Mark 8:27

The Disciples' View of Jesus Is Revealed - Jesus Teaches His Disciples and Corrects Their Wrong Impressions - Three of Them Behold His Glory - And He Heals a Man Whom His Disciples Cannot Heal. The Disciples Are Receiving Gradual Illumination (8:27-9:32).

We have already seen how Mark has built up to this incident from chapter 7 onwards when the Pharisees had criticised Him, and especially that the disciples have been portrayed as deaf and blind, with the assurance that He will make them hear and will open their eyes so that at first they will see dimly, and then clearly. Now that will come to fulfilment, firstly in Peter's confession, and then gradually in what follows.

In this passage Peter reveals that the disciples were still confident that Jesus was ‘the Messiah', the unique Deliverer promised by God, although puzzled about what His intentions were, for the majority view in Galilee and Judaea was that when the Messiah came he would raise an army and drive out the Romans, after which he would establish the Jews in peace and plenty, and all by the power of God, which did not seem to be Jesus' intention at all. But the variations in the expectations were in fact legion.

For the disciples' view of Jesus' Messiahship we can compare John 1:41; John 1:49 - but that was in initial enthusiasm. This was a more thought out position, even in the light of their inability to understand exactly what His intentions were. They had no doubt gone through periods of great mind searching and discussion, for He just did not seem to be behaving as men in general had expected the Messiah to behave. Peter is now probably expressing the view of all of them as discussed among themselves.

Then Jesus will begin to teach them what this signifies and how it affects them. They must learn what kind of Messiah He has come to be. So He begins to show them that He must die and rise again, and that, in the light of the resurrection, they too must be ready to suffer and die. After that He is transfigured before Peter, James and John, and His authority is revealed in the healing of a sad case which even His disciples could not deal with. This is meanwhile accompanied by teaching which lays stress on His coming suffering, followed by His resurrection. He is seeking to prepare them for what is coming in the light of their limitations.

The authenticity of this passage is brought out by a number of factors. Firstly by its identification with a specific and unusual and unexpected place (Caesarea Philippi), secondly by the fact that Jesus is not seen as actually confirming Peter's confession (except by implication), thirdly by the stern and unprecedented forceful rebuke to Peter, and especially his being called Satan, almost aligning him with Judas, fourthly by the vivid and lifelike picture drawn of Peter's error, and fifthly by its specific connection ‘after six days' (Mark 9:2) with the incident that followed, when the dim sight revealed here becomes for at least three of them the bright light of certainty of men who see clearly. Such a time based connection is unusual for Mark and was clearly part of the tradition from the beginning. Had the event been an invention these factors would not have arisen.

This visit to Caesarea Philippi is often depicted as though it was a time when Jesus was alone with His disciples, but a careful reading of the narrative is against that idea, for it will be noted that the private conversations take place while they are ‘in the way' between villages (Mark 8:27). But meanwhile ministry is taking place in the villages around Caesarea Philippi (Mark 8:27) and we learn of a large crowd whom He can call on to hear His words (Mark 8:34). They are very much rarely alone.

Peter's Confession of Jesus as Messiah and His Subsequent Failure (Mark 8:27).

While on the way between villages Jesus now challenges the disciples as to their present view of Him and Peter declares that they see Him as the coming Messiah. Jesus does not deny the title but immediately goes on to firmly reinterpret it in terms of the suffering Son of Man (Mark 8:31), Who will rise again and will one day come in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38) having received Kingly Rule (Mark 9:1), a teaching backed up by the displaying of His glory on a high mountain (Mark 9:2). It is a startling revelation to which all that has gone before has been leading up. From now on there will be a new urgency to His teaching.

Analysis of 8:27-33.

a And Jesus went forth, and His disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and on the way He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”. And they told Him, saying, “John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, but others, One of the prophets” (Mark 8:27).

b And He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” (Mark 8:29 a).

c Peter answers and says to Him, “You are the Christ” (Mark 8:29 b).

d And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him (Mark 8:30).

e 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 (Mark 8:31).

d And He spoke the saying openly (Mark 8:32 a).

c And Peter took Him, and began to rebuke Him (Mark 8:32 b).

b But He turning about, and seeing His disciples, rebuked Peter (Mark 8:33 a).

a And He says, “Get you behind me, Satan, for you do not mind the things of God, but the things of men”(Mark 8:33 b).

Note that in ‘a' the reply to Jesus question is of what men say, and in the parallel Peter is back on the same level with them and also regards only the things of men. In ‘b' Jesus asks His disciples what they think of Him, and in the parallel notices that they have listened to Peter's false ideas and therefore rebukes him publicly. In ‘c' Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah (what he says is of God), and in the parallel Peter wrongly thinks that he can rebuke Him (what he says is of men). In ‘d' Jesus charges His disciples to tell no one that He is the Messiah, and in the parallel He speaks openly about the Son of Man. Centrally in ‘e' He teaches what must happen to Him as the Son of Man.