Sunday, February 21, 2021

Lent 2 Series B


Lent 2 Series B
28 February 2021


Genesis 17:1–7, 15–16
Romans 5:1–11
Mark 8:27–38

Collect for the Second Sunday in LentO God, You see that of ourselves we have no strength. By Your mighty power defend us from all adversities that may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts that may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen

A Prayer for aid against temptation: O God, You justify the ungodly and desire not the death of the sinner. Graciously assist us by Your heavenly aid and evermore shield us with Your protection, that no temptation may separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

A Prayer in times of temptation: Almighty and everlasting God, through Your Son You have promised us forgiveness of sins and everlasting life. Govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit that in our daily needs, and especially in all time of temptation we may seek Your help and, by a true and lively faith in Your Word, obtain all that You have promised; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

By the Cross of Our Lord Jesus, We Inherit Life Everlasting with God

In His covenant with Abraham, the Lord promised to be with him, to bless him and to make him “the father of a multitude of nations.” It is “an everlasting covenant” in Christ Jesus, the seed of Abraham who is blameless before God Almighty. All who believe in this Lord Jesus are the offspring of Abraham and are blessed “throughout their generations” (Genesis 17:1–7), because the Christ has suffered many things. He was rejected and killed, and after three days He rose again (Mark 8:31). To comprehend this theology of the cross, we must set our minds “on the things of God,” and not “on the things of man” (Mark 8:33). “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Therefore, having been “reconciled to God by the death of his Son,” much more “shall we be saved by his life” (Romans 5:10). 

Baptized into His cross and resurrection, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” and by faith we rejoice in the hope of His glory (Romans 5:1–2).

Mark 8:27–38

Mark 8:27
 Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὰς κώμας Καισαρείας τῆς Φιλίππου• καὶ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ ἐπηρώτα τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγων αὐτοῖς• Τίνα με λέγουσιν οἱ ἄνθρωποι εἶναι
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that I am?" - 

Jesus doesn't merely ask a question in a vacuum.  In Mark and Luke this is right before the Transfiguration. 

Mark 8:28
οἱ δὲ [a]εἶπαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες ὅτι Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, καὶ ἄλλοι Ἠλίαν, ἄλλοι δὲ ὅτι εἷς τῶν προφητῶν.
And they told him, "John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets." - 

Most powerful would be John...then they descend from there. At that time there was much confusion. They miss the savior because of the signs. Thus Jesus becomes who you want. 

Mark 8:29
καὶ αὐτὸς ἐπηρώτα αὐτούς• Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι; [e]ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος λέγει αὐτῷ• Σὺ εἶ ὁ χριστός.
And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" Peter answered him, "You are the Christ." - 

The confession of faith. 
Not the son of God but the Christ. The Whom but not the how. 

In Mark's gospel no one can speak concerning Jesus until He is dead when He is done with what the Christ is to do.  

Mark 8:30
καὶ ἐπετίμησεν αὐτοῖς ἵνα μηδενὶ λέγωσιν περὶ αὐτοῦ.
And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. - 

A Strong warning. Because they doesn't get it yet.

Mark 8:31
Καὶ ἤρξατο διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι [f]ὑπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ τῶν ἀρχιερέων καὶ τῶν γραμματέων καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστῆναι
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. - 

It was necessary, essential to suffer much...a violent suffering.  He begins to teach them. 

Mark 8:32
καὶ παρρησίᾳ τὸν λόγον ἐλάλει. καὶ προσλαβόμενος ὁ Πέτρος αὐτὸν ἤρξατο ἐπιτιμᾶν αὐτῷ.
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. - 

Jesus speaks the word clearly. 

Mark 8:33
ὁ δὲ ἐπιστραφεὶς καὶ ἰδὼν τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ ἐπετίμησεν Πέτρῳ [i]καὶ λέγει• Ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου, Σατανᾶ, ὅτι οὐ φρονεῖς τὰ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀλλὰ τὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων.
But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, "Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man" - 

But turning and seeing. For the sake of the other disciples?  He literally is putting the confession of Satan behind him. 

"The things of God" is the cross. The only other option are "the play things of hell."

Mark 8:34
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ὄχλον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς• Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἐλθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. - 

Now the crowds. 

Latin for "the cross" is 'excruciating' 

Two options...
Get behind me Satan
Into whose hands the Son will be 
Get behind ME 
deny self

Mark 8:35
ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν [m]ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν• ὃς δ’ ἂν [n]ἀπολέσει τὴν [o]ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν ἐμοῦ καὶ τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σώσει αὐτήν
For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it. - 

Whoever wishes for all that he is to live.

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition. Copyright © 2010 by Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software
ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Schnorr Von Carolsfeld woodcuts, ‘The Crucifixion’© WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use
LCMS Lectionary notes © 2018 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis
Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

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