You're welcome. Shalom. Holy Scriptures and Israel is a ministry designed to share with the Jewish people the good news of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, and to instruct Christians on the Jewish roots of their faith. And now, teaching God's Word from a Hebrew messianic perspective, here is Gideon Levitam. Shabbat Shalom, everyone. It's wonderful to be able to come together and to be able to be under the sound of the Word. What a privilege it is for us to spend the time to read the Scripture together and to go especially through this wonderful Gospel, the Gospel of Marcus. And today, in this Shabbat ministry meeting, we are going to read from Mark Chapter 8, verses 27 to 38. The theme here in this portion of scripture is Yeshua, the Son of Man, who must die and also rise again. So please open your Bibles and read with me from Mark chapter 8, verse 27 to 38. And I'm reading. And Yeshua went out, and His disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. And by the way, He asked His disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? And they answered, John the Baptizer, Yohanan Hamadbil, but some say Eliyahu, or Elijah, and others say one of the prophets. Echad Meha Nevi'im. And he saith unto them, But whom do ye say that I am? And Peter answered and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. Atah Hu HaMashiach. Thou art the Messiah. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and the scribes and be killed and after three days rise again. And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him and began to rebuke him. But when he had turned about and looked On his disciples he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples, also he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me, End of my words, in this adulterous and sinful generation of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. Thus far, well, I read from Mark chapter 8 verses 27 to 38. This is a very, very important passage, beloved brothers and sisters, to remind you that in our previous ministry meeting, we dealt with Mark 8 verses 10 to 26, where Yeshua warned his disciples that they have to be careful from the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. And He taught them the importance of being sound, and to be careful not to be legal on the one hand, not to be liberal on the other hand, and to understand that He was the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. If you remember in the very same chapter 8, when the Pharisees wanted from Him that He will show them a sign, He said unto them, Why does this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given unto this generation. And when we read along with this passage of Mark 8 verse 12, we read Matthew chapter 16 and Matthew chapter 12, we learn that Yeshua the Messiah gave the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Herodians, The truth concerning the sign of Jonah the prophet, Yonah HaNavi. As Yonah was three days and three nights in a fish's belly, so must the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the belly or in the heart of this earth. So this is very, very important because when we understand the importance of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah, we will understand that He is the one that will come to fulfill all what God had promised our forefathers, the people of Israel, through the law, through the prophets and through the writings. But now, dear brothers and sisters, as we continue on to that last portion of Mark chapter 8, we see how it was important for Yeshua, the Messiah, that His very own disciples will understand it. That they will grasp the necessity of Christ, of the Mashiach, to die, to be buried, and to rise again. and He wanted them individually to understand it. They already have accepted Him. They followed after Him. He has already called them, and He sent them away to minister His Word, to heal the sick. He already has done so. But it seemed to be that even though they were His disciples and others that follow after Him from among the nation of Israel, yet they didn't quite sink it down deep into their hearts. And I would say that even many of us today we would not quite understand all these things especially that in his days they didn't have the New Testament, the Brit HaChadashah they only have the Tanach Messiah did not die yet the church age did not begin and so they were limited with the information that they have had yet they had enough information to accept what he is teaching So, here is now, He is taking them, their disciples, along with others that have accepted Him, and He lead them out towards the north of Israel. To remind you, that earlier in the previous chapters, the end of chapter 7, the beginning of chapter 8, Yeshua went north. beyond the borders of Israel to Tzor and Sidon. He went to the north, present-day Lebanon. Then he went east. He crossed the Jordan River, went east to the Decapolis, the 10 cities. There he ministered to the Gentiles as well, to the Goyim. Then he returned back and now again he is in Galilee and now he's taking his disciples again from the Galil, and He takes them again north. This time He takes them as far as a place that is called Caesarea Philippi. And so you notice in this 8th chapter of Mark from verse 27 to verse 30, you notice that Yeshua is questioning His disciples when He takes them further north just to the place called Caesarea Philippi, just below Mount Hermon. Mount Hermon is called still today the Eye of Israel. It's one of the highest mountains in the Golan Heights. And this is the location where Yeshua is taking the disciples. You notice the name in verse 27 of Mark chapter 8. And Yeshua went out and His disciples into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. Now Caesarea Philippi is named after Augustus Caesar and Herod Philip. That's why it's called Caesarea Philippi. And in the name that it is given today, it's called the Banias. Why it is called the Banias? Because in olden days there was a city, you might say, a place where the Pan-God of the Greeks were there worshipped. He was there worshipped, called