Mark 8:1-91In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, 2I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: 3And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. 4And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? 5And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 6And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. 7And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them. 8So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. 9And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away. (Mark 8:1‑9). Here the goodness of God comes out in His care over those who have been already three days with Him. Jesus had compassion on the multitude because they had nothing to eat, and if He sent them away fasting, to their own houses, they would faint by the way, for divers of them came from far. His disciples, invited to share His thoughts, can only express their helplessness, and say, “From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” Is this helplessness from unbelief? But Jesus acts in divine goodness, “How many loaves have ye?” And they said, “Seven.” He commanded them to sit down on the ground, and He took the seven loaves and gave thanks and brake, and gave to His disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people. And they had a few small fishes: and He blessed and commanded to set them also before them. So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and He sent them away.
God’s riches are unsearchable; He has abundance and something over. Though here rejected as Messiah, He acts in goodness toward His needy people. His disciples could not enter into His thoughts of compassion.
Mark 8:10-1310And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. 11And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 12And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. 13And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. (Mark 8:10‑13). Here in Dalmanutha, the Pharisees question Him, seeking a sign from heaven. He sighs deeply in His spirit, and saith, “Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily I say unto you, there shall no sign be given unto this generation.” No signs can satisfy unbelief. They had seen plenty, and signs from heaven are signs of judgment, as before the great and terrible day of the Lord come. His signs were signs of grace, and He had given abundance of them; so He left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to the other side. Now Israel’s leaders were blinded. There were no proofs given to unbelief; He offered none. His patient love had waited on them till there was no hope (Deut. 32:55They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. (Deuteronomy 32:5)).
Mark 8:14-2614Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. 15And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod. 16And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 17And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened? 18Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? 19When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. 20And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. 21And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand? 22And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 23And 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 upon him, he asked him if he saw ought. 24And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. 25After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. 26And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. (Mark 8:14‑26). The condition of the disciples is seen here in how little they understand what is before the Lord’s mind. He would warn them of the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, and of the worldliness of the Herodians; but though twice they had full proof of His ability to feed the thousands, they think He is speaking of their not having bread with them. They lacked spiritual perception. And this is further illustrated by the blind man at Bethsaida whom they brought to Him. Their blindness was natural, and the slowness to get their eyes open, told of how their former habits and teaching hindered them from seeing light in His light.
The Lord takes the blind man by the hand and leads him out of the town; and then He spit on his eyes and put His hands upon him, and asked if he saw ought. And he looked up and said, “I see men as trees walking.” After that He put His hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored and saw every man clearly. When the Holy Spirit came, and they lost sight of men, then indeed they saw clearly. Then they could enter more into His glories. And He sent him away to his house, saying: “Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” The time for testimony to Israel was at an end. He would avoid the curiosity of the crowd, that at the best only hindered the soul work.
Mark 8:27-3827And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am? 28And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. 29And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. 30And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 31And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men. 34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? 37Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 38Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. (Mark 8:27‑38). “Whom do men say that I am?” It is men and their opinions: John the Baptist; some say, Elias; some, one of the prophets. “But whom do ye say that I am?” Peter answered, “Thou art the Christ.” And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him. The Jews had not received Him, and now He announces that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He spake that saying openly. This was the great mystery of a better blessing, a better life, a new thing, that God was to bring in, by man’s rejection of Himself.
It would condemn man’s religion and all his works. Peter did not like it; the cross goes against the natural heart, it would be the loss of influence among the people, and in his fleshly wisdom he began to rebuke the Lord. He did not consider Christ’s glory as Son of man, a higher and wider glory, to be obtained only through death and resurrection. A rejected, suffering Son of man did not suit Peter. The Lord, turned, looked on His disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, “Get thee behind me, Satan; for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” Man and God were at issue: and the Lord must make plain the solemn condition in which men were; so, calling the people unto Him with His disciples also, He said unto them, “Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life, shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
“Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me ank of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
What a view of the glory, and the Lord coming in glory, we have here suddenly opened up to us, and how solemn to be found a Christ-rejecter in that day!