Following Jesus....

The Voice `

Mark 8:27-38

As He traveled with His disciples into the villages of Caesarea Philippi, He posed an important question to them.

Jesus: Who do the people say that I am?

²⁸ They told Him about the great speculation concerning His identity.

Disciples: Some of them say You are John the Baptist,^[a] others say Elijah, while others say one of the prophets of old.

Jesus (pressing the question): ²⁹ And who do you say that I am?

Peter: You are God’s Anointed, the Liberating King.

Jesus: ³⁰ Don’t tell anyone. It is not yet time.

³¹ And He went on to teach them many things about Himself: how the Son of Man would suffer; how He would be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes; how He would be killed; and how, after three days, God would raise Him from the dead.

³² He said all these things in front of them all, but Peter took Jesus aside to rebuke Him.

Peter represents the best and worst in humanity. One day, Peter drops everything to become a follower of Jesus; the next, he’s busy putting his foot in his mouth. Peter is always responding to Jesus, frequently making mistakes, but never drifting far from Jesus’ side. In this passage, Peter verbalizes God’s word and Satan’s temptation—almost in the same breath. Peter thinks he understands who Jesus is, but he still has a lot to learn about what Jesus has come to do.

Jesus (seeing His disciples surrounding them): ³³ Get behind Me, you tempter! You’re thinking only of human things, not of the things God has planned.

³⁴ He gathered the crowd and His disciples alike.

Jesus: If any one of you wants to follow Me, you will have to give yourself up to God’s plan, take up your cross, and do as I do. ³⁵ For any one of you who wants to be rescued will lose your life, but any one of you who loses your life for My sake and for the sake of this good news will be liberated. ³⁶ Really, what profit is there for you to gain the whole world and lose yourself in the process? ³⁷ What can you give in exchange for your life? ³⁸ If you are ashamed of Me and of what I came to teach to this adulterous and sinful generation, then the Son of Man will be ashamed of you when He comes in the glory of His Father along with the holy messengers at the final judgment.