Hi everyone. Welcome back to our podcast today. If you go to mass, you'll hear from quite an interesting reading and there's a bit to say about this one, so we're going to get straight into it. We're looking at Mark chapter 8, verses 27 to 33 Jesus and his disciples left for the villages around caesarea Philippi. On the way, he put this question to his disciples, who do people say that I am? And they told him John the Baptist they said others Elijah others again, one of the
prophets. But you here asked, who do you say that I am. Peter spoke up and said to him, you are the Christ and he gave them strict orders. Not to tell anyone about him. and he began to teach them that the son of man was destined to suffer grievously to be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and to be put to death and after three days to rise again and he said all this quite openly, Then taking him aside, Peter started
to remonstrate with him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said to him, get behind me Satan. Because the way you think is not God's way but man's So a somewhat well-known passage here, particularly because of that, last bit to get behind me. Satan. Well, let's start at the start so they leave for the villages around, caesarea Philippi. So, Jesus is starting Ministry in the new area is going to caesarea Philippi, which is about 25 miles, Northeast of the
Galilee region. So, it's in a region of Israel called galantis or Galah. Notice is the correct pronunciation. So, there were in their state or region of Galilee. That's where he's been most of the time. Now he's going to the region of Galore notice on the way he put this question to his disciples. So this is a conversation they're having on the road as they approached caesarea Philippi. So, Jesus has been concealing his identity for some time.
Remember, all the times where he says, don't tell anyone who I am, now he thinks the time is right to ask his disciples if they've worked out who he is or not. So he starts by asking them, who do men say that? I am probably. Jesus knows the answer to this question. He knows what the crowds think of him. He just wants to establish some common ground for the rest of the conversation and often.
That's how Jesus Works. He asks a question and then he uses that That as a springboard for a teaching opportunity. Also, they're approaching a region here in caesarea Philippi, which was quite well known for worshipping false gods. So it's quite an appropriate question to ask. So verse 28, the disciples Now list, some different identities that people have been saying that this is who Jesus was so they list. John, the Baptist Elijah or a profit.
These are the same three possibilities that we encountered earlier. If you remember in the incident with King Herod, When King Herod beheaded John, the Baptist the same three possibilities were listed. This man is John, the Baptist, he is Elijah or he's a prophet. Notice these three thing. These three figures all have
something in common. They're all Preparatory for the Messiah. So it appears that none of the crowd has said he's the Messiah, no one's gone that far yet, but the crowd is saying that he could be one of those figures that's identified with getting ready for the Messiah. So John, the Baptist was known as the spirit filled man, and the Jews. Perhaps?
Think that in some way maybe he's like a John, the Baptist resurrected, or something, or maybe his Elijah and there's prophecies in the Old Testament. Estimate, which do predict that Elijah will return to before the Messianic, kingdom is ushered in and Elijah performed Miracles. Jesus performed Miracles. So that makes sense. And the third possibility, people think that he is a prophet.
So the Jews did have prophets in the Old Testament and they believe that a prophet could still come again. So some of the crowd was saying. Yeah, this guy's a prophet but apparently no one saying he's the Messiah. Verse 29, Jesus says to the disciples, but who do you say that I am? And in the Greek? That is how it reads. It's quite emphatic on the you, it reads something like this. But you, who do you say that? I am. So, he's directing it at them.
This is the most important question and Mark is probably trying to direct this to all of his readers. If people have been reading the gospel of Mark, right up to this point, they've seen all the things you've that is done. Then this is the They're faced with and that's the question mark. Now wants his readers to think about. Who do you say that? I am and that's why he includes this episode here.
Verse 29, Peter spoke up. So it's significant that Peter speaks up his speaking on behalf of the Apostles, which shows that he is the leader. And here's what he says. One of the most profound things he ever says, you are the Christ now, that's huge. The word Christ means Messiah.
So, what he's just said, is literally, you are the Messiah The Jews have been waiting for the Messiah for sometime and Peter. Now stands there and says, you are the Messiah. We've been waiting for, which is huge because the rest of the crowds did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. So this great confession of Peter is appears in all four gospels in some form.
And we know from Matthew's gospel that as soon as Jesus the story as soon as Peter says you are the Christ Jesus says back to him blessed are you for flesh and blood has not revealed This but my heavenly father and then he goes on to say you are the rock on which I will build my church. We don't have that in Mark's version but we'll unpack that promise about The Rock when we get to it in Matthews version. Verse 30 and he gave them strict orders.
Not to tell anyone about him. So, even now Jesus is still preserving. The Messianic secret, he doesn't want people, he doesn't want the apostles to spread the news that Jesus is the Messiah. That would cause a frenzy. Because remember, people at the time, thought that the Messiah was going to be political or military leader, and he doesn't want things to go down that way. He has a timeline.
He wants to stick to So Scholars would say that this what we just heard their ends, what's kind of the first half of Mark which is all about discovering Jesus identity. The theme all throughout this first part of Mark has been, who is this? Jesus guy? Look at all the things he can do and now it's culminates in G's in Peter saying you are the Christ.
