What Do We Expect From Our Messiah

What Do We Expect from Our Messiah?

Mark 8:27-38

            Jesus spent a lot of time in conversation with his disciples as they traveled from place to place.  After all, they were on foot, so they had the opportunity to cover many topics.  We can assume that what we read in the gospels is only a fraction of their conversation.  We can imagine the disciples asking many questions and Jesus providing the answers as they hung on his every word.  We can also imagine the opposite:  Jesus asking questions of the disciples, and using their answers as the basis for teachable moments.

            One such incident is recorded in the eighth chapter of Mark.  As they walk along, or perhaps as they take a break by the side of the road, Jesus asks who people think he is.  We can be fairly sure Jesus already knew the answers that would be given, but the question was  important to introduce what Jesus wanted to teach them.  The answers were the ones that might be expected:  John the Baptist, Elijah (the prophet who Jews believe must return before the Messiah appears), or one of the other prophets.  These are all logical responses, and reflect Jewish thinking at the time.

            Jesus then asked, “But who do you say that I am?”  Before anyone else had a chance to reply, Peter spoke up.  This was a question he could answer.  “You are the Christ,” he said.  Since “Christ” is the Greek word for “Messiah,” Peter identified Jesus as more than a prophet.  Jesus was the One for whom Israel had waited ever since the nation’s return from Babylon.

            There might have been a moment of silence while Peter’s words sunk in.  Was this true?  Well, of course.  They could all see it.  They had witnessed the miracles.  They had heard Jesus’ words.  They had spent enough time with Jesus to know it had to be true.  They were in the presence of the One who would save Israel, who would right all the old wrongs, who would make the world see that they were indeed God’s chosen people.  We can feel—and share—their excitement.  We understand what this meant to them.  Years upon years of waiting were over.

            And then Jesus threw a wet blanket over their dreams.  He told them he was going to be rejected by the Jewish leaders and killed—executed—but that this was not the end.  After three days he would rise again. We can imagine their chagrin.  They probably didn’t hear anything about resurrection.  Once they heard “killed” their shock didn’t allow them to absorb any more.  But Peter had the answer once more. 

            We can see Peter taking Jesus aside, where the others couldn’t hear.  “Cut it out, Jesus,” he says.  “You’re scaring everyone with this crazy talk.  They can’t kill you.  We won’t let them.  You won’t let them.  They can’t kill the Messiah.  Besides, why would they want to?”

            We know Jesus’ response.  “Get behind me, Satan!  You have the wrong view—the short view.  God has the long view.”  Then, turning to the others, he began to speak of crosses—his cross and theirs, trying to help them understand what following him really meant.

            We might wonder why Jesus responded to Peter’s confession by teaching about his death, but we shouldn’t be surprised.  He was trying to correct their mistaken view of who the Messiah was and what his mission would be.  Gabriel had told Mary that Jesus would save his people from their sins, not that he would make Israel a world power.

            Jesus has the same message for us today.  Jesus isn’t going to right all our wrongs.  Jesus isn’t going to give us victory over our enemies.  Jesus is our Savior, not our military leader or legal representative.  We shouldn’t expect him to do anything that is not in line with bringing in the kingdom of God.  He came, and he comes, to save us from ourselves.