The Most Consequential Question
Mark 8:27-38
Maybe you’ve noticed? Jesus asked a lot of questions during his ministry. In fact, he asked some 300 questions... many were just basic conversational questions... but others were consequential, and meaningful...
Questions like:
~ “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5:6); a consequential question to say the least.
~ “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46); pretty important.
~ “Could you not watch one hour?” (Mark 14:37); heart-wrenchingly poignant.
~ “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” (Matthew 7:3); a crucial pointed question.
~ “When the Son of Man comes, will he find any faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8); pretty significant, right?
Such questions were intended to draw Jesus’ disciples out of the world, and help them understand both who and Whose they truly were. Jesus knew that unless his disciples truly understood who they are, and who Christ is, they would never live into their potential… their calling… to be his hands and feet and voices in this world.
So following standard protocol, Jesus asked his disciples a couple of questions: the first, “who are people saying that I am?” Of course, that’s an easy question to answer. It’s easy to rattle off what other people are saying about Jesus. It was just as easy for Jesus’ disciples as it is for us. “Well, the preacher says… or mama says… or my friends say.” So the disciples answered in that manner: “some people are saying you’re John the Baptist back from the dead. Others claim your some prophet, maybe Elijah, come to make way for the Messiah.”
The basic religious understanding of Jesus day, was for the world to basically get so bad that it would begin to spiral out of control… Morally, spiritually, economically. And in Jesus day (much like today) things seemed to have hit rock bottom!
The people believed that at the moment when things could get no worse, God would send Elijah back, to prepare the way for the coming of God‘s Messiah. And when the Messiah arrived, he would be a mighty warrior, with an army tow. He would use his military might to conquer the enemies of God‘s people, and he would establish his political kingdom, taking his place on the throne of David from that time on and forever. Jerusalem, Israel, would once and for all time, be a place of peace and prosperity.
So the fact that “some people” were claiming Jesus was Elijah, indicated that “some people” were wrong.
So, Jesus turned to his disciples with a more personal question. “Who do you say that I am?” That a much more serious question. Jesus is never content with hearing what the world has to say about him. He knows already what the world has to say. The world has all kinds of things to say about Jesus: he’s a prophet, priest, a good moral man, a leader, someone to look up to… a good example to follow. Some people even say he’s a fraud. Some claim he never existed at all! Just like those who believe Jesus was some reincarnation of Elijah… Some people are wrong.
It was Peter, who chimed in, “you are the Christ, the Messiah… The son of the living God, the one sent to redeem Israel!”
At that point, Jesus began to teach his disciples, that as God’s anointed Messiah, he would suffer many things… He’d be rejected… Even rejected by the elders, the chief priest, the teachers of the law. They would go so far as to kill God’s Messiah… But after three days he would live again. He spoke plainly, as-clear-as he possibly could to his disciples about all of these things that we’re gonna take place.
But the Disciples had other ideas. And Peter, again, bold Peter… said to Jesus, “no way… ain’t happening!” He began to rebuke Jesus! Basically telling Jesus that he was wrong! That Jesus didn’t understand how any of this works! There’s no way God’s Messiah could ever be rejected, tortured, executed. What are you talking about, Jesus? Such talk is an affront to everything God’s people had accepted as true concerning the Messiah!
But Jesus fired right back: saying to Peter, “you do not have in mind the things of God, rather the ideas, and concerns, of man.” In other words, Peter and the others had accepted the ways of man, instead of accepting the ways of God.
Jesus then began to speak of “denying self, and taking up a cross, and following Christ.”
Imagine hearing that for the first time. It’s bad enough to be asked to absorb the idea that the Messiah was going to suffer and die, but now Jesus is saying his disciples could quite possibly suffer and die, too.
“For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me, and for the gospel will save it.” For what good is it for a follower of God’s Messiah to gain the whole world… To accept and believe in the things of this world, instead of the ways of God, and forfeit their soul?
You know the fact of the matter is… What you and I believe about Jesus, how you and I answer the question, “who do you say that I am?” Is the most consequential question we will ever answer. There’s literally life and death in that question. You cannot afford to get this answer wrong.
Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the one sent to redeem God’s people. He is God in the flesh... the Word of God made human. His redemption was never intended to be one of earthly military, or worldly politics. His kingdom is established in the hearts of those who are called to follow him. And his Throne is established on the fact, that He and God are One, and Christ alone delivers us from our own destructive ways, our sins. While enabling us, as we receive his grace thru faith, to receive Eternal life in the presence of our creator.
“Jesus is the Way, the Truth, the Life. And no one comes to the Father except through him.” (John 14:6)
Don’t listen to the seductive call and ideas of this world. Listen to Christ. For he alone holds the power of life.
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