What we say about Jesus is very different from the way we live with Jesus. It was a crucial point in the life of the disciples when Jesus had this conversation with them. They were hearing rumors and falsehoods about Jesus, and Jesus knew because certainly He had heard some of them, so He asks the disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" (v. 27). The answers were as varied as the people telling them; "Some say you are John the Baptist come back to life," "Others say you are Elijah, after all, Scripture says he was to come back," and "Others that you have to be one of the prophets." You could almost hear Jesus say, "Hmm, what about you? Who do you say that I am?" We don't know if there was a delay in the time the question left Jesus' lips until the time Peter opened his to answer, but it was Peter who said, "You are the Messiah." In other words, the people's answers were almost right, but not quite. They knew that a special messenger would come before the coming of the Anointed One of God showed up. This was John the Baptist. Others knew that their scriptures told of the return of Elijah, after all, he had not died, but had been taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot. And the prophets lived interesting lives and were anointed of God, and if God's in all this, what's to keep God from sending one of them back? Yet, no one was yet saying that Jesus was the Messiah, for the Messiah was a big deal. The coming of the Chosen One of God would be a super special deal. This one, would be the One. Period. In Him, all the scriptures would be fulfilled and a new relationship between God and God's people would be established. No one dared say that Jesus was that One, for they were not sure. It took Everyman Peter to answer with the correct answer. Play all the game show time music, like the Jeopardy time to think music or the more dramatic Who Wants to Be a Millionaire music and here is Regis shocked, for Peter has answered correctly, "Jesus is the Messiah." You would think Jesus would celebrate that and say, "High five, Bro, you're right on!" No, read that passage again, "He sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about Him." (v. 30) Then the hard lesson follows; this Messiah will suffer greatly, suffer rejection by all the religious folks of our day, and he will be killed, and after three days rise again. Peter, the one with the right answer, doesn't buy it. Peter takes Jesus aside and began to rebuke Jesus! It was a loving rebuke along the line I would think of, "Lord, how could we possibly let anything like this happen to You? We'd rather die than let You suffer and be killed!" Jesus then calls Peter "Satan" for Peter was putting his mind on earthly things not divine ones.
Mark 8: 27 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 answered him, "John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." 29 He asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Messiah." 30 And he sternly ordered them not to tell anyone about him. 31 Then he began to teach them that the Son of Man must undergo great suffering, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He said all this quite openly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are setting your mind not on divine things but on human things." 34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. 35 For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it. 36 For what will it profit them to gain the whole world and forfeit their life? 37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? 38 Those who are ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of them the Son of Man will also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels." (NRSV)
The cross is a heavenly thing. This weekend we were in one of my old churches, where I served eleven years. One of the most striking features of that church is the huge cross that runs almost from the floor to the very top of the vaulted ceiling. I smiled as I remembered the comment my mentor and dear friend, whom I followed there, said about his grandson when talking about different churches. His grandson associated the cross with Jesus and when he asked his grandpa, "My Jesus is bigger than your Jesus!" The little boy had seen both crosses and knew that the one in his church was way bigger. What Jesus is saying here is not about that decorative item that we sometimes wear around our neck or place on our walls; Jesus was talking about the reality of the cost of discipleship, of truly being His disciple in a world that draws further from Him it seems almost each day. "Put yourself last, take up this cross of suffering, anguish and pain, and then, follow me." What good does it do to try and save your own life and then realize you've lost the most important part of your life. Override the human mode of survival, and think divinely of serving God and others, and you will be saved. If you do less, you run the risk of Jesus being ashame of you and how you lived your life.
PRAYER: Loving God, help me to see as You see. Help me to see that I do need to put You and Yours first and become a true servant who seeks to serve even at the risk of pain, anguish and suffering. I do want my life to count and to count for You. I ask this in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord.
Eradio Valverde
