Spring House Worship Center Penllyn Pike & Dager Road Spring House, PA 19477 Rev. Charles W. Quann, Pastor Sunday Worship: 9:00 & 11:15 am Wednesday Bible Study: 7:00 pm Editor: Rev. Perkin Simpson Jesus is the Messiah Week of February, 2011 Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011 Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S. 153 Background Scripture: Mark 8:27 9:1 Printed Text: Mark 8:27 9:1 Lesson Outline Introduction A. Crunch Time B. Lesson Background I. Decisive Question (Mark 8:27 30) A. What Do Others Say? (vv. 27, 28) B. What Do You Say? (v. 29) Popular Opinion or? C. What Not to Say (v. 30) II. Predicted Pain (Mark 8:31 33) A. Jesus Suffering (v. 31) B. Peter s Protest (v. 32) C. Jesus Rebuke (v. 33) III. Demanding Challenge (Mark 8:34 9:1) A. Requirements of Discipleship (vv. 34, 35) Give Up or Give In? B. Logic of Discipleship (vv. 36, 37) C. Urgency of Discipleship (vv. 38; 9:1) Conclusion A. What Kind of Messiah? B. What Kind of Disciple? C. Prayer D. Thought to Remember
Introduction A. Crunch Time Crunch time is a familiar phrase for athletes it may be the final seconds in a close game, late in a close race or the final inning of a game with two out and the bases loaded. Many moments in our lives qualify as crunch time weddings, job interviews, children. These are important times when we face all-important moments of truth. For Peter and the other disciples in this lesson, crunch time came at Caesarea Philippi when Jesus challenged them to answer a question. It was time to make a decision, for someone to dare to answer. Jesus asked his disciples, Who do you say I am? Simon Peter rose to the occasion and spoke with conviction. B. Lesson Background From the very beginning of Jesus ministry, it was clear that he had come to fulfill the prophecies of Isaiah. John the Baptist prepared the way for him as predicted in Isaiah 40:3 (see Mark 1:2, 3). Jesus announced his purpose at his home synagogue in Nazareth, quoting Isaiah 61:1 and saying, The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. Later Jesus announced, Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing (Luke 4:21). Throughout his ministry, Jesus demonstrated time and again that he was sent from Heaven to fulfill everything Isaiah and the other prophets had prophesied. He was the Messiah and came to bring salvation and reassurance to all man. One prophecy stated that the Messiah would be the suffering servant and would give his life to bear the sins of all people (Isaiah 53, last week s lesson). Well into the third year of his ministry, Jesus was ready to test the disciples understanding of his identity and his mission. I. Decisive Question (Mark 8:27 30) A. What Do Others Say? (vv. 27, 28) 27a. Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Since the feeding of the 5,000 a few months earlier (Mark 6:30 44), Jesus has been largely avoiding both Judea and Galilee. Without the excessive excitement or distracting opposition present, Jesus was able to spend time preparing his disciples for what was to come. They now happened to be visiting the towns in the area of Caesarea Philippi. 27b. On the way he asked them, Who do people say I am? Jesus opens a conversation with his disciples by asking this question: Who do people say I am? Who Jesus is is a fundamental issue that everyone especially the disciples themselves must face. Where does Jesus come from? What is his purpose? The answer to these questions will determine what we do in response to him. Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 1
28. They replied, Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets. The disciples answer factually, reporting the various opinions and rumors that are circulating about Jesus. These ideas center around a return to life by great man of God; John the Baptist, Elijah or another great prophet of old. These ideas also assume that Jesus is someone who will prepare for the Messiah, but not that he is the Messiah himself. John the Baptist came to prepare the way (Mark 1:2 4); his identity is bound up with Elijah, who was to be sent before the great day of the Lord (Malachi 4:5; Matthew 17:10 13); the other prophets predicted a variety of things about the coming Messiah. But these were all just men. Jesus is so much more; He is the Messiah. What Do You Think? What are some ways that people today answer Jesus question, Who do you say that I am? 29a. But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am? Now the question becomes pointed and personal: Who do you say I am? Have the disciples resolved in their own minds the issue of Jesus identity? We are about to find out! Popular Opinion or? Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes it is an old adage familiar to many. The meaning is that you want to find out what people think about an issue before making a final decision. Politicians use opinion polls to find out which way the wind is blowing on an issue before taking a stand. The church is not immune to this way of thinking. People naturally have opinions on how a church should carry out its mission. That is not necessarily bad in and of itself, and wise leaders are good listeners. But danger looms when popular opinions about the Bible are allowed to hold sway over the facts of the Bible. People today hold many opinions about Jesus. He is regarded as a myth, a misguided fool, and everything in between. But opinions aren t facts, and the church dare not present to the world the Jesus that the world wants or thinks him to be. The fact is, Jesus is who he claimed to be: the Son of God. In a world filled with opinions about Jesus, it is imperative that Christians hold to the facts of who Jesus really is. A. E. A. Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 2
