Luke 9:18-20

Rachel Workman: ¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
¹⁹ 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.”
²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Peter knew what was going on. But from the response of the others they didn't. It's almost like the answers were questions, hoping Jesus would verify who he was.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Mike Grimm:  ¹⁸ Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” This scene begins with Jesus praying, and the disciples joining Him. We don't really know if they joined with Him in prayer, or if they interrupted His time of prayer. But when Jesus was done praying, He asked them a question: Who do the crowds say that I am? Why did Jesus ask? Was it because He didn't know? Not at all. He asked because He will use this question as an introduction to a more important follow-up question.

¹⁹ 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.” People who thought that Jesus was John the Baptist didn't know much about Him, because He and John ministered at the same time. But both John and Elijah were national reformers who stood up to the corrupt rulers of their day. Perhaps in seeing Jesus as John or Elijah, the people hope for a political messiah, one who will overthrow the corrupt powers oppressing Israel.

²⁰ “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” Peter knows Jesus better. He knows that Jesus is the Christ of God, God's Messiah, the Messiah from the heart of God, not the Messiah from the desire of man.

____________________________________________________________________________________

Tomorrow’s reading for Luke 9:21-27

²¹ Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. ²² 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.”

²³ Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. ²⁴ For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. ²⁵ What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? ²⁶ 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.

²⁷ “Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.”