Big Idea: The central themes of this passage and the next are Christology (8:27–33) and discipleship (8:34–9:1). This passage picks up the Christology of 1:1 and the truth of Jesus as the Messiah and then defines his messianic work in terms of the Suffering Servant.

Understanding the Text

We are at the turning point (called the “watershed” by many) in Mark’s Gospel. The first part (8:27–30) sums up the first half of the Gospel and addresses the identity of Jesus. The second part (8:31–33) sets the scene for the second half, the death and resurrection of Jesus. The travel narrative—the road to Jerusalem—begins in Bethsaida (see on 8:22) and here. Jesus now moves south to his destiny.

Structure

There are two halves to this pericope, the confession itself (8:27–30) and then Jesus’s explan…