Who Do You Say I Am? – Luke 9:18-27 – Allison Pinches

Well, good morning, everyone. My name is Allison.

For those of you who don't know, me and my husband and my

daughter and I have been a part of Courtright for about 10 years

and for seven of those 10 years. I had the privilege.

Of serving as one of. The pastoral staff and it is

good to be. With you and together this

morning, we are continuing our series in Luke and I.

Hope you are well. Rested because on this beautiful

August morning, I'm afraid to tell you we have a bit of an

exam this morning now I'm. Not supposed to use the a.

Sword yet in my house school my daughter tells me it's summer

mode. Mom, we're not in school mode

yet so I I hate. To use the word.

Exam. But basically our passage today

brings together everything that we've looked at in the past 9

chapters and over these last nine months.

So hang on, I hope you're ready. This passage is also about

naming and identity. So when I was pregnant with our

daughter Zoe. I had this huge.

Fear that we were never going to be able to come up with a name.

I don't know why I thought that. And I just had.

This kind of panic that we would never be able to come up with

something. So much so that when I was

pregnant I had this dream one night and like.

I said this was this big fear. I felt like this.

Really big deal. This important thing to like

name this person and. Obviously it worked its way.

Into my subconscious because I dreamt about it one night so I

dreamt that I had the baby and I was in the hospital and my

mother-in-law came in and in in true dream fashion, it wasn't

actually my mother-in-law, it was some other lady and I have

to preface this by saying my mother-in-law would never

actually do this she's wonderful but in my dream I had the baby

I'm in the hospital my mother-in-law comes in and

she's. Like she says, Oh well.

We've already named the baby and I said well, but I wanted to

name the baby. She's like, no.

It's too. Late, the baby's already named.

The baby's name is Sweet Potato and I said.

I said but I don't want to call the baby sweet potato.

And she said no. Well it's sweet potato pinches.

It's already. Done so OK.

I had a good laugh, thankfully realized how crazy that was.

When it actually came time and we did finally settle on her

real name. And that's another story for

another time, some of you might remember.

You like fill out this. Paperwork like you pick a name

and then you write it out and then like a.

Week later we get this. Official document in the mail

and there it is, like there's her name.

And I remember going, oh. But we just picked it like we

just. Wrote something down, did they?

Like, is that a lot? It didn't.

Feel weighty enough. Somehow.

It felt like there should have been something more, but it

were. Like it worked.

We just picked something and now the government, that's what they

call her. So it was.

It was. This whole thing for me around

naming naming Zoe names are a. Big deal, our identity.

Identifying someone. This is significant.

Switching gears a little bit, I'm.

Pretty sure that whether you are a star.

Wars fan or not, you can answer this.

What is the most famous line in the entire Star Wars franchise?

Luke, I am your father. Do you remember that moment?

It's this huge. Climax Sorry.

Spoiler Yeah, sorry. OK.

If you didn't see it in the 70s, I'm sorry.

It's this huge climax moment that I just ruined for some of

you, but that's kind. Of where we are.

This morning in our series, we are at this major climax moment,

this moment of naming and identity.

So we're going to try. To explore a bit about why.

This moment is so significant. What it says about Jesus, What

it says about the. Disciples and then ultimately

what it might mean for us. So would you pray with me?

As we prepare to read this passage, God, we thank you that.

You inspired Luke and helped him to remember these words, to know

these words, so that we could. Hear this?

Story so that we could hear more about Jesus and who he is and

the. Disciples as they wrestle.

With that, I pray that as we encounter your word this morning

that you would expand our understanding of.

Who you are that you would draw? Us more deeply to yourself and

help us to see you with new eyes and new vision and new.

Depth for we ask this. In your name, Jesus, Amen.

So we are in Luke Chapter 9 and I do encourage you to have your.

Luke 9 · chapter mention

Bibles out, like I said, actually.

This is an open book exam so you can have.