the Pan-God, and in Arabic instead of saying Pan-Yas, they say Ban-Yas, and therefore the name came to be called the Banias. There the Pan God of the Greeks was worshipped. It was a place where idol worship existed. And here Yeshua the Messiah is taking his disciples right to this very same place where at once the worship of a false god was, in order for them to see who is the true Messiah, the true and living God of Israel, and the Messiah who is the Savior of this world. So you notice, dear brothers and sisters, that in verse 27 Yeshua went to Caesarea Philippi, the city at the foot of Mount Hermon. It is about 40 kilometers further north from the Galilee, and there He asked them a very important question. Notice, He is now speaking to those among the people of Israel who have accepted Him, who have believed that He was indeed the Mashiach, the Messiah. So He asked them in verse 27 at the end of this verse, Whom do men say that I am? Now this is an essential question. Today when you really think about the importance of knowing one's destiny everything depended upon the knowledge of the person of Yeshua the Messiah. You notice that everyone will have one day to stand before God and to give an account to whether he or she know who is this person by the name of Yeshua, Jesus the Messiah. And he asked him, whom do men say that I am? I'm sure you have heard many, many opinions about the person of Jesus, of Yeshua the Messiah. Some say that he is a good rabbi. Some say that he was just a leader that have led the whole world to follow after him. Others say that he was a prophet. Others say that he was a good man and a man that somehow was successful to influence all the world. And that's why there are so many people who named the name of Yeshua, of Jesus, the Messiah in the world in which we live in today. But the important thing, beloved brothers and sisters, is to know him, to know not only about him, but to know this person, who he is, why is he claiming to be the Mashiach, the purpose that he came to this world. All this about the person of Yeshua the Messiah is important to know. Individually, everyone has to know the person of Yeshua the Messiah. So he asked them, whom do men say that I am? And the men noticed is the population. Of course, in those days, the people of whom he was speaking are from among the nation of Israel. You remember, as we studied a few earlier chapters, from chapter 1 all the way to chapter 8, where we are today in this ministry. You remember how we read the whole Gospel of Mark, the beginning of the Gospel of Yeshua, the Messiah, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets, Behold, I send my messages before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." And how John the baptizer cried and said, prepare the ways of the Lord. That's how the gospel began. He is the one that was sent from heaven to come to this world to become the Redeemer, the Savior of sinners. And so the question was asked, And you and I, whoever is here, whoever listened to my voice, you will have to give an account one day to know whether you have known about this person. What think ye of Him, of the Messiah, of the person by the name of Yeshua, by the name of Jesus. And so, in the next verse, Mark 8, 28, here is the response of the disciples who have already accepted Him as the Mashiach, But they come up with the answers because they have heard what many in the land of Israel thought about Jesus, Yeshua himself. And they answered and they said to Yeshua, she says, some say that you are John the baptizer, Yohanan Hamadbil. But some say that you are Elijah or Eliyahu in Hebrew. And yet others say that you are one of the prophets. Echad meha neviim, one of the prophets. You notice that even in these days where Yeshua was here on earth, some 2000 years ago, people had an opinion about Him. Well, obviously, they saw the miracle that he had accomplished. He fed the multitude. He gave sight to the blind. The lame were able to walk. The deaf could hear. The dumb could speak. He had accomplished so much in the land of Israel, specifically in the Galil, in the area surrounding the Kinneret, the sea. of Galilee. So they say that, some say that he is Yohanan Hamadbil, John the Baptizer. John the Baptizer, if you remember, he called, he went down to the Jordan River and all Judea and Jerusalem came down to him and he baptized many there and he said, prepare the way of the Lord because the Messiah was going to come. Get ready, the Messiah is coming. Others thought that he, that Yeshua, the Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, was Elijah. Elijah is an important figure among the nation of Israel. He is the one, if you remember, that prayed and the heavens were shut for three and a half years. and he prayed again and God have responded to his prayer and that he was the one that answered to Elijah to Eliyahu and the rain came back to the land of Israel Elijah Eliyahu was also promised to our forefathers that he will come and he will restore the hearts of the fathers unto the children and the children unto their fathers as we read in Malachi chapter 4 verse 5 where we read, Behold, I send to you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. and He shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." So the last prophet of Israel had promised Malachi, promised that Eliyahu, Elijah will come to restore the hearts of the fathers to the children and the children to their fathers. Well, but Yeshua was unique he was the one that came from heaven and therefore Elijah was really not the Messiah himself and of course the third answer some said that he is one of the Nevi'im one of those prophets like for example he may be in Isaiah or Jeremiah or any one of the prophets Ezekiel or Daniel and so on the people of Israel may thought about the Messiah when he would come about Jesus assuming that he may be one of those prophets but beloved brothers and sisters that was the opinion of the population surrounding the land of Israel and today we might say as we live here in this country and around the world many people have an opinion human opinion about