Mark 8:1–9:1 Christ Must Suffer

Note: Translated by Gemini

Peace be with you, brothers and sisters. I’d like to ask a question: Do you know me? If you do, congratulations! There are seven billion people in the world, and my WeChat Moments has only a little over two thousand contacts. Globally speaking, the proportion of people who know me is about one in three million.

However, attentive people may notice that there are different ways of "knowing." How do we actually define "knowing" someone? Sometimes I meet the parents of my child’s classmates. When we introduce our professions, I’ll say that I am a pastor, and they usually just give an "Oh." Do you think after this introduction, they truly know me? They know my name and my occupation. But compared to all of you here, they don't really know me yet, because they simply know of me. Moreover, they might have never been to church and have no idea what a pastor actually does, right?

But for those of you sitting here today, do you really know what a pastor does? I think our understandings might also vary. Perhaps when you first came to church, you thought being a pastor was the happiest job in the world. If you serve as a small group leader in the church, you might realize that a pastor's job is not easy at all. And if you get closer to a pastor, you’ll discover that a pastor’s work is far from calm, graceful, and effortless—it is hurried, chaotic, and downright grueling!

However, whether you know me or understand what a pastor does is not that important. There is one Person whom it is crucial for you to know, and that is Jesus. Many people in the world know Him. Out of seven billion people, at least six billion know of Him, and perhaps two billion believe that Jesus is the Christ. Yet, far fewer people truly know what this Christ did, and even fewer understand what it means for their lives.

Mark Chapter 8 records a pivotal event: Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ. This marks a turning point for the entire Gospel of Mark, as well as for Jesus' ministry. Before Peter's confession, Jesus frequently performed miracles and taught publicly in Galilee. He spent two and a half years with His disciples to help them understand one question: Who is Jesus?

After Peter's confession, Jesus' ministry began to transition. He performed fewer miracles and started predicting His suffering, death, and resurrection. As He set His face toward Jerusalem, He began to teach His disciples: What must Christ do? What does Christ's death mean? And what does it mean for you to follow Christ?

Today, we will look at Mark 8:1–9:1. Among these verses, Mark 8:1–30 forms a parallel narrative with the earlier passage in Mark 6:30–7:37. If you have a Bible in hand, you can easily notice the similarities between these two large sections. Both sections begin with Jesus feeding a crowd—once five thousand, and once four thousand. Then Jesus gets into a boat, followed by a confrontation with the Pharisees, a record about bread, and Jesus using saliva to heal a sick person (a deaf-mute in Chapter 7, and a blind man in Chapter 8). Finally, both sections conclude with a declaration of Jesus' identity.

Because of these parallel structures, some modern scholars question whether these events were just one incident recorded twice. However, as we look through today's text, we can see clear differences. Through this parallel structure, Mark progressively reveals to us who Jesus is.

Today's message is divided into three parts:

1. Verses 1–21: Who is Jesus?
2. Verses 22–30: Jesus is the Christ!?
3. 8:31–9:1: What Must Christ Do?

Let us go through the passage verse by verse.

1–21: Who is Jesus?

[Mark 8:1–3]

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have comefrom far away.”

According to the context, this story took place in Decapolis, a Gentile region on the coast of the Sea of Galilee. Earlier, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and His fame spread. Decapolis was a Gentile area. Do you remember who once testified here? It was the demon-possessed man from whom Jesus drove two thousand pigs! Perhaps influenced by his testimony, people flooded to Jesus.

However, this time there is a clear difference from the miracle of the five loaves and two fish: the crowd here is predominantly Gentile. The text also tells us that they had been with Jesus for three days, whereas the teaching during the feeding of the five thousand lasted only one day. These people were now starving, and Jesus felt deep compassion for them.

First, we see the hunger for truth among these Gentiles. They were willing to hear the Word, stay in the wilderness, and endure hunger. What a contrast to us! We sit in comfortable, roofed rooms, offer multiple worship services, and provide every possible convenience for people to attend—yet our seats are rarely full.