So now we move into the second half in a way of the Gospel of Mark and the theme of the second half is about his suffering and Glory. Most of the second half is recounting the final week of Jesus life verse 31 and he began to teach them. So began to teach them implies that he's constantly teaching them this from now on. It appears that the trigger for him to start teaching them is Peter's confession, we might miss that in their text, but it seems like that's what's happened.
Now, that peed on behalf of the Apostle says, recognize that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus now goes, okay good. You are now ready for more information and he starts to share his Destiny with them so he says to them. The son of man was destined. So Jesus teaches them these things from the perspective of Prophecy. He's not really, is not really saying I'm going to suffer. He wants the focus to be on the Messiah.
So Jesus is saying something like this according to God's Plan of Salvation as made clear in the Old Testament. All of these things must happen to the son of man and the word he used, the is that's destined in the our translation in another translation is actually a must. So Jesus wants his disciples to understand that these things that he's about to list must. Happen. They're not accidents or tragedies though. They appear to be, and this is supposed to be a thing of Hope
for them. So later when Jesus is persecuted and killed, his disciples are supposed to remember that he told them that these things must happen and that's supposed to give them Comfort. Apparently, they didn't remember this though, unfortunately.
Now when he's uses the term son of man here, that's another name for the Messiah, but it's a particular name for the Messiah, from the Old Testament, from The Book of Daniel, and basically, to say son of man to the Jews, that Jesus is time that would have recalled images of both, humiliation and Glory.
So Jesus wants the disciples to see the Messiah as one who's going to suffer humiliation but then be glorified, he continues to use the word son of man, all throughout the gospel of Mark, from this point on So he says to them, the son of man must suffer grievously which we know does happen and to be rejected by the chief priests and the scribes. And this is the group of Jewish leaders who should have accepted Jesus. Jesus says, this is the group that's going to reject him to be
put to death. And after three days to rise again, notice how specific all of this prophecy is Jesus knows that he's going to suffer, he's going to be rejected by the chief priests and the elders. He's going to die and he's going to rise again in three days. That's Such specific prophecies. None of this was an accident. Jesus knew exactly how it was going to go down and he's sharing it with the apostles
beforehand. There's something really interesting I came across in my research here is what's the go with three days if you think about a Jesus could have stayed in the Tomb for as long as he wanted, he could have stayed in. For one day, he could have stayed in for 10 days. Could have stadium for seven days because the seven is the number of perfection. So there must be some meaning in Jesus being in the Tomb for three days.
And it appears that there is if you remember a couple of times in the gospel of Mark and particularly the gospel of Matthew we've talked about Out how Jesus recapitulates, the story of Israel. So jesus takes things that have really happened to Israel in their past and he does them himself, he embodies them in himself in an interesting way.
So for example, the Jews spend time in Egypt in the book of Exodus, well, Jesus spends time in Egypt as a child, and the Jews spent 40 years wandering in the wilderness, Jesus spends 40 days, wandering in the wilderness as well. So, It might be another example of that and the key reference. And this I find this fascinating Hosea, 6, verse 12. To says, this is one of the prophets in the Old Testament. He will revive us. After two days, on the third
day, God will rise. Raise us up to live in his presence. So, in the context that God gives, that that Hosea, gives that prophecy. Basically Jose saying that God will raise up Israel after suffering. So he doesn't literally mean three days Hosea, but it's sort of a poetic way of saying after your suffering. God will raise you up and Israel did indeed go through suffering, but Jesus applies, this to himself. This would be a prophecy that they would be familiar with the Jews.
And Jesus says, after my suffering, I will be raised again after three days. So he takes this sort of small prophecy hidden in one of the Minor Prophets of the Old Testament. Ant and he gives it a completely new amazingly literal fulfillment. Just as Israel. Poetically was raised again, after three days after their suffering in the Old Testament, Jesus himself would literally be raised after three days. And I think that this is actually the key verse.
There's probably others in the Old Testament, but I think this is the key reason why Jesus had to spend three days in the Tomb because he's recapitulating, the story of Israel. So really interesting, isn't it? It. So Jesus knows how the timeline is going to go down and it's unfortunate that disciples. Don't recall. All the things he says to them here.
Verse 32 says and he said this quite openly that's probably not a very good translation because that implies that he's speaking to the whole crowds or something. A more literal translation is he said this plainly as in his being very direct with his Apostles, he's not hiding anything about his Destiny. Unlike The Parables, he has been speaking in his actually very open and playing about what he's saying. So now here comes Peter, Peter took him aside and started to remonstrate with him.
Another translation is rebuked him. Peter is rebuking Jesus. So, why is Peter doing it? Well, it seems like Peter thinks Jesus is a bit crazy. He's saying something like this to. Jesus. What's gotten into you? You're the Messiah. You're not going to die. So, Peter is certainly showing some presumption here.
He is. Showing a presumption of a disciple who feels like he needs to correct his master, probably Jesus Peters lowest moment or one of them because he, you know, he denies Jesus three times as well. Why is what speed is big deal here? Why does he react so strongly when Jesus says, oh, I'm going to be persecuted and killed. Well, think about what the Jews believed about the Messiah at the time. So, Peter believes Jesus is the Messiah. We know that from what he's just said.
