Mark 8:34-38

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. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father and the holy angels.” 

‘Come with me,’ said Yeshu,’ and take the short path into the glory of my Father’s presence. Be rid of all this life’s desires, openly serve me and you will find that life which is unfading.’

Mark 8:31-33

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. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 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.”

Yeshu addresses his most eager disciple with some of the sternest words that he ever spoke, but at the same time he turns to all of them because they too dream, as Peter does, that he will be a glorious earthly Messiah King.

No. He must take onto himself the negative karma of many by dying – in their stead – a bitter and shameful death.

He could do it. He had no sin, he had only unlimited merit – enough merit to cancel all the sin of believers and be their Saviour.  He could say to the king of hell (gshin rje chos rgyal), “You have no power over me”; and – rising from death and hell after three days – break out of the prison of samsara (‘khor ba).

Mark 8:27-30

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?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

The realisation that Yeshu must be the longed-for Messiah Christ came forcefully to Peter like new sight. “Now I see it; you are God’s Mashiga!”

And equally forcefully Yeshu now tells them to keep this insight to themselves.