“Jesus knew that He would die. But He was in perfect command of the situation. He knew that the death He was dying was the worst that the forces of evil could do to Him, and He knew that He would rise triumphant. He said that He would rise, and He made His words good. The last picture that the Gospels give us of Jesus is that of the Mighty Conqueror. Matthew tells us that He commissioned His followers to preach the gospel and to make disciples, adding, ‘lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world’ (Matthew 28:20). His triumph does not cease. It continues in the mission of His followers. The eschatological discourse in Mark 13 envisages struggle and difficulty for Christian men until the end of time. But the dominant thought is not difficulty. It is the final triumph of Christ.”

-Leon Morris in The Cross in the New Testament