Jesus Reveals Himself as the Messiah - Mark 8:27-38

as he as he takes authority over them and now he's gonna take it deeper he's gonna show his disciples what he wants from them he's gonna show them who he really is this one that has taken authority over everything this is a watershed moment in his ministry this is an unveiling in his ministry we pick it up in verse 27 of mark chapter 8 it says 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 it's really not a surprise to us that in the region of Caesarea Philippi that he would ask this question because you can go there to this day and you can see where they had statues of God's Greek gods Roman gods that they worshipped and there was there was a shrine to the Roman god pan-pan is the is the Greek or Roman God that looks the most like Satan 10 is the one that has hoofs on and we get the name panick from this Roman demigod pan because they believe that he was out in the forest and that if you got out in the forest that that he could attack you and people would panic from being out there and we get our name panic from it so Jesus is in this region where there are these shrines and statues to these Roman gods and Jesus says who do men say that I am it's time for Jesus to reveal to his disciples exactly who he is and so he says who do men say that I am in verse 28 so they answered John the Baptist but some say Elijah and others say one of the prophets one of the other Gospels says that they said Jeremiah we take these one at a time they answer some say you're John the Baptist that's kind of a weird thing to me because John the Baptist has died recently and now they're saying that he's John the Baptist did they believe that the spirit of John could somehow come back from the dead and and somehow possess Jesus or that maybe they're playing the same role like John the Baptist was playing the role of a Alijah that Jesus is now playing the role of John the Baptist maybe they were thinking that Jesus wasn't the Messiah but it was a forerunner to the to the Messiah but some were saying he was John the Baptist I think Jesus is preaching was similar in a lot of ways to John John had called the the Pharisees of brood of vipers Jesus will do the same thing they say some say that you are Elijah which is again connected to John the Baptist because when John was asked who he was he said I am the voice of one calling out in the wilderness and that was a reference to Elijah and the second the second time that Elijah comes which is before the great and terrible day of the Lord and then another one says one of the prophets this is even today how people reference Jesus they like to make Jesus whatever they are if you're talking to Buddhists they'll say that Jesus was Buddhist if you're talking to Islam Muslims will tell you that Jesus was was Muslim that he was one of the Muslim prophets that's who they say he is they want to they want to make you know Bible says that God made man in his own image we as people want to make God in our own image and we want to make Jesus like us we try to identify with Jesus in that way and that's exactly what they do I'm okay by the way that's exactly what they do and I just trying to make him another prophet well a lot of people do that today too they say I think Jesus was a good man he was just another prophet he was looking was a good guy but I don't think that he was God there is no way that you can study the Scriptures and think that Jesus somehow someway presented himself as just a man there is no way when he is standing in front of Caiaphas and Caiaphas says argue the Son of God Jesus says it is as you say but from here on out you're gonna see the Son of man coming on the clouds of gold glory given Dominion power and glory forever and and they tore their clothes they said what further need do we have of a trial he has just committed blasphemy why would they say that because in Daniel 7 you see the Ancient of Days on Thrones and coming on clouds the son of man who joins him on the throne and is given Dominion and power and glory and rules over the world so when Jesus makes that claim because they knew the Old Testament often better than we did we understand what Jesus is saying there's no way that you can study any of the Gospels and get the idea that Jesus thought that he was just another guy that he was not the Messiah or was not God in the flesh Jesus said at one point before Abraham was I am I heard someone say one time well that didn't mean that he was saying that he was God what did it mean do you want a cookie what would it mean before Abraham was I am Abraham rejoiced to see my day and and he saw it before Abraham was I am what would he be saying if he wasn't saying I was around during the days of Abraham and I saw Abraham rejoiced to see my day and so after hearing what they said about what do people say that you are then he said to them who do you say that I am this of course is the most important question for all of us not what does someone else say about who Jesus is but what do you say about who he is and Peter answer him and this is peanut Peter's shining moments we make fun of Peter a lot because he's the guy that was always saying something you know a lot of us would identify with Peter a lot of us rushed forward and say things like Peter did but Peter says here you are the Christ now that's Messiah the word Christ is the Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah he says you are the Messiah the Bible had long ago began to promise that one person was going to come and restore all things there would be one who would come on the scene who