Mark 8
Mark 8 details a series of events in Jesus’ ministry that reflect both His compassion and His call for faith. This chapter includes the miracle of feeding the four thousand, the Pharisees demanding a sign, Jesus’ warning against the “leaven” of the Pharisees and Herod, the healing of a blind man, and Peter’s declaration that Jesus is the Christ. It concludes with Jesus predicting His suffering and calling His disciples to take up their cross and follow Him. These stories highlight themes of spiritual insight, faith, and the cost of discipleship.
Mark 8:1-10 (NKJV)
1 In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them,
2 “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.
3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come from afar.”
4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”
5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven.”
6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.
7 They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.
8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.
9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away,
10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
Jesus again demonstrates His compassion by feeding a large crowd in the wilderness, similar to the feeding of the five thousand. The disciples question how the people can be fed with limited resources, highlighting their struggle to grasp Jesus’ power and provision. Jesus' actions—giving thanks, breaking bread, and distributing it—foreshadow His ultimate sacrifice. The abundance of leftovers shows God’s provision, meeting the physical and spiritual needs of those who follow Him.
Mark 8:11-13 (NKJV)
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him.
12 But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.”
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.
The Pharisees demand a sign, not out of faith but to test Jesus. His deep sigh reflects both frustration and sorrow over their unbelief. Jesus refuses their demand, indicating that signs alone cannot convince a hardened heart. True faith doesn’t depend on miraculous signs but on trust in God’s revelation through Jesus. His departure from them signifies a rebuke to their insincere questioning and highlights the importance of spiritual receptivity.
Mark 8:14-21 (NKJV)
14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.
15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember?
19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” And they said, “Seven.”
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
The disciples misunderstand Jesus’ warning about the “leaven” of the Pharisees and Herod, thinking He refers to physical bread. Jesus reminds them of previous miracles to illustrate God’s provision. His references to “eyes” and “ears” signify spiritual perception, highlighting the disciples’ struggle to understand His teachings fully. “Leaven” here symbolizes the corrupting influence of disbelief, which can spread if unchecked, emphasizing the need for vigilance against spiritual apathy and misinterpretation.
Mark 8:22-26 (NKJV)
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him.
23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
This healing, done in stages, is unique and illustrates the gradual process of spiritual understanding. The blind man’s initial partial sight reflects the disciples’ incomplete grasp of Jesus’ identity and mission. When Jesus fully restores his sight, it symbolizes the clarity of revelation that comes from persistent faith. By instructing the man to remain quiet, Jesus reinforces the need for discretion and genuine understanding of His mission.
Mark 8:27-30 (NKJV)
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
Peter’s declaration of Jesus as the Christ marks a pivotal moment, revealing his growing understanding of Jesus’ divine mission. Jesus’ question prompts the disciples to confront the prevailing misconceptions about His identity and to affirm their personal conviction. Jesus instructs them to keep this revelation quiet, possibly to avoid public misunderstandings of His role as the Messiah, who is not a political liberator but a suffering servant.
Mark 8:31-33 (NKJV)
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
Jesus reveals the necessity of His suffering, death, and resurrection, foretelling the true nature of His messianic role. Peter’s attempt to rebuke Him shows a misunderstanding of God’s plan, as he envisions a triumphant Messiah rather than a suffering one. Jesus’ sharp response, “Get behind Me, Satan!” highlights the danger of prioritizing human expectations over divine will.
Mark 8:34-38 (NKJV)
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
Jesus outlines the cost of discipleship, calling His followers to self-denial and a willingness to face persecution. “Taking up the cross” implies a commitment that may include suffering and even death. His teaching contrasts earthly gains with eternal values, emphasizing the soul’s worth. Those who prioritize worldly success over spiritual truth risk their salvation. Jesus’ warning about being ashamed of Him underlines the need for bold faith, as He will ultimately acknowledge or deny those who acknowledge or deny Him.