Believe What Jesus Says

Wednesday, May 13th, 2026

4:07 am

Good morning! Today I am in Matthew 20:17-19, Mark 10:32-34, and Luke 18:31-34. As Jesus was heading to Jerusalem, Mark tells us that Jesus was walking ahead of the disciples and they were in awe, but the other people that were behind them were overwhelmed with fear. Jesus took the 12 disciples aside, and told them for the 3rd time what was going to happen to Him in Jerusalem. Luke tells us that He tells the disciples that all the predictions of the prophets concerning the Son of Man would come true. He told them that the Son of Man would be betrayed there to the leading priests and teachers of religious law, and they would sentence Him to die. Then they would hand Him over to the Romans and they would mock Him, spit on Him, flog Him, whip Him, and crucify Him, but 3 days later He would be raised from the dead. Luke adds that the disciples still did not understand. That the significance of Jesus' Words was hidden from them.

This was the 3rd time Jesus predicted His death, but the disciples still did not believe Him. I find it interesting that Mark states that the disciples were in awe of Jesus while all the other people around them were overwhelmed with fear. The disciples may have been in such awe of everything they had seen Jesus do, that they could not accept what Jesus was saying to them. I mean, how could someone like Jesus, that helped and healed all the people He did, be put to death? Why would anyone want to kill Him? I could understand their awe, and their unwillingness to accept what He was saying. But all the other people were afraid. I imagine they were afraid because they heard the rumors of the religious leaders wanting to catch Him. They knew there was going to be trouble, but they still were following Him.

The other thing I notice is what Luke says, "The significance of His Words were hidden from them (Luke 18:34)." I do believe that God is the one that gives us understanding to what Jesus says (Proverbs 2:6). Perhaps God did not want them to understand yet, because if they truly grasped what He was saying, they would have tried their best to stop Him. But after everything unfolded, and He was raised from the dead, they immediately remembered everything He had told them. His predictions of His death and resurrection, as well as the old prophets predictions, showed the disciples and us today, that these events were planned from the beginning, not accidents.

The disciples did not believe what Jesus said until after the resurrection. Today, we have His Word, Genesis through Revelation, about everything that happened and everything that will happen. The whole Bible tells the whole story. And evidence has been dug up throughout the years, and still to this day, that shows everything that the Bible says is real. But it is our decision to accept or not. Believe what Jesus says or not. God has given us all the proof we need to prove that He exists and that Jesus is still alive. We must decide. God is the one who gives us understanding, but if we choose not to believe, He will not give us understanding. God loves us and He wants all of us to come to Him and believe, but He will not force us. If we choose to accept, He begins to give us understanding, opening our eyes, hearts, and minds. We have to choose for ourselves. Believe what the Bible says. Believe what Jesus says. Believe and receive. Receive the forgiveness, mercy, and salvation that only He gives. He is the truth and the life. He is the only way.