How compassionate a man the Lord Jesus was! Unlike ourselves, He was always thinking of others. The great multitude that followed them had come from afar and were now hungry. When the disciples asked how it was possible for anyone to feed so many people in a wilderness place, it appears that they had already forgotten about the feeding of the 5000.
If we have much food or little food, we should always give thanks when we sit down to eat. When the Lord multiplied all this food, it was a great sign, or miracle, but it did not change the hearts of the Pharisees as to who the Lord was — they seek for a sign, or miracle, from heaven. Everything that the Lord did was a sign from heaven!
The town of Bethsaida, where so many works had been done (Matthew 11:2121Woe unto thee, Chorazin! woe unto thee, Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, which were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. (Matthew 11:21)), is not where the blind man was going to be healed. At first, he looked up and saw “men as trees, walking.” (Often we see men to be bigger than they are.) When the Lord touched him again, he saw clearly.
The Lord told His disciples exactly what would befall Him beforehand, but when it actually came to pass, they had forgotten or were very surprised. Much unbelief was in their hearts, as in ours, for they were clearly told that three days after being killed, He would rise again.
Many wanted to follow the Lord, but discipleship would cost something. It was a price that few would be willing to pay. Whoever would follow or come after Him would have to deny himself, take up his cross and follow the Lord. May we be given grace to be true disciples (followers) of the Lord.
1. After the Lord commanded the people to sit down and before He broke the seven loaves for His disciples to distribute, what did He do? __________ Mark 8:___
2. The Lord Jesus had just performed a great miracle in feeding 4000 people. The Pharisees sought of Him a sign from heaven. Really, they were __________ Him. Mark 8:___
3. When the Lord Jesus asked the blind man if he saw anything, his first reply was that he saw men walking like __________. Mark 8:___
4. After the Son of Man suffers and is killed, what remarkable thing would He do after three days? __________ Mark 8:___
5. The Lord said that whoever wanted to follow Him would have to deny himself and take up his __________. Mark 8:___