Mark 8:27-30 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Most of us have heard sermons on today's passage of scripture, especially Peter's answer when Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?” and Peter correctly says, “You are the Christ.” In Matthew's account of the exchange, he adds a phrase, recalling Peter saying: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) In those sermons, we have often heard Peter's confession of faith juxtaposed with Peter's later denial of Jesus at the cross when he fulfills Jesus' prediction, "Before the rooster crows twice you will disown me three times." (Mark 14:72) The same man, so full of faith and hope in his Messiah, turns away in Christ's time of need and appears not to know him or have anything to do with him. The same man who knew Jesus was certainly not John the Baptist or a prophet of old come back to life feared for his life rather than standing up for his Lord. Only a few chapters separate the two events, yet both pictures of Peter are true when we view the man; both give us a look at the vicissitudes of the flesh and the trials of a person sworn to follow Jesus, one who has given up all to follow Jesus. When Jesus spoke of the difficulty of entering into heaven with riches, Peter said, “We have left all we had to follow you!” (Luke 18:28) This is not a man who has not considered his choice, who has not taken up his cross to follow Jesus. When he confesses Jesus as Lord, as the Christ, he draws from a wealth of knowledge and a depth of faith in his heart. The word he uses for Christ means the anointed one, chosen by God to lead the people. Peter had no doubt in his mind when he called Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. The Holy Spirit came upon him and witnessed this reality.
Jesus began his questioning by asking who others said He was because He was leading up to the more important question He wanted to ask them: Who did they say He was? He must have been disappointed to hear his disciples repeat the answers of the people in the surrounding area without countering them. To say that people thought He was John or Elijah or another of the prophets without saying, "But we know that is not true," must have been difficult for Jesus to tolerate. Surely, after traveling with him so long, they could have testified to his identity. Even the demons recognized him when He cast them out. Once when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, a demon possessed man came in and the demon yelled in a loud voice, “Ha! What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:34) The forces of darkness recognized the greatest force of good and knew they were powerless to resist the hand of God. When Jesus came into a situation where the enemy had bound a person, that person would be freed, for where the Son of God is there is freedom. Jesus said if you sin, then you are a slave to sin, but you need not remain in that sinful state, for He came to set sinners free from bondage to sin. He concludes, So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. (John 8:36) This is the freedom we have as our inheritance in Christ. We should not become entangled in the things of this world, the cares of life and the enticements that draw us away from our first love for Jesus our Lord. Paul wrote: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)
Since we are aware of who we are in Christ and who He is, our Messiah and great deliverer, we must go forth as a mighty army for our Lord and King. We will fail at times and fall short, but realizing our hope is in him and that we can do everything through him who gives us strength, we will press in and press on. We will make our confession of faith with Peter: Jesus, you are our Christ, the Son of the living God. We accept you as our personal Savior. We are committed to do your will, Lord. Teach us your ways. Put them in our hearts and minds that we might not sin against you. Let our lights shine for you in the darkness of our everyday lives. Help us to discover and to use the gifts and talents you have given to us. Show us how to reach hurting and lost people. Lead us to new pathways where we will meet needy people who are hungry for you. This week as we celebrate your birth, may we remember to praise you for your life, death, and resurrection that brought us into your family, making us sons and daughters of the Most High God. Thank you for the gift of life everlasting. We honor your beautiful name and give you thanks for the many wonderful works you have done in our lives. May the fruit of the Holy Spirit show a great harvest in our lives in the coming new year as we yield ourselves to you. May others see an abundance of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control in us. (Galatians 5:22-23)
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