Our scripture reading for this evening is in the gospel of Mark, gospel of Mark chapter eight, picking up where we had left off in our series through this gospel, verse 27. We will read verse 27 through verse 33. So Mark chapter eight, 27 through 33. We found on page 891 of the Pew Bibles, that is what is before you. But here we have the word of God, and so let us hear and read the word of God. Verse 27. Now Jesus and his disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi, And on the road, he asked his disciples, saying to them, who do men say that I am? So they answered, John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others, one of the prophets. He said to them, but who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to him, you are the Christ. And then he strictly warned them that they should tell no one about him. And he began to teach them that the son of man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed. And after three days, rise again. He spoke this word openly. And then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned around and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, get behind me, Satan, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men. As far our reading of God's holy, inspired, and infallible word, and may he add his blessing to the preaching thereof. The congregation of the Lord Jesus Christ, sometimes questions are very helpful and useful and vital. They can help a person understand certain things in a different way depending on how the question is asked. Or it can lead someone down a different path, or give light and insight, depending on the very question it is. And so, when you have a trial, for example, in a court of law, the witness sometimes gets up on the stand, and then the prosecuting lawyer, the defense lawyer, take turns in what's called cross-examination. Or they're asking series of questions to the witness in order to turn the trial in a certain direction. And they're trained in asking those questions. And so not only are the questions important, but so are the answers. You think then also of how important it is to answer the questions that may be on an exam. Whether it be at school or somewhere else or maybe someone asks you a personal question. And what it is that you answer is going to have profound effects upon your relationship with that individual. And the examples can be numerous, manifold. But our Lord Jesus Christ knows the vital importance of questions as well. And we have here before us in these verses probably the most important question that will ever be asked. Who do you say he is? Equally as important is the answer that is given. These questions are asked. in order to draw out an answer concerning a person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's what we will consider here, but we are at a certain transition point and the answers to this and the questions are providing that turning point and shifting the focus and the theme of the gospel of Mark. We have here, we are two and a half years into his ministry, a ministry on earth which was three years in total. So we are nearing the end. And from here on out, the focus shifts more especially, more explicitly on the person and work of Jesus. You may recall at the very end of chapter four, after Jesus stilled the storm on the sea, they were wondering, the disciples were on the boat, who can this be? That even the wind and the sea obey him, and that question has been on their minds and the people's minds since that time, even since before. And now we are beginning to get a much clearer answer, as it is here in the Gospel of Mark. And the answer here concerns the person of Christ. of Jesus and the work of Jesus. And we will, Lord willing, unfold this in three points. First being the confession concerning Jesus' person, who he is. And then secondly, the statement concerning Jesus' work, what he does. And then third and last, the response to Jesus' person and work. And so first we consider the confession concerning Jesus' person. And Jesus asks this question concerning who he is. And what he does is he starts by asking what other people think of him. Does it go right into the question, who do you think that I am? Or what do you believe? But he's asking this for a certain purpose, a reason, asking them what do other people say that he is? Because what that's going to do is bring to their mind the context in which they are in. A context that we can say is marked by a lot of unbelief, a lot of false ideas of who Jesus is, and that in a lot of different ways. And so we note then that he asks this question to bring to mind, to them, to their minds, the context that they are in, which then provides a contrast for the true, for a sincere confession. It'll stand out from the rest of the world that is around them. And we note then in this context that the confession is made. We read about them being on the way, on the road near the city of Caesarea Philippi. And there's much that can be said about this place and about this city. But just note that this is a place that was a hub, a center for one of the major tenets of the pagan religion in the Roman Empire. And one of these things was emperor worship, where people would hail Caesar as Lord. It was something that was integrated intimately into the idol worship and the pagan idolatry of the Roman Empire. This city was dedicated to Caesar for the purpose emperor worship. In decades to come, this would be something in the context of the early church, something that was enforced, this emperor worship, by violence. violence that was done in reaction to those who would say Jesus is Lord and not Caesar being Lord. And so they would, these early Christians would sometimes be arrested by the Romans and brought to a place like Caesarea Philippi where there would be a temple there and plopped down on their knees with a sword right pointed at their neck. threatening them, telling them that if they did not renounce their confession as Jesus is Lord and say that Caesar was Lord, they would be killed. Indeed, this is something that foreshadows what will come in the next section about what it means to take up your cross and follow the Lord. The context is one that It's hostile. It's one that is intolerant of this confession concerning Jesus' person. And it is, we see by the geographical location, that would be what we would call an overt opposition. It's very obvious. But then there's also something called a covert opposition. It's not as obvious. It's kind of