Sermon Recap Questions (5/24)
Read Mark 8:27-30.
Why did Jesus take his disciples to Caesarea Philippi to ask them about who people thought he was and to follow up by asking who they thought he was?
Why did Jesus tell his disciples not to tell anyone he was the Messiah?
In answering the question about who people said he was, the disciple said some think you are John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and in Luke's account they added the prophet Jerimaih. In what ways was Jesus like the three mentioned and in what ways was he different?
Steve talked about some man on the street interviews with people at Harvard University, Portland Oregon, San Francisco, Dearborn Michigan, and New York City. Some of the answers given were, Jesus is a concept, he was a good teacher on morality, he was a philosopher, I don’t think he existed, he is a mythical character, he is not the son of God, and he is not the messiah. What have you heard from your family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers about who they think Jesus is?
Read Matthew 16:17. What did Jesus mean when he told Peter that flesh and blood did not reveal to you that I am the Messiah, the son of God?
Read Mark 8:31-32. Why did Jesus rebuke Peter and what did Jesus mean when he said to Peter, “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns?”
Why was it so difficult for the disciples and first century Jews to understand that the messiah must suffer and die for the sins of the people?
Here are some old testament scriptures that describe a triumphant messiah. Numbers 24:17, 19, 2 Samuel 7:12-16, Psalm 72, Psalm 110, Isaiah 9:6-7. Here are some old testament scriptures that describe a suffering messiah. Isaiah 42:1-4, Isaiah 49:1-6, Isaiah 50:4-9, Isaiah 52:13-14, Isaiah chapter 53, Zechariah 11:4-14, 12:10. Read some verse from the triumphant messiah and some from the suffering messiah. How is it that the disciples missed all the scriptures about the suffering messiah?
Read Mark 8:34. What did Jesus mean when he said give up your own way?
Read Mark 8:35. According to Jesus what does it mean to hang on to your life and lose it and what does it mean to give up your life and save it?
Read Galatians 2:20. What are the things we must die to if we are to follow Jesus? Steve mentioned ego, and chasing a life of comfort. What other things must we die to?
Jesus made it clear that we must accept him on his terms not ours and that we must accept him for who he is and not what we want him to be. Where is the struggle in this for you?
Read Mark 8:36-38. What does it mean to lose your own soul? What does it mean that the son of man will be ashamed of us if we are ashamed of him? What does it look like to be ashamed of Jesus?