Mark 8:29

THE GREAT CONFESSION

‘Whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto Him, Thou art the Christ.’

Mark 8:29

This incident arose out of a conversatfon ‘by the way.’ Happy are those journeys in which time is not wasted on trifles.

I. The variety of opinions about Christ.—Every kind of opinion appears to have been current, excepting that one which was true. We may see the same thing on every side at the present day. Christ and His Gospel are just as little understood and are the subject of just as many different opinions now as they were then.

II. The great confession.—St. Peter witnessed, ‘Thou art the Christ.’ His strong faith was not stumbled by our Lord’s poverty and low estate. His confidence was not shaken by the opposition of scribes and Pharisees, and the contempt of rulers and priests. None of these things moved Simon Peter. He believed that He Whom he followed, Jesus of Nazareth, was the promised Saviour.

Bishop J. C. Ryle.

Illustration

‘ “Whom say ye that I am?” Not one of us will get to heaven by what other people think and do; no use to us that other people serve God, it is what we think, what we do, how we serve Christ, and the lesson is a straight question for each of us. Who answered? Not “ they,” but St. Peter. Just at that moment he saw the truth; he was afraid of nobody, stopped to think of nobody, answered just what was in his heart, warm, as such an impulsive heart would be. “Thou art the Christ”—a rush of words, so quick that they must have come of sincere belief, and the sudden conviction sent by God that all the wonderful things he had seen Jesus do were of God. On a dark night out over the sea there is nothing to be discerned. Suddenly a flash-light—searchlight—shines out full and steadily, and all sorts of craft appear—boats which had been there all the time, but unseen because of the dark. The light revealed them! So it was the light of God the Holy Spirit, which on the sudden shined in Peter’s heart, and he knew and saw Jesus as God (Matthew 16:17, and 1 Corinthians 2:10). Have we ever seen Jesus in that way? If not, it is because we are in the dark, our eyes cannot pierce the blackness of our sin, our habits, or it may be we are not looking! No light, however strong, could be of any use if we will not turn the way it comes. Peter was looking, so Peter saw; and we shall only have ourselves to blame if we end in the dark.’

(SECOND OUTLINE)

WHO IS THIS?

In this utterance it is evident all the twelve concurred. It is difficult for us to understand how decided an advance they have now made upon the position they had formerly occupied, and in what manner the great truth dawned upon their minds. Mark’s brevity here condenses the fuller saying of the Apostle, as recorded in the other gospels.

I. What think ye of Christ?—Consider the immense importance of the answer to be given to this question which Jesus puts to all readers and hearers of the Gospel.

II. Only one answer.—There is an utter inadequacy in every answer to this question save one. Your view of Jesus may be a just and scriptural view as far as it goes; but this is insufficient, unless you give the answer which St. Peter gave and Christ accepted.

III. Complete satisfaction.—The true answer to this question, when sincerely given, and this alone, can afford complete satisfaction. Upon the Divine character and the Divine mission of Christ you may build your earthly life and your immortal hopes.

Illustration

‘ “In the Creed” (as Augustine reminds us), “the Faith is given to Christians to hold in few words, that by believing they may be made subject unto God; having been made subject, they live rightly; by living rightly, may cleanse their hearts; with a cleansed heart, may understand what they believe.… Call thy Faith to mind continually, look into thyself, let the Creed be as it were a mirror unto thee. Therein see thyself, whether thou dost believe all which thou professest to believe, and so rejoice day by day in thy Faith. Let it be thy wealth—let it be, in a sort, the daily clothing of thy soul; for this Faith is at once a garment and a breastplate—a garment against shame, a breastplate against adversity. But when we shall have arrived at that place where we shall reign, no need will there then be to say the Creed. We shall see God. God Himself will be our Vision; the Vision of God will be the reward of our present Faith.” ’