Good News Embargo

Breaking News

Did you know there are times when the news media gets inside info and DOESN’T break the story? No, I’m not accusing the mainstream media of being in cahoots to control the news cycle.

What I’m talking about is a little something something called a news embargo. This is an agreement between journalists and the source of their information to sit on a story until it’s appropriate to release it to the public.

Embargoes and Accuracy

News embargoes happen all the time. For instance, companies in the tech sector will give reporters a heads up on the details of their latest software and hardware. This lead time allows various outlets to have their coverage ready to go when the products hit the market.

While that’s incredibly important to members of the media but here’s the big advantage for the source of this inside info. Accuracy. By leaking critical info before the story breaks, they stand a much better chance that the reporting is right.

Leaking Messianic Details

Did you know that Jesus did the very same thing with His disciples? A couple of thousand years before newspapers, wire services, and network news, much less the internet, the Lord leaked major messianic details to His disciples and told them to keep it quiet.

Call it a Good News embargo.

Keeping It on the Down Low

Alone with His closest followers in the mountains, Christ uses a quick Q&A to reveal to His crew who He really is (Mk 8:27-30). He confirms what they’ve suspected. He’s the long awaited Hero whom God has been promising to send to save His people.

And before they can run and tell the world, He immediately commands them to keep it all on the down low. Just wait. This is hush-hush until the time is right. When it is, you’ll know EXACTLY how to explain who He is and what He just did.

Four Bios of Jesus

We pick up the story in what we’ve come to know as the Gospel of Mark. The second document in the New Testament is one of four bios of Jesus. There’s a lot of duplicate stories in them. As a matter of fact, we can find other versions of this same episode in two other Gospels as well (Mt 16:21-28; Lk 9:18-21).

Four Gospels, Four Audiences

You may think that’s a waste of ink. But we need to understand that God originally intended each of these four stories for four different audiences. For instance, Matthew originally wrote to Jewish readers and ties a lot of his details about Jesus to God’s chosen people.

Luke composed his story specifically for a dude name Theophilus (Lk 1:1) and for non-Jewish Greek speakers in general. John wrote the biography of his best Friend a little later than the rest for a broader audience, filling in the gaps and passing along events the others leave out.

A Non-Stop Thrill Ride

So what about Mark? What’s the deal with the second Gospel? First of all, most biblical big wigs believe he’s writing for Roman readers. Back in the day, Romans didn’t fool around. They loved action.

As a result, Mark is a non-stop thrill ride with Jesus. It should come with a warning label. Buckle up before reading. Please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times.

Peter’s Version

The fast pace is great but for me the cool thing about this particular book is the source. We may call it the Gospel of Mark but some of the earliest followers of Jesus understood this document to be based on Peter’s eyewitness account.

So while historically John Mark gets the byline, Pete’s the source. A better title might be “The Gospel of Peter as Told to John Mark,” but they didn’t ask me. Could there be a better reference for a story about Jesus than the team captain of the original Dirty Dozen?

Four Different Perspectives

What these four very similar but significantly different biographies of our Savior do for us today is provide four different perspectives on many of the same stories. This specific conversation between the Lord and His team is a perfect example.

We’ll focus here on Pete and Mark’s version but we’ll also take a moment and compare it to Matt and Luke along the way. Ready? Sweet. Let’s dive in!!

A Crazy Couple of Weeks

The camera zooms in on Jesus and the Twelve hitting the road after a brief but eventful stop in Bethsaida. The Lord has just restored the sight to a blind man (Mk 8:22-26). And now He’s about to open the eyes of His disciples like never before.

It’s been a crazy couple of weeks for Christ and His crew. He’s been trying to get alone with the boys for quite awhile (Mk 6:31). But everywhere they go, a crowd gathers.

Need to Get Away?

An audience estimated at 5,000 dudes (and probably at least 20,000 people) assembles and Jesus feeds them one of His legendary miracle meals (Mk 6:30-44). Next stop, Gennesaret, where people immediately recognize the Galilean Healer and plead with Him to cure the sick, diseased, and disabled (Mk 6:53-56).

