Mark 8
Summary for Mark 8:1-10: 8:1-10 a The stories about feeding the 4,000 and the 5,000 are similar. All four Gospels report the earlier feeding of the 5,000 (6:35-44 b; Matt 14:13-21 c; Luke 9:10-17 d; John 6:1-15 e), but only Mark and Matthew (Matt 15:32-39 f) also record the feeding of the 4,000 as a separate miracle (Mark 8:19-21 g; Matt 16:9-10 h). The details of the events are different.Summary for Mark 8:1-3: 8:1-3 i The last reference to a large crowd was at the feeding of the 5,000 (6:34 j). Jesus showed compassion in 6:34 k because the people “were like sheep without a shepherd.” These stories reflect Jesus’ concern for the total person—this time especially for the people’s hunger. They were in the wilderness (8:4 l) and had no food (8:1 m). They had been with Jesus for three days and had nothing to eat (8:2 n), and they had come a long way and needed to eat before returning home (8:3 o).
8:4 p The disciples’ frustration at the situation reveals their dullness. They knew how God provided manna in the wilderness for his people in Moses’ time (Exod 16 q). They were now in the presence of one far greater than Moses (see Mark 9:5-7 r) and had recently seen him feed a greater number of people in a similar situation (6:30-44 s). However, they still did not understand (cp. 6:52 t). Even so, Jesus worked through them to bring physical and spiritual food to the hungry (8:6-8 u). What they could not do by themselves, the mighty Son of God would do through them.
8:5 v Seven loaves: Numerous attempts have been made to allegorize the numbers in the two feeding miracles, but the lack of consensus among these interpretations, and the reference to “a few fish” in the present story, suggest that the numbers are not symbolic. None of the Gospel writers associate any clear significance with these numbers, and this should warn us against doing so. As with the feeding of the 5,000, the purpose of the numbers is to magnify the greatness of the miracle and of Jesus.
Summary for Mark 8:6-7: 8:6-7 w took, thanked God, distributed: These terms foreshadow the Last Supper (cp. 14:22-25 x).
8:8 y They ate as much as they wanted: The superabundance of food shows the all-surpassing nature of God’s Kingdom and of the one who brought it.
Summary for Mark 8:10-13: 8:10-13 z As in the earlier feeding miracle (6:30-44 aa), the feeding of the 4,000 is followed by Jesus’ crossing the Sea of Galilee by boat (cp. 6:45 ab) and the Pharisees’ initiating a dispute demanding that Jesus perform some miraculous sign (cp. 7:1-23 ac).
• The location of Dalmanutha is unknown. Matthew 15:39 ad has Magadan instead of Dalmanutha.
8:11 ae The antagonism of the Pharisees was persistent (2:16-18 af, 24 ag; 3:6 ah; 7:1-5 ai; 10:2 aj; 12:13 ak, 15 al). The request for a sign is at times acceptable (Judg 6:36-40 am; 2 Kgs 20:8-11 an; Isa 7:10-12 ao; see also John 2:18-19 ap), but in this case it was obstinate testing of God.
• The sought-after sign was not a healing, an exorcism, a raising from the dead, or a nature miracle, for there had been many of these already, and Jesus’ ability to work such signs was well known (Mark 1:32-34 aq, 45 ar; 3:7-12 as; 6:53-56 at) even to the Pharisees (3:22 au). What they sought was a miraculous sign from heaven—that is, directly from God—that would demonstrate once for all that Jesus was the Christ. No sign, however, could ever convince them of this. For those whose hearts were open to the truth, the miracles that Jesus had already done (Luke 7:22 av) were clear and irrefutable signs that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. For those outside (Mark 4:11-12 aw), no sign could make them believe (cp. Luke 6:19-31 ax).
8:12 ay I tell you the truth: Jesus’ response was as strong as an oath meaning, “[May God’s judgment fall upon me] if I give this generation any such sign.” Such oaths express an unbending commitment (see Gen 14:22-23 az; Num 32:10-11 ba; Ruth 1:17 bb; 1 Sam 3:17 bc; 20:13 bd; 2 Sam 3:35 be; 19:13 bf).
• Jesus elsewhere describes this generation as “adulterous and sinful” (Mark 8:38 bg) and “faithless” (9:19 bh).
Summary for Mark 8:14-21: 8:14-21 bi This account of the journey across the Sea of Galilee reflects on Jesus’ greatness, as manifested in the two feeding miracles, and emphasizes the dullness of the disciples, who do not see, hear, or understand because of their hardened hearts (see 4:9-20 bj; 6:52 bk). 8:14 bl The reference to having only one loaf of bread reminds readers of recent occasions when the disciples had not had enough bread and Jesus miraculously provided enough bread to feed thousands of people.
8:15 bm Matthew says that the yeast of the Pharisees refers to their false teaching (Matt 16:12 bn). It could also refer to their unbelief and hardness of heart (Mark 8:10-13 bo). The reference to Herod could point to his unwillingness to accept what he knew to be true (6:14 bp, 16 bq, 20 br).
8:16 bs The disciples completely missed the point of Jesus’ warning (8:15 bt) and forgot that because Jesus was with them, their supply of bread was irrelevant.
Summary for Mark 8:17-20: 8:17-20 bu Jesus asked eight questions that rebuked the disciples. They, of all people, should have been aware of the miraculous power of the Son of God. Although the disciples still remembered the feeding miracles, they never considered the implications for their immediate situation.
Summary for Mark 8:19-20: 8:19-20 bv Jesus’ questions precisely recalled the feeding miracles (6:30-44 bw; 8:1-10 bx).
