Scriptures for Sunday
Mark 8:27-38 (ESV)
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" [28] And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." [29] And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." [30] And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. [31] And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. [32] And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. [33] But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man." [34] And he called to him the crowd with his disciples and said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. [35] For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. [36] For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? [37] For what can a man give in return for his life? [38] For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels."
Questions for Reflection
1. How do unrealistic expectations block people from following Christ?
2. How was what Jesus predicted different from what Peter expected?
3. In what way did Peter have in mind the “things of man” as opposed to the “things of God”?
4. Why did Jesus say, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me”?
5. What does it mean to deny yourself?
6. What does it mean to take up your cross?
7. What does it mean to follow Christ?
8. What do you think Christ wants you to give up for the sake of the gospel?