Jesus the Messiah, many, many views about Him, all sorts of thoughts concerning the person of Yeshua the Messiah, but it is essential for everyone to make it personal and to know truly who Yeshua, who Jesus the Messiah, is and that's what he wanted to bring out from the disciples he wanted them to understand who he is the reason he came and what he will accomplish he wanted them to understand because soon and very soon he's going to leave the Galil to leave the north of Israel and go down to Jerusalem and Judea and Jerusalem and there he will accomplish the greatest thing that ever has been accomplished upon the face of this earth. Not so much as even creation, but He is going to provide redemption. That is the reason why it was essential for the disciples to exclaim and to know who Yeshua is. And so that's why you ask the question, whom do men say that I am? And the response was, some said that you are Yohanan Hamadbil, John the Baptizer, Eliyahu, Elijah, or one of the prophets of Israel. Well, you notice how the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, is drawing out the disciples' view about the person of Yeshua the Messiah. And so in verse 29, you notice, He said unto them, But whom do ye say that I am? Notice that? Okay, it's one thing for someone else to say something about me, but what do you think about me? What do you, and I would like to challenge everyone that hears this message, what do you think about the Lord Yeshua the Messiah? What is your opinion about Him? And is your opinion lines up with the Scripture, with the Hebrew Scripture, with the Word of God? And you notice how He wanted the disciples, whom do ye say that I And of course, Simon Peter always seems to be the one that responds quickly. He had been the kind of a person that is reacting maybe quickly, just to remind you that he loved the Lord. He wanted to serve Him. He wanted to live for Him. He was one of those early apostles or disciples that were chosen by the Lord Yeshua. And if you remember, it was He, the one that the Lord said to Him, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And He's the one that followed after the Lord. He left the fishing, if you remember, and he followed after the Lord. You remember in chapter 1 of the Gospel of Mark, Yeshua said to Simon and Andrew, his brother, Come ye after me and I will make you to become fishers of men. And straightway they forsook the nets and they followed him. So Simon Peter really responded to the call of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. He's speaking, responding, and actually he's responding on behalf of all those disciples, because he was, you might say, the spokesman. And so Simon, we read Peter in verse 29, answered and he said unto him, Thou art the Christ. You are the Messiah. Thou art the anointed. Now I want to pause here for a moment and just to mention a few important things about one who is anointed. To remind you that in Israel's history, there were many who were anointed. If you remember the priest in Exodus 29, 7 and Exodus 40, verse 13, the priest of Israel, Aaron, he was anointed to become the high priest of Israel. The prophets of Israel, they also were anointed. In 1 Kings chapter 19 and verse 16, a prophet was anointed. The anointed come from the Hebrew word, Limshoach, or Mashiach. the oil was placed upon one's head, and he was an anointed to a certain office. So, Aaron was anointed to the office of the high priest, the prophet was anointed to the office of a prophet, but not only that, even the kings of our nation Israel, they were also anointed to become kings of Israel, to take the office of a king. King Shaul was anointed in 1 Samuel chapter 10 to be the king over Israel. He was the first king of Israel. And of course, David Melech Yisrael, David, the King of Israel, was anointed to become the King of Israel by Samuel in 1st Samuel chapter 16. He was anointed in the midst of his brethren to become the King of Israel. So there were many anointed ones. You might say, en-anointed. An anointed priest, an anointed King and anointed prophet. In fact, according to the Word of God, in Isaiah chapter 44 and 45, we find out that once in the whole history of the world, there was a person who was not from among the people of Israel, whom God called him an anointed. And that was King Cyrus. If you remember when God raised Cyrus to become the one who will restore our people Israel back to the land after 70 years in Babylon, according to Isaiah 45, thus says the Lord, verse 1, to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden to subdue nations before him, And I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two-leaved gates, and the gates shall not be shut." He was going to defeat Babylon, and he was going to become the ruler, the king. But as far as God is concerned, He was an anointed one. He was a chosen one, but he was anointed for this ministry to allow the people of Israel, the Jewish people, to be restored back to the promised land after the 70 years of captivity in Babel. So, there were many anointed ones. The kings were anointed, the priests were anointed, the prophets were anointed. But you see, beloved brothers and sisters, here we learn that Yeshua, the Messiah, was THE anointed. HaMashiach. Not only Mashiach, but HaMashiach, THE Messiah. That's why Peter said, Thou art THE Anointed. HaMashiach, THE Christ. The word Christ comes from the Greek word Christos. And the Christos comes from the Hebrew word Mashiach, which is translated in the English language to the word Messiah or Anointed. And so how wonderful to see the exclamation that Simon Peter, that Shimon Petros gave concerning Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. You are HaMashiach. You are the Messiah. But we don't have it here in the Gospel of Mark. But when we go back to the Gospel of Matthew, the Gospel of Matthew was specifically geared for our people Israel, the nation of Israel. There, in the Gospel of Matthew, we have something that is written that the Spirit of God added, that was spoken by Peter, that Mark did not record. And this is very important, because in Matthew chapter 16, And verse 16, after Yeshua asked the disciples, but whom say ye that I am, the response of Simon Peter is this. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art THE Mashiach, THE Anointed, and then he adds, the Son of the Living God. Now this is extremely important. That's why it's good to read all the four Gospels along together, so it will help us to get the combined truth. that all these evangelists declare concerning the person of Yeshua. He is not only THE anointed, but the reason that He was qualified to be THE anointed, the Mashiach, Ham Mashiach, is because of the fact that He was the Eternal Son of the Living God. Ben Elohim Chaim. He could never be the Anointed One unless He was that Holy One of Israel, the Son of God who came from heaven, who was born to the Virgin Miriam in the city of Bethlehem, who lived throughout His life here in this earth, The Galil in the land of Israel in the city of Yerushalayim ministered there throughout the land and died in the city of Jerusalem was raised and have gone back to heaven. He is the Messiah because he entered into this world because he came as the sinless one who was the Son of God. Ben Elohim Chaim Now you remember, beloved brothers and sisters that when the prophets of Israel spoke years ago for example, Isaiah said in chapter 7 and verse 14 the Virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son and she shall call his name Emmanuel Emmanuel means with us in Hebrew El means God, God with us In chapter 9 and verse 6 we read in the prophet Isaiah this beautiful statement concerning the birth and the coming of the Messiah. We read in Isaiah chapter 9 and I'll read it in verse 6 it says for unto us A child is born. This is the Incarnation, the Humanity of the Messiah. But then they continue, but unto us a son is given. This is the Eternal Son of God. As a son He was given, as a child He was born. That teaches us the fact that the Messiah has existed from eternity past. He was always the one that was the beloved Son of the Father, God the Son. It says here in Isaiah 9, 6, And the government shall be upon his shoulder, looking to the future, when Israel will be restored. And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God. the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace, Sar Shalom. So, here is Isaiah is speaking about the Messiah who will come, but He actually is called in Scripture, a Son that was given, God with us. You remember the Psalmist of Israel, the Psalmist said in Psalm 2, where we read in verse 12, the last verse, Kiss the Son, let He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled, but a little, blessed are all they that put their trust in Him. So He is the Son of God, Ben Elohim, In order for him to become THE anointed one, he is the one that came from heaven, the sinless one, the undefiled one, the separate from sinners one, the one who is qualified to be not only AN anointed, but THE anointed, Ham Mashiach. Well, after they gave him this answer, wonderful answer, then the Lord Yeshua said to them, it's kind of very interesting, He said to them, He charged them, verse 30, Mark 8, verse 30, He charged them that they should tell no man of Him. Well, why did He say it? Do you think he didn't want people to know that he is the Messiah? Of course he wanted people to know, but the reason he said it, and he said it more than once, according to the Gospel of Mark, in Mark 1, 44 and 45, in Mark 5 verse 43 in Mark 7 36 and even in this passage in Mark chapter 8 and verse 26 he said to the one who was blind he sent him away to his house and he said neither go into the town nor tell it to any in the town he said it again and again because he wanted that people will not come to Him only as a healer to fix their bodies, to make them to be able to see, and to hear, and to walk, and so on. He wanted people, mankind, to know that He is much more than a healer of the body, but a healer of the soul. We're going to talk about it in a moment the importance of the soul and the healing of the soul. So beautiful passage thus far Mark 8 verses 27 to 30 Yeshua's questioning his disciples Whom do men say that I am? And they gave him the answer of what men thought of him, but he also wanted the disciples to answer, but whom do you say that I am? And Peter's great confession, you are the Mashiach. And as we read in Matthew chapter 16, the son of the living God. And to remind you, that in Matthew 16 verse 17 he continued and he said to Peter Peter flesh and blood has not revealed unto you but my father which is in heaven God gave this revelation to the people whom He revealed the truth concerning Yeshua the Messiah. And we need to pray that the Lord will reveal it to the hearts of many, family members, friends, and loved ones, and even the enemies, that God will open the hearts of people, that they will know who Yeshua is, that He is the Eternal Son of God, and that He is the Anointed, HaMashiach. Very, very important. Well, in the next portion of this passage, in Mark chapter 8, from verse 31 to verse 33, those three verses, Yeshua now teaches his disciples of the necessity for him to suffer, to die, and to be resurrected. to suffer and to die and to be buried and raised from among the dead on the third day. And again, beloved brothers and sisters, this is very important. Now, you and I might say, if He is the Son of God, if He came from heaven, and He could heal the sick, He could feed the multitude, He could raise the dead, He could do miracles, walk on the sea of Galilee. Well, why can't he just say a word and he can fix the problem in this world? He could say, have peace or say one word and he could fix everything and he can make all the bad things disappear and things to be just okay here in this world. But you see, this will never do. Why? Because we have all sinned. We have all inherited a sin nature. When David confessed, he said, in sin did my mother conceive me. When Isaiah spoke to the Lord, when he saw the glory of God, he said, Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips. When Peter, in some of his conversation with the Lord in the boat, he says, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. He said. And we can look throughout the history, from Adam till today, we realize that all of us have sinned, we have inherited a sinful nature. Just remember what Paul said in Romans chapter 3 verse 23, for all have sinned. and come short of the glory of God. Shaul Paul was quoting what the Psalmists of Israel have already said years ago in Psalm 14, Psalm 53, that God looked from above to see if there is anyone that does right. or does good. And you know what He declared? There is no good, not even one. And we can say there is no good, not even you, or not even I. Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. And this is the reason why the Mashiach, the Messiah had to come. He came to deal with the question of sin. Adam, the first man, plunged us into sin. He plunged the whole human race in the Garden of Eden into sin. That's why you and I are called sinners. But Yeshua, the Messiah, came in order to restore back to that which God desired for the people whom He created. And so in verse 31, Yeshua is saying to the disciples, He began to teach them, verse 31, that the Son of Man, notice that, must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And this is an amazing verse. The son of man must suffer, must be killed, must be resurrected again on the third day. Notice the word must here, not should or ought, but he must. Why does he have to die? Because sin had to be paid for. We have all sinned. God has to judge sin. I don't think many people understand it. Sometimes man says, you know, why God is such a God? Why is he punishing us? You know, what kind of a God it is? Why isn't he a God of love? Just to allow everything to continue on and just love us and never punish us. Well, if God will allow sin to continue on without to judge it, where would you and I be? God do not want a creation that he made to live in an evil condition. All of us have sinned. We have turned away from the Lord. In fact, Isaiah 59, God reminded our people, Israel, in verse two, he says, your inequities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear. Is this sin separate man from God and God from man? According to the book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk said to the God of our fathers in chapter 1, For thou art purer in your eyes than to behold iniquities and cannot look upon sin. John, Yohanan says in 1 John 1, he said God is light and in him there is no darkness at all. Well, this is the kind of God we have. Yeshua quoted what David had said in Psalm 22, My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me? If you remember, and David continued in verse 3 of Psalm 22, And he answered, For thou art holy, thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Israel's God is a God that cannot look upon sin. He is a holy God. And therefore, beloved brothers and sisters, you and I, because we have sinned, we deserve to be punished. This is God's world. He is in charge. He is the creator. He made all things, and He is the one who set up the rules. That's why He is God, and you and I are creatures who are made in the image and the likeness of God. And so here we find out that Yeshua is explaining to them, the Son of Man must, as He says here, He must suffer, He must be killed, and after three days He must rise again. He was really saying something that Isaiah was prophesying concerning the suffering death of the Messiah and the resurrection. In Isaiah 53 and verse 10 it says, Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him. He hath put him to grief. What does it mean it pleased the Lord to bruise him? The Hebrew word for please is the word Chafetz. Chafetz Min wanted. Why did God want so much to bruise the Messiah and to put him to grief and ultimately to death? Because that's the only ground upon which God, as a holy God, could receive a sinful man to himself. That's why the whole sacrificial system was given to the nation of Israel. An animal that was innocent had to be killed, its blood had to be shed and placed upon the altar to satisfy the righteous requirement of a living and a holy God. This animal became a picture of the Messiah who will come in a future day. That's why in John 1.29 we read, Behold the Lamb of God. that taketh away the sin of this world. You see, Yeshua is THE Lamb of God and that's why He came to take away the sin of this world. And so in Mark chapter 8 we read the Son of Man must suffer must be killed and after three days He must rise again. And you notice He used the expression the Son of Man Ben Ha'adam He was this promised Messiah that we read of Him in Daniel chapter 7 and verse 13 one like unto the Son of Man that Daniel saw in his vision that he saw the One that is coming and ruling over this world. It's the same person, it's a messianic title that speaks about the Messiah, the Son of Man, Ben Ha'adam. And just the same, here in our passage in Mark 8.31, He had to suffer, He had to be killed, but He also had to be resurrected. Why? because Romans chapter 4 tells us that he was raised for our justification who was delivered for our offenses and was raised again for our justification. Romans 4 verse 25 when God raised him from among the dead he justify, declare just every person that have trusted in the Lord Yeshua the Messiah. This is so wonderful to know that. And so you notice what happened. He wanted the disciples to know that. And I hope that you and I grasp this, beloved brothers and sisters, because this is essential to understand that the Messiah had to die to be killed and to rise again. There is no other way of salvation. For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3.16 No works, no money, no good deeds, no any human system could avail. One can work as hard as he wants, do good deeds and do all the things that we want to do, which we should do, but still that is not what gives one justification. It is only upon the finished work of Yeshua the Messiah who suffered, died, rose again and faith In Him gives one the ground upon which he can claim redemption and salvation. And so after he said this, notice once again Peter, who loved the Lord, who