underneath the radar. And we see this in the answer that the disciples give when Jesus asks them, who do people say that they are? And we see that there is a variety of opinions that are out there. We read In other places, what certain people thought about Jesus and who he was, and a lot of them were insulting, calling Jesus a glutton, one that was a drunkard, one that was a friend of sinners and tax collectors, one that was born out of fornication, one who forbade the paying of taxes to Caesar, one who is himself the chief of devils. That would be an example of a covert. But here we see the disciples, they give things that are not that negative, not that insulting. People say that he may be John the Baptist. Maybe Elijah, maybe some other prophet, like Jeremiah or Isaiah or whoever else may be there. And what this is, is they're clearly recognizing something about Jesus that was unique, something special. He's gifted. He does a lot of great things. How wonderful. And so it's positive. It's a At least from a Jewish perspective, thinking of Jesus as Elijah or some other prophet was something that would be along the lines of a compliment. What a great guy. But it is not correct. And this is something that we must get right. We are really and truly to confess, to believe, however pleasant it may sound. We consider then this context where this confession is made, and we would do well to pause and reflect upon the fact that we live in a similar context, don't we? Yeah, we have the very explicit opposition against the gospel and against the Lord Jesus Christ himself, but there's still much that is a bit under the radar. It's not so opposed. People think, well, the great example that he was. Like a prophet. He's really showing us what it means to be that kind of person who is full of love and self-sacrifice. A lot of people may even give an answer that employs a lot of biblical words. But it's still not correct. It's still not complete. It's not something that we can just form our own opinion of. or just think of our own personal opinion. And it is one that is absolutely fundamental to answer this question of who Jesus is. Everything hangs on this question. Everything also hangs on the answer. It will fundamentally alter and change the way you think about every other question that is asked you. So we turn our attention to the next question that Jesus asks. It is a personal question. because he's seeking to draw out a personal confession concerning his person. Who do you say that I am? And just note that this is something that's emphatic. In the original, you can almost see it as said twice. And he says, but you, who do you say that I am? And so we ask that tonight. Who do you say he is? The Lord Jesus Christ. Consider the context that you are in. Now, day to day, we may not face so much of the overt opposition and false claims, but there is that opposition that comes from our own natural heart, which is deceitful above all else. Who can understand it? So we need to take seriously this question, who do you say he is? Not who you are told that he is. Now indeed, as we teach him and preach the Lord Jesus Christ, we do trust that it is true and that it is faithful and accurate. But when asked that question, it's not meant to, give a response where it is as though you're checking off the right answer, but it is asking whether you believe that to be true. We know that Peter, when he confessed that Jesus is the Christ, he wasn't just saying it to get Jesus off his back. He wasn't just saying it For whatever reason, he was saying it sincerely, truly. We read in the account that is given in the Gospel of Matthew, where we read that Jesus responds to this, blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven. So it is a sincere confession that he makes. It came by the word, by the Spirit of God working upon him. It's a bold confession that he makes. See how it flies in the face of the context that he is in, and even the religious context that he was in. Because the scribes, the elders, the Pharisees, and all those that were the religious elite would in no way, shape, or form, unless worked on by the Spirit, confess Jesus as the Christ. And it was a loving confession. It was a loving confession. After having seen the compassion of the Lord, seeing how he has given sight to the blind. He's opened the ears, the lame that walk. He's risen the dead. He's had compassion upon the multitude. This is the Christ. This is what is being driven home. is this confession not only accurately but sincerely from the heart. So we ask again before we transition, who do you say he is? We confess him before men. He also will confess you. before His Father in heaven. But if you deny Him, He will also deny you. So we see how vital and important this question is, and the answer is it has eternal significance concerning His person. Now, as we move into our second point, a statement concerning Jesus' work, we acknowledge the fact that we haven't drawn out much then about the person of Christ. But as we then unfold here in our second point, this statement concerning Jesus' work, we note a couple of things. And the first is that Jesus' work is inseparable. from his person. Jesus' work is inseparable from his person. You can confess Jesus as the Christ all day long, and yet if you do not confess and believe the things which he outlines in verses 31 through 33, it's not enough. You can believe the things that are outlined in terms of a work in verse 31 through 33, and then yet not profess that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. We need both. They're intimately connected. They're bound together. He does what he does because he is who he is. And Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ. Now, we've touched on this topic of who the Christ is and what that means in the past, but it bears repeating for a reminder to us. But Christ means Messiah. And Messiah means An anointed one, or one who is anointed. It is a word that comes from the Old Testament, and in the Old Testament there were many Messiahs, so to speak, and by that I mean many of those that were anointed. They were anointed, they were equipped and appointed to an official position, an official task. And we see three main positions that are there in the Old Testament, and that is of prophet, of priest, and of king. Those were the ones that were appointed, who were anointed into those things, and they had a specific task to do, a specific work to do in that office. And in the Old Testament, each one of