Who do people say Jesus is? More importantly, who do you say He is? Join us this Sunday as Pastor Scott explores the questions that challenge us to move beyond public opinion to personal conviction.
Life’s Most Important Questions
(Mark 8:27-33)
February 22, 2026 | Pastor Scott George
Mark 8:27-33,
27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” 28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”
29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.” 30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
What Others Are Saying About Disobedience
- “Jesus cannot be just liked. His claims make us either kill him or crown him.”
- Timothy Keller
- Either you'll have to "kill" Jesus or you'll have to crown him, but the one thing you can't do is just say "What an interesting guy." His claims don't allow that type of answer.
- Timothy Keller
- “You must make your choice: either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.”
- C. S. Lewis
- “The question ‘Who do you say that I am?’ (Matthew 16:15) is addressed to the believer, who must not only know what others say about Jesus, but must have formed their own personal conviction.”
- Pope Benedict XVI, Jesus of Nazareth
Life’s Three Most Important Questions
- Who do people say I am?
- But what about you?
- Who do you say I am?
Who do people say I am?
1. The man with an unclean spirit would call Him a deliverer.
Mark 1:21-28, 21 They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
27 The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
2. The disciples would call Him devoted.
Mark 1:35-39, 35 Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. 36 Simon and his companions went to look for him, 37 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”
38 Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” 39 So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.
3. Simon’s mother-in-law would call Him sensitive.
Mark 1:30-34, 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
32 That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
4. The leper would call Him bold.
Mark 1:40-44, 40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41 Jesus was indignant. He reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” 42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning: 44 “See that you don’t tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them.”
5. The paralyzed man would call Him compassionate.
Mark 2:3-5, 3 Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. 4 Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on. 5 When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”
6. The sinners would call Him relatable.
Mark 2:15-17, 15 While Jesus was having dinner at Levi’s house, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with him and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 When the teachers of the law who were Pharisees saw him eating with the sinners and tax collectors, they asked his disciples: “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?”
17 On hearing this, Jesus said to them, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
In case you missed it…
Answers:
- Deliverer
- Devoted
- Sensitive
- Bold
- Compassionate
- Relatable