Your Bible with you. For the exam this morning, so

Luke Chapter 9 starting at verse 18, once when Jesus was praying

Luke 9 · chapter mention

in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them.

Who do the crowds? Say I am.

They replied. Some say John the Baptist,

others say Elijah, and still others that one of the prophets

of long ago has come back to. Life.

But what about? You.

He asked. Who do?

You say I am, Peter answered. God's Messiah Jesus strictly

warned them not to tell this to anyone, and he said the Son of

Man must suffer many things. And be rejected by the.

Elders, the chief priests, and the.

Teachers of the law. And he must be killed and on

the. Third day be raised to life.

Then he said to them all, Whoever wants to be my disciple

must deny themselves and. Take up their cross.

Daily and follow me for whoever wants to save.

Their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life?

For me will save it. What good is it for someone to

gain the whole world and yet? Lose or forfeit their very self.

Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be

ashamed of them when he comes in His glory, and in the glory of

the Father and of the holy angels.

Truly, I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste

death. Before.

They see the Kingdom of God so as we work.

Our way through this passage. I'm going to try.

I'm gonna try. This guy out?

This is new for me. Oht Justin.

I've wrecked it already. That was fast, I thought.

I thought I'd at. Least have a few minutes before

I wrecked it. Thank you.

OK, so we're gonna. OK, great.

So right off the bat, why I want to use this today is because.

It's part of my dream to continually turn Sunday mornings

into a big Bible study. I'm sure that's no surprise to

many of you. So I wanted us.

To really be able to. Pay close attention to the

words, which we may or may not be able to do.

But if that's why you've. Got it in front of you.

Let's go, let's go. Old school there.

So right. Off the bat, as we.

Begin our passage. Luke gives the reader this clue.

That something is going to happen.

Did you catch it? Luke likes to call our attention

to when Jesus is praying, and it's usually.

A. A key.

That something is about to happen.

So it starts here once when Jesus was praying.

Now earlier in Luke, the first time that we're told he's

praying is when the heavens open up and this voice says, this is

my beloved son and I'm so pleased with him.

So that was the first. Occasion we have of Jesus

praying on another occasion. Luke tells us that Jesus would.

Go often to the mountain to pray and after spending a whole night

in prayer one time, he selected 12.

Of his disciples to be. Apostles to be sent once so this

praying. Seems to be a catalyst.

For things to come. I really wrecked it on you,

didn't I? We can just skip it.

OK. OHP.

Thank you, William. See, we do need the younger

generation. OK, we'll keep.

Yeah, so Jesus praying this seems.

To be a catalyst. For things to come.

As the preacher Fred Craddock writes.

Through a life. Of.

Prayer. Jesus was attuned to God's will.

And empowered to do it. In prayer, Jesus remembers who

God is remembers. Who he?

Is and he gets clarity on moving God's mission forward.

Thank you, friends, thank you. OK, so here.

What were we going to do here? We were going to highlight

praying, OK, But we'll also notice something else in this

first sentence, the beginning opening here.

He was praying in. Private and another translation

says. And only I'm trying to write

that only his disciples were with him.

Luke wants to call attention to who is there and who's not

there. And do you remember back in

chapter? 8 The Parable of the Sower after

Jesus. Told them this.

Parable. His disciples.

Asked him about it and then they were given this full

interpretation of the parable. In asking, they received so much

more than what the others. Heard they paid.

Attention they drew near they. Asked.

And in that. Parable.

The parable. The sower.

We learned about all parables. We learned that sometimes.

Jesus uses parables. As a kind of filter.

As a way to sift people whose hearts are.

Ready to hear and receive the truth and insight?

People who are ready to have that truth take.

Root and those who are not yet ready, and Jesus takes care.

For people to hear the. Word when?

They are ready to receive it. There's this concern that if

they hear it when they're not ready, they might hear a little

bit, they might think that they understand, but not really, and

then write it off forever. So we have seen Jesus

demonstrate in the past this care that people learn and

receive insight when they are ready.

To receive it. OK, so we're setting the scene

again now if we were watching a. Movie there would be this.

