Just, Who Is Jesus?

Background and Setting

In the series on Mark looking at Who Jesus is as the Suffering Servant, the Messiah, the Christ

This will take us up to Easter which is just 6 weeks from today, can you believe it?

Do you realize that our lives are full of questions

Have you had symptoms of COVID lately?

When can I get my vaccination? Where?

Do you have your mask with you?

Will I be safe if I go eat at a restaurant?

Some of life’s questions are unanswerable like

“Why do women open their mouths when they put on eye makeup?”,

“Why do men refuse to stop and ask for directions?”,

“If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?”, and

“What was the best thing before sliced bread?”

Others questions are terribly important like

Will you marry me?

What will we name our baby?

Doctor, what’s my prognosis?

Today’s passage begins with Jesus asking His disciples two important questions that lead to a discussion of what it means to be a follower or disciple of Jesus today?

Let’s read Mark 8:27-38

Mark 8:27–38 CSB

27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But you,” he asked them, “who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he strictly warned them to tell no one about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that it was necessary for the Son of Man to suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, be killed, and rise after three days. 32 He spoke openly about this. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning around and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are not thinking about God’s concerns but human concerns.” 34 Calling the crowd along with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone wants to follow after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and the gospel will save it. 36 For what does it benefit someone to gain the whole world and yet lose his life? 37 What can anyone give in exchange for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Who Am I? Verses 27-28

We see that they are traveling to Caesarea Philippi from Bethsaida

The city was twenty-five miles due north or a full days walk from Bethsaida.

It stood at the foot of Mt. Hermon.

Caesarea Philippi was the most unlikely spot for the first proclamation of the deity of Jesus.

The city was also famous for its sanctuary to Pan.

Half man and half goat, Pan was revered as the guardian of flocks and nature and worshiped in a grotto at the foot of Mt. Hermon next to the cave from which one of the three major tributaries of the Jordan River gushes forth.

It is here in the outer regions of paganism and even hostility to Judaism that Jesus is first proclaimed Messiah!

Jesus begins teaching the disciples by asking the question, “Who do people say that I am?

Mark has made it clear that the purpose of his gospel was to declare that Jesus is the Christ, Anointed One, Messiah and that the Kingdom of Heaven is near.

The first eight chapters, Mark builds the tension caused by a lack of understanding fully who Jesus is among his followers.

His family, the religious leaders, and his own disciples did not really know who he was.

Even though there was enough evidence to show Jesus as being the Son of God.

The answer Jesus receives reads like a poll question.

John the Baptist, Elijah, and one of the prophets

These are based on the Jewish idea of who the Messiah is to be when He comes

They also are based on prophesies many of the Jews had been taught all their lives.

Yet all of the responses were incorrect, revealing that His true identity was still unrecognized by the people who didn’t see Him as the Messiah, the Son of God.

Who do you say Jesus is?

If you were walking along that road with Jesus how would you answer?

Was Jesus just a man with some good ideas, one of many spiritual leaders?

Or was he the true God, the one mediator, our only source of life and peace with the Father?

It is not enough to know what others say about Jesus: You must know, understand, and accept for yourself that he is the Messiah.

You must move from curiosity to commitment, from admiration to adoration.

If Jesus were to ask you this question, how would you answer?

Is he your Lord and Messiah?

You Are The Messiah Verse 29-30

Thus far in the gospel Mark has been leading up to this question.

Jesus had recently asked the disciples “Do you still not understand?” in verse 21 after another mass feeding.

Here is the disciples’ final exam.

It was their opportunity to show their understanding of Jesus apart from the crowds and religious leaders thoughts.

It was a pointed question “Who do YOU say that I am?”

Peter as he does often speaks up and declares that Jesus is the Messiah.

Some translations say the Christ one is Greek and the other Hebrew of origin and both mean The Anointed One.

Peter revealed his belief in Jesus as the promised King and Deliverer.

Now the problem becomes how to help the disciples understand what king of King Jesus would be.

Peter, and all of Israel, expected the Messiah to be a conquering, liberating King.

