Leaving the Crowds: Who Do You Say Jesus Is?

In Mark 8:27-30, we find Jesus and His disciples in a rare moment - they're alone, without the usual crowds that followed Jesus everywhere. This pivotal conversation takes place in the villages around Caesarea Philippi, a dangerous area known for pagan worship and Roman occult practices. It's a place where most good Jewish men would never venture.

Yet Jesus deliberately leads His disciples there, away from the crowds, to ask them the most important question anyone will ever answer.

Why Jesus Goes Where Others Won't

The God we serve is not intimidated by dangerous places. While Moses sent spies into the Promised Land and Joshua sent reconnaissance to Jericho, Jesus doesn't send His disciples ahead to check if it's safe. He goes Himself and invites them to follow.

This reveals something crucial about following Jesus: it's not always comfortable. As C.S. Lewis wrote about Aslan in The Chronicles of Narnia: "Who said anything about being safe? Of course he isn't safe. He's a lion. But he's good, and he's the king."

The Question That Changes Everything

In this isolated moment, away from the admiring crowds, Jesus asks two questions:

1. "Who do people say I am?" - The disciples respond that people compare Him to John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. These were compliments, suggesting Jesus was a great preacher or miracle worker.

2. "Who do YOU say I am?" - This is the question that matters most. Peter answers, "You are the Messiah" (or Christ, the Anointed One).

This confession marks a turning point in Jesus' ministry. Matthew's account adds that Jesus responded: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it."

Two Categories of Followers

From this moment, Jesus divides people into two categories:

1. The Crowds - Those who admire Jesus, support Him, and enjoy His teaching and miracles, but ultimately return to their normal lives.

2. The Disciples - Those who recognize Jesus as the Messiah and give up everything to follow Him. They left their homes, families, respected careers, and eventually gave their lives as martyrs.

You cannot be in both categories. You must choose.

What Does True Discipleship Cost?

When Jesus returns to Jewish territory in Mark 8:34, He addresses both groups: "He called the crowd to him along with his disciples." To those who want to move from being admirers to disciples, He gives three requirements:

1. Deny yourself
2. Take up your cross
3. Follow me

The cross wasn't a symbol of hope then - it was an instrument of torture and death. Jesus wasn't asking for admiration or support; He was asking for death to self.

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?"

The Wheelbarrow Test

This reminds me of Charles Blondin, the tightrope walker who crossed Niagara Falls 150 years ago. After walking across multiple times - making an omelet, balancing on a chair, and pushing a wheelbarrow - he asked the cheering crowd of 150,000 people: "Do you believe I can push this wheelbarrow across the tightrope?"

They enthusiastically shouted, "Yes!"

Then he asked, "Who will get in the wheelbarrow?"

Only one man, Henry Concord, who had worked with Blondin and seen him perform many times, volunteered. While 150,000 people supported and admired Blondin, only one trusted him with his life.

Life Application

The question for us today is: Have you gotten in the wheelbarrow? Have you truly died to yourself, or are you just going through the motions of Christianity?

Jesus doesn't want your admiration or support. He wants total surrender. He's asking you to lay down your life so He can raise you to new life in, through, and for Him.

This might seem scary. Giving God complete control means everything in your life will change. But remember - the God we serve isn't scared or intimidated by the things that worry you. Jesus isn't pacing the floors of heaven with anxiety.

Ask yourself these questions this week:

• Am I in the crowd or among the disciples?
• What areas of my life am I still holding back from God?
• What would it look like to fully "get in the wheelbarrow" and trust Jesus with everything?
• What's one step I can take this week to move from admiration to true discipleship?

The invitation is clear: Don't be content with being part of the crowd. Leave the crowds behind and become a true disciple who recognizes Jesus as the Messiah and follows Him completely - no matter where He leads.

Guarding Your Heart: The Spiritual Battle Every Christian Faces

In 2 Timothy 1, Paul writes urgently to Timothy from prison, believing his execution is imminent. His most crucial advice? "By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you" (2 Timothy 1:14). This command to guard our hearts isn't just casual advice—it's a military term suggesting an armed soldier standing vigilant watch.

But why must we guard our hearts? From whom are we guarding them? And most importantly, how do we do it effectively?

Why Must Christians Guard Their Hearts?