Significant scene change from last week to this week.

So remember last week, Lindsey? Preached on the parable or the

passage about feeding the multitude and we would need a.

Really. Wide angle for that passage,

scanning this vast multitude out in the wilderness with Jesus.

There were so many people. But then that scene ends, the

camera fades and now the camera is coming up on a new day and

this time the camera is zoomed right in.

It's. Quiet Jesus is.

Alone, praying and he just has his own disciples nearby.

This scene is intimate. With like tight shots.

Jesus and his closest friends, the ones that he's been

training, the ones who he has sent out and from a place of

prayer. And in this place where it's

just them, Jesus asks them a question.

He says who do the crowds say? That I am.

We were just going to highlight that one, too.

There we go. Who did the crowds say?

That I am. This is the first thing that he

asks them, and then they give what might seem like kind of

strange answers to us. They say John the Baptist or.

Others say Elijah or others. Think one of the ancient.

Prophets, but we've actually. Seen these answers before 2

weeks ago Justin called our attention to.

Just a few verses. Back in Chapter 9, verse 7 and

8, and in this case we hear about Herod.

Herod heard all that was going on and he was perplexed because

some were saying that John had been raised from the dead.

Others that Elijah had appeared. And still others that one of the

prophets of long ago had come. Back to life.

So it's the same assumptions. John the Baptist, Elijah or

another prophet so. Clearly, these are the rumors

that are. Going around about Jesus, people

have noticed enough to think, OK, this guy is some kind of.

A prophet, but. We're just not really sure which

one. Now.

John the Baptist was the most recent prophet they'd seen.

And he was. Actually the first prophet.

In hundreds of years. So maybe it's him.

But Herod. Says well, it's not John because

I chopped off his. Head.

So then they go. Well, what about Elijah the

prophet Elijah? He's he's one of the great

prophets that we learn about in the Old Testament.

And in Second Kings, we learn that Elijah doesn't actually

die. But rather, it's this glorious.

Scene where he's carried off to heaven in a chariot of fire and

then in the very. Last book of the old.

Testament in the Book of Malachi and the.

Very last chapter. And the last two verses Malachi

writes, I will send the. Prophet Elijah to you before the

Great. And dreadful day of the Lord

comes, and then 400 years passes, so the.

Last. Word that they were given from

the last prophet before John was that Elijah would return.

So many Jews believed that Elijah would return just before

the Messiah would come. OK, Justin, maybe we can nerd

out a little bit more on the Elijah stuff in the podcast this

week if anyone's really curious. But that was some of the

thinking. That they had about.

Why it might be Elijah that's one of why they were seeing.

So they wonder. If he's John the Baptist, they

wonder if he's Elijah, the one that was supposed to come and

get the stage ready, ready for the Messiah.

And then some people just don't really know what to think, and

they just guess that I don't know.

I think he's just one of those ancient prophets, but they don't

really know which one. They definitely.

Think he's a prophet? Craddock says public opinion is.

That Jesus is the. Forerunner of the Messiah, he's

certainly doing some incredible things, so he must be a prophet,

but he's not doing all the things we expected a Messiah to

do. And Craddock further explains

that if we say the Messiah hasn't come yet, then we can

continue to hold expectations of who the Messiah might be and

what the Messiah might do. An idea of the Messiah made in

our own image. So he's some kind of prophet,

and public opinion is that Jesus is the opening act, the one

preparing the way for someone else to come.

So then he asks his disciples, his closest friends.

He says OK, who do you? Say that I am.

We're going to pause here for a moment and let's think a little

bit about again, taking stock in all of what's come in Luke

before. Let's think about what does the

reader know? Those of us that have.

Been reading along in Luke and what might the disciples know at

this juncture? So the reader knows that the

Angel Gabriel announced Jesus as the Messiah before he was even

born. The spirit of the Lord appeared

as a. Voice from heaven, as we heard,

declaring Jesus his Son, in whom?

