Who Do You Say That I Am?
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Introduction:
Good morning and Happy Lord’s Day to You. Please open your Bibles to the Gospel of Mark picking up where we left off and we are in chapter 8:27-33 this morning.
Up until this point in Mark, Jesus has been conducting ministry throughout Galilee with his disciples. The first half of the book of Mark will conclude in as Jesus asks his disciples:
Who Do You Say that I Am?
The question posed to the disciples is the question the Bible confronts each and everyone of us this room. In fact, that question confronts every human being ever born if the claims of the Bible are true.
If Jesus was really who He said he was, the stakes are not only high, but have eternal ramifications on how we respond to that question. One writer said,
“This is the central question of Mark’s Gospel—and of every presentation of the gospel. The essential meaning of faith is contained in the answer given.”
If you don’t feel satisfy with this sermon, I would commend to you this red book in our book stall: Who is Jesus? by Greg Gilbert for further study.
When someone claims to be your God, you really only have two choices, right? You can reject the claim or you can accept it. What you can’t do, at least for very long, is suspend judgment and just see how it plays out. Jesus claimed some amazing things about himself, and also about you. Like it or not, that has radical implications for your life…Who is Jesus? Really, it’s the most important question you’ll ever consider-Greg Gilbert.
How you respond to the question who is Jesus will determine the course of your life and your eternity.
Main Idea: Recognize the true identity of Jesus Christ because it will change your life and your eternity, as it did the disciples back then.
Recap: Do you remember that Jesus healed a blind man in two stages, or two touches. The first touch was the man’s sight restored. The second touch was the man’s sight restored completely. It was a lesson for the disciples that even though they recognized who Jesus was, they did not recognize Him fully or the extent of His person.
And Jesus ask his disciples a couple of questions to see if they really get it yet. And this question, the question that Jesus, asks his disciples, is that same question he asks you and me today.
And how you respond to that question will either change your life for good or ruin your life for eternity.
This morning we will look at two questions that every person needs to get right, because getting it wrong will result in eternal suffering.
Who is Jesus? (vv. 27-30)
What did He Come to Do? (vv. 31-33)
Scripture Reading:
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?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
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. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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.”
Up till this point, the disciples were with Jesus for several months. They were with Jesus as he choose them, as they saw him perform miracles, as he taught about the kingdom of God. And now on the way, Jesus ask his disciples a couple of questions:
I. Who is Jesus? (Identity of Jesus)
I. Who is Jesus? (Identity of Jesus)
Virtually all historians, whether secular or religious, agreed that Jesus existed in human history. The real debate, is who he is? And it was the same debate back then.
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?”
Jesus goes further North into the villages of Caesarea Philippi.
Lexham Geographic Commentary on the Gospels The History of the Site
Caesarea Philippi was a center of Hellenistic pagan worship along with the exaltation of the Roman emperor.
The Gospel of Mark 16. The Recognition of the Messiah. Ch. 8:27–30
Jesus led his disciples some 25 miles north from Bethsaida (Ch. 8:22) to the district of Iturea dominated by Caesarea Philippi, the residence of Herod Philip. The capital was located at the source of the Jordan River on the slopes of Mount Hermon in a region famed for its beauty and fertility. When the area was first given to Herod the Great by Augustus he built a temple in honor of the emperor near a grotto consecrated to the Greek god Pan. In 3 B.C. Philip rebuilt the neighboring village of Paneas as his residence and named the new city in honor of Caesar. The area was thus dominated by strong Roman associations, and it may be theologically significant that Jesus’ dignity was first recognized in a region devoted to the affirmation that Caesar is lord.
Mark 8:2
Jesus is in Gentile territories with the his disciples where they confessed Caesar as Lord and worshipped idols. And here Jesus asks them the question:
“Who do people say that I am?”
The Public Opinion
Notice the public opinion about Jesus. What did the crowds say? If they had twitter back then, what would people be tweeting about Jesus?