Jesus felt deep compassion for these people; He did not want to send them home hungry. He had the power to feed them, but He didn't do so immediately. Instead, He threw the problem back to His disciples, expecting an answer from them. After all, the disciples had learned this lesson not long ago—they had personally witnessed Jesus feeding five thousand people with five loaves and two fish! Naturally, the disciples should have known where the food could come from. But...

[Mark 8:4]

And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”

The disciples gave a remarkably practical answer, acting as if they had never experienced the miracle of the five loaves and two fish. They said this was a desolate place where no bread could be bought. In their response, we see their spiritual growth stalled—it was almost identical to their answer last time when they said two hundred denarii would not be enough to buy bread. Yet, Jesus still treated them with compassion and patience.

[Mark 8:5]

And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

At this point, even the disciples' own provisions were insufficient—seven loaves of bread meant one for Jesus and one shared between every two disciples, barely enough for a single meal. When Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have?", the disciples looked only at their own extremely limited resources: seven. They failed to see Jesus Christ, the Son of God, standing right before them with infinite resources. They overlooked the Son of God who could heal the sick, drive out demons, calm the storm, and feed five thousand with five loaves and two fish.

[Mark 8:6–9]

And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away.

The scene of the five loaves and two fish played out once again. There were four thousand adult men present, meaning the total crowd was even larger. This miracle of food reminds us of how God led Israel in the wilderness, except this time, the bread from heaven fell upon Gentiles.

[Mark 8:10]

And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

Just like last time, Jesus left hastily. He departed because He did not want people's understanding of Him to be based solely on this miracle. In ancient times, getting enough to eat was a major struggle; whoever could feed the people gained their allegiance. Jesus did not want them to view Him as a political leader, as He had no intention of becoming one. He wanted people to truly understand His identity and His mission. Therefore, He quickly left and returned to Judea, where an unwelcoming crowd awaited Him.

[Mark 8:11]

The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

Jesus had performed countless miracles, many of which the Pharisees witnessed firsthand, yet they still demanded a sign. They wanted a sign they had never seen before—a sign from heaven. Scripture tells us their motive was to test Jesus. Do you think the Pharisees knew Jesus? Clearly not. Even though they knew what Jesus had done, and according to their knowledge and theology, they should have naturally recognized Him. In John's Gospel, Nicodemus came to Jesus, reflecting the mindset of most ordinary people:

[John 3:2b]

“...for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Everything Jesus did upon His coming clearly revealed who He was. Matthew's Gospel quotes the prophet Isaiah to describe Jesus' works:

[Matthew 11:5]

“the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.”

The Pharisees should have been the most familiar with the Book of Isaiah, so why didn't they believe?

[John 1:5]

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome [or accepted] it.

The Pharisees not only failed to know Jesus, but they were also spiritually blind. There are many blind people in this chapter—later there is a physically blind man, and the disciples' vision was also quite hazy—but the Pharisees were different: they abode in darkness. A physically blind person longs for light, but a spiritually blind person resists the light. When Jesus performed miracles, they accused Him of working on the Sabbath; when Jesus cast out demons, they accused Him of driving out demons by the prince of demons. For those dwelling in darkness, the more you guide them toward the light, the more they resist it. The closer truth gets to them, the further they push away from it.

Matthew records that the Sadducees were also present here, and later Jesus mentions the Herodians. These groups, who were normally enemies, united to find a way to put Jesus to death. We see this group in the dark: despite their different theology and political views, when the Light appeared, they reconciled with one another in the dark. This truth has remained unchanged for thousands of years: though there are many different false religions and evil forces in the world, they easily unite when it comes to opposing the truth. Facing this situation,

[Mark 8:12]

And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Jesus had performed signs from heaven: He calmed the storm, walked on water, and fed thousands with a few loaves, echoing the manna falling from heaven. But the purpose of Jesus' signs was to let people know who He was. To this dark generation represented by the Pharisees—a group that resisted God—Jesus would give no sign, because the more He revealed, the more they resisted. Facing the hardness of human hearts, Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit; there was nothing left for Him to do for them.