hosted him in his home, who left the work that he did before just to follow Yeshua the Messiah. Here Peter, again you could see that he didn't grasp what the Messiah, what Yeshua came to do. Because he didn't want him to suffer. He didn't want him to be killed. He loved his Mashiach, his Messiah. He did not want anything to happen unto him. So notice Peter, we read in this next verse, verse 32, he spake that saying openly, and Peter took him and he began to rebuke Yeshua. Can you imagine? Peter says, no, no, no, I don't want this to happen unto you, Yeshua. We don't want all these things to happen unto you. In other words, he rebuked him. He didn't quite understand what it meant for the Messiah to come down to this world. According to Matthew 16 verse 22, He began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. In other words, He said, No, no, no, it's not going to happen. You are not going to suffer. We don't want you to suffer and to be killed. And frankly, beloved brothers and sisters, if you and I were there, would we want that to happen to this holy and righteous man, this Messiah? Of course not. We would probably be like Peter. And apparently Peter was the spokesman for all the disciples because he is the one that again and again became that spokesman. Well, how do we know? that he was the one who was speaking on behalf of all the disciples because at the very next verse Yeshua noticed verse 33 of Mark chapter 8 but when he had turned about and looked on his disciples the Lord Yeshua looked at all the disciples he rebuked Peter but looking at his disciples apparently they were probably the ones who had agreed with Peter no no no This should never come upon you, Lord. You will not suffer and die. So the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, said these words to Peter. He said, Get thee behind me, Satan, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. You notice that? He aligned here Satan and man's opinion. Men and Satan. Men oftentimes think that, no, no, no, the way of being right with God, I have my own thoughts, my own ways, my own plans, my own way where I think I should be right with God. Satan, of course, he is called in a scripture, the God with a small letter G, the God of this world has blinded the mind of them that receive not the Gospel as the glorious Gospel of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah should shine unto them. The God of this world, Satan is the God of this world that rejected the true and living God and the ways of God. In fact, Satan is called sometime in 2nd Corinthians 11, he's coming as an angel of light. And then in 1 Peter chapter 5, he's called as one that coming as a roaring lion, coming seeking who he may devour. Satan do not want anyone to follow God. He does not want the ways of God. And really what we learn here that the Lord Yeshua, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah called Peter and he said to him, get thee behind me, Satan. You are really saying the thing that Satan wants to happen. That I will not accomplish redemption. That man will not be accepting myself and the Living God. That man will continue in his own ways, in a sinful way, away from the Lord. This is what Satan wants. And also, Thou savest not the things of God, but the things of men. In other words, you saying exactly what people say. They want to continue in their own way. They want to live their life. No God in their life. Not Messiah in their life. Men love darkness rather than light. John chapter 3. And you notice now, this is amazing. On the one hand, Peter said, You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God? And that the revelation was from the Father, from God, but now it didn't take too long. And you might say the same time, the same moments after, He said to, He turned, He rebuked Yeshua the Messiah, and He says, No, no, no, no, that would be far from you. Be it far from thee, Lord, this shall not be unto thee. Peter, as well as the disciples, did not grasp the importance of the Messiah's death, burial, and resurrection. And I hope that you and I who listen today to this message from Mark chapter 8 that you grasp this essential truth. This is fundamental. You don't need to be a theologian to know that. It is simple fact. You and I have sinned. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Romans 3.23 Romans 6.23 the wages of sin is death. we deserve to die. So if God is going to allow you and I who have sinned to turn to Him and to receive eternal life someone else have to die in our stead. And that's why Yeshua the Messiah is the one who had suffered and He died but ultimately He will rise again and He sure did rise and He is now seated at God's right hand waiting for the day that He will come to take us to be with Him in glory and also to come and establish the Messianic Kingdom in a future day and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lord. And so after he ministered to the disciples there you notice in the last verses of Mark chapter 8 we have these final thoughts that are very important from verse 34 to verse 38. There, the Lord teaches the disciples the value of a living soul and the value of being a disciple, a follower of Yeshua, of Jesus, the Messiah. And it is very important, dear brothers and sisters, when you and I became believers, in the Lord. True believers, of course, accepted Him into our hearts, have acknowledged that He is the Christ, the Mashiach, the Anointed One, confessed our sins, and He had given us the Holy Spirit to indwell us that very same moment. We didn't only receive eternal life, But we also have entered into the school of God. From here on we became what is called in Hebrew Talmidim. We will call them disciples. All of us are now in the school of God and we are going like an ordinary learner. We are learning, we are growing, we sometimes stumble, we sometimes fail but yet we are growing, we are part of a discipleship course, we might say. The school that God teach about followers of Yeshua the Messiah. Every one of us are in different stages. Some of us just began, others are a little bit ahead, others are even further