When you accept Christ, something remarkable happens. You who were once dead in sin are made alive in Christ. God saves you not because of anything you've done, but simply because He loves you. He gives you purpose and calls you to glorify His name.

But here's the reality: the moment you give your heart to Jesus, you become a target.

Think of it like a football game. Where's the most dangerous place to be? On the field with the ball—not in the bleachers. When you have something valuable (Christ in you), you become vulnerable. The player with the ball has everyone trying to tackle him.

Who Is the Enemy We're Guarding Against?

The enemy is hell itself—demonic forces that target you, your children, your grandchildren, and your church. While Jesus defeated death and sin on the cross, hell continues to battle, like Japanese holdouts who fought for decades after World War II officially ended.

This enemy goes by many names: the Devil, Lucifer, Satan, the evil one, the accuser of the brethren. Jesus describes him as "the thief" who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). Peter warns that he "prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (1 Peter 5:8).

The Enemy Is Not What You Think

Many Christians have a distorted view of demonic influence, picturing gothic imagery or cartoonish red creatures with pitchforks. But Scripture describes the enemy as:

• Stunning
• Beautiful
• Subtle
• Seductive
• Sneaky
• Smart
• Strong

Paul writes that "Satan disguises himself as an angel of light" (2 Corinthians 11:14). Eve was tempted because the fruit was "a delight to the eyes." The enemy doesn't tempt with obvious evil but with things that look good.

Spiritual Warfare Is Subtle

Spiritual warfare isn't a tsunami that suddenly destroys your house. It's more like a leaky pipe dripping until eventually your whole house floods.

Consider this: You wouldn't tolerate someone preaching demonic messages from the pulpit. You'd walk out if someone promoted revenge, infidelity, or idol worship. Yet many Christians willingly consume these same messages through entertainment—movies, books, and music that subtly corrupt their minds.

The enemy doesn't try to get you on a path of darkness—you're already there. He simply supplements what your sinful heart already wants, presenting it in attractive ways.

The Enemy Is Strategic

In Jonah 1:3, when Jonah decided to flee to Tarshish, "he found a ship going to Tarshish." The lesson? If you're looking for a ship, you'll find one.

When the enemy plants thoughts in your head—dissatisfaction with your spouse, justifications for dishonesty, loopholes for sin—he ensures you'll find exactly what you're looking for. No one randomly falls into adultery or stumbles into an affair. These begin with preconceived ideas the enemy plants in your mind.

How Do We Guard Our Hearts?

Here's the secret: You don't. You can't.

If you could guard your heart from sin, you wouldn't need a Savior in the first place. Paul makes it clear that we guard the good deposit "by the Holy Spirit who dwells within us" (2 Timothy 1:14).

In Luke 11, Jesus speaks of a strong man guarding his palace. But when one stronger attacks him, he takes away his armor. In this story, you're not the strong man—you're the palace. The devil is the strong man, and only a stronger man—Jesus—can defeat him.

Submit to God, Then Resist the Devil

James 4:7 is often misquoted as simply "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." But the full verse begins with the crucial first step: "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."

You don't guard your heart by arming yourself and standing post. You guard it by falling on your knees and surrendering to Jesus. The more you surrender to God, the more you're in His Word, the more God blocks out the accuser's voice.

When the accuser tells you you're not good enough, the stronger man reminds you:

• "Greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world" (1 John 4:4)
• "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)
• "Nothing can separate us from the love of God" (Romans 8:38-39)
• "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans 8:1)

Life Application

Take an honest inventory of your spiritual life today:

1. Are you spending more time scrolling through your phone than reading your Bible?
2. What are you teaching your children about priorities—that education, sports, and careers matter more than eternity?
3. Is your church involvement sporadic, or are you actively serving and praying?
4. When was the last time you were desperate for God "as a deer pants for flowing streams"?

The battle for your heart isn't won through your own strength. It's won through surrender to the stronger man—Jesus Christ. Consider these questions:

• What areas of my life have I been trying to guard in my own strength?
• Where have I allowed subtle influences to corrupt my thinking?
• How can I more fully submit to God this week?
• What practical steps can I take to immerse myself in God's Word and prayer?

Remember, guarding your heart isn't about isolation from the world or superstitious practices. It's about submission to Christ, who alone has the power to close the gate and tell the enemy, "You can't come in here."