In this episode, David and Sophie reach the pivotal moment in the Gospel of Mark. Jesus asks the central question, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answers, “Messiah,” but he does not yet understand what that title truly means. When Jesus begins to speak openly about his path of suffering, rejection, and death, the tension between Peter’s expectations for Messiah and Jesus’ unveiling of himself comes to a head. Peter embodies the role of “Satan.” We revisit Jesus’ earlier encounter with “The Satan” in the wilderness who, like Peter now, tempted him with the possibility of being a Messiah without suffering, rejection, or death.
We then reflect on Jesus’ haunting words about being ashamed of him and his words in “this adulterous and sinful generation.” What might it mean to be ashamed of Jesus today, in a world that often uses his name for political or cultural gain? What does it cost to follow the real Jesus, the Messiah revealed in his story, rather than the idol of Jesus as a means to gain power? We consider how we might experience the cross in our own lives when we choose to follow Jesus words and surrender power, reputation, or safety in order to be faithful to him.