ahead. We're all in a different stages, but we all have entered into the discipleship school of God. And here in these verses, the Lord is showing the disciples the importance of continuing on and living a life for Him. And so we read in Mark 8, 34, And when He had called the people unto Him with His disciples, you know that these are the people that have acknowledged Him, that follow after Him, in addition to the Talmidim, to the disciples. He called them and He said unto them, notice that, Whosoever will come after Me, Let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever shall save his life shall lose it. But whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's sake, the same shall save it. You notice what he does here in verse 34 and verse 35. He is focusing first of all upon Himself as the One after whom all to follow. Whosoever will come after Me, verse 34, let him follow Me. Notice, it is Me, it is Him, it is the Messiah Himself. In verse 35, whosoever loses his life for My sake, See, he must be the leader, the central figure in the life of God's people. And here he teaches a very, very important lesson because here in verses 34 and 35 we learn the importance of true discipleship. True discipleship has to do with how do we live our life. Do we waste our life? Or do we gain here in the way that we live for the Lord? Unfortunately, we have to confess that many times in the lives of God's people, we think That if we will live here in this world, we'll gain so much more, we'll have everything, the pleasures of this world, we will be happy and we will, yes, we are saved, we have our ticket, we have our salvation secured because we have accepted Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. But we can carry on in our life neglecting to follow after Him. You see, that shows us that the person that is belong to the Lord actually, instead of gaining, instead of saving and using his life for God, is actually wasting. It's a matter of wasting one's life. You know, think about it. How long time are you going to live here on earth? You know, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100 years. How many years one can live? But then we have to go out of this world. We're not going to be here forever. We're going to end up leaving everything behind, obviously. And we're going to stand once before God. And us who are believers, the Lord is going to ask us, how did you spend your life? Remember what we read in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, for we must all appear before the judgment seat of the Messiah. We are all going to have to stand before God, all believers. not only the unbelievers but the believers as well 2nd Corinthians 5 and verse 10 so he says listen if you come after me you will need to learn during your life to deny yourself to take up his cross and to follow after me denying oneself. That does not mean that we don't have responsibilities and families and a work and all what we have to do here in this world. But the point is that everything that the disciples do here in this world are to have God and the Lord Jesus the Messiah as the center. We cannot live our life without having him as the focus, as the center of our life. And notice he says, taking up the cross. The word for cross always reminds us of suffering, shame and ultimately death. When you speak like this, when you think about what it means sometimes to take up the cross, that means that we have to identify with the Messiah that already said earlier. The son of man must suffer. He must suffer to identify with his rejection, with his suffering here in this world. It's easily said, we are not always like this experiences of identifying with the Messiah. But here is the importance of discipleship, identifying with the Messiah. I often think of the verse that we read of Shaul Paul's statement when he wrote to the Galatians, if you remember in Galatians chapter 2, especially there in verse 20, where Shaul Paul said, I am crucified with Christ, with the Mashiach. Nevertheless, I live. And he said, yet not I, but the Messiah lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live in the flesh. I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. You see, Paul, Shaul Paul, he loved Yeshua, he loved the Messiah. And he wanted to live his life for the Lord. And indeed, He did suffer much. He experienced rejection, persecution such as you and I would never experience. But it is amazing how the Apostle Paul presented. So Yeshua says, whosoever shall lose his life, for my sake and for the gospel sake actually he will save his life in other words a healthy life that is a blessing and joyful is when we for the gospel sake for the messiah sake a time we'll have to lose things in this world that we might in the flesh will want very much yet to allow the Lord to lead us in our life is the best thing. That is a gain. So there is a gain versus loss. And the one that will save his life says, listen, I want to carry on my own pleasures and carry on in my own way. Eventually that person is going to lose. his life. Remember about Abraham we read in Genesis chapter 12 you remember when God called Abraham our father in Genesis chapter 12 and he said to him get thee out of thy country out of thy kindred in thy father's house and go into the land which I will give you I will tell thee of And we read how Abraham have done so. And he departed as the Lord had spoken unto him. That's what Abraham our father... You remember Moses? We read of Moses in Hebrews 11 verse 24 to 26. He rather suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasure of sin for a season. And we can just continue on. We think of David in the first Samuel chapter 24, where he is the one that chose to follow God. He could take the kingdom from King Saul, but he said, no, no, no, I'm not going to take the kingdom. I will wait on God and he will give me the kingdom in his time. And he chose to identify with the God of Israel. rather than with his own flesh. While his own people said to him, Here you have an opportunity, David. Kill King Saul and take the kingdom. And David's heart was smitten when