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Who do people today say Jesus is? You've probably heard lots of answers: a good teacher, a prophet, a made-up story, a nice man, a revolutionary, God's Son. Isn't it strange that one person who lived 2,000 years ago still gets so many different opinions?
People had different opinions in Jesus' day too. All term we've been reading Mark's Gospel and asking "Who is this?" Today Jesus asks his friends what other people think. Then he asks the question that really matters, and it's personal.
What you'll learn
- Why Peter's answer is the turning point of Mark's Gospel
- Why Peter was right about Jesus' title but wrong about what it meant
- What Jesus said it means to follow him
Gathering the clues
So far, Mark has given us plenty of clues:
| In Mark | Clue |
|---|---|
| Mark 1 | Mark and God the Father call him the Son of God. |
| Mark 1–2 | People leave everything when he calls. He came for sinners. |
| Mark 2 | He forgives sins, which only God can do. |
| Mark 4 | He explains the secrets of God's kingdom. |
| Mark 4 | Even the wind and the sea obey him. |
If you were one of the disciples, what would you have worked out by now?
Peter's answer
Jesus and his disciples are near Caesarea Philippi, a town in the far north named after Caesar, the Roman emperor. Right there, in a town named after one powerful ruler, Jesus asks who he is.
First he asks what the crowds are saying. Some say John the Baptist back from the dead, others Elijah, or one of the prophets (Mark 8:28). Good guesses, but much too small. Then Jesus turns to his friends:
"‘But what about you?’ Jesus asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ.’" (Mark 8:29)
The Christ: the Messiah, God's promised King from King David's family. This is the first time anyone in the story says it. It's the halfway point of Mark. The first half asks, "Who is he?" The second half asks, "What kind of King is he?"
Jesus tells them not to tell anyone yet. Why? Many people expected a Messiah who would lead an army and throw out the Romans. Jesus needed to show them a very different kind of King first.
What kind of King?
"Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again." (Mark 8:31)
Peter is horrified. He takes Jesus aside and tells him off. Jesus' reply is the strongest thing he says to anyone in Mark:
"But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, ‘Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.’" (Mark 8:33)
Jesus wasn't calling Peter evil. He was saying that Peter's idea, a King who avoids the cross, was exactly what Satan wanted. Peter got the right answer but the wrong idea. He wanted a King who wins by fighting. Jesus is a King who wins by dying and rising. (And Peter stayed one of Jesus' closest friends.)
| What Peter expected | What Jesus said |
|---|---|
| A King who fights and wins | A King who suffers, dies and rises |
| A King who throws out the Romans | A King who is rejected by his own leaders |
| Glory now | The cross first, then glory |
Just before this, in Mark 8:22–26, Jesus heals a blind man in two stages. At first the man sees people, but they look like walking trees. Then he sees clearly. Peter is like that man. He sees who Jesus is, but not yet clearly what Jesus came to do.
Following this King
"Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, ‘If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me.’" (Mark 8:34)
In Roman times, everyone knew what it meant to see someone carrying a cross: they were on their way to die.
| Jesus' words | What it means |
|---|---|
| Deny yourself | Stop being the boss of your own life. |
| Take up your cross | Be willing to follow Jesus even when it costs you. |
| Follow me | Go where Jesus goes and live his way. |
Then Jesus asks what good it is to gain the whole world but lose your own soul (Mark 8:36). Everything you could win is worth nothing if you lose yourself.
"Who is this?" clues
| Verse | Clue about who Jesus is |
|---|---|
| Mark 8:29 | Peter says he is the Christ. |
| Mark 8:31 | He must suffer, die and rise again. |
Key words
- Christ / Messiah: God's promised, chosen King.
- Rebuke: to tell someone off firmly.
- Deny yourself: to stop putting yourself first.
- Take up your cross: to follow Jesus even when it costs you.
How this points to Jesus
From here on, Mark's Gospel heads towards Jerusalem and the cross. Jesus knows exactly what is coming and talks about it openly. Christians believe he wasn't trapped or surprised. He walked towards the cross on purpose, because that is how this King would rescue his people.
Think about it
Why do you think Peter found it so hard to accept that Jesus would suffer?Show answer
Like most people then, he expected the Messiah to win by power and fighting. A King who gets rejected and killed didn't fit his idea at all.
How is Peter like the blind man who first saw people looking like trees?Show answer
He could partly see. He knew Jesus was the Christ, but he didn't yet understand that the Christ had to suffer, die and rise.
What could "take up your cross" look like for someone your age?Show answer
It could mean standing up for what's right when it's unpopular, being kind to someone others ignore, or not hiding that you follow Jesus.
Take it further
Jesus asks the same question of everyone who reads Mark: "Who do you say I am?" You don't have to answer today. "I'm still working it out" is an honest answer, and so is "I think..., because...". But it's the most important question you'll ever answer. Your worksheet helps you gather your strongest clues and give your own answer.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
Jesus, Peter said you are the Christ. Help me to see you clearly, not just half-see you. Give me courage to follow you, even when it costs me. Amen.