To be or not to be

Prayer of Confession and Petition

The early disciples faced confusion, uncertainty, fear, and indifference as they witnessed Jesus' progressive revelation of His mission through His powerful, miraculous works. Similarly, our lives present challenges that may slow, detour, or overturn our faith pilgrimage alongside our Master and Savior. When Jesus asked about His identity, He encouraged them to embrace all that He is, all His work and teaching, and all the truth in His person amid the world's uncertainty. This serves as a reminder: our understanding of Jesus of Nazareth will define each of us as we live out the Way Jesus blazed for us.

Read Mark 8:27-33.

Key Question: Am I defined by Jesus’ full identity or my own version of Jesus?

The world faces a paramount question. (v. 27-28)

1. As Jesus walked with the Disciples, they found themselves in the northernmost region of old Israel. Mount Hermon is the highest point in all of the land of Israel, and is now overrun by gentiles who practice idolatry and honor false gods.

a. Near the foothills of Mount Hermon, the pagan worship of Pan.

b. A wild, unruly pagan idol is lingering in the background of Jesus’ question to his disciples.

c. Mount Hermon is relevant in that

i. Joshua defeated the Amorite kings (Deuteronomy 3:8-9, Joshua 12:1-5)

ii. It is part of Manasseh’s inheritance (Joshua 13:5-11; 1 Chronicles 5:23)

iii. Mount Hermon is cited as a joyful witness of God’s craftsmanship (Psalm 89:12)

2. Jesus speaks to the disciples, seeking to understand how the people understand Jesus to be among them. Here, Jesus discerns the chatter of those who see works and miracles and hear teaching with authority.

3. The answers are rooted in common theology, as the people see in part and understand in part. Because of the commotion a year prior to this instance in the Gospel of Mark, some believe Jesus is his resurrected cousin, John the Baptist. Others see Jesus of Nazareth as the promised return of Elijah (not understanding that Elijah had already appeared). After all, after Moses, Elijah is the most revered figure of the Old Testament.

The crowds may perceive in part, yet, there is a certain indifference in their response to Jesus.

Jesus shifts the focus—Who am I to you? (v. 29-30)

1. As the journey continues, the conversation shifts when Jesus asks, “Who do YOU say that I am?” This question marks the climax of Peter’s Gospel, as recorded by John Mark. The focus shifts from the general and broad to the narrow and specific. Now, Jesus is getting to the core of those who follow him.

2. The main point of the text is not to magnify the disciples or to marvel at their intellectual acumen in their confession of the true identity and nature of Jesus as the Christ. The totality of the confession is focused on the person, glory, and ministry of the second person of the Godhead—the Son of God in the flesh.

a. Anointing the Priests—Sets them apart for God’s Service (Deuteronomy 29:7)

b. Anointing a King—Separates the king as a servant of God (1 Samuel 9)

c. Anointing a Prophet—Separates an individual as a proclaimer of God’s truth (Isaiah 6:1-7)

3. As Jesus makes his true identity clear, now that the disciples have confessed to him, it is time for them to keep quiet about it because of their limited understanding of who he is among them, so as not to muddle the whole truth of what he must do.

Do I understand the marvel and mystery of Jesus being true God and true man dwelling among us?

The Messiah makes his mission crystal-clear. (v. 31-33)

1. Jesus's mission is now fully on display for the disciples to see. While the disciples may not understand it, the words of Jesus still lead us to a full appreciation of the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

a. Jesus explains that the path to God’s victory lies through suffering.

b. Jesus makes it clear that it is not the drags of society that will lead him to his demise, but the respected families, the political powers, and the religious leaders and teachers of his day.

c. The way to life is through death and the grave, not through a palace or a grandiose military victory over Rome.

Psalm 22—The author describes the path through which the anointed one of God will acquire his crown, glory, and kingdom to redeem humanity and creation.

Psalm 69—Displays the propitiation and imputation of the Messiah upon his people.

Isaiah 53—Discloses the path of suffering the Servant of YHWH will undergo to bring hope and life to YHWH’s people.

Daniel 7:9-14—The visions in the night disclose the rule of God’s Son, forever.

2. Jesus is openly teaching the disciples the full scope of his work, and Peter intercedes, hoping to save the day so that Jesus gets his homework right. After all, salvation from a deliverer can only mean salvation from the here and now, right? It has nothing to do with eternal life, right? We must hold to this keystone truth—understanding Jesus as he is in all truth is a matter of life and death.

1 John 2:22-27

1 Corinthians 12:3

Romans 10:9-11

3. Jesus gets to the core of humanity’s problem with God. There are no shortcuts, no cheat codes, no special privileges for some and not for others. Satan opposes this because it points to the full truth of how God redeems what temptation and sin broke to pieces in the Garden of Eden.

The real issue is not loyalty or allegiance; it is one of ideology and practice. Who am I in light of who Jesus is in all his magnificence?

Romans 12:1–3 LSB

1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect. 3 For through the grace given to me I say to each one among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound thinking, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

We find the answer when...

I get who Jesus is in his own terms.

I am yielded to God’s work in my life.

I confess Jesus Christ on his terms, not mine.

Prayer of Adoration and Intercession