these positions, and to some extent, the men who occupied them, they were a type or a representation or a foreshadowing of the coming Messiah, the Christ, the one and only. And so when it comes to the promises that are foretold in the prophets, and as we see it unfold through the Gospels, we see that the Christ, the Messiah, is essentially all three of these offices rolled up into one. Prophet, priest, and king. Into this single office with a three-fold consideration. Where Jesus then goes out and does the work as prophet, as priest, as king. We see him engaging in all three of those to some extent in our text. He's acting as a prophet here by revealing what it is and who he is and what it is that he will do. He is engaged as a priest because he's in that work as the Messiah, but he outlines more pointedly what that work will be in offering himself up as a sacrifice for the atonement of sins and being killed. That's a priestly work to do that on behalf of the people. And as king, we see that he's exercising a measure of authority when he rebukes Peter. He's guarding and protecting his people from straying off into error. So we see all of these things that are engaged and how that is so intimately connected to his person, his office. He cannot separate the person and the work. They must be bound together. And we see that also in the thing that is in the name or the title that is very easy to overlook. In verse 31, he goes by the son of man. This is another element of his person, but it also indicates something of the nature of his work. This is a title that Jesus has only used maybe twice so far in the Gospel of Mark, but now that we are at this turning point in the Gospel, we'll see it come up more and more and more. This is a reminder of what we have discussed earlier, is that this is one of the most common self-designations that Jesus gives to himself, the son of man. This is a specific reference to Daniel 7. where it emphasizes the royalty, the majesty, as the one to whom is given all dominion and glory and a kingdom which shall not pass away, but also it communicates his humanity. He's a man. He's one that could suffer. He's one that could die. He's one who did suffer, and he did die. You see that statement made. Verse 31. There are four things as we go further into his work. Four things of his work include that he will first suffer many things. The second thing of his work is he will be rejected by the elders, chief priests, scribes, by all the religious elite of the day. Third, he will be killed. And fourth, he will rise from the dead. He told these things to the disciples openly, meaning very plainly, not in parables. And what he's doing is he's setting forth really the path that he will trod as he sets his face like a flint to Jerusalem, to the cross to be crucified. to die, to be buried, to raise, to be raised from the dead also. Now, this isn't just a simple description of what it is that he has done. We take note of the fact that it is a necessary work. Note how in verse 31 that these things are a must. He must suffer many things. And that word must is over the rest of that statement. He must suffer. He must be rejected. He must be killed. He must rise again. These things are absolutely necessary for him in this work that he has done because this is necessary thing that only the person can do. And that is the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can do these things and they are a must because it's the only hope that we have. We need Him to suffer and so He must suffer in order to make reconciliation for our iniquity. He, the Christ, the Son of Man, must be rejected so that he will suffer at the hands of his religious elite. He, the Christ, Jesus, the Son of Man, must die. Because without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin, no forgiveness, no propitiation, To take away the wrath of God, he must rise again. Otherwise, our confession of him as the Christ is vain, is useless, pointless. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, that we of all people, of all men, would be most pitiable. He must. He must. And so this is something that must be joined also with the confession concerning his person. These things regarding his work are not an option for the one who professes and confesses his name truly and sincerely from the heart. Do you believe that it was necessary that he had to die because of your sin? Do you believe that it was necessary, that there was no other way, no alternative? We need to believe that. Because it must happen. And in doing these things, he fulfills his office as Christ, as the Christ. If he didn't, Peter's confession would not hold water. We need to believe that, because as we see in the response to Jesus' person and work, it warrants a severe rebuke. That brings us to our third point, the response to Jesus' person and work. Peter didn't like this. Now, Peter was a true believer, but that didn't mean that he had perfect knowledge. He still had ignorance. And he still had pride. He believed that he was right in taking Jesus aside. He thought he was wise. And he thought that he knew what was better for Jesus than Jesus did for himself. And so he tried to even show Jesus a better way. We read in the Gospel of Matthew further details of what was said to Jesus. And Peter essentially says, man, it's never happened to you. And the reason being is because Peter had an earthly idea of who the Christ would be. This is what Jesus indicates in his rebuke that is said to him in verse 33. You are not mindful of the things of God, but of the things of men. a human, a sinful, an earthly perspective of who the Christ would be. Thought perhaps that he would be a liberator from the yoke of the Roman Empire And he would bring in all of these military and these political and national triumphs And really what it is that he has in mind regarding the glory of the Christ is shallow As glorious as men may think it is it is not truly glorious These conceptions of these things were backwards because suffering and death were at odds with the glories of the Christ, of the Messiah in his mind. That meant failure, not success. But it is necessary, as we have mentioned, To go through this humiliation, this agony, because the plans for glorious salvation of God's people and the glories of Christ, who's given a name above all names, whom all on heaven and earth and below the earth will confess and bow the knee, well, his ideas are far greater. Far greater. than the glories that men can think of. Greater