would crush the head of the serpent there would be The Anointed of God Isaiah 60:1 God was going to anoint his anointed and he was going to preach the gospel to the poor and give sight to the blind and it talks about all of the things that Jesus himself did there are so many men psionic prophecies and so we says I think you're the Messiah now listen to what Jesus says he strictly warned them that they should tell no one about him so Jesus says I am but you can't tell anybody why all the secrecy when Jesus raised the little girl from the dead that we studied on Sunday afterwards he said to the Father don't tell anybody can you imagine your little girl has been risen from the dead and you're like why are you so happy I can't tell you I just can't tell and Jesus does this a lot he says don't go and tell anybody because their view we know what the view of the scribes and Pharisees we know what the view of of the leaders were of the Messiah in their day we know what from the Dead Sea Scrolls we know what from writings that we have from other places outside of Jerusalem we know that they believe that the Messiah was going to come and that the Messiah was gonna gonna gonna free them from the Romans that they were gonna go battle the Romans in fact in the Dead Sea Scrolls they found a not part of Scripture but they found a letter that was written that said that when the Messiah comes he's going to kill the Emperor they believed that the Messiah was going to come on the scene and be this great military leader and they don't understand it they are they they know some of the scriptures but they don't know all of the Scriptures the Bible had clear clearly said that when the Messiah comes on the scene he is going to suffer he is gonna die for the sins of mankind you have Psalms 22 you have Isaiah 53 and for some reason they were looking at the the prophecies that talk about his second coming and not looking at the prophecies talking about the FIR his first coming where he would suffer and die and so Jesus says don't tell anybody the time would come for them to tell people that he was the Messiah but it wasn't now I think because of the way people would react 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 now he'll tell them this many times from here on out but as I said this is the unveiling this is the first time that he tells them this this is the first time that they've heard it when Jesus had said the Peter James and John Andrew why there are big fixing their nets follow me they had no idea that they were following someone who was gonna suffer and die who was gonna be handed over with brutality to the Romans and die and then rise again had no idea when he called Levi when when recive disciples began to follow him and they saw all the miracles that were happening and there were all the crowds that were taking place and the feeding of the 5,000 had no idea but now Jesus says things are about to get serious and I need to let you know why I am here the son of man notice the reference this Jesus most often referred to himself as the Son of Man I already told you what the Son of Man passage is all about he began to teach them 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 is pretty much laid it out there they didn't realize it until after he'd risen from the dead then they removed oh yeah he said he was gonna rise from the dead he spoke these words this word openly then Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him now again that's just funny Peter taking Jesus aside and beginning to rebuke him III think here we might be able to learn something from Peter when we're gonna rebuke somebody let's take him aside to rebuke him don't rebuke him in front of the other apostles so Peter takes him aside which is probably a good thing but he gives for review Kim he's like mm suffer and I know we got a different plan we got a plan that's radically different than this and so he takes him aside to rebuke him and it says but when he had turned around and looked at his disciples he rebuked Peter Peter had rebuked him privately he turns around looks at the disciples and he rebukes Peter saying get behind me Satan for you are not mindful of the things of God but the of men the kind of thinking that there is not gonna be any suffering for the messiah or in the life of a christian is demonic thinking it's what the enemy would like us to think that we don't have any sacrifices that we don't have any difficulties that we don't have any trials that we don't have any troubles that's satanic thinking and when Peter said to Jesus these things may it never be Lord let these things don't even talk about these things jesus said that's satanic that comes from a satanic place I understand and we talked a little bit about this I think a couple of weeks ago this self-help kind of gospel that's being preached invite Jesus into your life and nothing bad is gonna happen to you invite Jesus in your life and he's gonna help you he's gonna help you fly the plane when I gave my life to Christ when I was 14 years old I definitely received him in the sense of God as my co-pilot you know that kind of Christianity it's it's I'm flying the plane and when things get out of control I give it to God and God brings it all back makes a good again and then gives it back to me that's was my view of God at 14 15 16 17 years old that God was here to help make my life better and to help me as I navigate my way through the world when the rug was taken out from under me when I was 18 years old and I walked away from the Lord for a year and God God came after me you know he says