How does Mark 9:31 connect with Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah? Mark 9:31 in Focus “For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, ‘The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after He has been killed, He will rise on the third day.’” (Mark 9:31) Key Old Testament Threads • The Messiah would suffer, die, and yet ultimately triumph. • Specific details—being “delivered,” “killed,” and “raised on the third day”—are not New-Testament innovations; they echo a prophetic tapestry woven through the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. “Delivered into the hands of men” • Isaiah 53:6, 12 – “The LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all… He poured out His life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors.” • Zechariah 11:12-13 – The betrayal price of thirty pieces of silver prefigures the handing-over of the Shepherd. • Psalm 22:16 – “A band of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet.” These passages foretell a voluntary surrender to wicked men, just as Jesus predicts in Mark 9:31. “They will kill Him” • Isaiah 53:5 – “He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities…” • Psalm 22:14-18 – Graphic descriptions of crucifixion centuries before the method existed in Israel. • Daniel 9:26 – “The Anointed One will be cut off and will have nothing.” Each text envisions the Messiah’s violent death as the climactic offering for sin. “He will rise on the third day” • Psalm 16:10 – “You will not abandon my soul to Sheol, nor will You let Your Holy One see decay.” • Hosea 6:2 – “After two days He will revive us; on the third day He will raise us up, that we may live in His presence.” • Isaiah 53:10-11 – After His soul is made an offering for guilt, “He will see His offspring… He will prolong His days.” The resurrection promise is implicit in passages that speak of preservation from decay and the continuation of life after offering. The “Son of Man” Title • Daniel 7:13-14 – “One like a Son of Man… was given dominion, glory, and kingship.” Jesus weds Daniel’s glorious “Son of Man” with the Suffering Servant of Isaiah, revealing that exaltation comes through humiliation. Prophetic Threads Woven Together 1. Voluntary surrender → Isaiah 53; Zechariah 11 2. Substitutionary death → Isaiah 53; Psalm 22 3. Worldwide reign → Daniel 7 4. Victory over death → Psalm 16; Hosea 6 Mark 9:31 gathers these strands into one concise declaration of the gospel. Why These Connections Matter • They verify that Jesus’ passion was God’s long-planned purpose, not a tragic accident. • They show that the Old Testament and New Testament speak with one voice about salvation. • They bolster confidence in Scripture’s reliability—prophecy fulfilled in detail. • They reassure believers that suffering can precede glory, following the pattern set by the Messiah Himself. |
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