‘And Jesus went out, and his disciples, to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, and in the way he asked his disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” And they told him saying, “John the Baptiser, and others Elijah. But others, one of the prophets.”
The group travelled northwards towards Caesarea Philippi, visiting the villages around. The proclamation of the Kingly Rule of God went on apace. Meanwhile Jesus took advantage of the time spent on the road to challenge His disciples, and to examine and clarify their thinking. He did this by means of a question concerning what men were saying about Him, always a good teaching approach. In view of what was soon coming it was important that they had some basic understanding of Who He was imprinted in their minds, and it had to be rightly interpreted. For similar questioning see Mark 4:13; Mark 4:40; Mark 7:18; Mark 8:17-18.
Their reply indicated that some saw Him as John the Baptiser risen from the dead (as Herod had previously), others saw Him as the coming Elijah (Malachi 4:5), while still others saw Him as ‘one of the prophets'. Compare on this reply Mark 6:14-15. See also Matthew 16:14. Matthew adds ‘Jeremiah' to the list. Thus Jesus, presumably because of His miracles, was seen as a great ‘returning' figure by many, and a prophet similar to the great prophets by others. The likeness to Elijah and Jeremiah may simply mean someone with the same qualities, although many certainly expected Elijah in person and the return of Jeremiah (and of Isaiah) is anticipated in extra-Biblical literature, in Esther 2:18; Esther 2:18. It is significant that none saw Him as the Messiah or as the ‘prophet like Moses' (Deuteronomy 18:15). For, although at times the question must have crossed their minds, He did not behave like they expected the Messiah to behave,.
‘The villages of Caesarea Philippi.' Not the town itself but the villages in the surrounding area. This was in Herod Philip's territory. It was Herod Philip who rebuilt Caesarea Philippi and dedicated it to the emperor, calling it Caesarea. The name Philippi was added to distinguish it from the main Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast from where Pilate governed Judaea. It was built at what was said to be the main source of the Jordan on the slopes of Mount Hermon. Nearby was a Temple of Augustus, built by Herod the Great, and an ancient shrine dedicated earlier to Baal and then to Pan, the god of nature, whom many claimed was born in a cavern there. Thus it was a centre of Emperor and Roma worship and of primitive nature religion. In a sense by coming to proclaim the Kingly Rule of God in their villages Jesus had come to challenge the dominion of these pagan gods, and it was highly appropriate that it was in this vicinity that Jesus should test what the disciples thought about Him.
‘In the way.' A favourite expression of Mark denoting the period of travel between two places, periods which Jesus made full use of. Compare Mark 8:3; Mark 9:33-34; Mark 10:17; Mark 10:32.