He was well pleased. And even the demons know that

Jesus is the Messiah, the Holy One of God.

But what did the disciples know? Just a little while back.

Even John the Baptist, John who knew Jesus from in utero, John

who had been proclaiming a coming Messiah at one time, even

John wasn't sure if Jesus really was the Messiah.

So what are the disciples? To think not long ago when.

Jesus calmed the wild. Storm in fear and amazement,

they ask a similar question to themselves, they say.

Who is this? Even the wind and the.

Sea. Obey him.

From all that they've seen, all that they've witnessed, all that

they've been a part of, who do they think?

He is. And what might you say?

We've been following along, like we said in Luke, for about 9

months now and there have been so many incredible stories.

Is there one that you're particularly drawn to?

Is there an? Aspect of Jesus that.

You find especially compelling? Maybe.

You love epic tales of. Good triumphing over evil.

And so maybe you're captivated. By the stories of Jesus.

Casting out demons. Or the time he cast 1000 demons

out of a man and into a herd of pigs that promptly stormed off a

Cliff. Or.

Or maybe you love to think deeply.

You love to to learn, and maybe you were drawn to Jesus's

teaching in the Sermon on the Plain or how he can express such

profound truths in. Simple ways like with his

parables. Or maybe you're drawn to his

healing. Maybe that's something he's done

for you, or you've longed for him to do.

Maybe you notice just how many people around Jesus.

Get healed. So many people.

People like the man who was paralyzed and whose friends had

to let him down. Through the roof.

Or the centurion servant who is healed by Jesus at a distance.

Or even Jesus raising two kids from the dead.

Or maybe. You have a heart for.

Worship. Maybe you love the story.

Of the woman who anointed. Jesus, who literally poured out.

Her love and gratitude for him. Or perhaps you have a heart for.

Justice You have concern for those on the margins who haven't

had a fair shot at life, so maybe you noticed Notice the

times that Jesus hung out with and ate a meal with the.

Outcasts those otherwise excluded.

From the rest of society. Or maybe you have the gift of

hospitality. Maybe you have even been in a

situation or two where you wondered how you were going to

feed the multitude before you. Over these 9 chapters and nine

months, we've been given so many.

Incredible. Glimpses of who Jesus is.

Which of these might the disciples be thinking about?

When they answer, what are they going to say and how would I

answer? The crowd.

Sees him as a prophet and yes. Absolutely, he is a prophet.

But he is more than a prophet. And what about those stories

that we're drawn to? Yes, he can cast out demons, but

he is more than an exorcist. Yes, he's an incredible teacher,

but that's not all. He is.

Yes, he's a great healer and my heart cries.

Oh. That he would do that more, but

he is about more than healing. That's not the full.

Picture. Yes, he's about justice, but

he's about more than this. And he is about lavish, abundant

hospitality and welcome, but he is more than this, too.

All these teacher, preacher, exorcist, healer, host, judge,

point to who he is. But they're all too.

Small to contain the fullness. Of who he is.

And when we hang on to the ones we like and dismiss the ones

we're less comfortable with, we're not really seeing Jesus.

Yes to all of these. And more.

And so Peter answers. You are the Christ.

The. Messiah of God.

And it's that answer that encompasses all the other

answers and more. The.

Christ or the Anointed 1 gets translated a little differently.

Christ actually is from the Hebrew meaning anointed one,

this one that was long anticipated, the one to come and

make all things right, the one hinted at by the prophets and

kings, the one with the answer to the problem of sin, the one

who will set all things right and bring about the Kingdom and

order and. Way of the world, that.

God had in mind from the beginning the one God has

appointed, ordained Commission called, anointed to do.

This the Christ of God. And notice here that it's Peter.

Here we go. I'm going to switch back to

green. It's Peter here that answers,

and often when the Gospel. Writers.

How they describe Peter? Whether?

It's Simon or Simon Peter or Peter often gives an indication

to us. Of where Peter's.

At in his journey and when we see Peter, it's often a sign

that he is becoming more his. Full true self.