they'll leave the ninety-nine he'll go after the one which is which is interesting because that's what Shepard would do that what Shepard would leave the ninety-nine and go after the one you gotta protect the ninety-nine but Jesus says you're so important I'll leave the ninety-nine and I'll go after the one and Jesus came after me and when I committed recommended my life to Christ I was on my way home I was listening to the radio and I heard a song that really touched me and I really wanted to give my life back to him he was calling me home the song is little pilgrim and it was a song about someone who had walked away from the Lord I needed to come back again when I got home I prayed a prayer that was probably in my life a more powerful prayer than I prayed when I got saved because it had a lot more depth it had a lot more understanding I said okay god I'm done whatever you want that's what I want I had been wrestling with God like Jacob for all of those years and even when I was back slidden and when I say it was a surrender it was like okay god I'm finished whatever you want what's really funny is that in my mind when I said that it was like whatever you want difficulties hardships whatever not what I want all this greatness but whatever you want what I didn't realize is that what I wanted compared to what God wanted was so radically different and of course what I gained is far more than what happens here on this earth it's all of eternity but as Christians it's not about just being comfortable it's not about never suffering it's not about not having tribulation it's not about not being persecuted it's about being well the Bible uses a couple of knowledge of analogies it's like being an athlete who competes to win the prize who doesn't box as if Paul says our box like a box in the air serious about this he says good soldiers don't entangle themselves in the things of the world and that's what we as Christians are supposed to do we have a call we have a purpose we have a cause and it's much more than just being comfortable it's much more than just saying well I'm gonna give my life to Christ so I can so I can have my fire insurance paid listen I don't think it's a bad thing to have your to have fire insurance paid I think it's a good thing did you know you when you die you know you're gonna be in the presence of God but that's not all that Christianity is God isn't just checking the box ah there's another one there's another one there's another one there's another one God's transforming God's empowering God's filling you with the Holy Spirit and so it says when he at verse 34 when he called the people to himself his disciples also he said to them whoever desires to come after me let him deny himself take up his cross and follow me as I said this is the unveiling a little bit later on Jesus will say it over and over again if you want to be my disciple you must deny yourself he had said earlier the son of man must suffer it's a must it wasn't an option the son of man it was written about him already he must suffer you as a disciple must deny yourself pick up your cross and follow him and remember when Jesus tells them this this is in the middle of his ministry they see crucified people all the time but Jesus himself has not been crucified the cross was not the symbol that it is today you say well I carry my cross I got a cross on my necklace that I wear of a ring that has a cross on it the only ring I have a ring from my dad some of them was a few things that I have from my dad it's a ring with a cross on it you have your eyebrow ring with a little cross on it sub carrying my cross it's of course it's not what it means it means that you are that your life is over when someone carried their cross they were they were convicted then they carried their cross and they were executed it would be like walking death row now like you're convicted and they're gonna give you lethal injection you're gonna kill you so the time comes they come and they get you out of your cell and they flanked you with two guards and you walk down you walk to the room where they strap you in and they give you a lethal injection so while you're walking down that road your life is done you're a dead man walking right that's what Jesus was saying but he didn't say take up your cross and go out and get crucified he said take up your cross and follow me come to the end of your life and follow me what does it mean to die to yourself I think I think there's three different things first of all it means that we have died with Christ in the past when he was on that cross he died we die to ourselves because when we receive him as a savior we literally die with him the Bible says in Romans chapter 6 you have been crucified with and you are dead to sin because you we have died with him he died and because he died death no longer has Authority in your life because he identified with you and he was a substitute for you just think about that the consequences of sin I'm not saying they're all gone sin is uh sin is sin because it's inherently immoral sin isn't sin just because God decided I need to say something as sin so I'm gonna take this thing and I'm gonna make that sin the Bible says do not be drunk with wine because in that is what does it say what's the word that it uses and that is I can't remember the word but don't be drunk with wine just getting drunk has inherent problems with it and so God doesn't want you to get drunk bearing false witness against somebody is inherently evil when you say I saw somebody do something when they didn't do it when you slander somebody that's