Whom Do Men Say That I Am? - Mark 8:27

Mark wrote how Jesus, “came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town”, and in chapter eight and verse twenty-seven of his book, Mark shared how Jesus asked His disciples, “whom do men say that I am?” where we read:

And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi:

and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

The verse reads, “And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi:” Mark began with the words, “and Jesus” which means “and the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate whose name means Jehovah is Salvation” “went out” or “left and departed”, “and his disciples” which means “and Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”, “into the towns” or “to the villages and hamlets” “of Caesarea Philippi” which refers to “belonging the area which was situated at the foot of Lebanon near the sources of the Jordan in Gaulanitis, and formerly called Paneas, but afterward being rebuilt by Philip the tetrarch, it was called by him Caesarea in honour of Tiberias Caesar, and subsequently called Neronias by Agrippa II in honour of Nero”. Mark shared how Jesus and His “disciples” left “Bethsaida” and entered into the villages of “Caesarea Philippi”.

The verse goes on to say, “and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?” Mark continued with words, “and by the way” which means “and along the traveled route and course” “he asked” or “Jesus questioned and inquired of” “his disciples” which means “Jesus' students, pupils and attendants”, “saying unto them” or “uttering, declaring, proclaiming to and asking His disciples”, “Whom do men say” which means “who is the person that people whether male or female utter, declare and proclaim” “that I am” or “that Jesus exist as”? Mark shared how Jesus questioned His “disciples” concerning who people thought that He was.

When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus and His disciples on the move again, and this time they entered into the area of “Caesarea Philippi” where there were a number of “villages and hamlets”. Jesus asked His “disciples” who people thought He was as they traveled, and they shall answer His question in our next verse. Jesus is the Christ – the Son of the Living God, and He came to the world to “save” people from their “sins” that separate them from God. When He died on the cross, He paid the penalty for “sins”, and now everyone who puts their “faith and trust” in Him as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall be “saved”. Knowing Jesus is the Messiah is most important, and believing in Him for “salvation” has eternal consequences. Let all who read these words “yield” their lives to Him.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus' disciples answered, “John the Baptist” and “Elijah”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".