Mark 8:1-38 NIV
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
1During
those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus
called His disciples to Him and said, 2“I have compassion for these people; they have already been with Me
three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because
some of them have come a long distance.”
4His
disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread
to feed them?”
“Seven,” they replied.
6He told
the crowd to sit down on the ground. When He had taken the seven loaves and
given thanks, He broke them and gave them to His disciples to distribute to the
people, and they did so. 7They had
a few small fish as well; He gave thanks for them also and told the disciples
to distribute them. 8The
people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven
basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9About
four thousand were present. After He had sent them away, 10He got
into the boat with His disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.
11The
Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test Him, they asked Him for a
sign from heaven.12He
sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign
will be given to it.” 13Then He
left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod
14The
disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them
in the boat. 15“Be careful,” Jesus
warned them. “Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.”
16They
discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”
17Aware
of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or
understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And
don’t you remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many
basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
“Twelve,” they replied.
20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many
basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”
They answered, “Seven.”
Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida
22They
came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to
touch him. 23He took
the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When He had spit on
the man’s eyes and put His hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see
anything?”
24He
looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25Once
more Jesus put His hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his
sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26Jesus
sent him home, saying, “Don’t even go intoa the village.”
Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah
27Jesus
and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way
He asked them,“Who do people say I am?”
28They
replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one
of the prophets.”
Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”
30Jesus
warned them not to tell anyone about Him.
Jesus Predicts His Death
31He then
began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected
by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that He must
be killed and after three days rise again. 32He
spoke plainly about this, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him.
33But when
Jesus turned and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter. “Get behind
me, Satan!” He
said.“You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human
concerns.”
The Way of the Cross
34Then He
called the crowd to Him along with His disciples and said:
“Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny
themselves and take up their cross and follow Me. 35For whoever wants to save their
lifeb will lose it, but whoever loses
their life for Me and for the Gospel will save it. 36What good is it for someone to gain
the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37Or what can anyone give in exchange
for their soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My Words
in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of
them when He comes in His Father’s Glory with the holy angels.”
Mark 8
8:1-10 Our Lord Jesus encouraged the meanest
to come to Him for life and grace. Christ knows and considers our frames and
needs. The Bounty of Christ is always ready; to show that, He repeated this
miracle. His favors are renewed, as our wants and necessities are.
8:11-21 Obstinate unbelief will have
something to say, though ever so unreasonable. Christ refused to answer their
demand. If they will not be convinced, they shall not. When we forget the Works
of God, and distrust Him, we should chide ourselves severely, as Christ here
reproves His disciples. We all so often mistake His meaning, disregard His
warnings, and distrust His providence.
8:22-26 Here is a blind man brought to Christ
by his friends. If those who are spiritually blind, do not pray for themselves,
yet their friends and relations should pray for them that Christ would be
pleased to touch them. The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in
our Lord's miracles. Christ showed in what method those commonly are healed by
His Grace, who by nature are spiritually blind. At first, their knowledge is
confused, but like the light of the morning, it shines more and more to the
perfect day, and then they see all things clearly.
8:27-33 These things are written, that we may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. These miracles of our Lord
assure us that He was not conquered, but a Conqueror. Now the disciples are
convinced that Jesus is the Christ; they may bear to hear of His sufferings, of
which Christ here begins to give them notice in advance before it happens.
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