inherently evil and it hurts people and that's why it's sin so sin has consequences the ultimate sin of consequences or adults what consequence of sin is that when you die you're separated from God forever you're gonna die spiritually not just physically but when Jesus takes that that death for you on the cross now the ultimate consequence of death is gone when I die I'm gonna live sin killed me but Jesus brought me back to life because I died with him at the cross death has death has has been removed from my life because Christ died for me and I died with him I have been crucified with Christ the Bible says the life that I now live I live for him I live for the Son of Man that's what that's what Paul wrote to die to yourself also means that you've died to sin and this means that it doesn't mean that we don't have a sin nature anymore I wish it did trust me I wish it did I wish that when we were born again suddenly it's like whoops and nature's gone I just want I want to be passionate for Jesus and I just want all the joy and good and I just don't want to struggle with sin anymore but the Bible tells us that there's a battle going on a side of you the flesh battling against the spirit the flesh wanting the things the flesh and the spirit wanting the things of God so that each one of us has this desire to do something sinful but we also have the desire to do what God wants us to do and there's a battle that goes on inside of us and we have died to sin meaning that you should no longer give in to it if we're did the sin and we're not gonna have the ultimate consequence of sin then we should not be giving in to sin now we're going to when we go and we ask for forgiveness we understand that but we should be allowing God to work those things out of our lives finally what it means to die to yourself is that you no longer living for yourself when I came back at 19 years old and I prayed that prayer okay god I'm done what was I saying I'm done living my life I'm giving up my plans my desires my mode whatever I want to do I'm laying it all down it is no longer I that live but it is Christ that lives in me and you say well that should be you know something taught in the pastors conference cuz when you become a pastor that's what should happen no no we as pastors are meant to equip you for the work of the ministry you are called by God to lay down your life have you done that have you denied yourself have you said whatever plans desires I have I'm gonna give them up now and Lord I want to pick up whatever you want for me what do you what do you want I I give in whatever you want for me that's what I want my life is yours I will now live it for you and so we learn God's Word we allow the spirit to lead us and guide us we open up ourselves for God to use us in the world that we have we listen to his direction and we see or see where God takes us and he's able to do that and that's what he means when he says to them that they the son of man must suffer and die but they themselves must also denied themselves pick up the cross and follow him and then it says verse 35 for whoever desires to save his life will lose it but he who loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will say that the person who says I don't want to follow Christ I want to live my own life I want to live my life for me will end up losing their life they will die and they will perish they will they will be separated from God forever in a place called hell if you seek to still to keep your life you'll lose it but if you lose your life for his sake you gain it the person who says it's no longer me that lives now you've discovered the life that God has planned for you and for the gospel sake and that's our call it is the gospel of Jesus Christ that changes people's lives it's the gospel of Jesus Christ that has the power of salvation years ago we had our and we're eight and we were ready in October to have our 35th anniversary for the church and at the end of October when we had our 20th anniversary Troy had put together so he found some old videos that we had and he put them together one of them was something we used to do called straight ahead we would have we would play video or music videos at midnight and we would have people that would stay up and answer the phones we've got phone lines into the church that people would answer the phones in between there that would just be the little blurbs if you need prayer call this number and on every show I did a little gospel spot from downtown we very obvious in an alley downtown or out in front of a just a downtown building and I just gave an invitation to the gospel and Troy said come here you gotta see this and he played it and it is the exact altar call I still do today he was like it's 20 years later and your message hasn't changed your message is identical to what and I got these big round glasses on I got a helmet hair it's the 80s it's the middle of the 80s you know I got a mustache on and I'm not even quite sure what that mustache was all about just a mustache no little flavor safer nothing to give it like attitude it's just a mustache big round glasses must ask helmet hair but I'm given the message of the gospel and we've stuck with that same message because that's what transforms people and that's what our lives are about when we put on the armor of God our feet are prepared with the gospel of Jesus Christ everywhere that we go the gospel goes with it and it with us and that's what saves people and the thing is we never know when the seeds that we plant or the watering that we're going to do are going to take effect and