Then bunch of religious bullies from the Hebrew home office ambush Him and accuse Him of ignoring their manmade rules (Mk 7:1-23). Jesus tries to slipping across the border near Tyre and Sidon to get some time with the Twelve. But even in a foreign country, a desperate mom begs Him to cast a demon from her baby girl (Mk 7:24-30).

A Second Miracle Meal

He then takes them back south to the eastern side of Lake Galilee near the Ten Towns. Local folks bring the Lord a hearing impaired gentleman for yet another miraculous healing (Mk 7:31-37).

The next thing you know, another huge crowd shows up for three whole days of teaching straight from Jesus. That means another miracle meal, this time for 4,000 men and the best guess of 16,000 folks (Mk 8:1-10).

There’s yet another run-in with the Pharisees who demand a magic show (Mk 8:11-13). Jesus follows that up with a pop quiz for the Twelve on a boat ride (Mk 8:14-21). They still can’t fully wrap their brains around what they’ve seen.

Hitting the Road Again

After opening the eyes of a blind dude in Bethsaida, our Savior hits the road with His team one more time. “Jesus and His disciples left Galilee and went up to the villages near Caesarea Philippi” (v27).

It’s about 25-30 mile trip up the Jordan River into the mountains. Caesarea Philippi sits at the base of Mount Hermon, near the source of the Jordan. The city is one of several massive construction projects in Palestine during the First Century.

Philip’s Caesar City

It takes its name from both Caesar and Philip, one of Herod the Great’s sons who rules over this little corner of the Roman Empire. It basically means Philip’s Caesar City. This is Phil’s way of sucking up to the emperor, Tiberius Caesar. You ALWAYS want to be on a dictator’s good side.

Caesarea sound familiar? Not surprising. There’s another city along the coast called Caesarea Maritima. That’s where God schedules a divine appointment for Peter with a Roman military officer named Cornelius (Acts 10:1-48).

A Few Moments Alone

Here in the tiny villages outside the big city, Jesus can FINALLY get a few moments alone with the disciples. He’s safe from those pesky Pharisees and Sadducees. And He’s just over the border in Iturea, where Herod Antipas can’t touch Him.

A.T. Robertson believes that Jesus is using this little mountain retreat as the perfect place to tell the guys what’s going down over the next six months. He’s about to make it clear for the first time what He’s come to do and what’s about to go down.

Eliminating Distractions

Alexander MacLaren agrees and says this is Christ’s way of eliminating the disciples’ distractions. He leads them “away from familiar ground into comparative seclusion of the country around Caesarea Philippi, in order to tell them plainly of His death.”

Even then, the Lord does it gently. Before He starts talking about dying a bloody death on a Roman cross and rising from the dead, He needs them to understand one very important truth. His true identity.

A Three-Step Process

Jesus will use a three-step process. First, He asks them who the public sees Him to be. Second, He asks them who they see Him to be. This sets the stage for revealing who He REALLY is.

This Is No Travel Game

Traveling somewhere in the boondocks, Jesus starts pulling back the curtain. “As they were walking along, He asked them, ‘Who do people say I am?’” (v29). This is more than just another way to pass the time on the trip.

This might seem to be Jesus’ version of “I Spy” or “Punch Buggy.” For those born after 1990, parents used these little travel games to occupy their kids on long drives. Yes, there actually was a time before portable DVD players in the backseat.

Looking for Answers

No, Christ’s question has a very important purpose. It’s similar to the pop quiz He gave the disciples on the boat to Bethsaida (Mk 8:14-21). He’s building on that same conversation from a couple of days ago.

“Asked” (Gr. επερωταω/eperotao) is actually a legal term in Greek that describes interrogating someone and get to the bottom of a situation. Luke specifically picks this very same word when the Sanhedrin gives the apostles the third degree (Acts 5:27).

An Ongoing Conversation

And the grammar here in the original language tells us something most translations don’t. The form of the verb is actually in the 

imperfect tense. For those of us who aren’t English majors, the imperfect is the perfect way of saying Jesus is asking them more than once.

Mark wants us to know that this is a lot more than a single question. This is an ongoing conversation between the Lord and His team while they travel. We can easily read this as “He kept on asking them.”

The Time Is Right

Jesus knows the time is right. He’s taking advantage of the opportunity. With no crowd and no distractions, He’s not letting the disciples off the hook this time. Do not pass “Go.” Do not collect $200.

