Expectations

Expectations are hard to overcome. As a mom Susie is very close to her kids; lots of hugs, kisses, cuddle time on the couch to talk and more are just some of the ways she and the kids express their love to each other. When we brought my sister’s kids into our home she had the expectation that Sam, Courtney and Jacob would all come to make the same kind of connection with her but that hasn’t happened. We are not sure of all the reasons why it’s this way, but the one thing we do know is that unmet expectations have led to disappointment.

Jesus has been with his disciples now for sometime. They have listened to him teach about the Kingdom of God and have witnessed the power of God in all kinds of miracles. As they were together Jesus asked them who people said that He was. They answered that others thought he might be John the Baptist, Elijah or other prophets. Then Jesus made it personal.

• [29] "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
  Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
  [30] Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
  [31] 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 8:29-31 (NIV)

We all know that Peter got this question right. In Matthew Jesus tells Peter that this was not revealed by man but by the Father in heaven. Yet Jesus warns Peter and the other disciples not to tell anyone that He is the Christ, the Messiah. Why?

I believe it was their expectations. The Jews, including Jesus’ disciples were all looking for the coming Messiah but their expectations were for the Messiah to be a conquering king and reestablish the kingdom within Israel. But Jesus immediately began teaching his disciples that he must suffer and die. This didn’t fit with their idea of the Messiah; no wonder they couldn’t understand what Jesus meant by rising again after three days.

While Jesus told the disciples many times that He would go to Jerusalem and die, when it happened they just couldn’t believe it. Their expectations of the Messiah were shattered; at the cross we know of only John being present. The others were all scattered. Three days latter they were still hiding for fear of the Jews and not anticipating the triumphal resurrection of Jesus.

Unmet expectations; is it any wonder Jesus did not want the disciples to begin to spread the news that He was in fact the Messiah. Jesus not only had to teach them what it meant to be the Messiah; He had to show them too. Only after the resurrection did the disciples begin to understand Jesus as a suffering Messiah who died to forgive their sins. That’s the message that they would soon begin to share everywhere they would go. What do you think?