At the center of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus turns to his disciples and asks a question that still confronts us today: “Who do you say that I am?” In this episode on Mark 8:27–38, we explore this turning point where Peter finally confesses Jesus as the Messiah—and then immediately stumbles over what kind of Messiah Jesus intends to be, one who will suffer, be rejected, and killed before rising again. In that tension, we discover that confessing Jesus as Lord is only the beginning; following him means embracing his way of the cross, not our own plans for comfort, success, or control. 

In this week’s episode, we explore:

• Why Mark 8:27–38 is the hinge of the Gospel, shifting from Jesus’ public ministry to his determined journey toward the cross
• The setting near Caesarea Philippi and how Jesus’ questions—“Who do people say I am?” and “Who do you say that I am?”—test the disciples’ spiritual sight
• What Peter gets gloriously right in declaring, “You are the Christ,” and why that confession is a miracle of revelation, not mere insight
• How Peter can be so right about Jesus’ identity and so wrong about his mission—rebuking the very Messiah he has just confessed
• Why Jesus’ rebuke, “Get behind me, Satan,” exposes our impulse to want a Savior without a cross, a kingdom without suffering, a God who will bless our plans
• What it really means to “deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me”—not occasional self-denial, but surrendering the illusion that we are the center of our own universe
• Jesus’ hard but hopeful words about losing your life to save it, gaining the world yet forfeiting your soul, and the true value of a human life in God’s eyes
• The urgency of Jesus’ warning about being ashamed of him “in this adulterous and sinful generation,” and the window of opportunity to respond while his invitation still stands
• How this passage calls both skeptics and long-time believers to a fresh decision: not only about who Jesus is, but about whether we will follow his way when it costs us

After listening, you’ll come away with a clearer sense of why this question—“Who do you say that I am?”—stands at the heart of Christian faith and discipleship. You’ll be invited to move beyond a vague respect for Jesus or a comfortable, customized version of him, and instead entrust yourself to the real Messiah who reigns through suffering love. And you’ll be encouraged to see that the path of denying yourself and taking up your cross is not a road to loss but the only way to find your true life in him, now and in the age to come.

Series: Questions Jesus Asked