Mark 8:27-30 - Peter Declares That Jesus is the Messiah
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Reflection: As Jesus has been mainly demonstrating the power of the kingdom and preaching that the kingdom of God is at hand, he has kept his identity mainly in secret. But as he starts his movement toward the cross, he begins to query those closest to him. He asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Rather than telling them, he allows them to come to a knowledge of the truth. And Peter gets it right, "He says you are the Messiah." In another version it is added, "the Son of living God".
In the Hebrew, it is translated, "the anointed One". This is closely related to Greek word "Christus", where we get the name Christ! So you could say Peter is proclaiming, "You are the Christ, the Anointed One". This is the One that that been promised in the Old Testament and in essence affirms his divinity. This is also why Jesus warns them not to tell anyone because he knows this will speed up his going to the cross, and his work is not yet finished.
Later he will commission the disciples to go into all the nations and proclaim to them that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God! And they will make disciples by baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But today as Jesus says to Peter, "this was revealed to you by God not by man." So the Father reveals the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit that the apostle Paul says, "You cannot say Jesus is Lord/Messiah/Christus except by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Enough theologizing! Though important, we still ask the question, "what does this mean for us today?" The first question should be, "Who do you say He is?" Do you say Jesus is Lord, and therefore He is my Lord. And do our lives reflect He is Lord. This would mean we would study His life and teaching with an eye toward how we would make decisions and live our everyday lives that reflect His lordship. Secondly, it means we too are sent as God's chosen ones to proclaim Jesus is Lord and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And Jesus has made us a very precious promise that as we do this He will be with us until the end of the age.
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Reflection: As Jesus has been mainly demonstrating the power of the kingdom and preaching that the kingdom of God is at hand, he has kept his identity mainly in secret. But as he starts his movement toward the cross, he begins to query those closest to him. He asks his disciples, "Who do you say that I am?" Rather than telling them, he allows them to come to a knowledge of the truth. And Peter gets it right, "He says you are the Messiah." In another version it is added, "the Son of living God".
In the Hebrew, it is translated, "the anointed One". This is closely related to Greek word "Christus", where we get the name Christ! So you could say Peter is proclaiming, "You are the Christ, the Anointed One". This is the One that that been promised in the Old Testament and in essence affirms his divinity. This is also why Jesus warns them not to tell anyone because he knows this will speed up his going to the cross, and his work is not yet finished.
Later he will commission the disciples to go into all the nations and proclaim to them that He is the Christ, the Son of the living God! And they will make disciples by baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. But today as Jesus says to Peter, "this was revealed to you by God not by man." So the Father reveals the Son in the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the same Holy Spirit that the apostle Paul says, "You cannot say Jesus is Lord/Messiah/Christus except by the power of the Holy Spirit."
Enough theologizing! Though important, we still ask the question, "what does this mean for us today?" The first question should be, "Who do you say He is?" Do you say Jesus is Lord, and therefore He is my Lord. And do our lives reflect He is Lord. This would mean we would study His life and teaching with an eye toward how we would make decisions and live our everyday lives that reflect His lordship. Secondly, it means we too are sent as God's chosen ones to proclaim Jesus is Lord and baptizing in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And Jesus has made us a very precious promise that as we do this He will be with us until the end of the age.
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