The Savior keeps asking them, “Who do people say I am?” (v27). So what’s the the buzz, boys? What’s the word on the street? What are folks saying about Him?

Slipping in the Side Door

Jesus uses this first question to subtly slip around to the disciples’ side door. He begins by disarming them. He ultimately wants to know what they believe about Him. But He starts by seeing how much public opinion has influenced their view of Him.

How about you and me? Are we allowing our view of Jesus to be shaped by pop culture and secular society? Or do we hold tight to who He says He is and what He came to do?

Who Is Jesus?

Most people really like Jesus…well, at least THEIR view of Him. They see Him as a great teacher. Others as some small-town rabbi. The list is endless. Prophet. Mystic. Revolutionary. Healer. Some folks on the fringe even think He’s an extraterrestrial. But God? Not so much.

Does world’s view of Jesus impact how we see Him? Do your friends, family, and coworkers look at you cockeyed because you believe in Christ? According to MacLaren, “The unpopularity of a belief drives away cowards, and draws the brave and true.”

Feeling Peer Pressure

Did you know feeling peer pressure about Jesus is nothing new. Way back in the First Century, Paul tells fellow Christ followers not to let culture squish them into the mold of belief.

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect” (Rom 12:2).

Think of it this way. True change doesn’t come outside pressure and fitting in to how the world thinks. The only real transformation comes when we allow God to swap out the corrupt operating system installed by culture and replace it with His way of seeing His Son as our Lord and Savior.

Putting Their Heads Together

The conversation continues along the winding mountain road. Jesus’ disciples put their heads together and answer His question. “Some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say You are one of the other prophets” (v28).

Apparently, word has gotten back to the boys about reports to Herod Antipas concerning the radical Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth (Mk 6:14-15). These are the very same guesses by the king’s closest advisors.

Jesus’ Weird Cousin

Baptizin’ John was not just a prophet but Jesus’ weird cousin. He also played a key role at the Lord’s baptism. Nobody who was there that day along the Jordan will forget how the Father and Spirit showed up for the Son’s coming out party (Mk 1:9-11).

John’s brief prophetic career came to quick end when he kept calling out the king for stealing his own brother’s wife. Mark spends a big chunk of one chapter going over the very sleazy details that ends with the prophet’s bloody head on a silver serving tray (Mk 6:17-29).

A Prophetic Heavyweight

The disciples tell Jesus that some believe He’s Elijah. Man, talk about one of prophetic heavyweights of the OT. Just like John would do later, this particular messenger of God shook his fist at evil kings Ahab and Ahaziah.

When Ahab put a hit on Elijah in order to shut him up, God used to singlehandedly used this guy to wipe the floor with 450 pagan prophets on Mount Carmel (1Ki 18:20-40).

Funny thing about Elijah. He never died. God scooped him up in the most spectacular Uber the universe had ever seen to that point. He road home to heaven in a flaming chariot (2Ki 2:11)! Spoiler alert: It won’t be the last we see of this spokesman of God.

The One the Prophets Predicted

Other than Baptizin’ John and the Big E, folks figure Jesus must be “one of the other prophets” (v28). Some people just couldn’t decide which divine messenger He could be. Isaiah? Jeremiah? Maybe Ezekiel?

All of these prophets had a message for people to put an immediate end to their rebellion and disobedience so they could enjoy 

God’s overflowing goodness. Funny thing, just about every prophet predicted our Savior’s first appearance.

Cutting to the Chase

Now that He’s got the disciples’ take on pubic perception, Jesus cuts to the chase. “But who do you say I am?” (v29). He asks the REAL question. The question behind the question. What’s your answer when people ask about Him? What do you say?

Once again, a little peek at the grammar of the Greek helps us out. The form of the verb “say” (Gr. λεγω/lego) is in the present tense. Because of that, we can easily understand Jesus question to be, “But who are you saying I am?”

Asking about Their Leader

You can bet people are constantly asking the boys about their Leader. What do they tell them? What answer do they give? As the crowds grow larger and His popularity spreads, you know it comes up.

Could Jesus’ question to His disciples be the background for what Peter will write a little later? “If someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it. But do this in a gentle and respectful way” (1Pet 3:15-16).