The Public Opinion
The Gospel of Mark 16. The Recognition of the Messiah. Ch. 8:27–30
All three opinions assign to Jesus only a preparatory role and deny to him the definitive role associated with consummation and the achievement of salvation.
A. John the Baptist
John was a powerful preacher. Jesus preached the same message as John as preacher of repentance.
Some said that in light of Jesus’ preaching, he was John the Baptist. Or even John the Baptist raised from the dead. You remembered Herod had already beheaded John, so they thought Jesus was a reincarnate John.
When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus’ name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”
He was a great preacher. Other thought he was a great miracle working prophet...
B. Elijah
People were being healed all throughout Galilee. So was this the Elijah the Prophet who was to come?
Others thought that Jesus was Elijah. You know Elijah was the great prophet of the OT who performed many miracles. He was the great prophet that confronted the wicked King Ahab. He was the great prophet who confronted the prophets of Baal at Mt. Carmel.
But one unique thing about Elijah was that he didn’t die an ordinary death. In fact, the Bible tells us he was taken to heaven.
And as they still went on and talked, behold, chariots of fire and horses of fire separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
And in fact, popular opinion of Elijah believed he would return before the great Day of the Lord, or the Day of judgment.
“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.
C. One of the Prophets
And then there was the view that Jesus was one of the prophets. Maybe even THE prophet.
“The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—
Whether it was a prophet like Jeremiah, or a prophet like Moses, Jesus proclaimed the Word of the Lord to the people.
The problem with all these views is that they missed the mark because they put Jesus as one of many great men of God, not the God-man.
The Gospel of Mark 16. The Recognition of the Messiah. Ch. 8:27–30
All three opinions assign to Jesus only a preparatory role and deny to him the definitive role associated with consummation and the achievement of salvation.
All these views viewed Jesus as a forerunner or a pointer to the coming King.
What is true then, is also true today. People have many opinions about Jesus who miss the mark.
Liberal scholars say he was a great religious teacher.
Philosophers say he was a great instructor in wisdom.
Secular people say that Jesus was a great teacher among many great teachers of history.
Muslims believe that Jesus is a great prophet of Allah.
New Age and Easterners believe Jesus was one who achieved enlightenment or One who had specialized knowledge or an Avatar.
Cults believe that Jesus was either an archangel or created being.
There are many opinions about Jesus.
Even within “Christian” circles, Jesus is the One who not only purchased salvation, but health, wealth, and prosperity. Jesus is One who will make all our problems go away.
Or if you have been raised within church, Jesus is the one who dies for sins, but it is a fact that has no bearing on your daily living. Jesus is just someone really important to mom and dad.
“If you think Jesus is a pointer, and not the point, then you missed the point.” Kevin DeYoung
Or Jesus is more of a personal coach, or a persona friend who cheers you up when life gets tough.
All these views miss the mark and fail to recognize the true identity of Jesus.
“If you think Jesus is a pointer, and not the point, then you missed the point completely.” Kevin DeYoung
“If you think Jesus is a pointer, and not the point, then you missed the point completely.” Kevin DeYoung
Opinion about Jesus does not get anyone into heaven.
Opinion is viewed formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.
The crowds did not know who Jesus really was. So Jesus asks them a second question, by the way, the question is in the plural. Who do Ya’ll Say that I Am?
And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”
Getting Jesus wrong determines where you will spend your eternal future.
Peter’s Confession: You are the Christ!
Christ is not Jesus last name, but a title, like President, or Officer. Christ was the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah, which meant Anointed One.
Peter’s confession is actually more detailed in Matthew’s account:
Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Luke refers to Him as the Messiah of God.
Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” And Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”
In the OT, prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with oil for a special task or act of service on behalf of God.
