Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Word of the Lord which engages us this morning comes from our Gospel lesson (Mark 8: 27-34). ����������������

There's a party activity that helps get people acquainted. The name of a famous person is pinned on the back of each person. Other guests look at the name on your back and then talk to you as if you were that person. You try to guess who you are. Now look at the name on my back. ((Jesus is the name)) What would you say to me? What would you ask me? In a sense, Jesus asked his disciples to do this activity with him. And we are going to do it now. (Weisheit, 1994) ����������������

Who do other people say Jesus is? The answers given almost 2000 years ago, at least the ones the disciples reported here, were generally positive: "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets." John the Baptist had been killed by Herod, but some thought God had raised this prophet back from the dead to continue preparing for the Messiah. Elijah too was to come, according Rabbinic teachings of the time, and act as a high priest who would anoint the Messiah and usher in the new kingdom. ����������������

Not everyone of Jesus' time was being so kind to him. Many of the Jewish leaders called him a deceiver (Matthew 27: 63), a blasphemer (Matthew 26: 65), and a false prophet. It wasn't that Jesus hadn't provide enough evidence for them. They knew he was from God, but denied him because they wanted to keep control over their petty little kingdoms. ����������������

Who do people say Jesus is today? Outside church circles people still say interesting things about Jesus. He is called an important historical figure, a Jewish preacher who changed the world with his teachings like the Golden rule and to "love one another." Muslims call him a great prophet sent from God, but note that an even greater prophet came later in Muhammad. Most Jewish people still deny Jesus is the Messiah. Most secularists simply want to ignore him. Think about some of your friends who are not Christians. If they saw this sign on your back at a party, what would they say to you? ����������������

But what of Peter's answer? "You are the Christ!" Peter voiced the sentiments of his fellow disciples. Who do we say Jesus is? We just confessed him before God and each other in the words of the Nicene Creed. But if we saw this sign on someone's back at a party, how would we interact? What if Jesus himself were actually at a party? What would we most want to say to him? Would we go to him chiefly with our earthly problems, our aches, our diseases, our finances, our damaged relationships, and ask him to make them all better? Or would we go to him asking for forgiveness and thanking him for making that forgiveness possible? ��

What you have prayed for lately shows how you identify Jesus. Have you prayed for a life of ease, or have you prayed for opportunities to extend God's love to those in need? Or have you even prayed? How have you used the name of Jesus in the past week? If someone asked you who Jesus is, how would you respond? ��

Do people see "Christian" on the imaginary paper on your back? Believe me, people know if we are, if we claim to be Christians, and Jesus' reputation is carried around on all of us who claim his name in our lives. ����������������

Who do we say Jesus is? Peter knew Jesus was the Messiah, the special, anointed rescuer sent from God. According to Matthew's Gospel (Matthew 16: 17) Jesus gave Peter an A+ for his initial answer: "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." But then Jesus goes on to teach them what it means to be the rescuer, the Messiah. Mark 8: 31 "He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again" Being the Messiah meant he would be the suffering servant prophesied in Isaiah. Being the Messiah meant denying his power, and focusing on his love. Being the Messiah meant carrying a cross, the cross to Calvary. They weren't to tell anyone yet that he was the Messiah because others would misunderstand and try to force him into using his power. They would misunderstand him and be disappointed when he wasn't the Messiah they wanted. They would misunderstand him and not listen to what he was saying about himself. ����������������

Peter was like that. He must have been feeling pretty smart after getting his A+ praise from before, so he takes the teacher aside, right in front of the other disciples and "rebuked" Jesus, tried to correct Jesus' "pessimistic" outlook about what was going to happen. Peter didn't want a Messiah who thought he "must be rejected and killed". He didn't want a rescuer who would rescue with his own holy and precious blood and his own suffering and death (Small Catechism). Peter went from being an A+ student to being thrown out of the class: "Get behind me, Satan!" (Jesus) said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men." ����������������

We can criticize Peter in retrospect, but do we sometimes avoid thinking of Jesus as rejected for us. If you saw "Jesus" on someone's back at a party, would the first thing you do be confess that you are a sinner and praise him for saving you? Or would that be the 2nd or 3rd or 4th thing you would think of? If we saw "Jesus" on someone's back at a party, would we instead point him toward someone else we thought needed his forgiveness even more. "Hey, Jesus, that guy has had a bit too much to drink. Why don't you go talk to him about it. Hey Jesus, that guy is trying to pick up that girl for, shall we say, less than holy reasons. Maybe you should go talk to him about that. Hey Jesus, that woman over there has a really bad temper or gossips too much. You want that I introduce you to her?" If someone else at the party was wearing the name Hitler or Saddam or Bin Laden or one of our more personal political opponents, would we want Jesus to go zap them with a lightning bolt. Or would we ask for our own forgiveness for judging other sinners and ask him to forgiven them as well. Would we plead that he would lead Saddam to faith in him as well? Would we ask him to show us the right words and demeanor so that we could point them to their need for speaking to Jesus also? Would we ask him for the courage to share his name with others, with family and friends? Would we ask him for the courage, the strength to deny ourselves and take up our crosses and follow him, regardless the cost? ����������������

There's an old adage that is good for us to ask ourselves every once in a while. If being a Christian were suddenly against the law, would there be enough evidence to convict you? Could the government officials ask your neighbors and get enough evidence or would there be reasonable doubt? Could they confiscate your bank records and find enough evidence of giving there to show you are a Christian? Could your children or other relatives point to enough evidence or would there be reasonable doubt? ����������������

We are saved by Christ alone, through faith alone in his suffering, death and resurrection. But as James reminds us, "What good is it if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save?�. You believe there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that � and shudder." Faith, trusting in and following Jesus is more than believing he existed and was a good guy. We trust him because he did show his love for us on that cross. We trust him because he does have the power to overcome death and the grave. As Luther once said "A man is declared righteous before God by faith alone, but not by a faith that is alone." (Concordia Self-Study Bible, James 2: 14 note, p. 1899). ����������������

If you're not sure there would be enough evidence to convict you of following Christ, don't run away from here today burdened with guilt about it. Instead, listen to Jesus calling to you again to repent and trust him enough to lead where he follows. Believe me he will give you plenty of opportunities to follow him. If you realize that you've been trying to run and save your own life, listen to him again call you to lose your life in his life and for the Gospel. Don't rebuke him by trying to turn him into the Messiah you want him to be. Listen to him and come to him for forgiveness today and tomorrow and the next day and the next. Let others know who he is in your life, both now and forever.

And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, will keep your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4: 7)