How about Us?

Who are you and I saying He is? In other words, this is a lot more than a one time confession and walking the aisle at a revival back in middle school. Doing it once and never saying it again doesn’t cut it. Who are we still saying He is?

Huddling up

Imagine being there when Jesus asks the Twelve for their answer. Can’t you see them huddling up like folks on the Family Feud? What should we say, Andrew? How ‘bout you, James? Is there any doubt, Thomas?

Peter steps up and speaks for the whole team. “You are the Messiah” (v29). But hold the phone! Does you Bible says something else? Most translations say “Christ” instead. What’s the dealio?

The Anointed One

The word in the original language here is Χριστος/Christos. Pretty easy to see this is where we get Christ. The term comes from a root word meaning to anoint something or someone for a very special purpose. He’s the Anointed One.

Χριστος/Christos is the NT Greek equivalent to the one the OT calls Messiah. He’s the long awaited Hero from heaven God promised to send from the beginning. He’s coming to restore the glory of God’s creation that we trashed through our sin and rebellion.

500-Plus Predictions

The very first hint of Messiah came in the opening pages of Scripture when Yahweh warns the satanic snake that He’s sending One to crush its head (Gen 3:15). God follows that by promising Abraham that Messiah will come from His family (Gen 12:1-3;17:1-8).

Later the Father uses the prophet Nathan to inform King David that one of his sons will not only be the eternal King of Kings but the Anointed One (2Sam 7:9-17). Those are just three of 500-plus messianic predictions in the Old Testament.

The Hero of the Bible

The big idea is that as Messiah Jesus is THE Hero of not just the New Testament but the entire Bible. The Lord says so Himself. He boldly tells Jewish leaders, “The Scriptures point to Me!” (Jn 5:39) and that Moses “wrote about Me” (Jn 5:46).

And just to be clear about the name Christ. Christ is NOT Jesus’ last name. His earthly parents’ names aren’t Joe and Mary Christ. It’s not His name but His title. He’s Jesus Christ, the Anointed One. Jesus Messiah.

Flip Back to the Beginning

So if Pete is Mark’s source, why doesn’t he include what the apostle says in the other Gospels? Matthew quotes Rocky as saying, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16). In Dr. Luke’s account, he declares, “You are the Messiah sent from God” (Lk 9:20).

Before you get too worried that Mark’s pulling his punches, flip back to his opening line of Jesus’ bio. “This is the God News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mk 1:1). He connects all the divine dots. Jesus. Messiah. Son of God.

Their Little Secret

Back outside Caesarea Philippi, the Lord tells His team that this will be their little secret for the time being. “But Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him” (v30). The two other versions of this same story include the very same command (Mt 16: 28; Lk 9:21).

What the what?!? Why doesn’t the Savior want to get the word out? Some folks think this means Jesus never believed He was the sinless Son of God. Yeah, you can drop that thought like a bad habit. This is all about timing.

It’s a Good News embargo.

Not a Radical Revolutionary

There are three important reasons to keep it quiet. First of all, the Jews are desperate to get rid of the boot of Roman rule. The Hebrew people are looking for their Messiah top e a political and military leader.

More than once we see them ready to make Jesus the leader of the revolution (Jn 6:15; 12:12-15). Jesus doesn’t want the people to get the wrong idea about Messiah’s REAL mission. He’s not a radical revolutionary but a suffering Servant (Is 52:13-53:12).

Staying out of the Crosshairs

Second, Christ is wisely trying to stay out of the crosshairs of the local Roman rulers. There’s a lot to do between now and His date with death at Golgotha. They’ll get their hands on Him soon enough. In the meantime, there’s people to heal, demons to exorcise, and disciples to be trained.

An Accurate View of Messiah

Third, Jesus is on the verge of challenging everything they had come to believe about the Messiah. As a matter of fact, that starts in the following conversation (Mk 8:31-32). Just wait until they get to Jerusalem.

The Son of God knows they must see His messianic mission through the lens of His crucifixion and resurrection. He wants them to be accurate in who He is and what He’s done.

If they think Jesus is Messiah now? Just you wait, boys. Just you wait. It won’t be long before the Lord lifts the Good News embargo.

©2018

Jay Jennings