A moment of clarity or of understanding about himself and

Jesus and so. Peter rightly says.

Well, the crowd thinks that you're the.

Precursor, but we see. That you are the main event.

You're it. Messiah, the anointed one of God

as entity, right, says profit. He certainly was, but he was not

simply pointing to God's Kingdom some way off in the future.

He. Was causing it to appear before

people's eyes and was setting in motion the events through which

it would become firmly established and so right after

this. Jesus immediately.

Tells them don't tell anyone there was this idea.

I don't think we need the next screen.

OK, strictly warn them to not tell this to anyone.

There is this idea. At the time that the someone

should not claim the Messiah ship for themselves that they.

Should first do the works. Of Messiah and then be acclaimed

by others and as we've said before Jesus is also really

concerned for people to know the truth when.

They're ready to receive it. We already know that.

People don't think he's the Messiah.

They are ready to see a. Revolution.

A political rebellion, A throwing.

Off of the forces of. Occupation.

And they don't see that in Jesus.

They aren't ready to accept him as Messiah, let alone the kind

of Messiah that he's talking about.

And so Jesus says don't tell anyone.

And then he goes on to explain what his version of a Messiah.

Looks like. He tells them what's gonna

happen and he defines Messiah Ship on his own terms.

He says the Son of Man must. Undergo great.

Suffering now the Son of Man. Is Jesus's favorite way of.

Referring to himself and it itself had messianic

connotations. But the Son of Man must suffer

many things and be rejected. By the elders.

The chief priests and the. Teachers of the law.

And he must be killed. And then on the.

Third day be raised to life. Who is this Messiah that Jesus

is talking about? We know how the story ends, so

it's easier. For us to just.

Read those all off and go. Yeah, yeah, that's what's going

to happen. But think about.

This This hasn't happened yet. The disciples have no idea, and

Jesus has given them incredible precision.

And details for what's. To come, he knows.

Where this is headed? How does he know?

Was this revealed in prayer? Had he known for a long time and

how would. This sound to the disciples.

Jesus suffering, being rejected, killed and rising again.

He says that's the way that's the way it has.

To be for the Messiah, that's the way to conquer.

Death. To expel the darkness, to right

the wrongs, to mend the broken and.

Heal the worlds. And that and nothing less was

what was needed from a Messiah. So after saying what's gonna

happen to him, he immediately. Says what?

It's going to mean for those who want to follow him.

Jesus says. The way to follow me is to.

Take up your cross daily. To disregard your own interests.

For the sake of the. Kingdom Plan to live as part of

the redemption plan for the whole world.

But to be part of it. You have to lay down your life

daily now. Luke is unique in emphasizing

this. Take up your cross daily.

This. Word.

Daily, and that emphasizes more. A particular way of.

Living than a particular way of dying, and in Greek there are

different. Words for the word life.

So where are we hearing life in this case?

It's the Greek word called. Psyche, and this emphasizes.

Your ideas about life your. Hopes, your dreams, your

ambitions, as Joel Green writes what Jesus is asking.

Is that people give up their lives.

Their relationships, their conceptions of the world and the

practices that flow from these in.

Order to follow. Him in his unreserved commitment

to the salvific purpose. Of God.

And he concludes saying 1 cannot cling to life and.

Serve the redemptive purposes of.

God and Jesus says rather than this being the way to.

Despair and death. It's actually the way to life.

Laying down our ambitions. Our ideas of life, our.

Self-interest is. Actually the way to.

Experience the fullness of life as it was intended.

Jesus says for. Those who want to.

Save their life, will lose. It and.

Those who lose their. Life for my sake will save.

It. Now on to this Jesus adds

implications for our possessions and our finances.

Jesus. Uses terms from the world of

commerce prophet and forfeit. It's all it's gain in this

translation. These are were words from the

world. Of finance.

And so they have implications for our possessions and our

wealth and our power is I reflect on this challenging

teaching, this lay down life. Daily lose your life for the

sake of his life It's it's a weighty.

