“The Big Question” – MARK 8:27-33

Now they were ready for the next step.

Jesus had taught, lived with and sent out the twelve to do wonders. What did it mean? There was no one like Him. His teaching was different. He did not appear to do anything wrong. Of course, the miracles were the big difference, but God had worked miracles through other men before. Even so, Jesus could cause others (these disciples) to perform miracles. He kept imploring them to understand. Understand what? The “big question” for them was “Who is He?” (8:27).

Aside from this question, nothing else matters.

Jesus eased them into the discussion, asking first who the people said He was. Their answers were logical and in that day, predictable. Confusion on this point for the average Jew was to be expected, but should not have been so for the twelve. People believed Jesus was a resurrected prophet (8:28). They should have known better by now, but Jesus had been trying to downplay His true identity until the right time (8:26). Then Jesus focused in on the twelve.

“Who do YOU say that I am?” (8:29a), He asked.

Wow! Stop right there … honestly, what would you have said? Try to set aside all that you know and just use what Mark has recorded in the first eight chapters of this gospel. I’d like to say I would have been so bold as to speak the unspeakable. If I called Him Messiah and He was not, I would be a blasphemer. Peter did not hesitate, “You are the Christ” (8:29b).

Aside from this confession, nothing else matters.

The realization that Jesus is the Christ now came with a heavy dose of reality. Jesus told them He would suffer greatly and be killed (8:31). The tipping point would be rejection by the religious leaders. Then He said it … “after three days to rise up” (8:31b). It is almost like Peter stopped listening after He said He would be killed. They had answered Jesus plainly and identified Him as the Christ, and He responded with plain talk about His mission and the cross (8:32a). Peter pulled Jesus, the Christ, aside and rebuked Him (8:32b) for uttering such things. Talk about boldness. It was as if he was saying, You are the Christ and we cannot allow this to happen to You. You must NOT die!

Peter did not understand that aside from His death and resurrection, nothing else would matter.

Jesus’ response was sharp and stinging. He rebuked Peter. Not any ordinary rebuke, mind you, He attributed his attitude and words to none other than Satan (8:33). While it must have startled and subdued Peter greatly, it also points to us. Anything we do, think or say that hinders the will of God is of Satan. We do not like to think in those terms. The church cannot be thwarted, but Christians can falter. Heaven and salvation are assured, but souls are still being lost.

Aside from the fact that the Christ died and rose again and will save the souls of the obedient faithful, nothing else matters.

Anything else is the work of Satan.