Every nation has its heroes and heroines. Governments often set aside a day to honor the brave men and women who have served in defending their country. The United States celebrates Veterans Day. Fellow citizens of our nation take a moment to recognize the self-sacrificial lives of our soldiers as they faced the realities of war. Civilians are reminded that on the night a soldier is deployed, he very well may be eating his last meal with his family or kissing his spouse and children for the last time. It is all too possible that the service person could fail to return home. These sobering considerations understandably produce anxiety and fear in the soldier. Dread, nervousness, and consternation could easily dominate his mind and emotions.
A public walk and private talk
In a small way, such thinking among the disciples could have easily been the backdrop of Mark 10:32-34 where the Lord began His final ascent toward Jerusalem. He would ascend with the Passover-destined crowd some 1100 meters over 52 kilometers. This trek, however, would be more than a mere exhausting walk. It came on the heels of the Lord’s teaching on discipleship: a disciple’s approach to marriage (10:1-12), a disciple’s parental approach with children (10:13-16), and a disciple’s attitudes toward his possessions (10:17-31).
The Lord’s statements vividly portrayed a violent end for the disciple. This would no doubt create uneasiness in His listeners commensurate with that of a deployed soldier. The Lord’s entourage, for example, would be uncertain of what the Lord might do or what the religious sector might do to the Lord or what unpredictable and self-preserving plot Herod might contrive against the Lord. After all, this was the third time the Lord Jesus had announced the fate that awaited Him in Jerusalem (cf. 8:31; 9:31). Indeed, the text indicates not only the apprehension of the crowd but an unusual astonishment at this peculiar Man’s calm and purposeful demeanor. Most men would shrink back and follow from behind, thus distancing themselves from the unknown of what lay ahead. The Lord, on the other hand, was in the front. He “was going before them,” much like the familiar shepherds of that culture (10:32). These Jewish listeners would easily recall how Jacob handled his fears with his brother, Esau, and how Jacob dealt with those fears by putting his entire family, servants, possessions, and flocks between himself and his brother (Gen. 32:13-21). The Lord stood in stark contrast to this biblical icon. No wonder the crowd was amazed!
The Lord’s unwavering peace is further displayed when He privately converses with His disciples. I would have expected the Lord to give a soothing speech to calm their fears in the flammable situation. Time and breath might be better used to downplay what may or may not occur at the end of their journey. However, this is not the nature of His valor.
Instead, our Lord minced no words to describe in detail what would transpire within the approaching city walls. He did not downplay the reality of what lay ahead. Rather, He underscored the dreadful dealings in store for Him. No doubt His disciples would assume their fate was the same. Fright and trepidation would easily begin to simmer under their calm exterior.
Setting the example
At the minimum, we have to confess that such bravery is most admirable. This type of man is rare and would be worth following even in the face of death. He is the living version of His preaching which said that a true disciple is one who will “deny himself and take up His cross and follow Me” (Mk. 8:34-38). Who wouldn’t be drawn to a Man of this caliber?
His example sets the bar for what is expected of any of His devotees. Indeed, this is what ought to be normal for any believer—even today. The Lord was not concerned with mere self-preservation and personal will. He had unmistakable danger in His path, yet He refused to turn from it. His face was “set as a flint” toward this endpoint (Isa. 50:7). He was resolute. He was unwavering.
The Lord walked the path He would require of each and every would-be follower. He did not merely speak theory. He was our General, showing the enlisted man how to fight the fight. Self and its own interests must be relegated to a place under the will of God. This is the attitude of the martyr and it was demanded and demonstrated by our Champion. One must confess, who would not want to follow such a Man?
The calm of confidence
What is intriguing is the motivation that held His “steadfastly to this path.” How could this Man carry the weight of certain humiliating death, knowing He would endure God’s wrath for mankind’s sin and yet still proceed with unwavering resolve? What was it in His soul that provided such an anchor for His conduct? Fortunately, the Bible tells us. In the face of reviling, suffering, and death, the Lord “committed Himself to Him who judges righteously” (1 Pet. 2:23).
Does not Gethsemane’s garden dramatically display that He had entrusted right and authority for decisions about His treatment and future to His Father in Heaven? With few audible words, He quietly showed His full confidence in His Father to make the correct and right evaluation. It is this simple trust in His Father’s purposes that allowed the Lord Jesus to stay calm in a volatile and otherwise overwhelming situation.
Interestingly, Daniel’s three faithful friends demonstrated the same disposition as the Lord Jesus. Though they faced a terrifying fiery end at the hands of a maniacal despot, they, with calm and poise, declared their intentions about the matter at hand. Their actions proclaimed to all their trust in God. But notice the answer they gave when granted a second opportunity to bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s statue (Dan. 3:8-15). They informed the king that there was no need for a repeat symphonic performance or to give them another opportunity to evade the grim fate that awaited them. They were not going to bow down because “our God whom we serve is able to deliver us” (Dan. 3:17). However, if their God chose not to deliver them from the hand of the king, they were clear: “Let it be known to you…we do not serve your gods…nor will we worship” (Dan. 3:18). These seemingly fearless men had their bravery firmly rooted in their absolute confidence in their God.
Whatever decree came down from heaven as to whether He chose to deliver them or not, such would be perfectly satisfactory. They were fully comfortable in whatever decision the Lord exercised as pertaining to their fate. Thus, they had the wherewithal to spar with this notoriously brutal and wicked ruler.
The disposition of these three bold servants was also that of the Lord centuries later and is the very mindset that is required of a servant of God today. Indeed, this quiet internal trust keeps the soldier in active combat. We cannot survive unless this kind of unspoken confidence pervades the soul. We will never be able to ascend the hills to our “Jerusalem(s)” unless we adopt Christ’s mindset. We must entrust ourselves to Him who really does judge our affairs with a right outcome. In so doing, we are given the peace which surpasses the world’s natural understanding and confounds the unbeliever as to our resolve as a follower of Jesus Christ. His trustworthiness gives us the fortitude to lay down our lives and take that path that leads up to our God-appointed destinations.