Mark 8 begins with another account of Jesus feeding a large crowd, and there’s clear connection to what Jesus did in chapters 6-7. There is a building up to the climax of Mark’s gospel, which is found at the end of this chapter with Peter’s confession of Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God and Savior of the world. But to get to that glorious moment, we see some harsh rebukes from Jesus. Let’s take a look.
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?"
5"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"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 set before 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 men were present. And having 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 miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." 13Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
It is not unusual for some to think there was only one miraculous mass feeding in the ministry of Jesus, and that the details must have been blurred over the centuries to end up as two separate accounts in the Bible, but there are clearly two distinct events recorded by Mark (6:35-44 and 8:1-10) and explained by Jesus (8:18-21). There are similarities but important distinctions as well, and we will note those both here and in comments on v18-21 later. Let’s first note Mark’s opening comment, “During those days” (v1). Mark isn’t giving us a day-by-day timeline, but he is detailing Jesus’ ministry in periods, and this event that mark is about to explain occurred in the same period of Jesus’ ministry as the events of chapter 7. That’s important, as we saw in chapter 7 that Jesus provides for Gentiles as well as for Jews, so it’s no surprise here in chapter 8 that when “another large crowd gathered” (v1), it was a group of Gentiles. So Jesus provided food for the Jews in chapter 6 (just like Moses in the wilderness), and then in chapter 7, He allows the Syrophoenician woman to get bread crumbs from under the table, and now in chapter 8, He provides bread (the same food as for the Jews) for the Gentile crowd.
Notice Jesus’ statement to His disciples in v2, “I have compassion for these people.” While it’s exciting to get to the meat of the story by rushing to the miracle of multiplication, we shouldn’t miss this miracle – that Jesus, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, has compassion for this group of unclean Gentiles. Here’s a paraphrased sampling of the lyrics from Frederick Martin Lehman’s 1923 famous hymn:
The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin. Could we with ink the ocean fill and were the skies of parchment made; were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade; to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry; nor could the scroll contain the whole, though stretched from sky to sky. O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure the saints’ and angels’ song.
We learn that this crowd had been with Jesus for three days (v2), and many came from far away (v3). They probably had some provision, but it had likely run out. Despite having spent time with Jesus, He perceived that they remained needy, as we all remain, regardless of our spiritual condition, personal health, wealth, or earthly circumstances. Before Jesus even stated that He wanted to feed the crowd, the disciples go ahead and ask in v4 how it would be possible. Where could they find enough bread in this remote place? This was impossible! Yet Jesus asks for their resources, “How many loaves of bread do you have” (v5)? Jesus takes their resources, seven loaves of bread, has the crowd sit down, gives thanks and breaks the bread, giving it to His disciples to distribute to the crowd. They do so (v6), providing some fish as well (v7), and they all “ate and were satisfied” (v8). There were seven baskets full of bread leftover (v8), and 4000 people had been fed (v9). Then the crowd was disbursed, and Jesus left with the disciples to head for Dalmanutha (v10).
Jesus’ provision was, again, satisfying to the crowd, and His lesson for the disciples was repeated. Yes, there were differences. This crowd was Gentile, while the first was Jewish. This feeding involved 4000 people, while the first involved 5000 men, plus women and children to bring the total to something like 20,000. This event started with seven loaves of bread and “a few small fish;” the previous event stemmed from five loaves and two fish. Here we end up with seven – the Biblical number for perfect fullness, sufficiency and completion – baskets full of leftovers, whereas the first feeding resulted in twelve baskets full – one for each disciple, or one for each tribe of Israel. The similarities include desolate places and large crowds, Jesus’ provision through doubting disciples that don’t have enough resources, and most importantly, the simple truth and profound evidence of Jesus’ identity as the Bread of Life (John 6:35; 1 Corinthians 10:17).
Contrast the first 10 verses of the chapter, the detailed explanation of an amazing (and repeated) sign of Jesus’ identity as the Bread of Life, with this short section that merely summarizes Jesus’ response to the Pharisees denial of His identity. Jesus is back in Jewish territory (from the Decapolis) but only for a moment. Mark’s intent seems to show the contrast between the repeated signs of Jesus’ identity and His compassionate provision for both Jew and Gentile with the repeated hardness of heart of all who self-righteously refuse to humbly come to Jesus for His provision. As Jesus Himself says, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). When we read the word translated “test” in v11, we should hear “tempt.” The Pharisees were not genuinely wanting a sign from Jesus in order that they might become His followers and submit themselves to His teaching. On the contrary, they were seeking to trap Jesus with His words, and Jesus won’t yield to their insincere and treacherous requests. They had seen enough, but they still denied Him.
