WHO IS JESUS? MARK 8:27-38

 

8:27-30

Peter’s Confession

Jesus took the disciples north to Cesarea Philippi, a full day’s walk from Bethsaida. This again was a Gentile area. It was in the territory of Philipp the Techrach. He took a small village and built it into a city to honor Caesar. He built a temple to Caesar there. 

It was also a center of pagan worship. Originally, it was a center of Baal worship and was called Balinas. Then the Greeks turned it into a place to worship Pan, a god of nature. 

As they walked, Jesus taught the disciples. He asked them who people said he was. They repeated the speculation. 

Some people thought he was the resurrected John the Baptist, or Elijah returned from heaven. Others thought he was the return of one of the other Old Testament prophets. 

This shows us that, while many people wanted to see Jesus heal or listen to him teach, the did not know or believe who he was. They were spiritually blind, like the Pharisees who came to argue with Jesus. 

After getting them to repeat of the speculation about him, Jesus asked them what they thought. This question intensifies the situation, calling on the disciples to confess their faith in who Jesus is. Amazingly, Peter declares, or confesses, that Jesus is the Christ (messiah). His confession represents the confession of the Twelve. 

Remember that “Christ”, from the Greek, and “Messiah”, from the Hebrew, are both titles. They derive from the Greek and Hebrew words for “anointed one”. 

William Barclay translates this verse as follows:

“You - who do you say that I am”. Peter answered him, “You are God’s Anointed One”. 

In response, Jesus gave the disciples strict instructions to tell no one about him. (30) Why did Jesus say this? Why not tell them to start preaching right then? 

Despite his confession, the fact is that Peter did not understand what type of Messiah\Christ Jesus was. We will see this plainly in the next story. 

The Jewish belief at the time was of a Superman king who would defeat the pagan nations and restore Israel to the greatness it once had. Many Jewish writings between the times of the Old Testament and New Testament taught this.

Peter also did not understand all that being a disciple and apostle would entail. He now had partial sight only, like the blind man after Jesus first touched him. 

Jesus would soon teach him what all this meant. 

8:31-33

Jesus Reveals His Fate

Having received Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ, Jesus began to teach the disciples what this meant and what would happen in the future. He said it plainly, not couched in parables. (32)

He said “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” (31) 

So, Jesus, as Christ, had these things in his future:

1. Suffering
2. Rejection
3. Death
4. Resurrection.

These things are in complete opposition to the understanding of the Messiah at the time. They are reflective of Old Testament prophesy, however. For example, Isaiah 53:1-2:

“Who has believed what he has heard from us and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not.” 

Peter revealed his lack of understanding and his rejection of God’s will. He actually took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him for saying these things. Peter wanted the victorious warrior king as Messiah, not the suffering servant or sacrificial lamb. He rejected God’s design for salvation. 

Jesus then strongly rebuked Peter, apparently in the hearing of the other disciples. He said “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (31) 

That had to hurt, having Jesus call you Satan. But Jesus realized that Peter was not motivated by serving God at that moment, but seeking an earthly kingdom and power. He was used of Satan in that moment to tempt Jesus. 

Satan had previously tempted Jesus face to face in the wilderness, showing him all the kingdoms of earth and saying “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me”. (Matthew 4:9) The offer was to rule the nations without experiencing suffering and death on the cross for sinners. 

Satan offered the same this time, but speaking through the leader of Jesus’ followers. And, as Jesus told Satan to be gone (Matthew 4:10), he told Peter to get behind him, to get out of the way. Jesus was determined to follow the will of the Father and the plan of redemption. 

8:34-38

Jesus Teaches Discipleship

Jesus then called the whole crowd to him and taught them the meaning of discipleship. It did not mean being privilege, it meant sacrifice. A disciple would deny himself, saying no to himself and yes to Jesus. 

For those looking to be powerful, as when the mother of James and John sought privileged position for her sons in the kingdom, Jesus said no. (Matthew 20:20-28) Rather, discipleship means denying yourself, not seeking power or privilege. 

It also meant sacrifice, taking up your own cross. The cross meant being treated as a criminal for following Jesus. It meant death and suffering. Jesus was saying the disciple must be prepared and willing to give his life for Jesus. These are all things Jesus did and suffered. He does not call us to do what he was unwilling to do. 

Then, denying one’s self and being willing to sacrifice, one follows Jesus wherever he leads. He might lead you to a normal life doing the ordinary things people do, but always living for Jesus and proclaiming him. But it might mean going somewhere away from home to proclaim the gospel, risking opposition and even physical death. 

The alternative, according to Jesus is losing your life when you try to save it. But those who give their lives for Jesus will be saved. Your soul is more important than anything. Gaining the whole world in this life is worth nothing if you lose your soul for eternity. (36)

Judgment is certain. Those who reject Jesus in this life, being ashamed of him, will be rejected by him when he returns in glory and with the holy angels. (38)

So, in this chapter we see how Mark has grouped stories together to make a point. There was a man at Bethsaida who was blind. Jesus’ first action gave him partial sight. Only the second round gave him full sight.

The Pharisees who opposed Jesus were blind. Due to their lack of belief, Jesus walked away and left them blind. 

Peter and the disciples had partial sight. Their exposure to Jesus, their partial understanding, and their belief allowed them to finally see that Jesus is the Christ, but not to understand the kind of Christ he is. They do not understand that he will not fight military battles, but will suffer, die and rise again. But, they will understand later, after receiving the Holy Spirit. 

There are many versions of Jesus presented today. But the only version that matters is the one revealed in the Bible. The real Jesus did not come to make everything good for you in this life. He lived a perfect life for our sake and died a substitutionary death for our sins.

He demands belief, trust, and obedience if we are to enter into his eternal kingdom. He rewards us with eternal life and fellowship with God.