29b. Peter answered, You are the Christ. We can imagine the disciples hanging back, each waiting for someone else to answer Jesus question. Peter is the one who steps up and answers: You are the Christ. Matthew 16:16 notes that Peter also calls Him the Son of the living God. All the hopes of Israel, the destiny of humanity, and the eternal plan of God rest on His shoulders. Christ is a Greek word, and its Hebrew equivalent is interpreted Messiah, or the anointed one (compare John 1:41; 4:25). Most of the first-century Jews think, or want, the Messiah will be a political figure, or a king who will sit on an earthly throne. But Jesus will be a leader on God s terms (compare John 6:15). C. What Not to Say (v. 30) 30. Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. Even though Peter has confessed a wonderful truth, Jesus commands the disciples to tell no one. Jesus has given similar prohibitions on several previous occasions (see Mark 1:44; 5:43; 8:26; 9:9). Even the demons are forbidden to reveal Jesus identity (1:25; 3:12). The need for secrecy seems to be connected with the expectations of the people. When they hear about Jesus miracles, they overwhelm him with the sick, the crippled, and the blind (see Mark 1:45). They cannot see that his miracles are pointing beyond present physical needs. When they think about Jesus identity as the possible Messiah, they clamor for him to establish an earthly kingdom, independent from Rome. There will be time later to proclaim to all the world that Jesus is the Christ, but that time is not yet. II. Predicted Pain (Mark 8:31 33) A. Jesus Suffering (v. 31) 31. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. From this point Jesus begins to teach his disciples a painful truth: the Son of Man must suffer many things. The term Son of Man is Jesus favorite self-designation. It is found several times in the Gospels, and has both messianic and human overtones. The suffering that Jesus has to undergo will include rejection by the elders, chief priests, and scribes; three groups of religious leaders that make up the Sanhedrin - the ruling body of the Jews. The hardest thing for the disciples to accept is the prediction that Jesus must be killed. If he dies who would reign? How can he sit on David s throne if he is dead? Jesus final words provide the answer: and after three days rise again. However, the disciples are unable to understand or absorb this answer. B. Peter s Protest (v. 32) 32a. He spoke plainly about this, The fact that Jesus speaks openly reveals a major turning point. Up to this point, Jesus has spoken of his death in figures of speech and allusions (John 2:19; 3:14). Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 3
32b. and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. Peter rebels as he hears about the coming death. This is intolerable, unacceptable, unthinkable! Clearly forgetting his place, he takes Jesus aside and begins to rebuke him. It is not his job to tell Jesus what to do, but to obey him. The prediction of the Son of Man s sufferings to come will be repeated in Mark 9:30 32 and 10:32 34, and the disciples will still find it impossible to accept, but these things must happen; it is the Father s will. C. Jesus Rebuke (v. 33) 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 things of God, but the things of men. The other disciples likely share Peter s opposition to what Jesus has said. Jesus turns and looks at them, then rebukes Peter in front of them all. Knowing that Peter s way of thinking stands between him and fulfilling the Father s will. Jesus addressing Peter as Satan may seem shocking, but it is appropriate. The word satan refers to an enemy. If Peter stands in the way of Jesus completing his mission, then Peter is indeed an enemy. Second, Peter is repeating a temptation of the devil in the wilderness by suggesting that Jesus does not really need to allow himself to be harmed in order to carry out his mission (Matthew 4:5, 6). What Do You Think? What are some false expectations about the Christian life that you have had to abandon? How have you grown spiritually as a result? III. Demanding Challenge (Mark 8:34 9:1) A. Requirements of Discipleship (vv. 34, 35) 34. Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Jesus uses the fact of his pending death as a teaching moment for discipleship. All who decide to follow him must be ready to make the ultimate sacrifice: they must first deny themselves. It is not enough to merely renounce sinful ways or indulgent luxuries; they must renounce the very right to control their own lives. Every follower must take up his cross. Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 4
