Mark 9:1

7. JESUS THE MESSIAH 8:279:1

TEXT 8:279:1

And Jesus went forth, and his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi: and in the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they told him, saying, John the Baptist: and others, Elijah; but others, One of the prophets. And he asked them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him, And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, and the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again, And he spake the saying openly, And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. But he turning about, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and saith, Get thee behind me Satan: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men. And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whosoever would save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's shall save it. For what doth it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life? For what should a man give in exchange for his life? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of man also shall be ashamed of him, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There be some here of them that stand by, which shall in no wise taste of death, till they see the kingdom of God come with power.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 8:279:1

403.

How far from Bethsaida to Caesarea Philippi? Please locate on the map.

404.

Why ask the disciples of the opinion of others? What meaning is there in the name Jesus applied to Himself? Cf. Matthew 16:13-14?

405.

How would Jesus meet the designations given concerning Himi.e. in what way was He like John the Baptist?; like Elijah?; like one of the prophets?

406.

Who thought Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead?

407.

Show how appropriate this question was at this particular time in the life of Jesus.

408.

What did Peter mean in his use of the name Christ?

409.

Why doesn-'t Mark record the blessing pronounced by Christ upon Peter?

410.

Define each of the three classes of persons referred to in Mark 8:31.

411.

What is meant by the expression He spake the saying openly?

412.

Please attempt an explanation of the attitude of Peter when he rebuked the Lord.

413.

Why look at all the disciples and rebuke Peter? In what sense was Jesus not speaking to Peter?

414.

Show the connection of denying self with the rebuke of Peter.

415.

Define in your own words what it means to take up his cross and follow.

416.

How do we attempt to save our life and in the process lose it?

417.

Specifically how can we lose our life for His sake? Please be personal and practical.

418.

How is the word soul or life used in Mark 8:36?

419.

Is Jesus saying a man has no real life or is not really living unless he is giving himself to His service?

420.

How does being ashamed of Jesus fit into this context?

COMMENT

TIMESummer of A.D. 29. From six to eight months before the Lord's Crucifixion.
PLACEIn the neighborhood of Caesarea Philippi, about thirty miles northeast of Capernaum and the Sea of Galilee. It was upon the upper sources of the Jordan, the largest of the three streams that unite to form the river springing from a fountain near Caesarea Philippi. Professor McGarvey says: The city of Caesarea Philippi stood at the northeastern curve of the upper Jordan valley, and about twenty-six miles north of the lake of Galilee. Mountains 2,000 feet high rise abruptly from the eastern side of it, while the snow covered summit of Mt. Hermon, 9,000 feet high, swells heavenward but a few miles north of it. Its earliest name known to us was Paneas, so called in honor of the god Pan, and on or near its side Herod the Great erected a temple in honor of Augustus Caesar. Afterward Philip the Tetrarch, to whom Herod gave the district at his death, rebuilt the old town, and called it Caesarea Philippi in honor of himself and Tiberius Caesar. The city is now in ruins, but the wall can be traced on every side, and in some points on the east and south sides it is standing at almost its original height. Just outside the northeastern angle of the wall is the famous spring which is one of the three principal sources of the Jordan.

PARALLEL ACCOUNTSMatthew 16:13-28; Luke 9:18-27.

LESSON OUTLINE1. The Good Confession. 2. The Cross of Christ. 3. Losing and Finding Life.

ANALYSIS

I.

THE GOOD CONFESSION, Mark 8:27-30.

1.

Christ at Caesarea Philippi. Mark 8:27; Matthew 16:13; Luke 9:18.

2.

Opinions of Christ. Mark 8:28; Matthew 16:14; Luke 9:19: John 6:69.

3.

Peter's Confession. Mark 8:29; Matthew 16:16.

II.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST, Mark 8:31-34.

1.

The Prophecy of the Cross. Mark 8:31; Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22: Luke 9:22.

2.

Peter Rebuked. Mark 8:32-33; Matthew 16:22-23.

3.

Bearing the Cross. Mark 8:24; Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23.

III.

LOSING AND FINDING LIFE, Mark 8:35 to Mark 9:1.