he even cut the part of the garment of King Saul. David, David, Moshe, Moses, Abraham, Abraham, all these fathers of the nation of Israel gave us a great example in the history how they chose the better way rather than the ways of the world. And Saul, Paul said this the same. New Testament followers of Yeshua gave us the very same example. Whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the Gospels, the same shall save it. And now quickly as we draw to the end of this 8th chapter of Mark in verse 36 we have a wonderful statement where Yeshua said for what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but lose his own soul? Amazing! The context here is discipleship believers who follow the Messiah Loss and gain, gain and loss. But we often take this passage and preach the message of the gospel. So let's say a person will, what will it profit a man if he or she will gain the whole world, everything, but lose his own soul. Can you imagine You know, it doesn't take too long and the years pass by. You were young, you were 10, you were 20, you were 30, you were 40, you were 50, you were 60, you were 70, you were 80, and then you had to let go and leave everything behind and know that you will have to stand before the Living God one day. What shall it profit a man? if he or she will gain the whole world, but lose his own soul. So this is really can be spoken about the nations of the world, people who are still unsaved. But even for the believer, the believer's soul need to be refreshed and encouraged and submissive to the person of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and to be occupied with Him. Gain or loss? Gain is every time we follow the Lord, it's always gain for us. And every time we do not follow the Lord, eventually it is a loss, even for the believer in Yeshua the Messiah. We read in verse 37 of Mark 8, "...or watch, and a man give in exchange for his soul." There is nothing that one can give in exchange for his or her soul. Why? Because the soul is precious, and the soul needs someone paying more than just money, but someone who is paying the price for a sinful soul. Psalm 49 says in verse 6, the Psalms for the sons of Koach that David may have written and given to them. But we read, they that trust in their wealth and boast themselves in the multitude of their riches, none of them can by any means redeem his brother. nor give to God a ransom for him." Why? Because the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceases forever. That expression, and it ceases forever, means and no one can ever pay enough to redeem a soul. It doesn't matter how much one has, how much one does to pay the price for a sinful precious soul is the precious, precious blood that Yeshua the Messiah had shed for redemption of mankind. And so I encourage you, dear friend, as you listen to this message that you will realize that your soul is precious there is nothing that you can give in exchange for the soul the price was paid by Yeshua the Messiah who explaining this to His disciples What shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole world and loot his own soul? What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Nothing. The only price that was given in exchange for the soul is the price that Yeshua the Messiah paid when he died, he suffered and died and rose again for our justification. And so Mark chapter 8 In verse 38, conclude this chapter where Yeshua said, Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. He said that the believers need not to be ashamed of the Messiah who suffered, bled, and died. And the disciples needed to learn that, that when they follow the Messiah, they ought not to be ashamed of the person of the Messiah and the words that he taught. Not to be ashamed of me and not to be ashamed of what I taught, my words, my saying, Yeshua said. Because the day coming in which the Son of Man will be the one who is going to be judging the whole world. And as we read here, the one that will be ashamed and reject the Messiah, He is the one that the Son of Man will be ashamed of Him when He comes in the glory of His Father and the Holy Angels. Here, beloved brothers and sisters, the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah promise that He is going to come again. He's going to come. He doesn't speak about the rapture here. He speaks about the second coming of the Messiah. He's going to come in the glory of his father and with the holy angels of whom we read in the book of Revelation and also in the book of Daniel by Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7. Behold, he comes with clouds. and every eye shall see Him, and they also which pierce Him, and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 7. He is coming. He is returning. Eventually, He will establish the Messianic Kingdom. Israel will be restored. The world will be blessed. That is yet in the future. But until then, until the future day, the Gospel is being presented for all of us today. And the Lord said, What shall it prove for the man, if he should gain the whole world, but lose his own soul? Make sure, He is saying, that you know who Yeshua is, accept Him, recognize that He suffered, died, buried and rose again for yours and mine justification. May the Lord encourage us and that we will appreciate what Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah have done for us. Can we say amen to that? so You have been listening to the Holy Scriptures and Israel with Gideon Levitam. Gideon teaches God's Word from a Hebrew messianic perspective. For more information about this ministry, write to Holy Scriptures and Israel, Box 1411, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, or visit our website at holyscripturesandisrael.com. You are also invited to Gideon's weekly Bible teaching on Fridays at 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. at Willowdale Christian Assembly Hall, 28 Martin Ross Avenue in Toronto. Holy Scriptures and Israel is made possible by your prayers and financial support. If you would like to support the program, visit holyscripturesandisrael.com. God bless you. Shalom, shalom. StSq2 2.60