Sermon Notes: Mark 8:27-9:1
Text: Mark 8:27-9:1
Big Idea: Jesus is the divine Son of God, the suffering servant Messiah who inaugurates the kingdom of God, who atones for sin through his death, burial, and resurrection. Jesus calls his people to a costly discipleship of self-denial and suffering with purpose and joy.
Big Idea: Jesus, as the Son of God, the Son of Man, is the promised Serpent Crusher. Jesus, as the promised descendant of the woman (Eternal Son of God, Creator, taken on flesh, born of a woman, under the law to redeem those under the law), pays the price for the redemption and restoration of all those the Father has given him and creation is his death. And he will rise from death and call to himself those the Father has given him and those who follow him must follow his plan of discipleship, and they will see the kingdom of God.
Observation: What does this text say?
Author: John Mark
Audience: Gentiles who are being told the good news of the kingdom of Jesus.
Followers of Jesus who are growing up into maturity in Christ and learning how to live under the rule of his increasing kingdom on earth as in heaven.
Occasion: Mark, as Peter’s missionary helper, is writing a gospel “tract” for use on the field as they preach the good news to Gentiles.
Genre: Overall, historical biography.
Key words and phrases (big words, words that are repeated, etc.):
Caesarea Philippi
Caesarea Philippi was situated approximately twenty-five miles north of Bethsaida[1], a distance representing a full day’s journey on foot.
Caesarea Philippi is the city of the foothills of Mount Hermon, the tallest mountain in the whole of the country at 9,200 + feet. It is the location of the temple of Pan. Pan is half man and half goat, and his name is the root of the word “panic”.
Second Temple Jews (intertestamental Judaism) have their theology that is shaped by their understanding of what happened in the Scriptures in this region. Jesus and the New Testament inspired authors have this theology sitting in their souls.
This geographical distance of Caesarea Philippi from where Jesus has been preaching has significant theological weight. Caesarea Philippi’s population was predominantly non-Jewish, making it an unexpected setting for a pivotal moment in Jesus’s ministry.[2]
This journey northward from Bethsaida was on purpose.
Who do you say that I am? – A most important question.
Son of Man – This is the third time Jesus has used this title from Daniel’s prophecy applied to himself. He uses it in 2:10 for his authority to forgive sins. He uses it in 2:28 for his authority over the Sabbath. Now, Jesus employs that title over his mission to be crucified, buried and rise.
Jesus claims beyond doubt to be the One Daniel saw in his preaching to the exiles.
Rebuke (used 3 times v. 30 “charged”, v. 32 “rebuked”, v. 33 “rebuked”) – Admonish, charge, correct. Jesus is bearing down. No time for games. The cross is in view, and the disciple’s faith is on the line.
Satan – When Jesus uses the title “Satan” applied to Peter, he is not calling Peter “Satan”.
NOTE: Satan appears in the Old Testament in Job and Zechariah with the definite article, making “Satan” a title not a proper name. This is debated among OT scholars as “Satan” appears in other places without the article, is sometimes employed by David toward folks who are a problem to him. The reason is that Satan means “adversary”.
So, Jesus is rebuking Peter for being, in this moment, his adversary by taking on the Adversary’s mission with this thinking and words.
Genesis is clear that the head crushing also involves the wounding of the Crusher. Peter is not interested in that part of God’s word. That is very inconvenient to his belief that Jesus needs to free them from Rome.
What makes this wild is that the Serpent Dragon and his children are playing into the hands of Father, Son, and Spirit. Satan wants to keep the Son from crushing his noggin, but he is trying to kill him. What he does not understand is that by Jesus’ death, which Satan is seeking, Jesus will crush his head. Satan does not get this.
That is why Jesus keeps telling folks to keep his work quiet. The plan to die for sin is on track, and Jesus is advancing it, and he is using the Adversary and his children to accomplish it.
Peter has taken in the one thought and tactic that could actually advance the Serpent’s agenda, and that is keeping Jesus from the cross. Satan clearly does not know this, or he would not be pushing for Jesus’ death.
So, Jesus points out that Peter’s thoughts are in line with a strategy that is truly adversarial, and thus Jesus calls it Satanic, even though the Serpent Dragon is not using it. Peter is closer to a functional adversarial role against the Son of Man than the Satan is, so Jesus has to rebuke that thinking.
Cross – Deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. The cross, the actual tool of execution of the Lord Jesus, is the means and the symbol of the death to self-determination and self-reliance as a person’s go to way to live. Jesus frames discipleship as taking on the cross. That is putting to death self-determination and self-reliance in favor of relying on Jesus for everything.
1 Corinthians 1:18-19 (ESV) 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God - See 2 Peter 1:16-17. Based on what Peter says, I tend to believe Jesus is referencing what he will do in his transfiguration.
Lists:
John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets – This is a list given by folks that show who they believe Jesus to be.
JTB is due to Herod Antipas’ assertion that JTB had risen.
