have all this recorded for us to believe. We know Jesus is the Son of God and the Son of man. We know all the things, the miracles he did while here on earth. We know he did experience exactly what he was telling his disciples would happen to him. We should be astonished that even in our sinful state Jesus still lives in us, and we are saved. We should be astonished in that truth. We cannot ever be perfect, without sin, and yet because of what Jesus did, and our faith in him we are saved from eternal death, and have instead, eternal life. How astonishing is that? We should also have a little fear because of the greatest of Jesus and his power and might. We should not become so familiar with him, so casual about our relationship with him that we do not presume upon our salvation. Yes, it is a free gift, but with it comes certain responsibilities, certain expectations, certain requirements of a life worthy of being call his follower, his disciple. When, not if, we fail him, and it is certain we will, we should be filled with remorse, sadden because of our failure, fearful of failing again, and astonished because he forgives us, and that is where the contentment floods our soul. It is difficult to imagine astonishment, fear and contentment all existing simultaneously within us, but if we understand the truth about Jesus then we should understand how those three exists together. These exist within us mostly due to the last statement of Jesus, “Three days later he will rise.” What matter is all the rest, if Jesus remained dead? All the religions of the world serve dead prophets, teachers, or gods, but we serve a risen Savior, a living powerful Lord, able to conquer death, so we too may also. That alone should cause us to be astonished, fearful and content.