While opinions of Jesus were rampant and varied, He desired to know whom His disciples believed Him to be. Peter’s initial response and subsequent reaction reveal our own desire to edit God when He doesn’t meet our expectations.
Mark 8:27-33
27 And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”29 And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” 30 And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.
31 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. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”
- Wiki is a type of website that allows collaborative editing of its written content.
- We are currently living in a time that has taken an editable approach to theology.
- It doesn’t matter what you or I think about God. It matters what God thinks about God.
Peter’s Confession (Mark 8:27-30)
- Regardless of what others believe about Jesus, each of us has to decide for ourselves (Mark 8:27).
- If one belief is true for you but not for me, it simply is not the truth (Mark 8:28-29).
- Peter didn’t succeed because of a subjective confession but due to an objective revelation.
Peter’s Confrontation (Mark 8:31-33)
- The picture of the Messiah Peter had in his mind was that of the victor and not the victim (Mark 8:31-32).
- If we are dissatisfied with who Jesus is, Satan will tempt us to redefine His identity and alter His activity (Mark 8:33).
- If God made us in His image, don’t attempt to repay the favor by remaking Him in ours (Mark 8:33).
We don’t need our version of Jesus – we just need Jesus.
Travis Agnew serves as the Lead Pastor of Rocky Creek Church in Greenville, SC. His most recent book is Just (About) Married.