Elijah was a popular Second Temple / Intertestamental view that since Elijah was taken up (2 Kings 2:11) and did not die, that he would return at the end of time according to Malachi 4:5-6. So, some believed Jesus might be him.
Of course, Jesus tells us that JTB comes in the spirit and power of Elijah as Malachi’s inspired prophetic preaching tells us. Matthew records Jesus saying JTB is the fulfillment of Malachi’s word.
As we will see next week, there is another layer to Malachi’s preaching. Elijah does indeed come.
The thought that Jesus might be one of the prophets comes from Moses’ word in Deuteronomy 18:15 that there would be another prophet like himself. So, the people looked for a prophet like Moses.
Elders, chief priests, scribes – These are the groups of “leaders” who are seeking Jesus’ demise.
These are the three groups that make up the Sanhedrin.
Contrasts and comparisons (What is being contrasted or compared? Is there an illustration?):
Comparison – Jesus’ declaration of his death and resurrection here should be compared with Mark 9:31 and Mark 10:32-34.
Also, we need to compare Jesus’ call to discipleship following his declaration of his death and resurrection immediately following 9:31 and 10:32-34 with 9:33-50 and 10:35-44.
This section begins a string of three comparable times Jesus will declare his death and resurrection and call for those who follow him to engage in a costly discipleship of self-denial and suffering with purpose and joy.
The comparison shows us Mark’s emphasis, Mark’s big idea: Jesus is the Suffering Servant Messiah who inaugurates the kingdom of God and call us to a costly discipleship.
Expressions of time (until, then, when, after):
V. 31 After – There is no resurrection power without the experience of death
9:1 Until
9:1 After
The “until” and “after” function to show there is an order to what God is doing. God works in an order.
Terms of conclusion/purpose clauses (wherefore, therefore, for this reason, finally, for, so, so that):
V. 33 For – Jesus’ rebuke of Peter is because Peter’s thoughts are set on Satan’s thoughts not the Father’s thoughts.
V. 35 For – Holding on to one’s self-determination, self-reliance, rather than full dependance on the Lord Jesus is in fact how one loses their life.
V. 36 For – In self-determination, one may avoid denial of oneself, but the current state of affairs is not will be for eternity.
V. 37 For – A rhetorical question stated as a purpose clause. One’s soul is not preserved by one’s self-determining power. We ultimately don’t have that power beyond the limited scope of our lives.
V. 38 For – One who insists on their self-reliance and proves themselves ashamed of the cross as their discipleship will find themselves not claimed by the Lord at his return.
These form the backbone of our interpretive observations.
What does the text say: (Don’t interpret here. Just restate the passage in your own words.)
Jesus takes a 25-mile trip with his disciples to Caesarea Philippi where he is about to take Peter, James, and John up Mount Hermon to be transfigured.
Before those three experience that revelation of the glory and kingdom of God, Jesus has to make sure his disciples and anyone who would follow him hear and see, that is fully understand that he must be crucified and rise on the third day. And anyone who would follow Jesus must take up the discipleship model that Jesus himself lived: The cross. There is no other way.
Jesus will display the coming of the kingdom of God has he shows his glory on the mountain to 3 of his 12 apostles.
Interpretation: (What does this mean? Take all of the observation data into account)
1. Identifying and believing Jesus is the promised Messiah who must die and rise is the first requirement for being a disciple of Jesus. V. 27-32a
Before a person can be a disciple, they have to know who Jesus is.
This has massive implications on our preaching of the good news.
The good news of the kingdom is not a set of disembodied facts about how to gain or escape something good or bad.
Jesus as the Messiah is rooted in a metanarrative that claims to be the top reality, the one narrative that gives full definition to all other narratives in existence.
So, when Peter declares that Jesus is the Christ, he is making a bold statement about where this good new stands on the global stage about what the big T truth is.
If you don’t know this, you cannot be saved.
If you don’t tell this, you won’t see people saved.
2. Receiving Jesus’ instruction about our thinking and thus what we believe is part of our growth into maturity in Christ. V. 32b-33
Growing in maturity in the faith requires a person to move beyond merely identifying Jesus as the One to an active embracing God’s word and making sense of it.
Autonomous human reasoning, the reduction of OT promises to merely a political/royal messianic expectation, and Satan’s aims all converge as a spear against the redemptive kingdom purposes of the triune God. Peter must be liberated from this calamitous and God-resistant interconnection of ideas.[3]
Peter’s desire to be rid of Rome and have the freedom to live is not evil. The problem is that he let that desire become an attempted thwarting of the kingdom of God. So, sometimes we can turn good things into kingdom impediments if we don’t grow in our thinking to reflect what God has said. We can take good things, turn them into “god” things, and then them become evil things.
When Peter’s thoughts begin to fight against Jesus’ mission, Peter’s thoughts become a problem.
This is a sticky reality.
We have to become proficient in God’s word, strive to know ourselves, set priorities with God’s kingdom being sought first, then line everything else up to match Jesus’ agenda in the world.
