Who Do You Say I Am?
READ
Identity and commitment—these two themes collide powerfully in today’s pivotal moment of Mark's Gospel. Jesus begins with a seemingly simple question: "Who do people say I am?" But like many of Jesus' questions, it's just the setup for something much deeper.
Let’s take a moment to read Mark 8:27-38:
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.”
REFLECT
The disciples report what they've heard: John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets. These answers aren't wrong because they're bad; they're wrong because they're insufficient. Then Jesus makes it personal: "But who do you say I am?" It's the question that eventually confronts every person who encounters Jesus—not what your parents believe, not what your church teaches, but what do you believe about Him?
Peter's response is a flash of insight: "You are the Messiah." It's a magnificent moment of clarity. But what happens next reveals how even our clearest spiritual insights can be clouded by human expectations. When Jesus begins explaining what being the Messiah actually means—suffering, rejection, death, and resurrection—Peter takes Him aside to correct Him.
We can understand Peter's reaction. He had just declared Jesus as Messiah, probably envisioning glory, triumph, and the restoration of Israel. Instead, Jesus starts talking about suffering and death. Peter's resistance isn't just confusion; it's a clash between divine purpose and human expectation.
Jesus' response is stark: "Get behind me, Satan!" These words aren't just a rebuke; they speak to how seriously God takes the mission of redemption. Peter isn't being called evil; he's being shown how human wisdom, when it opposes God's plan, can become a tool of opposition to God's purposes.
Then Jesus gathers the crowd for one of His most sobering teachings: "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me." In a world where crosses meant one thing—death—these words would have landed with shocking weight. Jesus is laying out the non-negotiable terms of discipleship: full surrender, whatever the cost.
This passage confronts us with essential questions about our faith. Are we willing to embrace not just the Jesus of our expectations but the Jesus who calls us to sacrificial discipleship? Have we domesticated the gospel into something more palatable but less transformative?
RESPOND
Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read.
How has your understanding of Jesus evolved beyond your initial beliefs about Him?
What does denying yourself look like in your current season of life?
REST
Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying:
Lord Jesus, deepen our understanding of who You are and what it means to follow You. When we try to reshape Your purposes to fit our preferences, realign our hearts with Your truth. Give us courage to take up our cross daily, embracing the full cost of discipleship. Shape us into followers who don't just admire Your teachings but live them out sacrificially. Amen.