January 18, 2026

Today's Reading: Mark 8:27-35 (36-9:1)

Daily Lectionary: Ezekiel 40:1-4; 43:1-12; Ezekiel 40:5-42:20; 43:13-27; Romans 8:18-39

“And he asked them, ‘But who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered him, ‘You are the Christ.’ And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” (Mark 8:29-30)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus must have missed the evangelism workshop. As Christians, we’re supposed to tell everyone about Jesus, right? But when Peter very plainly—and correctly—identifies Jesus as the Christ, “he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.” Very curious indeed.

Does Jesus, like Superman, want to keep His true identity a secret? Does He only want a select few to know the truth concerning Him? Does He only want some people to be saved? 

Peter boldly confesses that Jesus is the Christ, but what he says next shows why Jesus doesn’t want them going around telling everyone about it. After St. Peter’s confession, Jesus begins to speak of His death and resurrection. The name “Christ” means the “anointed,” and Jesus was anointed to die and then rise on the third day. But Peter, on the heels of his bold confession, rebuked Jesus for such talk. 

It’s necessary to proclaim Jesus as the Christ, but it’s not enough. “We preach Christ crucified,” St. Paul writes to the Romans. To separate the Christ from His cross makes Him no Christ at all. 

If you confess with St. Peter that Jesus is the Christ, you also confess that He is the Christ of the cross. “If anyone would come after me,” Jesus says to those who confess Him, “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.” 

The Christ of the cross is also the Christ of the empty tomb. The confession of St. Peter–and your confession–is also a confession that death is not the end of your life, but that, following the Christ, death gives way to new life.

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, You revealed to the apostle Peter the blessed truth that Your Son Jesus is the Christ. Strengthen us by the proclamation of this truth that we too may joyfully confess that there is salvation in no one else; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Author: Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Rev. Richard Heinz, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Lowell, IN.

Better understand difficult and overlooked Old Testament passages in this new book by Authors R. Reed Lessing and Andrew E. Steinmann. Their conversational yet academic writing style makes learning about the Old Testament accessible to those at all points in their Bible reading journey. Discussion questions at the end of each chapter invite you to think more in-depth about what you just read and record your answers. To stretch your understanding, a list of resources for further reading is also included at the back of the book.