Jesus Remembered: Christianity in the Making, vol. 1

THE CLIMAX OF JESUS MISSION
»17.4
In addition, serious charges had probably been levelled against him: of sorcery,
of sabbath violation, possibly of being a rebellious son 182 — all of which,
according to the later transcribed ruling of m. Sank. 7.4, were punishable by
stoning. According to Matt. 23.37/Luke 13.34 (§17.3a) Jesus may have reckoned
with the possibility of being stoned. And according to Mark 14.8 pars. (§13.4b
n. 166) Jesus may have anticipated the likelihood of burial without anointing,
that is, a criminal's burial. Arguably, the fact that such premonitions were not realized
(he was not stoned, he probably was given a proper burial) indicates that
Jesus was remembered as so surmising, despite the fact that a different outcome
transpired. 183
Whatever had gone before, Jesus could hardly have undertaken the symbolic
action in the Temple (whatever it was) without being fully aware that he
was throwing down a gauntlet to the Temple authorities (§ 15.3d), especially if he
had also spoken provocatively about the Temple's destruction and replacement
(§15.3a). 184 Nor is it likely that he was at all surprised by his subsequent arrest or
by the accusations brought against him. Jesus would have been extraordinarily
naive had he not seen where such actions and opposition were likely to end.
c. The Passion Predictions
The most controversial evidence to be considered is the three statements attributed
to Jesus — in many ways the most interesting of the Son of Man sayings,
left aside earlier as most appropriately considered at this point.
Matt. 16.21
21 From that time on,
Jesus began to show his
disciples that he must
go to Jerusalem and undergo
great suffering at the hands of
the elders and chief
priests and scribes, and be
killed, and on the third day be
raised.
Mark 8.31
31 Then
he began to teach them
that the Son of Man must
undergo
ereat suffering, and be rejected
bv the elders, and the chief
priests, and the scribes, and be
killed, and after three days rise
again.
Luke 9.22
22 ... saying
that 'The Son of Man must
undergo
great suffering, and be rejected
by the elders, and chief
priests, and scribes, and be
killed, and on the third day be
raised'.
182. See above, §§12.5d, 15.7b, and 14.4a and chapter 14 n. 253.
183. Jeremias, Proclamation 284. On the other hand, Mark 2.20 (or 2.19b-20) looks as
though it is an elaboration of 2.19a in the light of Jesus' death, expressive of the sense within
the early groups of disciples that after all, in the changed circumstances, fasting was again appropriate
(see, e.g., Pesch, Markusevangelium 1.175-76; Guelich, Mark 1.111).
184. C. A. Evans is of the opinion that Jesus did not specifically talk of his own death
until after entering Jerusalem and concludes that the Passion predictions should be dated to the
Passion week itself ('Did Jesus Predict His Death and Resurrection?' in S. E. Porter, et al., eds.,
Resurrection [JSNTS 186; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic, 1999] 82-97 [here 86-91]).
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