Jesus' Passion Prediction (AQA GCSE Religious Studies A): Revision Note
Exam code: 8062
32 They were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them; they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them what was to happen to him, 33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death; then they will hand him over to the Gentiles; 34 they will mock him, and spit upon him, and flog him, and kill him; and after three days he will rise again.” (Mark 10:32–34)
What are the passion predictions?
This event happened in the later part of Jesus’s ministry, once he started to teach his disciples in more detail about the importance of his role on Earth
Jesus spoke to all twelve disciples and shared details about what would happen to him at the end of his life
This was the third time Jesus made one of his passion predictions
This one contained the most details about what would happen in the future
Jesus explained:
In Jerusalem, he would be handed over and condemned to death by the chief priests and teachers of the law
He would be handed over to the Gentiles
They would mock him and kill him
He would rise again three days later
These events are exactly what happened to Jesus at the end of his life
The significance of these predictions
The passion predictions show that Jesus knew exactly what was going to happen to him
He had accepted it as God’s will and as a key part of his ministry
Jesus wanted the disciples to understand that there was the promise of resurrection at the end of it all
He wanted them to understand that the meaning of the title Son of Man, which he used of himself, signified that he was the Messiah
Jesus understood that as the Messiah, he would suffer and that this would lead to his death
Gentiles is a term used to refer to the non-Jews: the Romans, who ruled the land and had the authority to put people to death, while the Jewish leaders did not
Therefore, the Jews who condemned Jesus had to hand him over to the Roman authorities to be executed
Jesus as an example of discipleship
Some of the disciples were afraid when Jesus told them this news
This was understandable: going to Jerusalem was full of danger
By carrying on with his mission, Jesus is an example of discipleship, both to his disciples and to Christians today
Remaining committed: Jesus could have taken the safe route and remained in Galilee rather than going to Jerusalem and putting himself in harm’s way
Christians today learn to remain committed to their faith, even when times are difficult
Being prepared to suffer: Jesus knew that he would face a terrible death, but he carried on with his ministry, as it was so important
Christians today believe they need to be like Jesus and the early disciples, many of whom became martyrs themselves
They need to be prepared to face suffering to remain true to their faith
Worked Example
In his third passion prediction (Mark 10:32–34), which detail did Jesus include about what would happen to him?
[1 mark]
A. He would be crowned king in Jerusalem.
B. He would be betrayed by one of the disciples.
C. He would be worshipped by the Romans.
D. He would be handed over to the Gentiles.
Answer:
D. He would be handed over to the Gentiles.
Jesus told his disciples that he would be handed over to the Gentiles (the Romans), who would mock, flog and kill him.
Examiner Tips and Tricks
This detailed passion prediction (Mark 10:32–34) is a perfect summary of what in fact happened to Jesus in the last days of his life. Learning Mark 10:33–34 will be useful to demonstrate your knowledge of the events of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus.
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