1.

The Way to Save Life. Mark 8:35; Matthew 16:25; Luke 9:24.

2.

Gain or Loss. Mark 8:36-37; Matthew 16:26; Luke 9:25.

3.

Ashamed of the Cross. Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; Romans 1:16.

4.

Coming in the Kingdom. Mark 9:1; Matthew 16:28; Luke 9:27.

INTRODUCTION

It was after our Lord had closed his public ministry in Galilee, and while he was seeking retirement in order to communicate special instruction in the principles of his kingdom to the apostles, who were to succeed in his work, that he gave the great lesson concerning the foundation on which he would found his church, and the lesson on consecration and self-denial that its extension in the world requires. Here begins the second great division of the Savior's ministry, a period that leads directly to his sufferings and death. The first period culminated in the confession of Peter; the second in the cross and resurrection.

EXPANATORY NOTES

I. THE GOOD CONFESSION.Mark 8:27. Jesus went out, and his disciples. Went out is the word regularly used in this gospel when a departure from one scene of work to another is notified. In this case, our Lord, leaving the district in which he had hitherto been chiefly working, proceeded in a northeasterly direction along the valley of the Upper Jordan. And his disciples. Their presence is here mentioned expressly, calling attention to the object of a journey through a district to a great extent heathen, and lately traversed, viz., their special instruction (Mark 9:31). Into the towns, Away from the populous cities The solitude of the beautiful district, wither the Savior now journeyed, is illustrated by the fact that it is the only district in Palestine where a recent traveller found the pelican of the wilderness (Psalms 102:6). Caesarea Philippi. A city at the northeast extremity of Palestine and at the foot of Mount Lebanon, anciently called Paneas, and now Banias. It has now about fifty houses, many ruins of columns, towers, temples, a bridge, and a remarkable castle. And by the way. His conversation by the way: (1) The turn it often took when the disciples were left to themselvesdisputes concerning greatness, etc. (2) The turn Christ gave to itinquirings concerning his mission and person. Learn: (1), Avoid foolish and worldly talk; (2), Improve passing opportunities; (3), Let your talk be often about the Savior.Biblical Museum. Whom do men say that I am? The following conversation refers to three points: (1) The Christ. (2) The suffering Christ. The disciples of the suffering Christ. The object of this first question is evidently to prepare the way for the next. The inquiry was not concerning the opinions of the Scribes and Rabbis, but concerning the opinions of the people.

Mark 8:28. And they answered. As Jesus had not openly declared that he was the Messiah, but had allowed men to hear his surpassing wisdom and see his life and works and draw their own conclusions, there would naturally be various opinions. John the Baptist. Who had been killed by Herod a few months before, now restored to life. That was one popular notion regarding him, circulating, no doubt, chiefly among those who had never seen him. Herod Antipas entertained it (chap. Mark 6:16). Elias. The great ideal of a prophet and spiritual reformer. It was very generally expected that he was to return to the earth in connection with the Messiah's advent (Malachi 4:5).Morison. One of the prophets. The Jews believed that at the coming of the Messiah the prophets were to rise again. They did not declare their belief in him as the Messiah himself, doubtless for this reason, that the whole ministry of Christ appeared to them to stand in contradiction to their Messianic expectations.

Mark 8:29. Whom say ye that I am? He had never openly spoken of his Messiahship. It was his will that the revelation should dawn gradually on the minds of his children; that it should spring more from the truths he spake, and the life he lived, than from the wonders which he wrought. It was in the Son of man that they were to recognize the Son of God.Farrar. The time was come when it was of the greatest moment that they should have a settled conception of his real character and mission. And Peter answereth. With that honest readiness and impulsiveness which were so characteristic of his nature, and which fitted him for being a leader of the little circle.Morison. Thou art the Christ; Matthew adds, the Son of the living God. This confession not only sees in Jesus the promised Messiah, but in the Messiah recognizes the divine nature.Cambridge Bible. The confession of Peter is the first fundamental Christian confession of faith, and the germ of the Apostles-' Creed.Lange. It was a decisive answer, and given as out of a higher inspiration. The Lord himself, as we learn from Matthew 16:17, traced the thought to its divine source. And yet it was, no doubt, founded on evidence which the disciple had diligently studied, and logically construed to his own inner satisfaction. The Lord in the passage in Matthew declares that the grand truth confessed by Peter is the rock on which his church shall be built. By faith in this truth men become disciples of Christ and members of his church.