Teaching and I can. Think of a couple of.

Specific moments in my life when I've tried to follow Jesus in

the midst of a really big and difficult and incredibly costly

decision. There's two particular moments

that stand out for me in this regard.

And maybe there were others that I missed.

Or maybe. Others were big decisions to

follow Jesus, but they. Just felt more natural.

Maybe you are facing some big decisions and he's asking you to

make a. Particular choice.

I don't want to discount the importance of these major life

decisions, but for me, this week I was thinking about the

smaller. The Daily.

Laying down of life choices. What do I do when I wake up?

How do I spend my time? What do I value?

What media? Do I consume how do I look out

for myself in my daily life and. What of those ways are?

Appropriate, and what are out of alignment?

How much do I value comfort and people thinking well of me?

Do I live daily? For the sake of Christ and his

Kingdom, or myself? And what does it look like to

even do that? And.

On to this Jesus adds. More.

He says those who are. Ashamed of me and my words of

them. The Son of Man will be ashamed

when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of

the holy angels, and he write helpfully explains it this way

when the Messiah is. Installed as Judge of God's.

World, which was a central. Part of the Jewish.

Expectation, then, only those who have been prepared to follow

him when it was dangerous and shameful to do so will be

acknowledged by him in return. It's costly.

And countercultural and sometimes feels embarrassing and

strange to follow Jesus now, but he says.

That's the way to life. In these final verses, the

tension here between the now and the not yet nature of the

Kingdom is really apparent from the.

First words that Jesus uttered. As He began his earthly

ministry, he's been declaring that the Kingdom of God is at

hand. It's happening.

His order and rule and way of doing things.

They are being restored now. Captives have been freed.

The blind see the poor here. Good news.

The power of sin is losing its grip on the world and through

every step. That Jesus takes every word he

utters every. Demon cast out, every sick

person healed, every outcast restored to community happening.

Kingdom is advancing and darkness is receding.

It's. Happening.

And he came to tell the world that it's happening.

But one look at the headlines, one painful relationship, one

lingering test result reminds us that there.

Is still plenty of darkness. Afoot and in these final verses,

Jesus points to a time when his Kingdom will have full reign.

In Revelation we learned that at that time there will be no more

death or crying or sorrow or pain.

Jesus. Uses this word glory to.

Explain it Glory, glory of the Son of Man.

Glory of the Father. And of the holy angels.

And though glory does mean splendor and brightness and

majesty, it also means revelation, when one's true self

and nature is fully revealed, fully on display, fully known.

And so when the fullness of the Kingdom is here, the true nature

of the Son of Man, the true nature of the Father, and the

true nature of the holy angels will be on display in all their

splendor and majesty for all to know.

No more mystery, only majesty made known.

But we live in this tension of the now, yes, and the not yet.

It's happening, It started, we can be part of it.

And we have not seen the Kingdom in its fullness yet, which is

perhaps what makes this final statement so confusing.

But truly, I tell you there. Are some standing here who will

not? Taste death before they see the.

Kingdom of God and I'll be honest.

This is a bit. Cryptic and nobody knows for

certain what it means. My best guess is twofold 1.

You got to come back next week. Or you can read ahead.

The next story in Luke is Wild. And it could.

Be that that's part of what? Jesus.

What Jesus is referring to, or maybe it's part of what he's

referring to. But aside from that specific

occasion, I think Jesus is also pointing to the nature of the

now and not yet Kingdom. Yes, now and in this lifetime

before. We die, we get to.

Experience tastes of the Kingdom.

It's not just something. Good, that happens when we.

Die. It's about how.

We get to live now the quality, the nature of.

The life. That we get to experience the

Kingdom for us now. And yes, there is much more to

come. I've wrestled with this passage.

And just. Felt the weight of this.

Teaching this is a difficult teaching and as I've wondered.

How are we supposed to live? This two things have come to

mind. The first is a story.

