Who Is Jesus Christ for You?

Mark 8:27-30

Rev. Billy Kristanto

In the Gospel of Mark, we read the proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God in the very first verse: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” However, Mark presents his Gospel through the stories of people who encountered Jesus but were not aware that he is the Son of God. Mark, therefore, presents a long theological journey for those who want to know Jesus and experience him for themselves through the revelation given by God.

From the very beginning, Jesus Christ is proclaimed as the Son of God. Yet in the stories that follow, we repeatedly encounter the motif of misunderstanding. The people do not truly know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Even in this chapter, after Peter made his confession, there was still a kind of misunderstanding, although here he correctly identified Jesus as the Christ. It is important then to read this in the context of progressive revelation and the progressive knowledge of God. It is not simply a binary choice between knowing God and not knowing God. Rather, our knowledge of God develops progressively.

Mark already proclaimed that Jesus is the Son of God. This was also announced by God the Father in the account of Jesus’ baptism in chapter 1. It was even confessed by demons, as we read in chapters 1, 3, and 5. Yet, ironically, no human has confessed it up to this point. Jesus’ identity was proclaimed by Mark the evangelist, confirmed by God the Father, and even confessed by demons, but it had not yet been acknowledged by humans. Therefore, this passage is important for our understanding. Peter represents every one of us who believes in Jesus. But what does it mean to believe in Jesus?

First, we can highlight the place where Peter confessed that Jesus is the Messiah. Mark 8:27 tells us, “And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.” This was a predominantly Gentile region associated with the pagan worship of Pan, a deity portrayed as half man and half goat and regarded as the guardian god of flocks and nature. It was in this Gentile region, rather than in a Jewish one, that Peter confessed Jesus as the Messiah. Sometimes, we may have different opinions about where Jesus should be most clearly proclaimed, worshiped, and confessed. It is ironic if Christ is not proclaimed in the church, and, instead, we repeatedly hear political agendas or humanistic teachings in the church. This is precisely the irony we find in this passage. In the region where Pan was worshiped, Peter confessed Jesus as the true Messiah.

Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” When we want to know someone, we often begin by asking, “What do you do?” We tend to define people by what they do or what they have accomplished. Someone who accomplishes only simple things may be regarded as a simple person, while someone who achieves great things may be considered a great person. People are therefore often judged and acknowledged according to their actions, achievements, and occupations. Yet Jesus asks who people say that he is, not merely what they say about what he has done. It is not entirely wrong to speak about what Jesus has done, for he has done many great things. Nevertheless, knowing who Jesus is cannot be reduced to knowing about his deeds.

We often build our identity, and perhaps even our dignity, upon what we do or what we have done. But this is not how Christian identity should be understood. At Jesus’ baptism, before he began his public ministry, the Father declared, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus’ identity was affirmed before his public ministry had begun. Certainly, Jesus is the eternal Son of God, through whom the world was created. Yet from the perspective of his incarnation, he also stands before us as the true human being, representing his people. At the time of his baptism, his public ministry had not yet begun, but his identity was already established. It is therefore important to emphasize again and again this central theme of identity. Our identity concerns how God sees us, rather than what we have achieved or what we do.

There are two layers to Jesus’ question. The first is, “Who do people say that I am?” In our time, almost everyone has heard of Christianity and, in some sense, ‘knows’ Jesus. Yet this knowledge may come from books, Wikipedia, social media, or even algorithms. Sometimes it presents a right-wing Jesus, and at other times a left-wing Jesus. Such portrayals are often heavily biased. Thus, the question, “Who do people say that I am?” remains deeply relevant, but it also serves as a warning: Do you know Jesus only through what others say about him?

The disciples gave several answers: “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” There is a difference between human judgment and a true personal confession. One may write a book filled with quotations, citations, references, and footnotes. As academics, we need footnotes to establish the credibility of our work. Yet sometimes academic work seems to consist only of footnotes and may become a way to avoid knowing Jesus personally, because such knowledge requires courage. It is easy to say that we know about Jesus because we have read about him or heard what Christians say about him. But there is a great difference between merely receiving what others say about Jesus and personally confessing who he is.

Even Herod Antipas formed an opinion about Jesus. As we read previously in Mark 6:14-16, some said that Jesus was John the Baptist raised from the dead, while others identified him as Elijah or one of the prophets. Herod said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” There were many opinions about Jesus, and even Herod formed his own. We are free to form judgments about Jesus and hold our own opinions about him. However, Christianity is not merely about having an opinion about Jesus, especially one formed solely from a human perspective. It calls for a personal confession.

If we examine the list, these were not low titles. To compare Jesus with John the Baptist or Elijah was a form of high praise. Elijah was known as the prophet who was taken bodily into heaven. According to tradition, he was also believed to oversee human deeds, comfort the faithful, and help the needy. In some respects, this comparison may not seem entirely wrong, for Jesus helped the needy, brought comfort through his ministry, and holds the keys of life and death. Most importantly, the book of Malachi prophesies that Elijah would return as the forerunner of the great day of the Lord. Yet even a comparison with such a great figure remains inadequate. No matter how great the person to whom Jesus is compared, such comparisons cannot bring us to know him personally.

