“To forsake Christ for the world, is to leave a treasure for a trifle…eternity for a moment, reality for a shadow.”
William Jenkyn
The Gospel of Mark begins with Jesus being announced as the Son of God (1:1) and it closes with a Roman soldier also declaring Jesus to be the Son of God (15:39). In the middle of the gospel is the significant confession of Peter: “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.”And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’” (Mark 8:27-29)
The geographical context of the confession of Peter was the region of Caesarea Philippi. This was an area sparsely populated by Jews. A temple in honor of Emperor Augustus had been built there by Herod. It was made of white marble. Paul Barnett comments:
It [the confession of Peter] is symbolic of things to come that the Messiah of Israel was recognised in a Romanised city, Caesarea Philippi, with its great temple to Emperor Augustus. Here is the anticipation that the Gentiles’ belief that the Roman Caesar was master of all would be supplanted by the belief that Jesus the Messiah of the Jews was in reality master of all. It is no coincidence that both great confessions of Jesus in Mark—that he is the Christ and that he is the Son of God (15:39)—occurred in what can be called a Roman context. The former came from the lips of a Jew near the Roman city of Caesarea Philippi; the latter came from a Gentile, a Roman centurion outside the walls of Jerusalem. [Paul Barnett, Mark the Servant King, 156]
Jesus Christ proclaimed as master of all. Have you come to believe this? After Peter’s confession, Jesus would call the crowd and the disciples to him and say, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” Have you responded to his call to follow him? Have a blessed week and we will see you soon.
Love in Christ,
Pastor Dale
