27 Jesus went out with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the road he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am? ”

28 They answered him, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, one of the prophets.”

29 “But you,” he asked them,“who do you say that I am? ”

Mark 8:27-29

"Who Do You Say That I Am?" (Mark 8:27-29)

This week at NorthStar, we concluded our "Questions God Asks" series as we looked at Jesus' question to his disciples in Mark 8:27-29, "Who do you say that I am?"Before we dive in, let's zoom out and get an understanding of where this story is situated within the story of Scripture. The book of Mark is one of 27 New Testament books and is one of four gospels. The four gospels tell the story of Jesus life and ministry. In a sense, they are the biographies of Jesus. Mark is marked by its brevity and focus on Jesus's death.Now, let's dive into Mark 8:27-29.Verse 27 tells us that Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi (see map below).

Caesarea Philippi is a significant because it is primarily occupied by Gentiles and thus filled with pagan idols. Initially, it was known as "Paneas" for the greek God, Pan. Thus, as they approach this city where a variety of religious idols are visible, Jesus asks, "Who do the people say that I am?"Similar to the disciples, we are in a current cultural landscape with various worldviews. From Muslims to Mormons, from Agnostics to Atheists, from Evolutionists to "haven't even thought about it" there are many ways to see and understand the world in which we live.The disciples answer Jesus this way:

• Some say, John the Baptist
• Others say, Elijah
• still others One of the prophets

Yet, Jesus is not ultimately concerned with what others have to say about Jesus, as verse 29 is the crux of this passage. Jesus states,

"29 “But you,” he asked them,“who do you say that I am? ”

Jesus emphasizes YOU. This is no coincidence. The disicples are physically located in a space with a multitude of Gods to choose from, others are saying that Jesus is John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the disciples. Still, ultimately all that matters is who the disciples think Jesus is. Who do they say that he is?Brother and Sister, it is the same for us. A variety of worldviews and religions surrounds us. We are inundated with more than 10,000 messages a day, from emails to promotions, yet the fundamental question that MUST be answered is:

Who is Jesus?

I'd encourage you to be honest with yourself and answer this question. Is he a good teacher from 2,000 years ago? Is he the leader of a world religion? Is he the guy, your friend, talks about a lot? Or is he God? Depending on how we answer this question has significant implications for how we live our life.We must deal with Jesus. Who is he?