Proclamation:
“Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around
Cesarea Philippi. On the way He asked
them, ‘Who do people say I am?’ They
replied, ‘Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one
of the prophets.’ ‘But what about you?’
He asked. ‘Who do you say I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are The Messiah.’” Mark 8:27-29 (NIV)
Explanation:
These words were written under the influence of The Holy
Spirit of God by Mark. This is part of
the gospel as he received it from the apostle Peter. Mark begins this chapter by recounting the
events related to Jesus, The Christ, and His feeding of the four thousand
people. (Mark 8:1-13) Afterwards, Jesus
questioned His disciples regarding what they had just witnessed, and what they
had previously witnessed. (Mark 8:14-21)
After He healed the blind man in Bethsaida
(Mark 8:22-26) Jesus asked His disciples who do the people say that He is, and
who do they say that He is. Peter said,
“Thou art The Christ, The Son of the living God.” Jesus responded to Peter by saying that flesh
and blood did not reveal that to him. His
answer was revealed to him from heaven by God, The Father. (Matthew 16:16-17)
Application:
People have said all kinds of things about Jesus, The Christ,
and who He is, and how He does the things that He did. There are those people who deny His very
existence. Even today, some people have
said that He was just a man; others have said that He was a good man; and still
others have said that He was a prophet. However,
who the people say that He is does not change who He really is. The most important question is: “Who is Jesus
to you?” Your answer to that question
will speak volumes regarding your relationship with Him, and will identify where
you will spend eternity.