But at the time, the Jews didn't understand the suffering aspect, or the suffering servant aspect of the Messiah, which is in the Old Testament, but there's other parts of the Old Testament, which predict that the Messiah is going to be more of a ruler or a Victorious military leader, who will restore Israel. And that was the kind of Messiah the Jews tended to focus on at the time. And that was apparently the image that Peter had about the Messiah.
So he's thinking, I up, Jesus is the messiah. He's going to restore Israel. It's going to be awesome. It's going to be glorious. And now Jesus says, actually I'm going to die and so Peters, like don't be stupid, don't be silly, you're the Messiah. That's not going to happen. Verse 33. So what's Jesus responds? He doesn't just turn around and blast, Peter straight away. Notice verse 33 says, Jesus turned and saw his disciples, so that's Jesus motivation for what he's about to say.
So, it appears that Jesus looks at the disciples and he is doesn't want them to be led astray by what Peter is saying. By his false kind of outburst here. So Jesus wants to keep the disciples on track Peters their leader and they have a tendency to follow him which is a good thing. But in this case, Peter is mistaken. And so Jesus looks at the disciples realizes that he needs to stand up and do something here and he says, Get Behind Me. Satan So firstly, who's Jesus is
talking to you? There's two possible interpretations the most obvious interpretation. This is the one that most people have gone with is that Jesus perceives. The Satan is influencing Peter. So, Jesus is actually talking to Satan. So it could be that when Satan saw Peter had confessed Jesus as the Messiah. So Satan saw that being a powerful being, he immediately went no we can't have that.
We can't have Jesus. We can't have Peter recognizing Jesus as the Messiah. I'm going to confuse Peter And then he sort of in a way influence Peter to have this doubtful outburst. That's the explanation. Most people have gone with. However, there could be a different one. The word Satan in Greek, although it can refer to one specific individual Satan, it literally just means adversary adversary so it could be. That Jesus is actually just talking to Peter here and he's
not implying. That Peter is possessed by Satan or something, he's just saying get behind me adversary and he's saying it to Peter. Either one of those interpretations could be right or maybe both of them at the same time. What does he mean when he says get behind me? It's kind of like a military command and the idea is Jesus is saying to either Satan or Peter here fall in line, fall in line, get behind me.
So the basic idea here is Jesus says, I outrank you you need to follow me rather than you trying to lead me because Peter has just taken him aside and said, no, Jesus, that's not right. And now, Peter and they are. Jesus says to Peter. I rank. Outrank, you fall in line, get behind me. You need to follow me, rather
than trying to Lead Me. so given that it could apply to either Jesus or Peter, but it seems to make the most sense to say that Jesus is addressing this to Peter specifically and then you finish this by saying the way you think is not God's way but
man's way. So the fact that Peter doesn't believe that Jesus will die because he's the Messiah is worldly thinking that's how most you thought and Jesus says that's man's way, but you need to think in God's way as in, you need to think about God's Plan of Salvation and his truth. So, that's the reading. I hope you found it really interesting. How does the Catholic Church?
Develop teachings? Based on this, while there's a few places because this declaration of Peter saying, you are the Messiah, obviously, then informs a lot of Catholic teaching about Jesus identity paragraph 557, there's a discussion about how Jesus predicts his own death, several times in Mark and that's references.
This passage. Parker 474 in the discussion about Christ's human knowledge says, by its Union to the Divine wisdom, in the person of the word incarnate Christ enjoyed in his human knowledge, the fullness of understanding of the Eternal plans, he had come to reveal.
And the reference here is true. The passage in Mark when Jesus is able to predict his own death and Resurrection, the catechism takes that as evidence that Jesus did have Divine knowledge, Divine superhuman knowledge, which makes sense. In paragraph 5 7 2, which is in the section about the commentary on. Jesus, suffered under Pontius.
Pilate was crucified died and was buried paragraph. 572 said, Jesus sufferings took their historical concrete form from the fact that he was rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and you hear their, that quote is actually direct reference back to Mark chapter 8 year when Jesus predicted the group of people that would reject him and the catechism said yes he was indeed. Acted by that group of Jewish leaders. And then finally, there's a brief discussion of it in
paragraph. 649 about the resurrection which says, As for the sun, he affects his own Resurrection by virtue of his divine power. Jesus announces that the son of man will have much to suffer die and then rise. And of course, they're the reference is to Mark chapter 8 where Jesus announces that those things will happen to him. So I'll put all those catechism references into the show notes, and there's some quite good ones. There that link. Go to our passage from Mark
chapter 8 today. Thanks again for listening. Hope you learn something new. I certainly did as I was doing the research about the three days thing. I've never heard of that before, and I never thought about why Jesus had to be in there for three days. And I think this explanation makes sense. I'd love to hear from you guys. If you have any questions please send them through to the email address. Logical Bible study at gmail.com or we can leave a voice message
as well. All of that is in the show notes, we'll see you again tomorrow.