Give Up or Give In? Each year on Good Friday in the Philippines, some people go through what is called a devotional crucifixion. This involves allowing themselves to be nailed to a cross as a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus. They do so for various reasons, usually as an appeal to God to answer a prayer. But this is not what Jesus meant when he called on people to take up their crosses. He was, instead, asking for a complete denial of self, no matter what the cost. The word picture of this command can be found in the Roman practice of forcing a criminal to carry his own cross to the crucifixion site. The model of giving one s self is the life of Jesus. He did this physically when he carried his cross, as far as he was able, to his crucifixion. Dare we do less in a spiritual sense? A. E. A. 35. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. Again Jesus speaks of choices. A person might decide to do everything possible to save his or her own life, to claim the right to live life as desired. But like the rich fool Jesus warned that such a person will one day have to leave everything behind and go empty-handed to judgment (see Luke 12:16 21). The wise disciple therefore is willing to lose his or her life for Jesus sake, realizing that that is the only way ultimately to save it. This means having a willingness to forfeit material life for the Heavenly riches and social standing in order to stand with the people of God. Are we willing to lose our physical life in exchange for eternal life. What Do You Think? What are some things you have done to lose your life for Christ? What more can you do? C. Urgency of Discipleship (vv. 38; 9:1) 38. If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father s glory with the holy angels. The approval of this adulterous and sinful generation rather than Jesus approval refers figuratively to idolatry (example: Ezekiel 23:37). To be ashamed of Jesus implies that a person is proud of something else instead. Jesus will return in glory and the faithful will share in this experience (Colossians 3:4). He will be accompanied by the holy angels, with whom the faithful will share eternity (Revelation 7:9 12). In light of all this, how can anyone in any earthly generation be ashamed of Jesus? Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 5
What Do You Think? What are some ways to identify ourselves clearly as followers of Christ? 9:1. And he said to them, I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power. I tell you the truth is a phrase Jesus uses often to introduce an important statement. Here he announces to his disciples that some of them will live to see the coming of the kingdom of God. Jesus is not predicting that his second coming will occur during the disciples lifetimes, but refers to the church, which he has promised to build (see Matthew 16:18), will come. Amazing things will happen when the church is established on the Day of Pentecost! Judas Iscariot will die before that day. The other apostles will see the long-awaited kingdom of God come with power, just as Jesus promised (see Acts 1:6 8; 2:42). Another theory refers to the way Christ s spiritual reign from Heaven manifests itself after the resurrection. Many important things happen after Jesus ascension: the number of disciples multiplies rapidly, the disciples perform various miracles, the Gentiles are included, etc. All of these can be seen as ways that the kingdom comes with power. Conclusion A. What Kind of Messiah? People in the first century can be criticized fairly for wanting a Messiah on their own terms. They were more interested in his miracles than in his message. They were eager for him to overthrow Rome, but they did not necessarily want him to rule in their hearts. But what kind of Messiah do we expect Jesus to be? Do we expect that he provide health and wealth? Do we think he should be the heavenly genie that grants all our wishes? Let us learn from Peter s experience that we do not dictate to Jesus. He is God s Messiah, on God s terms. B. What Kind of Disciple? A true disciple does not ask, Am I happy with Jesus? Instead, he or she asks, Is my Lord happy with me? True discipleship has its costs, but it also has unimaginable rewards. Therefore the true disciple will echo Peter, You are the Christ and you are my Lord. Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 6
C. Prayer Father, we thank you for sending your own Son to be the Messiah who would give his life for us. Help us to be faithful disciples. May we never be ashamed to take our stand with Jesus and the truth of the gospel. We pray in his name, Amen. D. Thought to Remember Take up your cross today. Nickelson, Ronald L.: The KJV Standard Lesson Commentary, 2010-2011. Cincinnati, OH : Standard Publishing, 2010., S.156 7