Day 22 – Get ready for glory
Mark 8:22 - 9:1
They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, ‘Do you see anything?’ He looked up and said, ‘I see people; they look like trees walking around.’ Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, ‘Don’t even go into the village.’
Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea 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.” Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
And he said to them, “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see that the kingdom of God has come with power.”
Liz Nixon writes:
This chapter is the hinge point of the book of Mark – it moves from being about “Who is Jesus?” to His mission. But this middle section sees Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Messiah, finally one of those closest to Jesus recognize who He is. He is their Messiah, the one who will save them from the Roman Oppressors. But Jesus reveals to them a Messiah they weren’t expecting – a Messiah who must suffer and die. This is the upside-down nature of the Kingdom of God as seen in v 35: wanting to save your life means you lose it,and losing your life for Jesus and the gospel means you save your life. It doesn’t make sense!
What confuses you about the Kingdom of God? What do you read in the Bible that makes no sense to you?
Hopefully you will have seen from our teaching series in the Autumn term “Questioning our assumptions”, that we love it when you have questions! It’s a good and healthy way to explore your faith.
Talk to Jesus about your confusion and lack of understanding – He will be kind and patient. Why not meet with a friend in the next few days and share your thoughts with them too?