Mark 8:27 - 9:1
SS Lesson for 02/06/11
Devotional Scripture: Jer 33:14-18
The major outline of the lesson came from the Bible Expositor and Illuminator. This week's lesson explains that Jesus Is the Messiah. The study's aim is to show that Jesus is the Servant-Messiah sent from heaven and that following Him often involves suffering. The study's application is to seek to follow the Messiah and learn that it is sometimes hard, but it will be worth it in the end.
Crunch Time
Crunch time is a familiar phrase for athletes. For a basketball player, it is the final seconds in a close game. For the marathon runner, it is late in the race when he or she “hits the wall” and has to find the strength to continue. For the baseball player it is the final inning of the game with two out and the bases loaded; for both the pitcher and the batter, it is crunch time. Many moments in our lives can qualify as crunch time. The minister’s question “Do you take this woman to be your bride?” creates that kind of time. When a woman is ready to deliver a child, it is that kind of time. When soldiers brace to defend their homeland, when firefighters race into a burning building, when parents have to confront a wayward teen, it is crunch time. Crunch time comes whenever we face an all-important moment of truth. For Peter and the other disciples in this lesson, one crunch time came at Caesarea Philippi when Jesus challenged them to answer a question. It was time to make a decision, for someone to dare to answer. When Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter rose to the occasion and spoke with conviction.
Lesson Background
From the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry, it was clear that he had come to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah. John the Baptist prepared the way for him, just as Isaiah 40:3 had predicted (see Mark 1:2, 3). Jesus announced his purpose at his home synagogue in Nazareth, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor.” After quoting Isaiah 61:1, Jesus announced, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing” (Luke 4:21). Through the following years of his ministry, Jesus demonstrated time and again that he was sent from Heaven to fulfill everything Isaiah and the other prophets had said. As the Messiah, Jesus came to bring salvation and reassurance to God’s people, the Jews. In addition, he came to bring light to the Gentiles and bring them into the community of God’s people. The most difficult prophecy of Isaiah, however, was that the Messiah would be the suffering servant, who would give his life to bear the sins of all people (Isaiah 53, last week’s lesson). Well into the third year of his ministry, Jesus was ready to test the disciples’ understanding of his identity and his mission.
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels, with many parallels in both Matthew and Luke. In only a few passages does Mark give more details concerning an event or a body of teaching than either Matthew or Luke. This has led some to suggest that Mark was the first gospel written and that it was used as an outline by Matthew and Luke. One of the apostolic fathers, Papias A.D. 60-130), said that Mark recorded the memoirs of Simon Peter (Cross, ed., The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church, Oxford). Early tradition also states that Mark wrote his Gospel for a Roman audience. Knowing what we do about the Romans, such a fast-paced gospel would have appealed to them. The emphasis on Jesus' power over demons also would have captivated Roman readers, who were impressed by any displays of power, especially over evil spiritual forces. Isaiah's prophecies anticipated the coming of the suffering Servant. Mark shows how Christ was that Servant-Leader. Everyone is looking for a good leader, someone he can follow confidently. People want someone whom they can trust and who can lead them. But Jesus went a step further. He was a leader who chose to be a servant. Through being a servant He showed the world what it means to be a true leader. Such a concept is contrary to what the world teaches. Our Messiah came to show us that He was different from other leaders in that He was willing to be a Servant-Leader. Many so-called messiahs have come and gone, but there has been none like the One who was truly sent from heaven for us. Jesus is God's appointed Messiah, sent to us for salvation from our sins. Our lesson this week shows us that although following the Messiah is hard, it pays in the end.
(Scriptural Text from the New King James Version; cross-references from the NIV)
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, "Who do men say that I am?"
28 So they answered, "John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets."
29 He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ."
30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
3 The tempter came to him and said, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread."
3 Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him.
11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, "Are you the king of the Jews?" "Yes, it is as you say," Jesus replied.
2 When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples 3 to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"
10 When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, "Who is this?" 11 The crowds answered, "This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee."
8 Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk." 9 At once the man was cured; he picked up his mat and walked. The day on which this took place was a Sabbath, 10 and so the Jews said to the man who had been healed, "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat." 11 But he replied, "The man who made me well said to me, 'Pick up your mat and walk.'" 12 So they asked him, "Who is this fellow who told you to pick it up and walk?" 13 The man who was healed had no idea who it was, for Jesus had slipped away into the crowd that was there.
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.
9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, "Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."