The Gospel of Mark 16. The Recognition of the Messiah. Ch. 8:27–30
In Mark Peter’s confession is given in its simplest, most direct and moving form. The basic meaning of “Messiah” is passive, “the one anointed by God.” It implies divine election and appointment to a particular task and a special endowment of power for its performance. In the OT the royal, priestly and prophetic offices are associated with an anointing with oil which symbolized consecration to God’s service and enjoyment of the divine protection (e.g. Ex. 29:7, 21; 1 Sam. 10:1, 6; 16:13; 1 Kings 19:16; Ps. 105:15; Isa. 61:1 ff.)
But throughout the years, the Jews were waiting for the Messiah to come back again and overthrow the Gentiles who were ruling over them. The Messiah would be a strong political and military ruler and usher in the glory of Israel in which it once had, but lost through wars and exiles.
“If you think Jesus is a pointer, and not the point, then you missed the point.” Kevin DeYoung
They were expecting a “Make Jersualem” great again Messiah. A Jersualem cleansed of Gentiles and their Idolatry, and where the Jews would have their land back and their Temple worship completely restored where all of Israel would reign in prosperity like in the days of King David and Solomon. But there was all sorts of political associations with that term. Messiah was a loaded term and Jesus doesn’t say their wrong, but they do not understand the type of Messiah he is.
The Gospel of Mark 16. The Recognition of the Messiah. Ch. 8:27–30
Jesus led his disciples some 25 miles north from Bethsaida (Ch. 8:22) to the district of Iturea dominated by Caesarea Philippi, the residence of Herod Philip. The capital was located at the source of the Jordan River on the slopes of Mount Hermon in a region famed for its beauty and fertility. When the area was first given to Herod the Great by Augustus he built a temple in honor of the emperor near a grotto consecrated to the Greek god Pan. In 3 B.C. Philip rebuilt the neighboring village of Paneas as his residence and named the new city in honor of Caesar. The area was thus dominated by strong Roman associations, and it may be theologically significant that Jesus’ dignity was first recognized in a region devoted to the affirmation that Caesar is lord.
And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
That is why He strictly charged them or commanded them to remain quiet. He told the demons to shut up. He told people he healed to remain silent. Because Jesus knew popular opinion about Himself and even the disciples could derail him from the mission for which he was born.
Who is Jesus to you? Who do you say Jesus is? That question is for everyone sitting in this room.
Who is Helen? A great woman. A talented woman.
Is Jesus a great example? A great historical person and fact that really doesn’t affect your day to day life? Really has no impact in how you think about life? Money? Marriage? Career? He is just a nice addition to your life or accessory that enhances your own life?
A person that your parents are devoted to? A great prophet? A great sage? Or is He the Christ?
No one can be neutral when it comes to this question.
Christian—If you do know the real identity of Jesus, blessed are you because God revealed that to you through Holy Scripture.
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. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Because we are blinded by sin, we fail to recognize the true identity of Jesus. But if we truly see his person and the significance of His person, it is not because we were smarter or brighter, but because God was gracious in revealing to us by His Holy Spirit.
Don’t have the wrong expectations of Jesus. The disciples had the wrong expectations of Jesus. They were right that Jesus was the Messiah, but they were only half-right as we will see in the next verses.
Church—The church is built upon this confession.
And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Matthew 16:
I believe the rock refer’s to Peter’s confession of Christ as the Messiah, the Son of the Living God. The works of Jesus will not make sense if you do not understand the identity of Jesus. If you understand the identity of Jesus, then you will understand the work of Jesus.
Church Membership—Therefore we must take in only members who truly recognize the true identity of the Messiah and who understand and believe in the real Jesus. Jesus is Lord and Savior. And the disciples didn’t get the full picture. They were walking with him on the road, and the works of Jesus were pointing to the identity of Jesus. When we follow Jesus, he revels himself to us more and more through His word and through His people.
Discipleship is a often a slow process of growth and recognizing Jesus more clearly isn’t it?
