Falling into the Hands of Man
But there is a bright side to the text, one that is of great encouragement.
In the three announcements concerning His rejection and death, Yeshua spoke of Himself as the Son of Man. There is prophecy behind the title. It was a very well-known title for the Messiah coming from Daniel 7 which says that when He comes in power, that To Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom… Daniel 7:14a So it is the Son of Man who dies. But through this name, we understand that He will resurrect, come back, and eventually every knee will bow to Him.
Betraying the Hands Which Heal
As we consider the title Son of Man, there is more to say about how it brings out His power and humility. In this book of Mark, let’s consider the great emphasis on the word hand. He is going to be handed over into the hands of humanity.
We remember how He used His hands to deliver, save, and heal so many from disease. Do you remember the manner with which He cured people since the beginning of the book?
The first miracle was when He healed Peter’s mother-in-law. We read that He took her by the hand, then the fever left her in Mark 1:31.
In Mark 3, He healed a man with a withered hand. In Mark 5, He resurrected a young girl by taking her by the hand. In the same chapter, there is the story of the woman who had been ill for 12 years, who just wanted to touch the fringes of Yeshua’s garment. Four times the word touch is repeated in the account. It is only when she touched Yeshua that she was healed.
Then in Mark 7 He laid His hand on the man who was deaf and healed him. In Mark 8, do you remember how He took the blind man by the hand, and then how He laid His hands on his eyes and healed him? In Mark 9 He healed the poor young teenager who had a deaf and mute spirit. He took him by the hand and raised him, and he got up.
All of these experiences had the gentle and reconciling touch of the Master, but now, we are told that the Messiah was about to experience the punitive touch of man. He was being betrayed into the hands of humanity. Falling into the hands of man in his carnal anger and lawlessness is a frightening prospect.
When David was asked to choose one of three punishments, he said:“I am in great distress. Let us now fall into the hand of the LORD for His mercies are great, but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” 2 Samuel 24:14b But in order for us to attain salvation, Yeshua had no choice but to willingly fall into the hands of man. It was for the salvation of those who would mistreat Him and kill Him. God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, the Messiah died for us. Romans 5:8
He died for all humanity. If only humanity would see and accept Him as the Savior. It is this love which runs through Mark 9.