Mark 8:27-33 ~ the Son of Man

Jesus teaching, painted by James Tissot

Mark 8:27-33

David Cochran Audio, English Standard Version

²⁷ 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?” ²⁸ And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” ²⁹ And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” ³⁰ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

³¹ And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³² And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. ³³ But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Suffering. No one's favorite thing. Difficult things happen in life. A godly woman I know got breast cancer and her teenage daughter, a big youth group goer, really had a difficult time reconciling cancer and suffering to our God of Love. My teenage son said to me when baby Isabelle died, "Didn't God know we all four would have loved her and we would have taken care of her????" He was so hurt, I had to follow him through the house asking him a hundred questions & he just shook his head, before he could put his finger on what was causing him to be mute and suffer. My husband almost always has to comment to me something when our Minister says 'God has no coincidences'. It still causes pain today - off and on. I hate the misty eyed-ness of fleeting remembrances. Loathe lingering self-pity and public displays of weakness when it sweeps over.

You have to love Peter for wanting Jesus to stick around hail and hearty. Who wants to see anyone they care for suffer?

Isaiah 55:8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the LORD.

We wonder why. We just aren't really supposed to know all of God's plans. Just as people get together in conversations and we enjoy each other and rub each the wrong way - we are entwined in God's plan like spaghetti. So do Father God's plans for all of us live and move and have our being with Him.

Life isn't heaven. But we had Truth and Grace choose us. God could have deleted us like the video game of the Sims - He thought we should be loved instead. He chose us for eternity. We are loved, precious, special and important to Him. Jesus chose to be For us. Even if it involved work and struggle and effort.

Suffering -... it isn't just for mortals. Something to remember. Just as we wonder and worry for our own children, whatever their age - God is for us. Children of God.


Psalm 68:19
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Psalm 37:24
Though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand.



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