[Mark 8:13]

And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

In the original biblical text, "left" can also carry the meaning of "abandoned." Jesus' action symbolized the fate of those who refuse to believe, represented by the Pharisees: they will be abandoned. If a person insists on walking in darkness and refuses to humbly acknowledge their wrong, they will be abandoned by God. They live in darkness today and persist in it, and in the future, they will be cast into deeper, eternal darkness.

[Mark 8:14–15]

Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

The scene shifts back to the disciples. Do you think the disciples knew Jesus? It was a half-baked understanding: Jesus kept revealing His identity, but their reactions were completely confused. When Jesus healed the paralytic, they were amazed; when Jesus calmed the storm, they asked who He was; when Jesus wanted to feed four thousand Gentiles after the feeding of the five thousand, they asked where to buy bread. The disciples' spiritual eyes had not yet been opened, even though they were seeking the light.

So during this trip, Jesus gave them a warning about "leaven"—an issue that seemed somewhat relevant to their situation, yet not quite. Bread requires leavening, but the Pharisees and Herod weren't bakers, were they? So...

[Mark 8:16]

And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.

The disciples fell into a logical trap, completely missing the point of Jesus' teaching. They simply assumed it was because they had no bread. Perhaps their interpretation reflected what was currently occupying their minds: they cared more about whether they had bread right now, which was their immediate survival concern.

[Mark 8:17–21]

And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Is your heart hardened? Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

We see that Jesus was anxious over the disciples' reaction. When preaching, Jesus often said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." But this group of disciples had followed Jesus for over two years, and Jesus was about to go to Jerusalem—how could they still fail to understand His meaning? Jesus led them to review the two times He fed the crowds, showing them that He was not talking about physical bread at all.

To understand this sentence, the focus is not on the "leaven," but on the modifier preceding it: "of the Pharisees and Herod." Jesus and the disciples had just faced the challenge of the hardened Pharisees, witnessing how this dark force dragged those who were well-versed in Scripture into the abyss. In Matthew's Gospel, the disciples finally understood that Jesus was telling them to beware of the teaching of the Pharisees and Herod.

Between these two understandings of leaven—teaching versus bread—which one is more important? Is bread important? Yes, bread determines the survival and death of human flesh, so bread seems important. But they were with Jesus! When you are with Jesus, many things cease to be major issues: whether you encounter a storm, run out of food, or meet a demon-possessed man coming at you when you step off the boat—none of these are major issues, because the Lord who rules over all is right beside you!

Teaching, however, is different. Teaching determines your understanding of Jesus. If you long for light and follow true teaching, it leads you into light; but if you follow false teaching and resist the light, it ultimately leads you into darkness. In comparison, physical bread—which can only determine your bodily life—is insignificant compared to the teaching that determines the life of your soul and spirit.

We often face the same question today: Do you care more about bread, or about teaching? My observation is that even though we are Christians and followers of Jesus, like the disciples, our daily lives mostly revolve around bread. Why do we work every day? To have bread to eat. Why do we buy houses? To have a place to eat bread. Why do we educate our children? So they can eat better bread in the future. Even our small group prayer requests mostly revolve around bread. Although we don't lack bread today—our bank balances can buy enough bread so we won't starve—we still live around bread every day without reflecting on teaching.

Throughout my life, I have been committed to and served in four different churches, moving only when changing cities. In the church, I've seen many people come and go. Sometimes I hear people's reason for leaving a church is that they felt the pulpit teaching had issues. At first, I didn't easily understand this; I thought, "Shouldn't everyone just accept and bear with one another in love? Why be so rigid?" Only later did I gradually realize that we must value teaching. The most important thing in a church will always be its pulpit, because the pulpit determines whether the people sitting below walk toward destruction or eternal life. We must stay alert and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod—this is Jesus' teaching.

