The question of Jesus’ identity, brought out into the open with Herod’s question in 9:9, is now answered. Whereas the Lucan account of the feeding of the 5,000 comes from Mark 6:30–44, Luke’s version of Peter’s confession has been taken from Mark 8:27–29. All of the Marcan material between these two episodes (Mark 6:45–8:26; Luke’s “Big Omission”) has been omitted by Luke not simply because of the appearance of certain repetitious materials, such as a second feeding miracle, but because of the evangelist’s desire to produce a unified section revolving around the theme of Jesus’ identity. This theme is seen especially in Herod’s question (9:9) and in Peter’s answer (9:20).

Luke 9:18–36 is made up of three parts: (1) Peter’s acknowledgment of Jesus’ messiahship (vv. 18–20), (2) Jesus’ predi…