(11-18-2009 09:27 PM)boldlyproclaimingchrist Wrote: [ -> ]They followed Him but they didn't know who He was. Start from Mark 1 and you'll see. The crowds were amazed at what He was teaching but they didn't know who he was. When He told the disciples to follow Him, they didn't ask who He was and He didn't tell them. He gained a larger crowd of people following Him due to the miracles He performed, but they still didn't know who He was at that time.
Lord's Blessing to All:
Excellent question Vic, Jesus's question to Peter and or us, is as relative today as it was then.
What's interesting to me in addition to 30 is 8:33, when Jesus tells satan to get behind Him, after Peter had rebuked Jesus because He had been teaching them, that He would suffer many things, put to death, and raised on the third day.
Oh boy, Satan has the easiest job cuz all he has to do is cause people to doubt. Verse 8:33 Jesus's elaborates "For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men" Wow, Jesus was saying this to satan; your power comes from God, and is used by God to "work out" His Will and for those in Christ, to our good (Rom 8:28) and Christ's Glory, and one day you will be thrown into the lake of fire.
These verses remind me of Genesis Chapter 6, a story of Noah while building the arch before the flood. Noah was telling them to repent and that judgement from God was coming yet no one believed and they went about their daily business. As with the crowd of Jesus time, they too, were man focused instead of God centered.
But back to the question, I think that Jesus's knew that His Plan would not be thwarted, yet I think His point of telling His disciples not to discuss His Godhead as Messiah, was to confirm the religious leaders unbelief in God's Word and their belief that righteousness came by circumcision. They were as are many today, missing the truth of Gods Words and the sign of His prophecy as s said in Isaiah 53: 5 - 6,
5.) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastiesement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. 6.) All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his won way ; And the Lord has laid on Him the sins of us all.
Again they looked to circumcision or works of the law as a sign of Gods approval rather than looking to God and HIs Word. They had a mind set that was apart from God. His Grace and Righteousness was missed and they were yoked to 'works' rather than belief.
Paul states in Roman's 1:19, "because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. And Romans 3: 1 and 2,
1.) What advantage then has the Jew, or what is the profit of circumcision? 2.) Much in every way! Chiefly because to them were committed the oracles of God. Yet, 3:20, states that "therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 3:21.) But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets.
I think the religious leaders at that time had incorporated a political system wrapped up in the law which caused them to be 'self' motivated rather than faith and belief centered. They had a pre-conceived notion of what Messiah was to be, perhaps another Moses, born into an ruling class that had sign and wonders to dazzle them just as Moses had when crossing the Red Sea. [/size]