2. 14. Who do you say I am? Mark 8:11-30 p. 930

3. Who do you say I am?  Second Sunday of Advent.  Knowing Jesus is the centre of the season –  Only gets us part of the way.  Have to know who Jesus really is.  Jesus asks two questions:  Who do people say I am? (v 27)  Who do YOU say I am? (V 29)

4. 1. Disputing & Testing  Pharisees confront Jesus: “to question him” (v 11)  Could be translated “dispute, debate”. It’s adversarial.  Ask for a sign from heaven  Not so that they can believe.  To confirm he is not who he appears to be.  They come to “test” him. Not neutral.  To confirm their disbelief; make their skepticism reasonable.  Jesus “left them” (v 13) “Gave up on them”

5. 2. Blindness & Sight  Jesus warns of the “yeast” of Pharisees & Herod (v 15)  “Yeast”: corruption, danger, evil, hardness of heart.  Teaching (Matt 16:12); Hypocrisy (Luke 12:1)  Disciples cannot see what he is talking about  “It is because we have no bread” (v 16)  Jesus: “why are you talking about having no bread?” (v 17)

6. 2. Blindness & Sight...  Jesus asks hard questions (v 17-18):  Do you still not see or understand?  Are your hearts hardened?  Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear?  Don’t you remember?  Element of hardness of heart, rebellion, foolishness in their misunderstanding  Treat God as no different to sinful humans – Sin !

7. 3. Identity & Mission  Who do people say I am?  John the Baptist  Elijah  One of the Prophets  Today:  Good Man; Great Teacher; Moral Leader;...  Who do you say I am?  Messiah – “anointed one” (e.g. Jer. 23:5)

8. Who do you say I am?  Worth asking the question in all its fullness:  Will I accept who he really is?  Will I accept what he came to do?  Will I see with my eyes?  Will I hear with my ears?  Will I open my heart and soften it before God?  Will I let him be the centre (not just part) of my life?