22–30: Jesus is the Christ!?

The next section is verses 22–30, titled Jesus is the Christ!? Each of my section titles ends with a question mark, but for this title, I used both an exclamation mark and a question mark. After reading this section, you will understand why.

[Mark 8:22]

And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him.

Bethsaida was an Israeli town that Jesus had previously criticized for failing to repent:

[Matthew 11:21]

“Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the mighty works done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

We see that even though the people here were hardened, some still believed in Jesus and brought a blind man to Him for healing.

[Mark 8:23–25]

And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everythingclearly.

Jesus had compassion on the blind man, and at the same time, He did not want to expose His identity as the Christ, so He led him outside the village to heal him. Spitting on the blind man's eyes was not an insulting gesture in ancient times; saliva was believed to have antiseptic properties, and people expected Jesus to act this way. Here, the unique nature of this miracle is revealed: the blind man was not healed instantly. His vision first became blurry, and only after Jesus laid His hands on him a second time was he fully restored. This differs from the miracles of Jesus we usually see. Jesus' miracles were typically immediate and one-time transformations: He rebuked the wind and sea, and it instantly calmed; He cast out demons, and they immediately left; He healed diseases, and they instantly vanished. Jesus had never performed a gradual, multi-stage miracle before. Why did He do it this way?

Was it because Jesus lacked power? Clearly not. Jesus certainly intended to convey something symbolic. Think about it: in this context, whose spiritual vision looked most like this man's blurry sight? The disciples! In the following passage, when Jesus asks Peter, "Who do you say I am?", Peter gives the correct answer: "You are the Christ." This was an exhilarating answer! Yet behind this answer lay the disciples' skewed perception of the "Christ." In their eyes, the Christ was a political and military leader who would lead them to overthrow Roman rule and restore the Davidic kingdom. The disciples were stuck in this stage: they saw the Christ, but did not know what the Christ was going to do—just like this blind man who saw people, but could not see them clearly. Jesus used this miracle to illustrate the disciples' state, laying hands on the man twice to restore his sight.

[Mark 8:26–28]

And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.” And 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?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

After healing the blind man, Jesus began to test His disciples. He first posed the question: "Who do people say that I am?" The disciples listed three viewpoints: John the Baptist, Elijah, or an Old Testament prophet. We know Herod thought Jesus was John the Baptist, while many others thought He was Elijah or a prophet. But Jesus seemed indifferent to public opinion; He wanted to hear His disciples' perspective.

[Mark 8:29]

And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.”

"Who is Jesus?" This is perhaps the greatest and most important question in the world. It is a question that seven billion people alive today—and even all one hundred billion people throughout human history and everyone in the future—must face. Your answer to this question determines your eternal destiny. History has seen many extraordinary figures: Einstein, Da Vinci, Newton, Galileo, presidents and chairmen of major nations, and many more will emerge in the future. But whether you know them or not does not matter in eternity; regarding Jesus, you must answer this question: Who is Jesus?

Peter delivered a perfect answer here: "You are the Christ." (Matthew's Gospel adds: "the Son of the living God.") If the Pharisees represented rebellious mankind, Peter became the representative of the disciples and all followers of Jesus, giving a perfect response on their behalf. In Matthew's Gospel, Jesus spoke very highly of Peter:

[Matthew 16:17]

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

It was not easy for Peter to arrive at this answer. His declaration of Jesus meant he would face persecution from other Jewish religious leaders and resistance from the community he once belonged to. We even know that John the Baptist once questioned Jesus' identity, yet Peter made this confession! Throughout Mark's Gospel, we witness the journey of the disciples. Originally, like other Jews, they anticipated the coming of the Christ. When Jesus appeared, they began following Him, witnessing Him healing the sick, casting out demons, calming storms, and feeding five thousand. They saw Jesus walk on water, and Peter even participated in it! Now, he could finally speak these words: "You are the Christ." ("Christ" and "Messiah" both mean "Anointed One.") They were certain they were following the right Person! They were also confident that by following such a Christ and Messiah, their own future was limitless! However...

