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.
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.”
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.”
NIV®
Put the story in your own words.
What stands out? What’s unusual or unclear?
How do different people react to Jesus?
What is revealed about Jesus in this story?
Why do you think Mark included this event?
How might you respond to this story?
Are there any practical steps to take?
Messiah: Synonym of ‘Christ’. The ‘Messiah’ was a key figure promised in the story of the Bible who would bring God’s plans to save humanity to fulfilment by being a victorious king over God’s people who would reign forever.
Son of Man: Another loaded title from the Old Testament Scriptures. The figure of the ‘Son of Man’ featured in key parts of the Old Testament writings such as Daniel 7 as someone who is human and yet sharing in God’s rule of the world.
Satan: A spiritual being opposed to and yet entirely inferior to God and his Son, Jesus. Strangely, people accused Jesus of serving Satan even as he won victory after victory against him!