so whoever desires to save their life will lose it but he who loses his life for hid for for my sake and the Gospels sake will say that then he says what for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul in another place he says that a man would give the world everything in the world for his soul one of the things that I wanted to do and didn't get around to it today was to look up the GDP of the world I kind of know what the GDP of the United States is I kind of know what the GDP of Russia is of China I've looked researched them a little bit but I wonder what the GDP of the world is I wonder what the value of the world is in trillions well what do you think it is the GDP the United States is around 20 trillion 17 trillion I think what do you think the GDP of the world's got to be 200 trillion 250 trillion something like that that would be my guess just a guess that's a lot of money that's a lot of trillions any Apple and Microsoft are both worth a trillion dollars would you give up 250 trillion would you give up the world for your soul of course you would because what you have you don't have your soul a man would trade whatever he has for a soul you would give everything away for your soul what's the value of your soul for you it's the entire world are you gonna receive the world and lose your soul no a man will give up anything he has for it what's the value of your soul it's incredibly valuable what a statement by Jesus for what will the profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses a soul and what man give in exchange for his soul we would give everything then he says in verse 38 for whoever is ashamed of me and my and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation the son of man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his father with his holy angels now this information from Jesus is not typical altar call material and you may hear it once in a while you may hear somebody say if you seek to loot the save your life you're gonna lose it you may hear somebody say you got to deny yourself pick up your cross and follow him you may hear somebody say you've got to count the craw cost but it's rare but most of the time at altar calls it and and and me as well most the time it's like hey listen you can give your life to Christ you can have your sins forgiven God's got a plan for you God's got a purpose he's got a call for your life you can discover why you were made but Jesus is laying it out for them deny yourself pick up your cross and follow me maybe there's some people who would go well I wouldn't raise my hand if I'd known that from the beginning I won't you give us that information upfront I don't want to change my life I don't want to deny myself I don't want to pick up my cross I don't want to live my life the rest of my life now furnished for Jesus well that's what he's asking every one of us to do you know it's interesting to me and you find this you find this a lot there is and this isn't closing but the in the let me get there I'm awful at I'm awful at talking so you find this a lot in the Gospels that the Gospels are not necessarily in chronological order there's some chronology to it right get me tonight the birth of Jesus is in the beginning of them the death of Jesus is at the end of them so there's some chronology but the rest of it is you study the different Gospels the chronology is all kind of chopped up there's things that happen before and after in each one of them and that's because today to the Hebrew mind in Hebrew writers they put stories together to make a point when you're reading something you want to know what does this mean you're really trying to figure out what is it look at what is said before it and after it in the text oftentimes you can find information and go oh I understand it better now it's one of the principles in Bible study then when you're really trying to understand a text look at the context look in front looking after especially the Gospels look at the story they tell before and the story that they tell after they might be out of order and they might be coupled together or sometimes three of them together to be able to make a point and I think that here that the disciples have a certain amount of vision of who Jesus is and then Jesus goes let me open up your eyes right now the Son of Man is gonna suffer and die I'm the Messiah and I'm gonna suffer and die it's like he just cleared up their vision you guys have one idea of what Christianity is or what being a disciple is I'm gonna tell you what really is but look at the account that's here before it look at verse 22 it says then he came to Bethsaida and they brought a blind man to him and begged him that he would touch him so he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of town and when he had spit in his eyes and put his hands on him he asked him if he saw anything and he looked up and said I see men as trees walking he was healed this is the only person that Jesus ever healed that he did it in stages he spits in his eyes which is kind of a gross way to heal somebody certainly isn't social distancing and then he says what do you see I see ministries walking and then he put his hands on his eyes again and made him look up and he restored and he saw everyone clearly then he sent them away saying to them neither go into town nor tell anyone in the town so here's the secrecy thing again right what's the very next verse then Jesus and His disciples went to the town Caesarea Philippi and Jesus said who do men say that I am the disciples had been touched by Jesus they saw but they didn't see