Day 11 of Journey Through Mark: A SUFFERING MESSIAH

COMMENTARY Today’s reading represents a major turning point in the book of Mark. Up until this point, Jesus has spent His time in and around the Galilean countryside, demonstrating with great power that He is the Messiah. Now, the book begins its second act as Jesus travels “on the way” to Jerusalem and teaches about the “way” of the Messiah (Mark 8:27; 9:33-34; 10:17, 32, 46, 52). The episode in Mark 8:27-33 functions as a hinge between these two acts. In the first part of the story, Jesus asks His disciples a question: “Who do you say I am?” (Mark 8:29). This is not the first time that someone has asked a question about Jesus’ identity. Throughout Mark, people frequently raised similar questions (e.g., Mark 1:27; 4:41; 6:3). However, this is the first time that Jesus Himself poses the question. He asks it in Caesarea Philippi of all places, a city that was named after Caesar Augustus and had a temple dedicated to the worship of the emperor. Peter’s response, “You are the Messiah,” shows that Peter understands, at least in part, who Jesus is (Mark 8:29). Jesus is God’s anointed King, who would disarm the powers and authorities of this world. Peter’s response is called “The Great Confession.” While his confession is great, it was still a bit misguided. Following Peter’s answer, Jesus went on to teach clearly what it would look like for Him to assume the throne as the Messiah. Mark 8:31 says, “He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.” We shouldn’t miss how startling this would have been to Peter. Mark says Peter was so disturbed that he “rebuked” Jesus, the same thing Jesus did to stormy seas and demons earlier in this book (Mark 1:25; 4:39)! Peter’s rebuke reveals that he still had a shallow, albeit popular, view of the Messiah. He was expecting a Messiah that looked more like a military general than a suffering servant. In our culture, we have our own shallow, if popular, views of the Messiah too. Some prefer to see Jesus without His cross. Others prefer to see Jesus without His kingdom. Jesus wants us to see that they go hand-in-hand. Jesus came to triumph over sin in all its forms: spiritual, sociological, political, etc. He did this not by matching might with might, but instead, by suffering as a servant on a cross (Isaiah 52:7-53:12; Colossians 2:13-15). SCRIPTURE MARK 8:22–9:13 JESUS HEALS A BLIND MAN AT BETHSAIDA 22 They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 25 Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go into the village.” 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. JESUS PREDICTS HIS DEATH 31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” THE WAY OF THE CROSS 34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.” CHAPTER 9 1 And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.” THE TRANSFIGURATION 2 After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became dazzling white, whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. 4 And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus. 5 Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters— one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 (He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.) 7 Then a cloud appeared and covered them, and a voice came from the cloud: “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!” 8 Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus. 9 As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant. 11 And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” 12 Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man must suffer much and be rejected? 13 But I tell you, Elijah has come, and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.” REFLECTION 1. How would you answer Jesus’ question, “Who do you say I am” (Mark 8:29)? 2. In Mark 8:34, Jesus says, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” How does your life compare to Jesus’ portrait of a disciple?