Sermon Tone Analysis

Who is Jesus to me?

Mark 8:27-30

Intro: Our lives are filled with questions.

· Some of the questions we are faced with are very mundane and routine.

For instance, “What shall I wear today?”, “Where do you want to eat dinner?”, and “What do you want to watch on television?”, are not questions that have long term importance in our lives.

· Some of life’s questions are just plain unanswerable.

For instance, “Why do women open their mouths when they put on eye makeup?”, “Why do men refuse to stop and ask for directions?”, “If nothing ever sticks to Teflon, how do they make Teflon stick to the pan?”, and “What was the best thing before sliced bread?” are questions that really do not matter in the least.

· But, some of life’s questions are terribly important.

Consider the following questions for instance, “Will you marry me?”, “What shall we name the baby”, and “Doctor, what is my prognosis?”,

are all questions that have lifelong implications.

In this passage, Jesus asks two questions that are eternal in nature.

The first question has to do with what others say about Jesus.

Their opinions of Him reveal the condition of their hearts.

Their answer to His first question demonstrates whether they are saved or not.

The second has to do with your personal opinion of Who Jesus is.

Your answer to this question will determine where you spend eternity.

So, it is of vital importance that you carefully consider how you answer this question.

I. JESUS ASKS A PROBING QUESTION-vs.

27-28

· We are told that Jesus and His disciples are in the “cities of Caesarea Philippi”.

This was a predominately Gentile area located some 25 miles north of Bethsaida where Jesus had just healed the blind man, Mark 8:22-26.

It is here that a spring issues forth from Mount Hermon that forms one of the tributaries that becomes the Jordan River.

This was a beautiful area that was steeped in pagan religion.

In ancient time, the city had been called “Balinas”, because it had been a center of Baal worship.

Baal was the Phoenician god of fertility and nature.

Later, the name was changed to “Panias”, because the Greeks believed that their god Pan was born in a cave in the hills above the city, at the foot of Mount Hermon.

Pan was a half-goat, half-man god who was believed to be the guardian of flocks and nature.

In fact, the modern name of this ancient city is “Banias”, which is a form of “Panias”.

Caesarea Philippi also contained a gleaming marble temple, built by Herod Philip, to honor Caesar, the Roman Emperor, who was considered to be a god.

The citizens of this city were required to enter this temple, at least once per year, place a pinch of incense on a burning altar and proclaim, “Caesar is Lord!”

It was here, in this city devoted to the worship of idols and manmade gods that Jesus chose as the place to make a fuller revelation of Himself to His disciples.

It was also here that Simon Peter saw for the first time that Jesus Christ was truly the Son of God.

The Lord’s first question is this: “Whom do men say that I am?”

Jesus knew what the people were saying about Him.

He wasn’t paranoid, nor was He seeking the praise of men.

Jesus intended to use to opinions of the people, concerning His identity, to cause the disciples to think about their own opinions of just Who Jesus was.

· When Jesus asks this question, His men tell Jesus want they have been hearing others say.

They said some people say that you are, “John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.”

Let’s take a moment to break their response down.

John the Baptist

Jesus certainly resembled John the Baptist in His preaching.

Both men preached a message of repentance and righteousness.

But, many people had seen Jesus and John together, so this response is kind of strange to me.

Of course, Herod Antipas believed that Jesus was none other than John the Baptist raised from the dead, Mark 6:14.

That is probably where that theory came from.

Others believed that Jesus was Elijah raised from the dead.

This makes a little more sense, because both Jesus and Elijah conducted a ministry that was marked by clear, convicting preaching and convincing miracles.

Others believed that Jesus was “One of the prophets”.

This was a long list that included such luminaries as Moses, Daniel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, and others.

Like Moses, Jesus declared the Law of God.

Like Isaiah, Jesus preached about sacrifice and holiness.

He was, after all, “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”, Isa.

53:3.

Like Daniel, the message of Jesus was a prophetic message of a coming King and His kingdom.

Like Jeremiah, Jesus carried out a ministry marked by compassion and brokenness.

Like Hosea, Jesus loved the unlovable and was willing to redeem lost, wretched sinners.

That’s what the people were saying, but other voices were also expressing their opinions about Jesus in that day.

The Pharisees and other religious elitists of the day:

The Scribes, the men viewed as great teachers of the Law:

The Sanhedrin, the ruling body of the Jewish religion:

His Own family and friends said:

Even as Jesus hung on the cross, giving His life a ransom for sin, the religious elite continued to express their evil opinion of Him.

Not every voice in that day was lifted against Jesus.

Some people knew Who He was and proclaimed Him openly.

John the Baptist got it right – John 1:29-34.

The Angels got it right – Luke 2:9-14.

Simeon got it right – Luke 2:25-35.

Anna got it right – Luke 2:36-38.

The dying thief got it right

The Roman Centurion got it right – Mark 15:39.

The blind man got it right – John 9:38.

The crowds outside Jerusalem got it right – John 12:13.

Even the demons got it right – Mark 5:7.

· That’s what some of the people in that day were saying about Jesus.

What are they saying about Him in our day?

Just as it was in the days when Jesus walked this earth, there are a multitude of opinions about Who He was and is.

The Muslim says that Jesus was a prophet, but He was not crucified on a cross.

He will return, but He is not God.

The Hindu believes that Jesus is just one of millions of gods.

The Jew believes that Jesus was a great prophet and teacher, but He is not God.

The Mormon believes that Jesus was the first baby born to God in Heaven, when God, in a physical body, had sexual intercourse with Mary, His Own daughter.

He is the spirit brother of Lucifer.

The Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus was once the Archangel Michael before He came to the earth.

In their view Jesus is not God in the flesh.

The atheist denies that God does not exist at all, therefore, who cares about Jesus.

The agnostic just doesn’t know what to believe about Jesus.

Society believes that Jesus was a great teacher; that He had some good ideas about loving your fellow man and being good to others, but they do not believe that He is the Savior, or that He is God in the flesh.

Most people acknowledge His existence, but they refuse to bow to His authority or give Him the worship He deserves.

We have heard the theories and thoughts of men concerning Jesus.

Before we leave this thought behind, we need to hear one more opinion.

What does God in Heaven have to say about this man called Jesus.

When Jesus was baptized by John in Jordan, God the Father said:

When Jesus was transfigured, God the Father said:

If God the Father says that Jesus is His Son that is good enough for me!

II.

JESUS ASKS A PERSONAL QUESTION-VS.

29-30

After hearing His disciples tell Him what others say, Jesus asks them for their opinion.

He has heard public opinion, now He wants to hear their personal opinion.

This is the moment of truth!

Everything Jesus has taught them and shown them has been leading up to this moment in time.

Every miracle was leading to this one moment in time.

Every word of truth Jesus spoke was being His men to this great spiritual crossroad.