Found in another gospel in this. Case the disciples have also.

Just heard another really difficult teaching.

It's such a hard teaching that many of the disciples, the

people who had been following after.

Jesus. Gave up.

They turned back and left. They couldn't follow him any

longer and then. Jesus turns to the. 12 and he

says you don't want to leave. Too, do you?

And once again, in a moment of clarity, Simon Peter says, Lord,

where are we going to go? You have the words of eternal

life, eternal life, abundant whole fullness of life, and

Peter says we have come to believe and to.

Know that you are the. Holy One of God, and sometimes I

relate to this. Sometimes it feels like.

This is hard. But where else would I want to

go? I believe with Jesus is the way

of life. The second thing that comes to

mind? Is that though these disciples

are alone with Jesus? They are not alone, they have

one another. And they have Jesus.

I don't expect any of us to know how to.

Truly live out this. Teaching that we've heard today,

but I think some of the call is for us to wrestle, to struggle,

to wonder, to talk about these things and to do that together.

But that is also a. Call to vulnerability.

It's a call to talk. About things we normally don't

talk about in our culture. To talk about our homes and our

finances, our decisions, our possessions, how we're using

them. How much is enough, How much is

too much. To talk about our time, how we

spend our time, our habits, our addictions, our patterns, the

media we consume and shouldn't, the things we should consume and

don't. The way we.

Love our partners and parents and children and neighbors are

the way. We don't love the annoying.

Ones the attitudes that creep. Up in us, often by surprise when

we see somebody as less than and wonder how we came to think that

these. Brought to light.

Brought to community, wrestled together in prayer with Jesus

and with one another that. May be the secret.

To knowing how to take up. Our cross daily.

If you're really not sure where to.

Start I would highly. Recommend the book.

The cost of discipleship. By Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

It's basically a whole book about how to do this.

As many of you know, I spent over a decade.

With university as a campus. Minister and one of the.

Highlights of our year. Was gathering the students.

Together for a week. As soon as exams finished and

before they all spread out for summer.

Jobs we would study the. Gospel of Mark together.

For 8 hours a day for six days. And yes, the students actually

paid to come to this. Now you might think a whole week

almost. 50 hours of the. Book on one by one book of the

Bible and I would say no. That would be silly.

We only get through half of the book in that week.

So they come one year for the first half of Mark, and believe

it or not, most of them actually come back the second year for

the second-half of Mark. But after spending all of that

time looking at the life and the person of Jesus, we end the

first half of Mark with the very same parallel passage to this

one in Luke, and we leave the students with a question.

And it's the same one. That Jesus asks.

OK, in light of all. That we have studied.

All that we have learned and seen.

Who? Do you say that I am, and it's

that same question that the passage asks us today.

How do you answer? Who do you say?

That I am when I look at Jesus. I love his stories.

Of healing. I love the way that.

He touches the untouchables and heals the incurable.

I love the restoration of health and wholeness and community that

follows and I'm. Tempted to see Jesus as a good.

Healer. One that I can ask for, what I

want, what needs fixing. But that's not all.

He is. And if I.

Just see Jesus as healer. I'm not really seeing Jesus.

The Christ. The anointed one of God, would

you pray with me? God, I thank you for the many.

Ways that you reveal yourself. In these stories, I thank you

for the ways that we get to learn about aspects of who you

are and what your Kingdom is about.

But I pray that you would. Protect us from seeing only a

portion of you and thinking that that is all.

Would you help us to know what it means that?

You are the Christ. The anointed one of God, would

you help us to? Would you expand our vision?

Of who you? Are and of what that title

encompasses and would? You draw us to yourself.

And teach us what that means. To follow you.

Teach us what that means. To take up that cross daily,

Would you draw us more? Deeply in community to wrestle

that out and figure that out with one another.

Thank you that you have not left us alone to do that, but that

you give us your spirit and you give us one another.

And so I. Pray that you would.

Expand what you are doing in that regard in us and in our

church community. For your name and glory we pray.

Amen.