Mark 8:30. Charged them that they should tell no man. The time had not yet come to proclaim that he was the Christ. To do so prematurely would result in harm rather than good. He must first demonstrate his Messiahship by his resurrection.

II. THE CROSS OF CHRIST.Mark 8:31. He began to teach them. must suffer many things. The great lesson of our two years of his ministry was that he was the Christ; after this had been learned by his apostles they were ready to be taught he must die a violent death. So from this time onward we find him speaking more and more plainly of the decease which he must accomplish. The supreme purpose of his advent was not to teach truth, nor to work miracles, nor to illustrate the perfection of manly character, but to die, to die for sinners, to bear their sins in his own body on the tree. Rejected of the elders, chief priests and scribes. The three constituents of the Sanhedrim. The elders (leading men) would be chosen because of their material and political influence; the high priests, because of their elevated ecclesiastical position; the scribes, because of their literary and rabbinical qualifications. Now, for the first time, the disciples received full and clear information of the sufferings and death of Christ.

Mark 8:32. And he spake that saying openly. Without reserve, publicly. The previous statements respecting this subject, made by our Lord, were expressed in figurative language.Godwin. And Peter began to rebuke him. The same Peter who but just now had made so noble and spiritual a confession, and received so high a blessing, now shows the weak and carnal side of his character. This world has many Peters, who wish to be wiser than Christ, and to prescribe to him what it is needful to do.

Mark 8:33. Turned about and looked on his disciples, A sudden movement is indicated. Looking at all, he singles out Peter for special warning. Rebuked Peter, saying Get thee behind me, Satan. Christ saw, with the lightning glance of his spirit, in the words of Peter a suggestion not so much of his as of Satan'S. This is the very temptation that fell from the lips of Satan in the wilderness when he offered to surrender the kingdoms of this world to Jesus without his suffering on the cross. The Lord when he says, with sudden vehemence, Get thee behind me Satan! was not speaking directly to Peter but to the prince of darkness, who had for a moment taken possession of Peter's mind and lips. Peter had been greatly elated over the Messiahship of Jesus, but still expected an earthly king Messiah after the type of David, in whose kingdom he would have a great place. To hear the Lord talk of the cross was a cruel disappointment to his ambitious hopes.

III. LOSING AND FINDING LIFE.Mark 8:34. When he had called the people unto him. The great lesson of his Christhood and death on the cross had been given to the apostles alone. Now the throng and his disciples are united and the Lord teaches a grand truth that springs directly from what had occurred just before, Will come after me. Will become my disciple. There was an eagerness among many of the people to come after him. The wistfulness of a considerable proportion of the northern population had been awakened. They were ruminating anxiously on Old Testament predictions, and filled with vague expectancy. Let him deny himself. The word is strong in the originallet him deny himself off, let him entirely renounce himself. Let him be prepared to say no to many of the strongest cravings of his nature, in the direction more particularly of earthly ease, comfort, dignity and glory. Our common thoughts of self-denial, i.e., the denial to ourselves of some pleasure or profit, fall far short of the meaning of the Greek. The man is to deny his whole self, all his natural motives and impulses, so far as they come into conflict with the claims of Christ. And take up his cross. Even as the Lord would take up his cross at Jerusalem. So every disciple must crucify the old man, his selfish nature (Romans 6:6), give up his old life, and become dead to it. The cross is the pain of the self-denial required in the preceding words. The cross is the symbol of doing our duty, even at the cost of the most painful death. Christ obeyed God, and carried out his work for the salvation of men, though it required him to die upon the cross in order to do it. And ever since, the cross has stood as the emblem, not of suffering, but of suffering for the sake of Christ and his gospel as the highest ideal of obedience to God at any and every cost. Follow me. Obey and imitate Christ.

