Three times in Mark 8–10 Jesus predicts his death, the disciples fail to understand or to respond appropriately, and he then teaches them about discipleship.
| Announcement of Jesus’ Death | Failure on the Part of the Disciples | Jesus Teaches on Discipleship |
|---|---|---|
| Jesus will suffer, be rejected, killed, and will rise after three days (8:31) | Peter rebukes Jesus (8:32–33) | Jesus commands them to deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him (8:33–9:1) |
| Jesus will be delivered, killed, and will rise after three days (9:30–31) | The disciples do not understand the saying and are afraid to ask him about it (9:32) | Jesus teaches that the first must be last and that those who receive children in his name receive him (9:33–50) |
| Jesus will be delivered, condemned, mocked, flogged, killed, and will rise after three days (10:33–34) | James and John ask that they may sit next to Jesus in his glory (10:35–37) | Jesus teaches that, to be great, they must become servants; to be first, they must become slaves; and that he came to serve by giving his life as a ransom for many (10:38–45) |