“You are the Messiah” Mark 8:29

The five “W’s”, where, who, why, what and when, help thoughts about today’s Gospel reading.

“Where” is straightforward, Verse 27 tells us, “Jesus went on with his Disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.” The place name had a meaning for the disciples that can easily be missed. At one time it had been called “Paneas”, named after the pagan god “Pan”, but had been renamed Caesarea in honour of the Roman emperor, who was regarded as a god by Roman people, Philippi being …