Peter's Confession of Christ

Mark 8:27-38
Peter's Confession of Christ

Jesus Predicts His Death

Mark 8:27-30
(write on board; make two columns, list the responses that Peter and the disciples gave for Jesus' identity. )
“Costly Because of Who Jesus Is”

Then
1. John the Baptist
2. Elijah
3. one of the Prophets
4. Christ the Son of the Living God
Now
1.
2.
(Explaine the reason for Jesus' warning not to confess His identity publicly. Jesus anticipated a time when His followers would confess Him publicly and boldly throughout the world.)

Mark 13:9-10, Matthew 28:19, Luke 24:46-48

Jesus prohibited the disciples from publicizing His identity. He warned them not to tell anyone about Him. Peter had not understood fully what the Messiah would do, and his publicizing Jesus' messiahship could lead only to misunderstanding. Popular misconceptions of messiahship could lead to public error and confusion. Jesus wanted His followers to understand that His messiahship would demand their commitment. They needed time to prepare for such a commitment. (Mark 8:34-35,38)


Mark 8:31-33
“Jesus said His followers must realize that the One they follow leads them to new life only after they, like Him, first go to the cross and die.”
Jesus is talking in a spiritual way in that we take our sins to Jesus on the cross where we die to our old nature and are born again with a new nature.
New Testament Christianity stands in conflict with today's society. Those who identify with and stand up for Christ should be prepared to suffer backlash, persecution, and even martyrdom.
1) Think of ways that Christianity stands in conflict with today's society.
Mark 8:34-38
“take up your cross and follow me”Taking up the cross and following Jesus is a voluntary decision. Suffering in not bearing a burden or taking what life dishes out, it is enduring hardships that could have been avoided if only one did not choose to follow Christ.
2) Brainstorm examples of Christians denying self.
(http://www.jesusfreak.net/)
3) Think of things that people say of do, or don't say or do, that might make Jesus feel they were ashamed of Him. (Being Jesus' disciple involves being willing to give up everything dear in life, and even life itself, for Jesus sake.)

Spiritual Disciplines for Denying Self and Taking Up your Cross and Following Jesus

1. Living in the word.

2. Praying in faith.

3. Fellowshipping with believers

4. Witnessing to the world

How can we nurture or grow these disciplines and how can they help us: deny self, take up our cross and follow Jesus.

Summing up Mark 8:27-38

1. Jesus is God's Son, the Messiah.

2. We must proclaim to others that Jesus is God's Son who is worthy of our obedience and commitment.

3. God'd plan for Jesus involved His death, burial, and resurrection.

4. We who follow Jesus must be prepared to identify with Him in obedience even though so means the possibility of death and the certainty of self denial.

5. The practice of self-denial involves a death to self (Gal. 2:20) and the determination to make obeying Jesus life's premier goal.

6. No benefit is valuable enough to trade for eternal life.

7. People who follow Jesus in commitment will share in His glory in the end time.

Conclusion:

Paul stated: “Everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” 2 Tim. 3:12. Jesus called us to be His faithful followers and to obey Him, whatever to consequences. In many parts of the world obedience to Jesus leads to torture, arrest, imprisonment, and even death.

In America Jesus calls us to give up our lives for His sake. We must determine that obeying Him is more important that wealth, prestige, popularity, and security. Following Jesus is costly because of the high cost of God's plan of salvation. The expensive sacrifice of God's Son for our sins demands that we follow Jesus absolutely. Following Jesus is also costly because He demands absolute allegiance. He wants no halfhearted disciples. He repeatedly asks that we give our lives to Him.