8:21 by Don’t you understand yet? This question implies a time when they would truly understand. Mark’s readers knew that Jesus’ resurrection would give the disciples understanding of Jesus’ identity and power (see, e.g., Acts 4:23-31 bz).
Summary for Mark 8:22-26: 8:22-26 ca Earlier, Jesus and the disciples set out unsuccessfully for Bethsaida (6:45 cb); here, they arrive, and Jesus heals a blind man. Only Mark has this two-part healing; it might connect with the opening of the disciples’ spiritual eyes in the next account (8:27-38 cc).
• John 1:44 cd identifies Bethsaida as the home of Peter, Andrew, James, and John (see also John 12:21 ce). This small fishing village, although technically part of Gaulanitis, was generally considered part of Galilee (John 12:21 cf). It was relocated and given status as a city by Philip the Tetrarch (Josephus, Antiquities 18.2.1).
8:23 cg spitting on the man’s eyes: See 7:33 ch; cp. John 9:6-7 ci. Attempts to diagnose the man’s exact medical condition are speculative and unprofitable, diverting attention from the miracle.
Summary for Mark 8:24-25: 8:24-25 cj The healing was not instantaneous—the man saw imperfectly at first. Jesus’ second laying on of hands brought complete healing. Who is this man who stills the sea and heals the blind? Peter reveals this in the next account—he is the Messiah (8:29 ck).
8:26 cl The story ends with Jesus telling the healed man to keep the event a secret (see 3:11-12 cm).
Summary for Mark 8:27-9:1: 8:27–9:1 cn This section is the first cycle containing a prediction by Jesus of his suffering (8:31 co), an error by the disciples (8:32-33 cp), and a collection of Jesus’ sayings about discipleship (8:34–9:1 cq). Cp. 9:30–10:31 cr.
Summary for Mark 8:27-38: 8:27-38 cs Peter’s declaration of Jesus as Messiah and Jesus’ first prediction of his death mark a turning point in Mark’s Gospel and a new stage in Jesus’ life. The question, “Who is this man?” raised by the disciples in 4:41 ct, is now answered by Peter.
Summary for Mark 8:27-28: 8:27-28 cu Philip the Tetrarch, son of Herod the Great, built Caesarea Philippi on the slopes of Mount Hermon about twenty-five miles (forty kilometers) north of the Sea of Galilee. The more famous Caesarea on the coast had been built by Philip’s father.
• Who do people say I am? As a good teacher, Jesus asked a question to elicit his disciples’ understanding. The response is similar to 6:14-16 cv.
• John the Baptist: See study note on 6:14.
• one of the other prophets: Jesus was clearly considered a prophet (6:4 cw; 14:65 cx; Luke 7:16 cy, 39 cz; 13:33 da; 24:19 db).
Summary for Mark 8:29-30: 8:29-30 dc But who do you say I am? In the Greek text, you is emphatic. Peter responded for the group, You are the Messiah. Peter’s confession was correct, as the command not to tell anyone about him indicates (see 3:11-12 dd; see also 1:1 de; 14:61-62 df; Matt 16:17 dg).
Summary for Mark 8:31-38: 8:31-38 dh Then Jesus began to teach the disciples that he would suffer and be killed in Jerusalem and three days later ... rise from the dead. Jesus now explicitly predicted what he had revealed in veiled form (2:19-20 di). In response, Peter objected, so Jesus taught him and the other disciples the nature of his mission and what it really means to follow him. 8:31 dj It was a divine necessity that Jesus must suffer (see also 9:11 dk; 13:7 dl, 10 dm). The immediate cause for Jesus’ suffering was the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law (see 10:33 dn; 11:18 do, 27 dp; 14:1 dq, 43 dr, 53 ds), but the ultimate cause was the will of God.
• Jesus’ death would not be the end, for three days later he would rise from the dead.
• Three days later is a synonym for on the third day (Matt 16:21 dt; Luke 9:22 du) and after three days and three nights (Matt 12:40 dv).
8:32 dw Peter understood what Jesus had said, but he did not accept it. Peter shared the popular idea that the Messiah was to be a victorious national ruler, so he thought Jesus’ talk of suffering and death was nonsense.
8:33 dx Jesus looked at his disciples before he publicly rebuked Peter; he wanted them to understand that Peter was wrong.
• Get away from me, Satan does not mean that Peter was demon-possessed. Peter spoke from a human point of view, not from God’s, so he unwittingly spoke for Satan, the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4 dy), and repeated Satan’s temptation (cp. Matt 4:8-10 dz).
Summary for Mark 8:34-38: 8:34-38 ea Jesus’ invitation to his disciples and the crowd lays out the cost of being his follower.
• To give up your own way involves letting Jesus determine your goals and purposes in life. To take up your cross is metaphorical (cp. Luke 9:23 eb); it indicates that faithfulness to Jesus must extend, if required, even to the point of death. To follow Jesus’ teaching and example is a continual commitment.
8:35 ec If you try to hang on to (literally save) your life by keeping it from Jesus, you will lose it in the next world. But if you lose it to Jesus and his cause (the spread of the Good News), you will save it forever.
Summary for Mark 8:36-37: 8:36-37 ed The implied answer to Jesus’ rhetorical question is that possessing the entire world has no value if you give up eternal life. “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot). You need your soul to enjoy the benefits of the world to come. When you forfeit your life or soul, there is nothing you can give to purchase it back.
8:38 ee When Jesus, as the Son of Man, returns in glory to judge the world, he will be ashamed of those who were ashamed to be identified with him and his message (cp. Matt 7:21-23 ef; 10:32-33 eg; Luke 12:8-9 eh; 2 Tim 2:12 ei).
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