This brings us to the second layer of Jesus’ question: “But who do you say that I am?” Peter was the one who answered, but Jesus addressed the question to all the disciples. Certainly, the question is also directed to us as readers. This is important because, as we may already have noticed, the Gospel of Mark contains a recurring motif of outsiders and insiders. Many people followed Jesus, heard his teaching, and witnessed or even experienced his miracles, yet remained outsiders. The same may be true today of those who are interested in Christianity or even attend church without truly knowing Jesus. The distinction, however, is not between elite insiders and inferior outsiders. Rather, it rests upon Jesus’ question: How do we know him, and who do we confess him to be?

This is what distinguishes the outsider from the insider. Someone may regard Jesus as a great teacher, seek comfort from him in loneliness, and even experience answers to prayer. Yet such experiences do not necessarily amount to true knowledge of who Jesus is. A person may remain outwardly close to Jesus while his heart is far from him, as Judas did. Judas followed Jesus externally, but he did not truly receive Jesus’ teaching. He did not believe him because his heart was drawn instead to money. If Judas were here today, perhaps he would attend church, listen to sermons, serve in ministry, sing in the choir, or even preach from the pulpit. Yet he would still remain an outsider because he never knew Jesus. He knew the power of money and the importance of financial strength, but he did not know Christ.

The outsider-insider motif creates a kind of polarization. We must certainly guard against political polarization, but we cannot avoid this polarization that arises when the gospel is preached. Those who are truly inside know the secret of the kingdom of God. They know Jesus personally and penetrate beyond what others say into the truth of his identity through personal confession. They move from being merely passive recipients to active participants.

We may hear the sermon, enjoy the teaching, or experience the blessing of divine miracles, but we are called to move to active participation. One of the beauties of the Reformation was that it enabled Christians to participate in the Word of God. They were not to come to church merely as spectators or as judges evaluating everything, but to learn humbly to pray together, weep together, serve together, make commitments, and participate in the life of faith. This is what Jesus desires, and it is what differentiates the outsider from the insider.

There are many Christian sympathizers who attend church at Christmas or Easter because of cultural tradition. Afterward, however, they return to living entirely on their own. They may show ‘mercy’ toward Christianity and confess that they are culturally Christian, but they remain observers rather than active participants. A few years ago, the well-known British atheist Richard Dawkins described himself as a cultural Christian. He expressed his appreciation for Christian culture, music, art, liturgy, and even inspiring Christian sermons. Yet he remained only within the boundaries of cultural Christianity. That is not Christianity. We may be heartened to hear that an atheist calls himself a cultural Christian, but who needs whom here? Does Jesus desperately need another follower, or are we the ones who need Jesus?

Jesus did not rush the disciples toward this moment of confession, but gave them time. This is also part of the beauty of Christianity. We need to be patient with those who struggle, doubt, or still need time to consider who Jesus is. Faith cannot be produced through coercion, much less through violence. Instead, Jesus invites the weary to come to him: “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Jesus wants us to come to him with all our experiences.

He even gives himself, and I have to say this carefully, to be tested. We may conduct a comparative study of religions and ideologies, including political ideologies, and ask which one truly liberates and gives us not only true understanding, but also the deep experience of being loved and the ability to love and forgive. We may also ask which beliefs encourage violence, hatred, or indifference toward others. Everything may be compared and examined. Yet when Jesus invites us, he also wants us to be firm in our confession.

I intentionally avoid the word ‘decision’ because the matter does not ultimately depend upon us, but upon God himself, who has mercy on us so that, through the experience of walking with Jesus day by day, we may come to know him. We do not know exactly how much time had passed since they began following Jesus, maybe months, or perhaps years. But notice that Jesus did not ask this question immediately in the first chapter. Instead, he gave them time to observe, to see, to compare, and to consider carefully who he was.

Therefore, we may compare and evaluate, but eventually we are challenged to answer Jesus’ question: “Who do you say that I am?” Who is Jesus in our lives? We cannot remain spectators, sympathizers, or bystanders, nor can we remain merely cultural Christians who only engage with Christianity culturally, aesthetically, politically, or even religiously while still lacking the true knowledge of Jesus.

If we truly know Jesus, we must believe in him, and by his grace he will change us into active participants. This is what Christianity is about. It is a life of participation in Christ. In Greek, this is called koinōnia, which may be translated as both fellowship and participation. When we say that we have fellowship with Christ and are in union with him, it means that we are also participants. We are no longer outsiders. To remain merely an outsider is not true Christianity. May we therefore continue to grow in the knowledge of God and answer Jesus’ question in our hearts. (T.F.L.)