24 For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. 25 But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered
12 And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood.
21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
Peter’s mistake is to think and talk from a worldly point of view. When he (or anyone else) doesn’t embrace the things of God, he is automatically in league with Satan. Peter has stepped out of line. Jesus knows that if he takes the easy way—Peter’s way, Satan’s way, the way that the Jews have in mind—it will not be God’s way. Satan had offered Jesus a kingship without suffering once before (Matthew 4:8, 9). Jesus had rejected that false path (4:10). Now he rejects it again: “Don’t try to lead me, Peter. Follow me. Get behind me.”
43 And they were all amazed at the greatness of God. While everyone was marveling at all that Jesus did, he said to his disciples, 44 "Listen carefully to what I am about to tell you: The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men." 45 But they did not understand what this meant. It was hidden from them, so that they did not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.
6 He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" 7 Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." 8 "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." 9 "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"
8 Do not rebuke a mocker or he will hate you; rebuke a wise man and he will love you. 9 Instruct a wise man and he will be wiser still; teach a righteous man and he will add to his learning.
20 Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest, and repent.
He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work.
You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
As soon as Judas took the bread, Satan entered into him. "What you are about to do, do quickly," Jesus told him,
Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
7 but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
13 For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
16 Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey-- whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17 But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. 19 I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. 20 When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. 21 What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! 22 But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.
Taking up the cross is a harder idea to grasp. Jews of the era know that being condemned to death by crucifixion also means carrying the burden of one’s own cross on the way to the place of execution. So Jesus is talking about martyrdom as well as “death to self” (cf. John 12:24–26). Even if we are not called on to die because of our stand with Christ, Jesus still requires that we die to our old, sinful selves (Romans 6:6). Carrying a cross means more than merely “bucking up” when tough times come—enduring the normal challenges of life or working through personal failure. It means death to an old way, a way never to be followed again.
and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.
When persons were condemned to be crucified, a part of the sentence was that they should carry the cross on which they were to die to the place of execution. Thus, Christ carried his, until he fainted from fatigue and exhaustion. The cross was usually composed of two rough beams of wood, united in the form of this figure of a cross It was an instrument of death. To carry it was burdensome, was disgraceful, was trying to the feelings, was an addition to the punishment. So "to carry the cross" is a figurative expression, denoting that we must endure whatever is burdensome, or is trying, or is considered disgraceful, in following Christ. It consists simply in doing our duty, let the people of the world think of it or speak of it as they may. It does not consist in MAKING trouble for ourselves, or doing things merely "to be opposed;" it is doing just what is required of us in the Scriptures, let it produce whatever shame, disgrace, or pain it may. This every follower of Jesus is required to do.
25 The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. 26 Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
10 For, "Whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. 11 He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil."
7 No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him — 8 the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough — 9 that he should live on forever and not see decay.
18 For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
7 For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. 8 If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.
8:38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels."
9:1 And He said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."
8 "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
11 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it; 12 let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy; 13 they will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.
31 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory.
10 on the day he comes to be glorified in his holy people and to be marveled at among all those who have believed. This includes you, because you believed our testimony to you.
17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.
28 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe,
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.
3 How great are his signs, how mighty his wonders! His kingdom is an eternal kingdom; his dominion endures from generation to generation.
32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."
7 Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.
People in the first century can be criticized fairly for wanting a Messiah on their own terms. They were more interested in his miracles than in his message. They were eager for him to overthrow Rome, but they did not necessarily want him to rule in their hearts. But what kind of Messiah do we expect Jesus to be? Do we expect that he provide health and wealth? Do we think he should be the “heavenly genie” that grants all our wishes? Let us learn from Peter’s experience that we do not dictate to Jesus. He is God’s Messiah, on God’s terms. A true disciple does not ask, “Am I happy with Jesus?” Instead, he or she asks, “Is my Lord happy with me?” True discipleship has its costs, but it also has unimaginable rewards. Therefore the true disciple will echo Peter, “You are the Christ—and you are my Lord.”