clearly and Jesus cleared up their vision in the account that takes place next III wonder if God doesn't work that way in our life today I wonder if it isn't time for us to see something clearly we see we're released we're safe we see but I thought God says I have some little something more for you I want you to see clearly this was the unveiling when then when Jesus started talking to him they saw one thing by the time it was done they saw something completely different they now knew that Christianity was different than anything that they ever thought I want to see clearly what God wants from me and how God wants me to live stand with me would you and let's pray together father thank you so much for this study that helps us to see what Christianity really is all about and what the Messiah was all about and how they had this misunderstanding of what the Messiah was going to do and when he came on the scene he did something entirely different and Lord we wonder if we don't have some misunderstandings in our lives about what you're going to do or how what we think that you're doing that you might not want to clear up that you might not want to touch us again and take that fuzziness that we have a way that we can see things clearly and I thank you for this in the name of Jesus we pray amen I'd like you to keep your heads bowed please in your eyes closed for a couple of minutes I'd like to ask that no one would leave early we're almost done this won't take long but I want to give you a chance if you're here today to surrender your life to Christ counting the cost knowing that he's saying if you are going to follow me you deny yourself you pick up your cross and you follow me knowing that you must give your life up that when you receive Jesus you have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer you that lives but it is Christ that lives in you and the life that you now live you live for the Son of Man that's what Paul said I've been crucified with Christ and the life I now live I live for the Son of Man and that's what he's looking for those who will give him a total surrender and a total abandon and if you're here today and you would like to invite Christ into your life then I'm gonna ask you to do something simple just raise your hand lift your hand up now you say I want to give my life to Christ I want to follow him god bless you that's great anyone else just raise your hand now god bless you sir that's awesome anyone else all right for the balconies monke god bless you it's great I'd like everybody including those who raised their hands to repeat this prayer after me dear Heavenly Father I confess that I've sinned and I know my sin has separated me from you but I also understand that I can be forgiven by the death of Jesus on the cross so I invite you into my life and I turn from my sin that I can live for you in the name of Jesus amen welcome to the family of God man I don't know what kind of a plan God has for you I don't know what kind of a purpose God has for you but when you raise you and I don't know if you raise your hand if you're coming back to him or you're coming to him for the first time God knows all of those things but I do know that just like when I came to him and came back to him God did a wondrous work in my life and I believe God's gonna do the same for you there's a new believers table that's off to my right over against the wall we've got a new believers packing a Bible we would love to give you and help you to know where you can begin to read your Bible to begin this adventure with Jesus I want to pray for you and we're gonna pray for those who do need a miracle and I want to pray for those who are struggling maybe with addiction maybe with a would say some kind of a disorder maybe with depression maybe with stress or panic attacks I want to pray for you and if you don't have any of those things you don't need to be prayed for along those lines then would you join me and pray for someone you know they're struggling let's lift them up before the Lord together father first of all we want to pray for those that need a miracle whether that's a physical healing whether it's some kind of a miracle over an injury whether it's some kind of recovery that has to take place or a marriage that needs to be healed or a relationship or a financial miracle Lord you you do miracles today we pray that you would intervene I pray for those that are represented in this room and represented online that you would do that miracle I also pray with those that are struggling with personal things maybe an addiction maybe oppression or depression maybe a disorder maybe panic attacks maybe stress lord I pray that your peace would fall upon them right now in the name of Jesus I pray you to lift the darkness in the name of Jesus I pray that they would be set free in the name of Jesus that you would do the work inside of them we thank you for this in the name of Jesus we pray amen now may the Lord bless you and keep you may make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you may he lift up his countenance on you and give you peace stay stay safe stay healthy all right guys love you and we'll see you this coming up weekend I'm gonna hand things over to Johnny and Megin they're gonna lead you on the final song at his mission [Music]

Channel: Calvary Tucson with Robert Furrow

Views: 922

Rating: 4.8000002 out of 5

Keywords: Messiah, Jesus, mark, Mark8, Mark 8:27-38, Calvary Tucson, Robert Furrow, scripture, bible, Teaching, Calvary, Calvary Chapel

Id: iQ7YMcOj7kI

Length: 36min 40sec (2200 seconds)

Published: Wed Jun 24 2020