[Mark 8:30]

And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Clearly, Jesus was satisfied with the answer itself, but He also knew well that the "Christ" they had in mind was not the true Christ. Before setting off toward the cross, Jesus needed to tell them: What must Christ do?

8:31–9:1: What Must Christ Do?

The final section is 8:31–9:1, titled What Must Christ Do? Peter's confession moved Jesus' ministry into its second phase, the core of which was teaching His disciples what Christ must do.

[Mark 8:31]

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.

We know Jesus predicted His death and resurrection three times in total; this was the first time. Though brief, Jesus fully explained what Christ was to do: suffer, die, and rise again.

[Mark 8:32]

And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

In the original language, "rebuke" carries strong intensity—some translation tools even render it as "scold." The text specifically notes that Jesus said this "plainly," meaning He taught it openly, not in private speculation. Yet Peter openly and severely opposed Him. Why? Let me give you a few options—which one would you choose?

A. Peter thought Jesus' theology was flawed: Christ was meant to reign as King, not suffer.

B. Peter thought Jesus' words were a buzzkill for the disciples who had just recognized Him as Christ.

C. Peter believed following Jesus was meant for enjoying blessings, not enduring suffering.

D. Peter felt that having answered the question correctly with God's revelation, he was qualified to step up and correct this impractical teacher on behalf of the disciples.

I'll leave these options for you to reflect on. Let's look at Jesus' response.

[Mark 8:33]

But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

In the original language, "Get behind me" is a command—a more direct translation would be: "Satan, get out of My sight!" From praise to rebuke, from God's revelation to Satan—Peter experienced a dramatic crash in a single moment! Although Peter recognized Jesus as the Christ, he failed to understand the Old Testament prophecies that Christ must die, nor did he pay attention to the hope of resurrection Jesus mentioned. He wanted a path for Christ that pleased human desires—a path of glory, ease, and blessing, free from suffering and pain. He overlooked the shame before glory and the cross before the crown. This was a path of suffering, a path of the cross—a journey filled with hardship, yet yielding eternal glory and the hope of resurrection.

Peter served as the representative for all the disciples, for they were all in the same boat. Before and after Jesus' three predictions of His passion, the disciples were constantly arguing about who was the greatest and who would sit at His right and left hand. They wanted to grasp a painless, glorious path. Perhaps they felt that after following Jesus for so long, wasn't this the moment they had been waiting for? But Jesus' words rebuked them: "Get behind me, Satan!"

When Jesus was tempted in the wilderness, Satan took Him to a high mountain, showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor, and said, "All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me." Jesus replied, "You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve." Jesus was crystal clear about His own message and the path He had to walk: a path of suffering, a path according to God's will, and a path that leads to resurrection.

Jesus was correcting the disciples' understanding of Christ and the Kingdom of God. There is a hymn titled If Without Cross that describes the path of God's will like this: Without tears, there is no comfort; without death, there is no life; without blood, there is no forgiveness; without shame, there is no glory; without the cross, there is no crown. Just as the disciples declared Jesus as Christ and thought He was about to reign—just as they were about to taste a little bit of the heavenly kingdom—Jesus declared: "I must suffer, I must be killed, and I must rise again." Not only that, but Jesus also extended an invitation to His disciples:

[Mark 8:34]

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

The cross was not prepared for Jesus alone; the cross was set for you as well. For Jesus, without shame there is no glory, and without the cross there is no crown. The same applies to you. Jesus issued an invitation to the disciples, calling them to deny themselves, bear their cross, and follow Him.

Today's society does not emphasize self-denial; it emphasizes "being yourself"! Don't change for anyone; just be yourself! Facing issues at work? Don't change—be yourself and quit! Facing issues in marriage? Don't change for anyone—be yourself and get a divorce! But Jesus calls us to deny ourselves—to relinquish self-reliance, surrender our own resources, give up all we possess and pursue, and submit completely under His lordship. As Paul said:

[Galatians 2:20a]

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.

