Sermon Tone Analysis

Testing to Testifying

(insert testifying illustration)

Jesus coming from a time of tasting the goodness of the Lord and His provision (Mk8:1-10; feeding the 4,000), to testing (Mk8:11-26; healing blind man on Sabbath), to a time of testing and challenging the disciples in our passage tonight (Mk8:27-38)

Jesus has left the multitude behind and now is traveling with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Phillippi and Jesus has a couple of questions for them.

After travelling with Jesus, seeing the signs, seeing the wonders, the questions are set to settle once and for all who is this Jesus the disciples are following.

What kind of man is He?

Is He the one who was to come or is there another (Mt11:2); Could this Jesus be the Son of David?

(Mt12:23) Peters confession in the passage is pivotal to the disciples, to the apostles, for the birth of the church was not far off and they needed to be ready, so we here 2000 years later can be part of that church.

Mk7:27

Who do people say I am?

Mk8;

Here is the question, and look at the answer given

First, Jesus is now in a very Gentile area under the rule of Phillip the Terarch one of Herod the Great’s sons.

A place and time where hypocritical questions are not uncommon, critical thinking was encouraged, and today as we look at the questions and the responses it matters eternally.

The question Jesus asked in the Greek is in the imperfect tense meaning it it had been a question asked time and time again, repeatedly or continually.

The question had the disciples thinking, questioning what they had heard about who Jesus is.

some thought John the Baptist, the forerunner to the Messiah.

Some thought he was Elijah since it is promised Elijah would have to come before the Messiah; you can read about Elijah more in Mt9:18-26, and in 1Kings17

Some thought he was Elijah since it is promised Elijah would have to come before the Messiah

There was no doubt that Jesus had authority from heaven like the prophets did, so he could be a prophet; He spoke as God’s mouthpiece just like the prophets did.

So here we have the first question, who do people say that I am.

Even today you can get many answers can’t you?

But the important question is still yet to come.

It is more direct and more pointed and has great implications and application

Who do you day that I am?

Mk8:29

Notice the wording of the question, does it say who do you think I am? or does it say who do you SAY that I am?

Is there a significance?

Yes there is,this is preparing them for evangelism.

Just like you now, you are being prepared for when you leave here to be able to go out and evangelize!

Who we say that Jesus is matters.

No middle of the road answer will do, it a time for commitment as you will see further down in the passage.

Peter opens his mouth, as he is accustomed to doing, answers the question, but does that give Peter special prominence or a special place?

We will let the scripture speak of that and answer that in just a minute.

Mt16:15

PEter who stepped out of the boat by faith, had his faith that wavered with the waves now is more confident in his reply.

YOU ARE THE CHRIST!

Matthew goes a step further and adds “the Son of the Living God.”

No longer thought of as a prophet, no longer just another miracle worker, He is the now called who He is the Messiah Himself, the Savior of the world who takes away the sin of the world that John proclaimed He would do.

Who you say He is, what you believe, what you proclaim matters!

It matter then to them for they were going to be the leaders of the first church ever that would be born on Pentecost.

Who you say He is matters

Mt

I think it is important to bring in the Matthew account for it brings in other details not in the Mark account and it helps us to understand the passage in context.

Well, from the words of Peter we know where he and the disciples stand.

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Jesus tells Peter it is by the Father that this has been revealed to him.

It is only by divine revelation that this is made known at this time and they are told not to say anything to anyone, at this time.

Now I have a few minutes so want to look at what Jesus said again

Mt

If you bring in the Greek words it would be you are Peter (Petros: rock) and on this rock (petra) I will build My church.

It was on Peters confession, on Peters words that the church would be built on when it is kept in context.

In the Greek the petra is really petras meaning one of many that the church would be built on.

See it is not the people but the words, “You re the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” it was going to be built on the words of the apostles, not just Peter.

Proven by Luke

or there is, because of the foundation that the apostles built we too have everything we need to be fellow citizens!

All fitting together with Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.

Eph2:21-22

Peter may have been the mouthpiece, and spearheaded the message on Pentecost, but he was still only one of the 12.

It was on this rock quarry (the apostles) that Christ was going to build His church, the ekklesia, the called out one’s.

Notice again in the verse

Mt

My church, so it is the church that Jesus Christ built and it is His church and that eliminates any other way, any other church for we know what he said to the apostles also

Now, even Peter, did not have a full understanding of the kingdom and what Jesus was saying in (v.31) - again Peter opened his mouth and this time got a stern rebuke from Jesus

Mk

See Peter was thinking worldly kingdom, Jesus was talking about the heavenly kingdom, not just heaven, but a heavenly kingdom (greek word basilia) meaning, rule, reign, authority of Jesus the the apostles and the church would operate under here on earth until they received the kingdom of heaven, in the mansion the Father has prepared

Jesus went to the cross to prepare the way for us to enter into the kingdom, Peter’s confession is like ours, we need to know who Jesus is and proclaim it.

for what bind on earth you bind in heaven, and the gates of hades will not prevail.

Mt

Mt1

We are different from them, we are to tell everyone, inside or outside, we are to proclaim the kingdom of God! Proclaim the forgiveness of sins that is available.

what we bind on earth (the teaching the opportunity for salvation) will be bound in heaven (opportunity for entrance into the heavenly and to heaven) so they were going to need to very careful what they taught, what they preached.

As should we.

Stay to the scripture, let the scripture speak when you speak and it will not return void!