Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 8:27-38.
Lindsey Blair and Bobby Gilles recap and discuss Pastor Jonah Sage's sermon from Mark 8:27-38.
Lindsey: Welcome to the Midweek Checkup. My name is Lindsey Blair and I’m joined by Bobby Gilles This past Sunday, Pastor Jonah Sage preached from Mark eight, verses twenty-seven through thirty-eight in our Advent sermon series.
Bobby: Jonah taught that God is for you because God loves you and he demonstrates this by suffering for you. But if you missed the sermon or need help remembering, you’re in the right spot for the Midweek Checkup.
Lindsey: Jonah began by saying that we are at the pivotal plot twist of the Gospel of Mark. Jesus and the disciples are in Caesarea Philippi, which was once Northern Canaan, and was plagued by paganism. The Ancient Mesopotamians called the place the gates of hell. First because they believed it was the place where evil gods descended to earth to torment us, the site of spiritual invasion and incursion. And they also believed there was a literal entrance into the underworld at the foot of the mountain.
Bobby: Jesus asks who they say he is. Peter replies, “The Messiah,” and Jesus then says he will suffer many things and be killed. That’s the plot twist. They didn’t expect the Messiah would die. Mark will not let us answer "who is Jesus" apart from his suffering. Jonah said that the passion, crucifixion, and resurrection of Jesus are the decoder ring for all of Jesus' teaching and ministry. Jesus was born to bleed, to give his life as a ransom for many.
Lindsey: Peter was so stunned that he reprimanded Jesus, so Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan.” If you want to see the Christ this Advent season, we must see his pain. If we want to behold God incarnate, a baby in a manager, WE MUST SEE THIS BABY WAS BORN TO BLEED. Just like we all went back to rewatch the Sixth Sense, we have to go back and re-interpret everything Jesus has said and done through this promise to his disciples.
Bobby: In Jesus we see God is for you and loves you. He shows you this by suffering for you, absorbing death for you. This reality helps us make sense of our own sufferings. Jesus says in verse thirty-four: If any of you want to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake and the sake of the Good News, you will save it.”
Lindsey: Our job is to let go of life on our own terms and follow Jesus. He loves you, he is for you, and when you forget this, remember he suffered for you, to bring you home.
Bobby: This Sunday is for the third Sunday of Advent, which is our annual Children’s Choir Sunday. And we’ll continue learning about this most unexpected savior. Join us, and bring a friend.