Transition: Jesus is the Messiah, or the Anointed One. What did the Messiah come to do? Notice the mission of Jesus...
II. What did He come to do? (The Mission of Jesus)
II. What did He come to do? (The Mission of Jesus)
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.
From this point on, Jesus mostly taught in parables about the kingdom. But now, he was crystal clear on must he must do.
The word must is significant in the original text. It is a divine must. It is of divine necessity that Jesus must do these things.
The Bible says that when man sinned, he incurred a debt.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
There must be a death that takes place because of sin. And that the whole OT presented picture after picture of sacrifice that needed to take place for a guilty sinner to live.
It was in the Garden where Adam and Eve were clothed.
It was in the Exodus where the Passover Lamb was slain.
It was in Numbers where the Rock was struck.
It was in Leviticus where the Day of Atonement required the sacrifice of animals and sprinkling of blood on the mercy seat.
It was in the sacrifices of the Tabernacle and eventually in the Temple. There must be a payment for sin because of God does not sweep sin the under the rug. Sin demands a payment.
And he identifies himself as the Son of Man. Jesus liked to use this term to himself because it was not loaded with the political baggage of Messiah. It was a vague term that could either mean just a man, or one who is from Adam, or even high view of the term in Daniel’s vision of the Son of Man.
But it was a deliberately ambiguous term that Jesus used so that the political baggage would not be placed upon him.
What must Jesus do?
A. He must Suffer Many Things
Jesus only suffering was not only his future suffering on the cross. But his suffering would begin the moment he entered into this world.
When he was born, he suffered from slander and gossip. He was a child out of wedlock.
When he grew up, he would suffer from prejudice. He was just a carpenter’s son.
When he was a man, he would suffer from false accusations. He casts out demons by the hand of Beelzebul.
When he was with his disicples, he would had to deal with disciples who were slow learners. Do you not see? Do you not hear?
When he was teaching and healing, he would have to suffer from physical fatigue and the constant demands of the crowds.
And in his greatest hour of need, he would suffer from betrayal of one of his own disciples, and even abandonment of his disciples.
And we even haven’t talked about crucifixion yet. The horrors of being spit upon and mocked and having a crown of thorns placed upon your head and beaten and shamed and exposed and nails driven through hands and feet.
And the worst fear of Jesus was abandonment by His own Father.
All of this so that he could be a perfect substitute.
B. He Must be Rejected
Another form of suffering would be rejection. The word means to be tested and be found false. He would be tested by the religious leaders of his day, and be condemned as a false Messiah on the grounds of blasphemy and even an insurrectionist by the Romans.
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.
Elders and Chief Priests were those in the aristocracy and in the Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the religious people. Scribes were the chief religious and legal experts in the Law with rabbinic tradition.
The irony of all this is that he would be rejected not by the common people, but the most devout and respected and religious people of His day.
And people still do that. Respectable people reject Jesus. Your too extreme.
Religious people reject Jesus. They form a religion of tradition and rituals that honors God with their lips, but their hearts our far from Him.
People still reject Jesus today in a hostile manner or even a respectable manner.
C. He Must be Killed
The word is violent death. It is a brutal and violent death as we will see later what crucifixion actually entailed.
D. He Must Rise Again
But Jesus must rise again after three days. Now, there are implicit references to resurrection in the Bible.
But most Jews believed in the future resurrection of the dead in the final judgment. They did not think specifically in terms of what Jesus was saying.
After two days he will revive us;
on the third day he will raise us up,
that we may live before him.
For you shall not go out in haste,
and you shall not go in flight,
for the Lord will go before you,
and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.
Behold, my servant shall act wisely;
he shall be high and lifted up,
and shall be exalted.
Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many,
and he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because he poured out his soul to death
and was numbered with the transgressors;
yet he bore the sin of many,
and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Mark
Jesus promised to be resurrected from the grave.
