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Excerpt from First Fruits:
Who Do People Say That I Am?
Prayer of Preparation
Lord Jesus, let me hear the good news again.
Scripture Reading Mark 8:27-33
27 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?” 28 And they answered him, “John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Messiah.” 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him.
31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things.”
Meditation
“Who do people say that I am?” “Who do you say that I am?” Was Jesus really phishing for a compliment or having an identity crisis? Not really, Mark’s writing style is short and succinct, and he needed to establish quickly the rumors, innuendos, and fake news going around about Jesus (including the Messiah concept). Once these ideas are established, then Mark can tell his audience the “Good News” and correct all the different assumptions about who Jesus is.
The first assumption Mark tackles is the Messiah concept. “Messiah,” to Peter (and to most Jews) means the one who will take back Israel from the Romans and make things right for Israel again. So, it is no wonder that Peter tries to correct Jesus’ politics after Jesus tells them the theology that the Messiah must suffer, die and rise again. This is the Gospel and to the disciples (and some of us) it does not sound like good news at all.
Jesus’ reinterpretation of the role of the Messiah establishes his identity and purpose. It also establishes our identity as his followers. When we follow Jesus, we no longer need to worry about what the priority in our life is—it is always Jesus. Because of who Jesus is, “Rome” has no control over us, other people’s opinions no longer sway our choices, and the meaning of our lives are defined in and through Jesus. That is the world-changing good news about the Messiah who suffered, died and rose again from the dead.
Prayer Prompt
Dear Lord, help me stay focused on you.
Hymn
“At the Name of Jesus”
Glory to God #264
Benediction
Go in peace knowing the Messiah has drawn near. Amen.