Mark 8:35. Whosoever will save his life. Whoever makes this the end will lose life. A great principle is stated. All self-seeking is self-losing. Even in spiritual things, he who is perpetually studying how to secure joy and peace for himself loses it. A certain measure of self-forgetfulness is the condition of the highest success, even in Christian grace. But whosoever shall lose his life. In the sphere of the present. For my sake, and the gospel'S. It is only loss for the sake of Christ that has this promise. Multitudes of people lose their lives for gain, for pleasure, for fashion. Each of these has more martyrs than the cross ever required; but the loss was without compensation or hope. But whosoever loses for the love of Christ, for the sake of preaching and advancing the gospel shall save itshall have a blessedness and glory which will a thousand times compensate for every loss.

Mark 8:36. What shall it profit a man? This is one of the searching questions that the Scriptures are wont to throw out to arouse reflection. Let each student try to conscientiously answer this question and the one which follows.

Mark 8:37. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? What would a man not give? If he had the whole world, would he not willingly give it, provided he really knew, believed, or felt, that otherwise he would be utterly lost? The Saviour has gone forward in thought, and taken his standpoint in eternity. It is from that standpoint that he puts the question.

Mark 8:38. Shall be ashamed of me and of my words. As many would be prone to be. The temptation to shame, in reference to the Savior and the Savior's sayings or doctrines, continues to the present day, and is pervading society to the core, even in countries called Christian, It is one of the severest temptations which young converts have to encounter. The anticipation of it is one of the mightiest motives to keep men away from conversion, and on the other side of Christian faith and fealty. This adulterous and sinful generation. Adulterous here, as in the Old Testament, means unfaithful to God. When he cometh, etc. The glorious coming to judge the world when all nations shall appear before him.

Mark 9:1 Some of them that stand here, etc. The allusion to the final coming of the kingdom of Christ in power which took place on the day of Pentecost. The day of Pentecost, when the descent of the Spirit took place, marks the beginning of the dispensation of the Spirit, the new economy, or the kingdom of righteousness. Its consummation will be seen when all souls shall be converted to righteousness and Jesus shall come.

FACT QUESTIONS 8:279:1

455.

Give three facts about Caesarea Philippi.

456.

The verses before us begin what great division in our Lord's ministry?

457.

What area of public ministry concludes with the eighth chapter?

458.

What was the purpose of our Lord in going into the district of Caesarea Philippi?

459. Give three lessons we can learn in the example of our Lord.
460.

Did Jesus want the opinions of the scribes and rabbis? Why not?

461.

Show how Malachi 4:5 helped form the opinion of some.

462.

Show how the whole ministry of Christ appeared to them to stand in contradiction to their Messianic expectation?

463.

It was in the Son of man that they were to recognize the of .

464.

The confession of Peter sees in Jesus the Messiah but even morewhat was it?

465.

The confession of Peter had both a human and divine originexplain.

466.

How was Jesus going to demonstrate His Messiahship?

467.

It took two years to teach one great truthwhat was it? What was the second great truth to be taught in the next few months?

468.

What was the supreme purpose of His advent?

469.

Why choose the three classes mentioned in Mark 8:31? Do we have their counterpart today? Discuss.

470.

What hurt Peter the mostthe words that Jesus would be killed or being called Satan? Discuss.

471.

Satan repeated his temptation to Jesus through the words of Peterexplain.

472.

Were there many who wanted to follow Him? Who? Why? How?

473.

Explain the strong meaning of deny himself.

474.

Discuss in your own words the meaning of the cross as here ascribed to every disciple.

475.

Even in spiritual matters he who would save his life shall lose itplease apply.

476.

Multitudes lose their livesdiscuss two or three areas where this loss takes placewith no gainonly loss!

477.

In what way do we save our life?

478.

Isn-'t the use of the word soul in Mark 8:37 an unfortunate one?it has a wider use than the eternal nature of manDiscuss.

479.

How is the temptation to be ashamed overcome?

480.

What is the fundamental error in being ashamed?