Rise and Follow: 30 Days in MarkSample

Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem where he will reveal his glory as King. Except when Jesus becomes king, he does so in a way no other king does. He will be crowned with thorns, lifted up on a cross, and mocked by his own people. Jesus warns his disciples that this is going to happen, but they don’t understand. They can’t grasp the concept of a king who rules by giving up his life. They don’t get how surrender can lead to victory.

The disciples were used to the power structures of the world where the higher you climb the more glory you gain for yourself. But in God’s kingdom, those structures get flipped upside down. It turns out, the strongest power is not might, but sacrificial love. Leadership is service. Honor is humility. And as the disciples will soon be shocked to discover, God’s glory is revealed nowhere other than on a Roman execution device on a hill outside Jerusalem.

Reflection Questions:

• How is God speaking to me through these verses?
• What does this set of verses teach me about God?
• What does this show me about the good news of Jesus?
• How can I apply what I read today?