[Philippians 3:8]

Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...

Self-denial means abandoning all my self-efforts, confessing that Christ is Lord, and entrusting my life to Him—so that His values become my values, His will becomes my heart's desire, and His thoughts become my thoughts. This is self-denial.

Jesus also mentioned the cross. How do you understand the cross? What is your cross? Is it your husband? Your wife? Your co-worker? Your boss? Or your small group leader or pastor? In the Greco-Roman culture of that era, which heavily valued honor and shame, the cross represented the peak of disgrace. It was in this context that the disciples were called to follow Him without being ashamed of the cross. The cross signifies repentance and faith, living according to God's will, walking in humility, and enduring persecution. Being a cross-bearing Christian means facing hostility, rejection, and challenges from others. This was true for the early readers of Mark's Gospel, and it remains true for 21st-century Christians. Ask yourself: Are you willing to bear the cross for the Lord?

Next, Jesus explained the paradoxical mystery of the Kingdom of God to His disciples. We don't have time to unpack it fully, but let us read this final passage together:

[Mark 8:35–9:1]

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.” And he said to them, “Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.”

Jesus foretold the path He was to walk: a path to glory through shame, and a path to victory through apparent failure. This is the same path the disciples must walk—enduring shame to reach glory, and bearing the cross to gain the crown. Yet, Jesus also gave His disciples a great hope: some of them would see the Kingdom of God coming with power in their lifetime.

People have various interpretations of the Kingdom of God coming with power. Some believe it refers to the Transfiguration that follows, some think it means Jesus' resurrection, others attribute it to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and some believe it refers to the fall of Jerusalem and the dispersion of the disciples in AD 70. We generally understand that when Jesus came, the Kingdom of God arrived, and when Christ returns, the Kingdom will reach its completion and fulfillment. But what counts as the Kingdom of God coming with power? Clearly, nothing compares to the resurrection of Jesus Christ! In the moment of His resurrection, Christ declared victory over sin and death, conquered all forces of darkness, and truly assumed His reign. Jesus knew well that only at that moment—when Christ rose from the dead—would the disciples truly understand that Jesus is the Christ, grasp what Christ came to do, and realize what it means to follow Him.

Conclusion

Who is Jesus? This is a question every single one of us must reflect on. In today's passage, we see different people's perceptions of Jesus: the forces of darkness represented by the Pharisees rejected and opposed Him; the disciples represented by Peter followed Him and recognized Him as the Christ. Yet their understanding was hazy and unclear. The "Christ" they knew was one who pleased human desires—a Christ of glory without shame. That was a Christ prepared by Satan, leading them toward destruction. Jesus revealed to His disciples what Christ must do, revealing the suffering and shame He had to endure, as well as the resurrection and glory that would follow. He also extended an invitation for them to walk this way of the cross with Him, enduring shame to enter into glory.

Who is Jesus? I believe everyone here knows Him, and we surely acknowledge that Jesus is the Christ. But is the Christ you know one who pleases human desires, or the One who, according to God's will, endured shame and suffering to receive the crown and glory? Are you ready to deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Him? Are you prepared to lose your life for Him and the Gospel?

The Apostle Peter ultimately came to understand all of this, writing in his letter:

[1 Peter 4:12–14]

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you.

May each of our brothers and sisters come to know Christ—to know this suffering Christ, to suffer with Him, and to rejoice with Him!

Prayer

Father God, we thank You for sending Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, into the world. He walked the path of the cross for us—a path of humiliation and suffering, a path of blood and tears. Yet we also thank You, because on this path lies the hope of resurrection and the crown of glory.

Father, we pray that You help us understand the work of Christ and realize how it relates to our lives. May we not set our minds on human desires, but on Your will. When we face Your call, grant us the willingness to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow You.

Lord, remove our blindness. Free us from blurry vision and lead us into the light. May all glory and praise be ascribed to You. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.