Yet, he would be a totally different kind of conquering and liberating King.

He would conquer sin and liberate people from its grasp.

He tells them not to tell anyone about this point.

They didn’t fully understand the significance of Peter’s statement, nor would anyone else.

Everyone was expecting a conquering King.

Yet God’s plan was for Jesus to suffer, be killed, and rise from the dead.

When they saw all of this take place, then they would understand and be equipped to tell the world.

Jesus Speaks About His Death Verses 31-33

Mark announced Jesus to be the Christ in chapter 1:1, but until now he has been kept under wraps.

Now for the first time we are told that Jesus “began to speak openly about” his purpose and mission.

He begins to prepare them for what was going to happen to him

He told them He would suffer, be put to death, and rise again.

In fact, he tells them three times in the next few chapters.

As Jesus explains what He must go through, Peter’s response indicates how difficult it was for people to accept the idea of a suffering and dying Savior.

This is a turning point in His instructions to the His disciples.

From then on he began teaching clearly and specifically what they could expect, so they wouldn’t be surprised by it.

Jesus did not come to set up an earthly kingdom like they expected.

He would not the conquering Messiah because He had to first suffer, be rejected, be killed, and rise again.

But one day he would return in great glory to set up His eternal kingdom.

Despite the Old Testament prophecies, they were surprised that this popular man whom they now realized to be the true Messiah would first have to suffer many things.

Jesus already had submitted to his mission as planned, and he understood exactly what that mission entailed.

Mark made the point that following Jesus meant taking part in both his suffering and his glory.

The disciples would endure the same suffering as their King and, like him, would be rewarded in the end.

It was just too much of Peter, so he objected and rebuked Jesus.

If Jesus was going to die, what did this mean for the disciples?

If He was truly the Messiah, what was all this talk of being killed?

Peter rebukes Jesus

The word for rebuke here is the same one used earlier when Jesus rebuked the demons.

It was a strong term meaning that Peter was rejecting Jesus’ interpretation of the Messiah as a suffering figure.

Jesus simply turns to Peter and rebukes him with the words, “Get behind Me, Satan!”

Satan is always trying to get us to leave God out of the picture and to focus on human concerns.

God’s plan included suffering and death for the Messiah.

This didn’t make sense to Peter.

Jesus had already dealt with the temptation to bypass the Cross; he would fulfill his mission exactly as planned.

Unknowingly, the disciples were trying to prevent Jesus from going to the cross and thus fulfilling his mission on earth.

The disciples were motivated by love and admiration for Jesus; nevertheless, their job was not to guide and protect Jesus, but to follow him.

In this moment, Peter was not considering God’s purposes, but only his own natural human desires and feelings.

Peter’s previously recorded confession (8:29) contrasts with his self-centered reaction.

Peter wanted Christ to be king, but not the suffering Servant prophesied in Isaiah 53.

He was ready to receive the glory of following the Messiah, but not the persecution.

The Christian life is not a paved road to wealth and ease.

It often involves hard work, persecution, deprivation, and deep suffering.

Peter saw only part of the picture.

Don’t repeat Peter’s mistake.

Satan wants to deter us from sacrifice and service by telling us that our difficulties are meaningless, our pain is futile, and that evil will win anyway.

Instead, focus on the good that God can bring out of suffering and on the resurrection that follows crucifixion.

What Does It Mean To Follow A Suffering Servant Verses 34-39

Now Jesus calls the crowd and begins teaching what His suffering meant for His followers, including us.

Jesus began to speak publicly of his identity as the Messiah, but it was only the suffering aspect that was public; the final disclosure awaited the cross.

The words applied to the disciples and to all who want to come after Jesus—that is, to become a disciple and enter his fellowship.

This statement offered special comfort to the Christians in Rome to whom Mark was writing, for they often faced persecution for their faith.

Jesus invites every person to follow, but one who desires to follow him must have two attitudes: (1) a willingness to deny self and (2) a willingness to take up his or her cross.