In chapter seven, when Jesus healed the deaf and mute man, He sighed in fulfillment of Isaiah 35. There, Jesus was sighing out of sorrow with the basic human condition, one of physical frailty. Here in v12 we have the same word, yet amplified to a greater degree, to show that Jesus is even more filled with sorrow at the reality of a more consequential human condition, one of pride, spiritual self-righteousness, and sinful resistance to the clear evidence of His truth (cf. Roman 1:18-32; 2 Peter 3:5-10). In Matthew 12:38-42, Jesus elaborates on His statement, “No sign will be given.” There He adds “except the sign of Jonah.” The sign of Jonah, of course, was effectively resurrection after 3 days. There’s your sign, you bunch of hypocrites!
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."
21He said to them, "Do you still not understand?"
In sailing away from the Pharisees, who were trying to trap Jesus, the disciples realized they forgot to bring extra bread for the journey (v14). It was in that moment that Jesus taught them to beware of the yeast, or leaven, of the Pharisees and that of Herod (v15). They didn’t understand what He was talking about, so they wondered if He was talking about their lack of bread (v16). So, beginning in v17, Jesus rebukes them with a series of questions throughout the remainder of this passage.
First of all, Jesus is warning the disciples of the yeast or leaven of the Pharisees and Herod. He’s talking about the small amount of hypocrisy and unbelief that will corrupt an entire community, just as a drop of poison will ruin an entire feast. If the influence of celebrity in our culture today teaches us anything, it should be this very principle that Jesus is conveying to His followers: Beware! Just because someone, like Herod with his worldly authority or like the Pharisees with their high rank in religious society, seems to have mastered the world is not good reason to automatically adopt their platforms. We must be discerning in our evaluation of someone with authority or prowess to ensure their motives are pure considering their message. Clearly, the Pharisees were honored for their knowledge and authority, but as Jesus told them to their faces in Matthew 23:27-28, they were whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside but filthy and rotten on the inside. They outwardly appear righteous to others, but inside they are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness. It’s easy for influence to spread to the naïve majority, as we see from celebrity culture in our day.
Second, Jesus rebukes the disciples for failing to understand His teaching, as they thought He was simply nitpicking at them for not having enough bread. In this moment, He doesn’t care about that bread! He’s interested in their intellectual understanding of His teaching, which includes a heart transformation that appreciates His identity as the Sovereign Lord of all, the Great Physician, the Bread of Life, and the Savior of the world. That final question of v17 really hits hard, “Are your hearts hardened?” The first two questions of v17 might seem less like accusations: Why are you talking about bread? Do you still not see or understand? There’s nothing inherently wrong with talking about bread or with failing to grasp a particular point. But it’s an attack against their humanity (rightly so!) to ask, “Are your hearts hardened?” The question is rhetorical. Of course, their hearts are hardened, and that’s why they still don’t see or understand. That’s why they’re talking about bread, when Jesus is concerned with their understanding of His identity. The two questions in v18 make those same points in an equally harsh tone: You don’t see or hear or remember!
There’s limited interaction in v19-20 between Jesus and the disciples. He asks questions, and they give one-word answers. But as v21 reveals, they still don’t understand. Despite repeated lessons that Jesus – because He is God Incarnate – provides abundantly through His servants who lack the means in and of themselves, fallen humanity, including those who live in the very presence of Jesus for years, still has hardened hearts. Because we mere humans are like jars of clay, the Holy Spirit must act – and stay active – in anyone who comes to faith in Christ, in anyone who, by grace, sees the light and attains a knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6-7).
The Healing of 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 go into the village.[1] "
In this passage, we have a similar healing to the one from chapter 7, where in that case Jesus touched the deaf and mute man in such a way that communicated clearly to him in his condition and then instantly restored his hearing and speech. Here, the blind man receives similar ministry, but the healing is gradual. Jesus didn’t heal this man instantly. Jesus restored his sight, but it remained blurry until Jesus made a second connection. Most commentators simply suggest that this healing is to illustrate the gradual nature by which the disciples come to understand the identity of Jesus, which will be displayed in the next passage.
But before moving on too quickly, let’s acknowledge the uniquely difficult circumstance of being physically blind and then how that is truly nothing compared with the reality of humanity’s challenge in being spiritually blind. What a joy it will be for those who are blind in this life to have their sight in the next! And yet that pales in comparison to the joy that is for every person who sees the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ and turns from their sin in repentance to find forgiveness and mercy, by grace, through faith in Him. Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see. This theme inspired me to write my book, Biblical Glasses: Looking at Life through the Bible. And it remains perhaps the most glorious theme in all of life.
Peter's Confession of Christ
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."