E. He Must fulfill God’s Plan
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
And he spoke plainly. He spoke clearly that these things must happen. He must suffer, he must be rejected, he must die, and he must be raised again from the dead so that He could fulfill the plan and purpose of God. He must do this to pain for man’s sin.
And soon as Peter heard it, he took Jesus aside and began rebuking him. The same word that is used of Jesus rebuking demons.
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
Because in Peter’s mind, Messiah’s don’t die. That is an oxymoron. Suffering Messiah doesn’t go together.
That is like saying Presidential Slave. Or a Stupid Philosopher. Or a Ungodly Pastor. Or a Married Single or Single Married person.
Messiah’s rule. Messiah’s are powerful. Messiah’s have respect and glory.
Messiah’s don’t serve. Messiah’s are not weak. Messiah’s are not disrespected.
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.”
Then Jesus counter rebuked Peter. “Get Behind Me Satan!”
Peter went from a heavenly confession in one minute to a satanic spokesman in the next.
Satan’s plan was to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. He wanted to divert Jesus from doing this. This is why he tempted Jesus in the wilderness.
He wanted to offer Jesus glory without suffering. While Jesus knew that glory would be achieved through suffering. The same thing he said to Satan in the wilderness, is the same thing he said to Peter:
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
Peter was acting as a spokesman for the Devil. You don’t need to suffer Jesus. You don’t need to go to the cross. You can do it another way.
But Jesus says it must happen this way to fulfill the will of God. This is the only way.
And going a little farther he fell on his face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.”
There was no other way to pay for man’s sin, except that God become a man, and the God-man pay for man’s sin by becoming his substitute. Do you see the love of God?
Tell the Gospel Plainly in Preaching
Jesus spoke to them plainly about his suffering and death. And I hope as a pastor I communicate this message clearly because this is why we exist as a church. This is the gospel.
Do we tell people to consider the cost?
Non-Christian
You cannot be neutral about Jesus. God created you. And he demands your exclusive allegiance.
Tell the Gospel Plainly in Preaching
But you have rebelled against Him. You deserve His wrath, not because his anger is out of control, but because by nature, God is opposed to all evil and must exercise justice against all evil. It is His character.
You and I deserve wrath because of our disobedience.
You and I deserve eternal judgment because of our sin.
But God. He had a plan. A plan for His Son to become one of us. The Great I Am. The King become a servant. The Glorious One become the humiliated One. The most Powerful One become weak.
Why?
He must suffer because of your sin. He did it to take your judgment. So that in his humiliation, you would be exalted. In his resurrection, you would be raised spiritually now, and one day physically with a new resurrection body.
This was the only way.
Set Your Minds on Things Above
These things man could not come up with. It is too divine and too loving to think about the love of God.
Set Your Minds on Things Above
Peter was thinking about glory. But did not realize that suffering would be the pathway to glory.
Realize that Suffering is the Pathway to Victory in the Christian Life
Jesus wins through weakness. Jesus wins through service. Jesus wins through His sacrifice.
Realize that Suffering is the Pathway to Victory in the Christian Life
Too mistake the identity of Jesus is tragic. And to miss the real identity of Jesus will be the most tragic thing in your life.
You can’t be neutral when it comes to Jesus.
“When we talk about Jesus, we’re in a totally different category than recognizing old friends or acquaintances. When we’re mistaken about Jesus’s identity, it’s more than embarrassing—it’s tragic.”
Either Jesus claim is true, and that demands a response.
When someone claims to be your God, you really only have two choices, right? You can reject the claim or you can accept it. What you can’t do, at least for very long, is suspend judgment and just see how it plays out. Jesus claimed some amazing things about himself, and also about you. Like it or not, that has radical implications for your life…Who is Jesus? Really, it’s the most important question you’ll ever consider-Greg Gilbert.
Or it is false, and you can ignore it.
But the one thing you can do is be neutral.
The question asked to the disciples is a question that Jesus asks of you.
Who Do You Say That I Am?
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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
