Sayre Woods Bible Church

³²They 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, ³⁴who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

This passage follows a discourse on entering the kingdom of God that evidently astonished the disciples, but scared those who followed Jesus.  How did that happen?  Why were the reactions of the disciples so different from the reactions of the people who were following?

I figure the disciples got excited when Jesus told them in the preceding verses that if they left their jobs and family for Him and the gospel, they would reap bountifully.  That was them.  They were in for the long haul.  Jesus called and they came without reservation.  They might have been too excited to hear about the price that would be required – persecution, but we’ll save that for another discussion.

As for the rest of those following Jesus, they were afraid.  Why?  Did they think the promises Jesus had just made applied only to the twelve?  Didn’t they want those things that Jesus promised?  Didn’t they want eternal life in the age to come?  Maybe, just maybe, they hadn’t really left their families, homes, and jobs.  Maybe they were just there for the handouts and the healings.  It reminds me of my two favorite words – free and food, especially when they are put together!  Who of us wouldn’t be up for a freebie?

I don’t know what their reasons, but Mark says they were afraid.  Were they hung up on the persecution aspect?  I don’t think so.  I think it was a matter of commitment.  They weren’t sold out.  They hadn’t bought in.

So, one lesson we can apply from this one verse is fairly obvious.  Our response to the promises of Jesus will differ depending on the extent to which we have bought into Jesus.  Like Peter said “We have left everything to follow You.”  Have you left everything to follow Jesus?  You don’t have to tell me, I can see it by the way you have responded to Jesus’ call on your life.  You are either astonished…or afraid.  If you have heard His call, leave your homes, your families, your jobs, and your fear behind and follow Him.