Mar 8:29 | KingComments | STEP | The Lord, as always, takes the initiative to go elsewhere, and His disciples follow Him. It has been calculated that in the years of His walk He traveled about four thousand kilometers. The disciples were allowed to walk with Him all that way. Along the way they have received much teaching from Him. Likewise when they are on their way to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way He has a question for them. He wants to know what they have heard people saying about Him. The disciples are aware of the prevailing opinions. They only mention the flattering opinions. They also know the statements of the Pharisees who call Him a Samaritan and a slanderer or also a glutton and wine drinker and that He has a demon. But they don’t mention those things. They love the Lord too much for that. What we do see, however, is that whatever opinions one has about Him, they show the lack of understanding for Who He really is. It is not just seeing people as trees, but utter blindness. We may know what others think about Christ, but above all it is important who He is for us personally (cf. ). Can we see, or are we also (partially) blind? That is why the question comes to all disciples. The Lord addresses the question to them in a way that rules out any misunderstanding. The answer comes through Peter. His confession is that of faith in Him as the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah. For Peter He is the Anointed for Israel, but God understands ‘Anointed’ more than just the Messiah for Israel. To God, He is the Chosen One with Whom He has connected eternal counsels. The time is past to convince Israel of the rights of the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore, He warns His disciples not to present Him as the Messiah to the people anymore. He announces what will happen for the fulfillment of the purposes of God in grace with Him as the Son of Man after Israel has rejected Him.

‏ Mark 8:29

The Confession of Peter

The Lord, as always, takes the initiative to go elsewhere, and His disciples follow Him. It has been calculated that in the years of His walk He traveled about four thousand kilometers. The disciples were allowed to walk with Him all that way. Along the way they have received much teaching from Him. Likewise when they are on their way to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way He has a question for them. He wants to know what they have heard people saying about Him.

The disciples are aware of the prevailing opinions. They only mention the flattering opinions. They also know the statements of the Pharisees who call Him a Samaritan and a slanderer or also a glutton and wine drinker and that He has a demon. But they don’t mention those things. They love the Lord too much for that. What we do see, however, is that whatever opinions one has about Him, they show the lack of understanding for Who He really is. It is not just seeing people as trees, but utter blindness.

We may know what others think about Christ, but above all it is important who He is for us personally (cf. Song 5:9). Can we see, or are we also (partially) blind? That is why the question comes to all disciples. The Lord addresses the question to them in a way that rules out any misunderstanding. The answer comes through Peter. His confession is that of faith in Him as the Christ, the Anointed, the Messiah.

For Peter He is the Anointed for Israel, but God understands ‘Anointed’ more than just the Messiah for Israel. To God, He is the Chosen One with Whom He has connected eternal counsels.

The time is past to convince Israel of the rights of the Lord Jesus as the Messiah. Therefore, He warns His disciples not to present Him as the Messiah to the people anymore. He announces what will happen for the fulfillment of the purposes of God in grace with Him as the Son of Man after Israel has rejected Him.