To deny oneself means to surrender immediate material gratification in order to discover and secure one’s true self and God’s interests.

It is a willingness to let go of selfish desires and earthly security.

This attitude turns self-centeredness to God-centeredness.

To take up [the] cross was a vivid illustration of the humility and submission Jesus asked of his followers.

When Jesus used this picture of his followers taking up their crosses to follow him, the disciples, the people, and the Romans (Mark’s original audience) knew what taking up the cross meant.

Death on a cross was a form of execution used by Rome for dangerous criminals.

A prisoner carried his own cross to the place of execution, signifying submission to Rome’s power.

Following Jesus, therefore, meant identifying with Jesus and his followers, facing social and political oppression and ostracism, and no turning back.

For some, taking up the cross might indeed mean death.

But Jesus’ words meant that his followers had to be prepared to obey God’s Word and follow his will no matter what the consequences for the sake of the gospel (8:35).

The initial decision to “come after” Christ and be his disciple is a once-for-all act.

From then on the believer is no longer his or her own; that person belongs to Christ.

To follow Christ is also a moment-by-moment decision, requiring denial of self and taking up one’s cross.

Following Jesus doesn’t mean walking behind him, but taking the same road of sacrifice and service that he took.

The blessing for us is that we can fellowship with him along the way.

To Attempt To Save Your Life Means Only To Lose It

Jesus asked his listeners a rhetorical question.

What good would it be for a person to gain the whole world (that is, to have power or financial control over the entire world system of which Satan is the head) but to lose his or her soul (that is, to lose eternal life with God)?

Every person will die, even those most powerful or most wealthy.

If they have not taken care to “save” their lives for eternity with God, then they have gained nothing and have lost everything.

Many people spend all their energy seeking pleasure.

Jesus said, however, that a world of pleasure centered on possessions, position, or power is ultimately worthless.

Whatever a person has on earth is only temporary; it cannot be exchanged for his or her soul.

No amount of money, power, or status can buy back a lost soul.

Believers must be willing to make the pursuit of God more important than the selfish pursuit of pleasure.

If we follow Jesus, we will know what it means to live abundantly now and to have eternal life as well.

Here he offered his listeners a choice.

If they chose to be ashamed of Jesus, Jesus would in turn be ashamed of them at his second coming (they would be rejected from eternal life with him).

In the Bible, “ashamed” means more than embarrassment.

It refers to the judgment of God: “Idol makers will be put to shame” (Isaiah 44:11 niv).

It stands for deep and contrite repentance: “That they may be ashamed of their sins” (Ezekiel 43:10 niv).

It can mean submission before God: “Nations will see and be ashamed” (Micah 7:16 niv).

When God judges unbelieving people, his “being ashamed of them” means he will reject them.

What Say You?

These verses act as a continental divide between the first and second halves of the Gospel of Mark.

It unites Christology and discipleship in a unique and symbiotic relationship.

They teach that a proper confession of Jesus involves a new understanding of discipleship.

When believers confess who Jesus is, they also and inevitably confess what they must become.

Jesus is not an object of examination, like a rock under a microscope, that can be observed and examined in supposed neutrality.

The statement “ ‘You are the Christ’ ” (v. 29) imposes a claim on the one who says it.

The Son of Man calls those who would know him to follow him.

Today, modern culture is exposed to the symbol of the cross primarily in jewelry or figures of speech, “bearing a cross”

It meant something completely different to Mark’s readers

It signified a total claim on the disciple’s allegiance and the total relinquishment of his resources to Jesus.

It is still true today.

It costs something to be a true believer.

It costs something to be a genuine disciple of Jesus.

True Christianity demands our all! Genuine discipleship demands nothing less than that we deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Jesus all the way, even to death if necessary.

Joining a church will cost you nothing, but coming to Christ will cost you everything!

There are no cheap seats in Jesus Christ, but every place in Him is priceless.

For those willing to pay the price there is a home in Heaven and eternal glory.

For those who shrink back from the shame of the cross, there is nothing but judgment.

Let’s Pray