than political liberation or national, it is the liberation from the guilt and pollution of sin which has alienated us from God. It is the defeat of death and hell itself and the punishment of God for our sins. It is the crushing of the head of the serpent. It is the promise everlasting life, the presence of God Almighty. That's what is the plan of his salvation, and this is not what Peter sees. This is why he has responded in such a way. Now remember, The context, not the context of what was mentioned in the first point, but the context of the text of what has just proceeded before with the healing of the blind man, when it happened in two stages. Where he, the blind man, Jesus touched his eyes and spat in them and then he opened his eyes and said, while I see men is tree, like trees walking. And Jesus touched his eyes again and then he could see. He could see well, he could see clearly. And then how also in this chapter, Jesus had understood or had rebuked the disciples on the boat and said, do you not yet perceive nor understand? And verse 18 of chapter eight, having eyes, do you not see? And in like manner, We see the eyes of the disciples being opened up. They could see clearly who Jesus is. But it's not 20-20 vision yet. Because in addition to that, as we will see, this is connected with the next section of verses of the calling to discipleship, what it means to follow Christ, what it means to follow in his footsteps. And those footsteps are one that went down the path of suffering. With down the path of bearing his own cross. That's the response that we must have is not only understanding that, but for the sake of Christ, for him having trod that path as a trailblazer in gratitude to gratefully, willingly, and lovingly follow in those steps that he has trod. And so before he transitions to go through all the details of what the discipleship means and of carrying and bearing your own cross, he brings to mind a certain perspective that must be had to not think after the sort of men, to be mindful of the things of men and of the things of this world. to be mindful of the things of God, that certain perspective that he has, that he's seeking to instill in there. And so these eyes that see, that are opened after confessing truly the person and work of Christ, that we must be one that understands the full scope of what it means, not only what Christ had to do, but also then of what that means for our own perspective. Anything that is short of a biblical and comprehensive perspective on these things, A rejection of his atoning sacrifice, a rejection, indeed, of the calling that is upon every believer is ultimately diabolical. It is opposed to Christ, to his gospel, to his person, to his work. Jesus says, get behind me, Satan. That is a harsh rebuke. Anything that gets in the way of this, the person, the necessary things that he must do because of his person, but then also the perspective we are to have in light of that, anything that is opposed to that is satanic at its heart, to its core. Think of the temptation that Jesus faced in the wilderness when he was being tempted by the devil. And Matthew gives more detail on this again, but you read of this in Matthew chapter four, but especially verse eight through 10, we read of Satan there dangling, as it were, the kingdoms of the world and the world itself. And he's doing that right before the eyes of Jesus in the attempt to bypass the path that Jesus must take as the Christ. Just bow before me, essentially Satan says, and it's all yours. No one will know. You don't have to tell anyone, but there doesn't have to be any cross. There doesn't have to be a cup of wrath to drink. No suffering, no rejection, no death. But as the saying goes, there is no crown. without a cross. There is no cheap way to glory. And if that is true of the master, that is true of the servants. This is why is one of the most fundamental and important questions that you will ever ask because it will fundamentally change the way you see everything. It must. Because this call that Jesus gives is one to shift perspective. To confess Jesus as the Christ and His work is one that will fundamentally alter the way you see everything, the way you see the world, the way you see yourself, the way you see God, the way you see others, the way you see the circumstances that you are in. It is one that has a perspective of faith. As Paul will say in 2 Corinthians, we walk by faith, not by sight. We walk looking to the things that are ahead. We do not look at the things that are here below. We don't look at the difficult and the hard and the painful circumstances that we undergo. We look to the promises of the glories of Christ that will follow that are there because He is the Christ and because He did do the work that He has done. That's The things that we are to be mindful of, anything that would cast our gaze off, that would alter our perspective, our priorities, from seeking first the kingdom of God, is a device of our great enemy. And so we must ask ourselves, what are we mindful of? The things of God or the things of man? Are we living consistent with the confession that we have made? Are we willing to go down that path if the Lord wills, at Christ's trod? Can we say that with Paul and Philippians that I count all things as law for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus, my Lord, my Savior, who is the Christ. That's the question that he's asking. That's the thing he's getting at here. And so we ask ourselves once again, Who do you say that he is? Have you counted the cost? And are you eager for the glory to follow the glory of Christ? And we will behold with our eyes. And so we must hold before us the apple of our eye, the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Let us pray. Gracious God and Father, we do pray that the desire of our heart here as it is expressed in the word will be realized and applied by your spirit. Give to us eyes that see and behold the glories of the Lord. And so we pray that you will work upon us, cause us to go daily back to your word, to see and to have our perspective corrected and honed in. Give to us the boldness and strength to confess your name before men, even in the context of opposition and disbelief. And may we ever have His work in mind, the cross and His resurrection. And may that give shape to how we see this world and our lives, our function and purpose. And we pray that in all things, Christ our Lord and Savior may be glorified. And it is in His name we pray. Amen.