29"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ.[2] "
30Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Caesarea Philippi was situated far to the northeast of the Sea of Galilee. One commentator says, “At the Southwest base of Mt. Hermon, on a rocky terrace, 1,150 ft. above sea-level, between Wady Khashabeh and Wady Za’areh, lie the ruins of the ancient city. It was a center for the worship of Pan: whence the name Paneas, applied not only to the city, but to the whole district (Ant., XV, x, 3). It is possible that this may have been the site of ancient Baal-hermon; while Principal G. A. Smith would place Daniel here (HGHL, 480). The district was given by Augustus to Herod the Great 20 B.C., by whom a temple of white marble was built in honor of the emperor. Paneas formed part of the tetrarchy of Philip. He rebuilt and beautified the town, calling it Caesarea as a compliment to Augustus, and adding his own name to distinguish it from Caesarea on the coast of Sharon (Ant., XVIII, ii, 1; BJ, II, ix, 1). From Bethsaida Jesus and His disciples came hither, and on the way Peter made his famous confession, after which Jesus began to tell them of His coming passion (Matthew 16:13 Mark 8:27). Some think that on a height near Caesarea Philippi Jesus was transfigured.”
It was here that Jesus asked His disciples an important question, “Who do people say I am” (v27)? They answered with three popular opinions in v28: First, and probably most common, was John the Baptist resurrected, which was the opinion of Herod as we saw in Mark 6:14-16. Second, also common as noted in that same passage, was Elijah, who was both raptured without experiencing physical death in 2 Kings 2:1-12 and promised to return in Malachi 4:5-6, which are fittingly the final two verses of our Old Testament (cf. https://bibleproject.com/blog/sense-ending-real-last-book-old-testament). The third opinion, also common as mentioned in Mark 6:14-16, was simply another prophet like the prophets of old.
Notice that these three opinions have different levels of presupposition woven into them. The first view could be called “secular superstitious,” that a righteous and harmless, hermit-like figure unjustly murdered by a celebrity king could be reincarnated to prove his superiority. Those who held this view certainly wouldn’t believe their Scriptures, but they would recognize justice and expect goodness to prevail, even if by surprising, supernatural means. The second view could be called “Biblically astute,” that Elijah has returned in accordance with Scripture’s final prophecy. Those who held this view were probably most close to the truth, and they likely recognized the work of God going on in their midst, holding out hope that their future king was on the scene. However, they surely didn’t expect this kind of king, despite the kind of man that Elijah actually was while on the earth. Perhaps they missed John the Baptist, who was very much like Elijah, and therefore failed to recognize how much Jesus was like Elisha, the prophet who followed Elijah. That’s a fascinating comparison on many levels, and maybe we can look at that in the Old Testament commentary. Of course, Jesus was a prophet, and the third view could be called “common sense,” as it was clear that Jesus was a prophet of God. This view probably recognized the hand of God at work in the world but dismissed the importance of that truth in their own lives. We might think of those who held this view to be like the thorny soil, where the gospel takes root and grows but eventually gets choked out due to the cares of this life taking precedent over the importance of spiritual faith and growth.
I think it’s obvious that in our culture today, we have similar understandings of who Jesus is. First, the secularist might say He was a good man who was able to gather crowds on account of His teaching and special effects capabilities. But they would also say there have been hundreds of similar people, both known and unknown to us today, so Jesus doesn’t demand any further assessment. Second, the spiritual person might say that Jesus is to be put on a special pedestal, like Moses and Muhammed and Gandhi and Buddha. But again, this view fails to realize that Jesus is the Lord of all; His pedestal is infinitely higher than any mere man. Third, the deist might say that Jesus was absolutely a special person, and it might even be appropriate to worship Him, but at the end of the day, He doesn’t really affect my life. All three of these views box Jesus into a compartment that cannot hold Him. He’s bigger than these assessments.
That brings us to v29, the all-important question that Jesus asked His disciples: “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” Peter spoke up for all the disciples, answering in that same verse, “You are the Christ.” The Greek word “Christ” is “Messiah” in Hebrew, and both mean the “Anointed One.” This is the climax of Mark’s gospel, when the disciples communicate the truth of Jesus’ identity, and He tells them not to tell anyone yet (v30). It took so much effort to get the disciples to see who Jesus is, and His teaching to them will shift from here on out, as we see right away in v31. But before moving on, note that the question in v29 is not just for the disciples. It’s for you! Who do you say that Jesus is? Do you side with the popular opinions of the day? Maybe you have your own idea. But unless you recognize Jesus as God Incarnate, and honor Him as such, then you are putting Him into a box that won’t hold Him!
The previous healing of the blind man is a picture of Peter and the disciples, who now acknowledge Jesus as Christ, as Messiah, as Savior. They have had their sight restored, but it remains blurry. They see Jesus for who He is, but they don’t yet understand what that will mean for the remainder of His ministry. While He is, in fact, the Christ, His ministry won’t result in the political victory that many expected. Because His very name means God is salvation, He has come to save His people; but this salvation is not from political adversaries or corrupt dictators. Rather Jesus will save us from our sins, which is the spiritual blindness that is far worse than the physical blindness that could be likened to any earthly king. The disciples won’t get this clarity until after Jesus rises from the dead, and for us, the illustration conveys the reality that we must be continually enlightened by the Word of God and the Holy Spirit to see more and more clearly.
