Mark 8:27-9:13 | Who Is Jesus?

Sermon Outline: "The Glorious True Identity and Deity of Jesus Christ"

Passage: Mark 8:27-9:13

The Confession of Christ's Identity

Mark 8:27–30 ESV

27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Man’s Confession

(29) Matthew 16:16 “16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.””

John 6:68–69 “68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.””

Acts 2:36 “36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.””

Romans 10:9 “9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Acts 4:12 “12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.””

Explanation: Peter recognizes Jesus as the Messiah. This is what saves!

Quote: "The acknowledgment of Jesus as the Christ is the cornerstone of our faith." - John Stott

The Divine Revelation

(29) Matthew 16:17 “17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

1 Corinthians 2:10 “10 these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God.”

1 Corinthians 2:14 “14 The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Ephesians 1:17–18 “17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints,”

Galatians 1:12 “12 For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

Explanation: Understanding / Accepting / Believing Jesus' true identity is only by divine revelation.

The Implications for Believers

1 John 4:15 “15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”

John 20:31 “31 but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”

Colossians 2:6 “6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,”

Explanation: Confessing Jesus as Lord leads to salvation AND transformation.

Application: Reflect on who you say Jesus is in your life. Is your confession merely words, or is it reflected in your actions?

The Path of Suffering and Glory

Mark 8:31–9:1 ESV

31 And he began to teach them that 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. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” 34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? 37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” 1 And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

The Necessity of the Cross

Mark 8:31 “31 And he began to teach them that 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.”

Luke 24:26 “26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?””

Isaiah 53:5 “5 But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

Hebrews 7:27 “27 He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself.”

Hebrews 9:12 “12 he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 9:22 “22 Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Explanation: Jesus explains that suffering is necessary for redemption.

The Call to Die-scipleship

Mark 8:34–35 “34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.”

Luke 14:27 “27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Hebrews 5:8 “8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.”

Galatians 2:20 “20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

Quote: "The cross is the path to glory." - Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Explanation: Following Jesus means taking up our cross and embracing sacrifice.

The Promise of Glory

Romans 8:17 “17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

2 Timothy 2:12 “12 if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;”

1 Peter 4:13 “13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.”

Revelation 3:21 “21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.”

Explanation: Suffering with Christ leads to sharing in His glory.

Illustration: Just as a caterpillar must struggle in a cocoon to become a butterfly, so must Jesus go through suffering to achieve glory.

Application: Embrace the trials of life as opportunities to grow closer to Christ, knowing that suffering leads to glory.

The Transfiguration Revealing Jesus’ Divinity

Mark 9:2–13 ESV

2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here. Let us make three tents, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were terrified. 7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly, looking around, they no longer saw anyone with them but Jesus only. 9 And as they were coming down the mountain, he charged them to tell no one what they had seen, until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead might mean. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” 12 And he said to them, “Elijah does come first to restore all things. And how is it written of the Son of Man that he should suffer many things and be treated with contempt? 13 But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him.”

Illustration: Consider a curtain being pulled back on a stage to reveal a breathtaking scene behind it.

The Heavenly Witnesses

Mark 9:2–4 “2 And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, 3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them. 4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus.”

Matthew 5:17 “17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

Hebrews 1:1–2 “1 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.”

John 5:46–47 “46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?””

Explanation: Moses and Elijah represent the Law and the Prophets, affirming Jesus' perfect fulfillment.

The Divine Testimony

Mark 9:7 “7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.””

2 Peter 1:17 “17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,””

John 12:28 “28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.””

Explanation: God’s voice confirms Jesus as His beloved Son, deserving of our obedience.

The Glorious Transfiguration

Mark 9:3 “3 and his clothes became radiant, intensely white, as no one on earth could bleach them.”

Quote: "The transfiguration is a window into the divine nature of Jesus." - R.C. Sproul

Philippians 3:21 “21 who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 “18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.”

Romans 8:29 “29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”

1 John 3:2 “2 Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.”

Explanation: The transfiguration foreshadows the future glory believers will share.

Application: Seek to behold the glory of Christ through prayer and scripture, allowing it to transform you and your perspective.

Conclusion: Recognize the true identity and deity of Jesus Christ, embrace the transformative power of His glory, and follow Him in the path of suffering that leads to eternal glory.

GROUP QUESTIONS

How does Peter’s confession in Mark 8:29 and Matthew 16:16 shape our understanding of who Jesus is?

Why is divine revelation necessary for understanding Jesus’ true identity, according to Matthew 16:17 and 1 Corinthians 2:10?

What does 1 John 4:15 say about the relationship between confessing Jesus as the Son of God and our connection with God?

Reflect on Mark 8:31. Why was it necessary for Jesus to suffer and die, as supported by Isaiah 53:5?

What does it mean to "take up your cross" as described in Mark 8:34-35 and Galatians 2:20?

How does Romans 8:17 encourage us to view our present sufferings in light of future glory?

In Mark 9:2-4, Moses and Elijah appear with Jesus. How do they represent the Law and the Prophets, and what does this signify?

Discuss the significance of God’s voice in Mark 9:7 and 2 Peter 1:17. How does this affirm Jesus' identity?

How does the transfiguration in Mark 9:3 foreshadow the transformation believers will experience, as explained in Philippians 3:21?

How can we actively seek to behold the glory of Christ in our daily lives, allowing it to transform us, as suggested by 2 Corinthians 3:18?