Just as in the days when the Lord Jesus Christ walked the earth, so too in our own time it seems that everyone has his own opinion as to who Jesus is. Indeed, many people today would like us to leave the discussion at that very point on the misguided assumption that such opinions should generally be looked upon much the same as our belly buttons: everyone has one; and whether they are the same or different, who is to say which is better? Sad to say, this is the tragically low level to which many formerly vital theological discussions have descended in own day. Generally, in the interest of peace and tolerance (which are, after all, both Christian virtues, are they not?), the discussion of who Jesus is deteriorated to a rather smarmy fate wherein any opinion about Him is tolerated as long as it is not the one the Bible accurately presents. In contrast, the Bible's full teaching on the identity of Jesus is rarely given serious consideration, unless that consideration involves hostility. Today, instead of John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets, our buffet of popular wrong Jesus identities includes: a great teacher of practical, spiritual principles whose true teachings tragically became obscured and corrupted by the wishful, supernatural fantasies of the religious authorities of the church; or a mentally unstable person who happened to have a special, mysterious connection to God; or perhaps one of the chain of many "spiritually enlightened" historical figures enumerated and revered by either Hinduism, Buddhism, or both; or some other theologically monstrous but politically palatable amalgamation of all three of the above options. Most tragically, much credence has been lent of late to the idea that the biblical identity of Jesus, as taught by the gospels themselves and interpreted by the later apostles and the historic creeds of Christianity, is actually a great cover-up intended to obscure the true, human heritage of Jesus, the supposedly incontrovertible evidence for which has been carefully preserved from generation to generation by a so-called "faithful" secret society. Were this evidence ever revealed to the general public, the story goes on, it would mean the end of both Christianity and the belief in the Bible as God's Word. Meanwhile, the church is portrayed as living in continual fear of these secrets being made public. And thus it will resort to any means, no matter how ruthless, to suppress the "truth." This current fable about Jesus' "true" identity has captivated the imagination of much of popular culture, mainly through certain works of popular fiction. The fact is, however, that the so-called truths revealed within these novels are either merely very bad history, long ago debunked by reputable scholarship, or parts of the author's own fictional material. The Jesus these false ideas present would leave the world devoid of a Saviour or any eternal hope at all! Despite the fads of all ages, Peter's confession remains the right one: "Thou art the Christ"!
1. Nothing is more vital than rightly identifying Jesus and submitting oneself to Him (Mark 8:27-30)
2. Jesus was not a victim but a willing sacrifice (vs. 31)
3. Our own preconceived ideas can cause us to misunderstand God's plan and thereby give aid to the enemy (vs. 32-33)
4. True discipleship is a costly choice (vs. 34-35)
5. Every man must choose which is more important: the temporal or the eternal (vs. 36-37)
6. A man's spiritual choices have everlasting consequences (8:38-9:1)
Relational specialists teach that having an unclear or blurred sense of identity can lead to being dominated and controlled in manipulative relationships. A steady, long-term exposure to such manipulation can amplify, albeit in a twisted fashion, and affirm the weakened sense of identity. "The dilemma of an unclear sense of personal identity was illustrated by an incident in the life of the famous German philosopher Schleiermacher, who did much to shape the progress of modern thought. The story is told that one day as an old man he was sitting alone on a bench in a city park. A policeman thinking that he was a vagrant came over and shook him and asked, 'Who are you?' Schleiermacher replied sadly, 'I wish I knew'" (www.ser-monillustrations.com).
Jesus Christ never suffered from an unclear sense of identity. He knew exactly who He was and what His mission was in the world as the Messiah. The problem was that others, including His chosen disciples, struggled to learn the essence of His true identity.
As Jesus was traveling with His disciples, He asked them a pertinent question concerning who people thought He was. Following their reply, He asked the disciples what their answer to the question was. Peter responded for the group, stating that Jesus is the Messiah. Following an injunction to keep this response private, Jesus began to teach His disciples in clear and simple language about His impending death, burial, and resurrection. Peter immediately protested this unsettling revelation. Jesus then confronted Peter about this, informing him that his protest was satanically motivated. Peter's two responses in this passage perfectly summarize the fragile human condition. Believers have the capacity to rise to incredible spiritual heights and to sink to unbelievable spiritual lows. Knowing this to be true, the important thing is that we remain open and committed by faith to Jesus, our Messiah. He will always challenge us, leading us into truth.
Jesus called the surrounding crowd to join His disciples. He then proceeded to instruct both groups in what was required to be His true adherents. Jesus emphasized suffering and self-sacrifice. His followers were not to be motivated by worldly gain. Jesus further warned against the danger of being ashamed to commit their lives to following Him. The loss would be great to those who were. But Jesus also said that His followers would benefit greatly by experiencing the arrival of God's kingdom. Believers in Jesus Christ must always embrace the truth that being a follower of Christ is a demanding yet rewarding commitment. The casual and comfortable tenor of Western Christianity that pervades many of our churches is not compatible with Jesus' teaching in this week's lesson text. Jesus, our Messiah, the Anointed One, has challenged His followers to live out their spiritual anointing with a selfless, self-sacrificial, and unashamed character. When love is the overwhelming context in which these traits are demonstrated, the world will definitely know we are the Messiah's disciples.