Why Must This Be?
He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. (Mark 8:31)
After Peter made his bold and beautiful confession that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus began to tell the disciples what that meant. It meant that Jesus had come into this world to save sinners. He was the one who had been promised from the beginning. He was the one whom the prophets prophesied about. He was the one who fulfilled God’s plan.
God’s plan included Jesus suffering at the hands of the chief priests and the elders, the leaders of the people. It meant that he would be arrested and sentenced to die on a cross. It meant that he would be placed in a tomb and three days later, rise from the dead. It all had to happen this way. This was the only way that we could have the forgiveness of sins. It was the only way that we can enter heaven. This was the very purpose for which Jesus entered into this sin-filled world. It had to be this way for us.
And that’s exactly how it happened. Despite Peter’s efforts to stop it from happening, God’s plan was carried out to perfection. Jesus went to the cross as our perfect substitute. He suffered the pain and torment that was meant for us. And he gave us the victory through his death and resurrection. This was God’s plan for us, that we might be his children. Amen.
The song for today is “He Stood Before the Court” performed by Koine