3. Being a disciple of Jesus requires a death to self. V. 34
When Christ calls a man, He bids him come a die. – Deitrich Bonhoeffer
The aim of the call to “deny” oneself (cf. 14:30, 31, 72) and “take up” one’s “cross” has nothing to do with unhealthy self-accusation, self-abasement, self-hatred, loss of personality, or the nurture of a martyrdom complex. Rather, through surrender of, and death to, self-determination and self-reliance, the disciple of Jesus becomes free from any detracting, fallen, sinful affection, idol, or loyalty in order to follow Jesus’ kingdom instruction in an ongoing and maturing way.[4]
Being a disciple who denies their own self-salvation, determination, and self-reliance allows that disciple to discover that the Lord Jesus is dependable, on time, and powerful for us to empower us to act when it is time to act and cause our empowered actions to achieve the mission.
But we never learn that if we take up self-reliance and try to tack God’s help onto our initiative.
The setting of Isaiah’s word to Israel in Isaiah 30 is that of repentance and dependance on the Lord not themselves. Listen to what the Lord says to a people who will seek him firs, rely on him rather than themselves: Isaiah 30:18-21 (ESV) 18 Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him. 19 For a people shall dwell in Zion, in Jerusalem; you shall weep no more. He will surely be gracious to you at the sound of your cry. As soon as he hears it, he answers you. 20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. 21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
When we take up the cross as our action, that is our first action is to deny our own self-reliance, then we get to receive the Lord’s instruction and way.
4. Misplaced self-preservation, self-determination, and self-reliance can cause us to deny the rightful Lordship of Jesus. V. 35-37
These verses are the lens to help interpret verse 34.
Denying ourselves is not passivity.
There is no room for laziness or passivity.
If a man won’t work, he should not eat, as Paul said.
Jesus told us to go and make disciples.
We are called to action, and that action is not ultimately accomplished in self-reliance, self-determination, self-sufficiency, or self-preservation. It us ultimately accomplished by actively combatting these things, patiently waiting on the Lord, actively training kingdom eyes and ears, and being ready to act righteously when the Lord gives explicit instructions.
As image-bearers, there is not much we can’t accomplish. We can plant churches and succeed in creating an economy and work without the Holy Spirit and a truncated gospel message.
We can build ministries that produce metrics that make foundations throw money at us.
We can build towers that reach up to the sky to mimic the mountain garden of Eden so we can commune with divine beings, and actually do it.
But we might find that our ability is not what Jesus was looking for. Perhaps Jesus offered communion, fellowship with himself, and dependence on him for his glory and our good.
5. Refusal of the cross is shame on the cross, and shame on the cross is a failure to follow Jesus. v. 38
A failure to follow Jesus is the ultimate failure because it results in eternal condemnation.
6. Jesus is going to do something special in his transfiguration that secures the “beachhead” of his kingdom. 9:1
Gospel Connection:
Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus is the One. Jesus is the very in flesh revelation of who Creator God is. Jesus, in his words and person and work identifies all other claims to truth as lies.
Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life.
Only in Jesus and by his means of discipleship will anyone enter life.
Application: (What does this text require of me?)
What should we do in response to Jesus’ word to us about being his disciples, his followers?
Let me give you some Bonhoeffer boiled down in his application of Jesus’ words to us today.
1. Expect discipleship to be costly.
God’s power, his grace to us to save us cost the Son of God his life.
As a result, we can’t expect God’s grace to be cheap.
Grace is costly.
God’s grace to us is not some idea. God’s grace took the form of the Son of God dying, being buried, and rising.
God’s grace to us is his power to and for us as we obey Jesus in taking up his cross and following him. We would not need God’s grace if discipleship were easy and cheap.
Expect the grace of discipleship to be costly.
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” - Bonhoeffer
2. Practice simple and immediate obedience.
Don’t get paralyzed by making the simple and immediate act of obedience more complicated than it has to be.
When a holy thought of obeying a holy command presents itself, just do it.
This practice of simple and immediate obedience tunes our ears to hear and brings on the Spirit’s sanctifying power in our lives.
3. Discipleship is designed to be public, practical, and lived out with the local church.
4. Expect suffering to be a normal part of discipleship.
Suffering is not something strange to explain away. We don’t have to theologize it into a comfortable package. Suffering is part of following Jesus.
Suffering for righteousness is to be expected and is no indication you failed. It is evidence of faith.
You don’t have to pretend you feel ok about it or present some stupid stoic demeanor when suffering overtakes you for following Jesus. Suffering for the Christian is normal.
“You don’t have to have it all together to sing the songs on Sunday. Sometimes faith is just mustering the breath to sing "I know my God is in control" when your world is falling apart.” – Eric Reed, from the Twitters
That is what faith that embraces suffering as part of discipleship looks like.
[1] James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002), 245–246.
[2] Ibid. p. 245-246.
[3] Hans F. Bayer, “Mark,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 583.
[4] Hans F. Bayer, “Mark,” in Matthew–Luke, ed. Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar, vol. VIII, ESV Expository Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 583.