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, chief priests and 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 things of God, but the things of men."
34Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35For whoever wants to save his life[3] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
When Jesus spoke plainly about the fact that He would suffer and be rejected and killed in v31-32, Peter rebuked Him. But Jesus looked at His disciples and in turn rebuked Peter, saying “Get behind Me, Satan” (v33)! Peter was likely telling Jesus that He would become an earthly king of Israel and maybe of the world. And to some degree, that was tempting to Jesus, as Satan himself used the same language in tempting Jesus in the wilderness, showing Him all the kingdoms of the world and promising to give them to Him if He would only bow down and worship him (Matthew 4:8-10). Jesus recognizes that temptation of Satan in the words of Peter, and He says, “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men” (v33). This was a real temptation, and Jesus’ response is to fend it off with a reminder of the things of God. For us, it’s a matter of submitting ourselves always to the things of God. Whenever we are tempted to pursue selfish desires, we must recognize that we are not considering the things of God and repent – turn the other way in thoughtful remembrance of godliness. WWJD!
Jesus then gathers a crowd along with His disciples and teaches them the importance of self-denial (v34). Any follower – not just the uber-pious disciples – of His must go where He goes, taking up his cross. That’s extreme language that we must consider. In saying that His followers must take up their cross (v34), Jesus is requiring self-denial to the point of death. We read in Hebrews 12:4, “In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.” That’s what Jesus did, fighting sin all the way to the end, and none of us do that. None of us follow Jesus to the degree that He requires; despite our justification by grace through a fruitful faith, we all remain sinners, even as we are progressively sanctified throughout the remainder of our life. Taking up your cross is a high bar standard, and Luke’s gospel elaborates by saying this is to be a daily activity. Paul in Romans 12 says to offer yourselves as living sacrifices. A sacrifice is usually unto death, but so long as we are alive, we are to live each day in a sacrificial manner.
Jesus elaborates in v35, “Whoever wants to save his life [or soul] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for Me and for the gospel will save it.” The rhetorical questions in v36-37 are meant to encourage us to realize the value of our soul. “What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?” Is there anything more valuable for me than my soul? If not, then why do I not prioritize my decision-making process in light of this? While I cannot give anything that equals the value of my soul, Psalm 49 declares that God can and will – even Jesus, who was given up to death in exchange for His people. That’s a great exchange! Songs and games and movies grab this theme to great success. Consider The Devil Went Down to Georgia, where Johnny defeats the devil in a fiddle-battle despite risking his soul, and Mortal Kombat, where the enemy’s leader wins souls with each combat victory.
The final verse of this passage (v38) calls the audience again to honor Jesus in life. “If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.” This final instruction from Jesus is the one, perhaps, that we can most easily apply in our own lives. It may also be the most costly in our culture; social media has brought cancel culture, where people are ridiculed for expressing an anti-progressive opinion, and so we must not be ashamed of Jesus, or His words, in our society. This could come at cost.
It’s worth pointing out that v1 of chapter 9 really fits best with this passage. Jesus calls the disciples and crowd to Him (Mark 8:34) and teaches them about the cost of following Him (Mark 8:35-38). His conclusion there is that “The Son of Man will be ashamed of [whoever is ashamed of Him] when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.” And, as Mark 9:1 declares, “There are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power.” While commentators differ on their interpretation of Jesus’ meaning, the agreement is that He at least has something in mind that will occur in the lifetimes of some of His audience. Perhaps Jesus is referring to His own death and/or resurrection, which certainly brings about the kingdom of God (literally with the power of eternal life). Maybe He is referring to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, which happens later and leads to the rapid expansion of the Church across the world, beginning at Pentecost, as individuals and communities come to faith in Christ, also a powerful exhibit of the kingdom of God coming on earth. Finally, perhaps Jesus is thinking about His own imminent transfiguration, which is detailed in Mark 9:2-13; but that seems quite unfitting, mainly for two reasons: First, there’s really no need for Jesus to say “some standing here won’t die before seeing My glory,” as it happens only a week later (Mark 9:2; cf. Luke 9:28). And second, the transfiguration is only witnessed by Peter, James, and John, so it seems out of place to declare to a crowd that “some won’t die before seeing it,” leading to the conclusion that some will die before seeing it. I tend to think He’s referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit, which grows the Church – the kingdom of God – so expansively. But, regardless, Mark 9:1 fits here better than with Mark 9:2-13.
Footnotes
- 8:26 Some manuscripts Don't go and tell anyone in the village
- 8:29 Or Messiah. "The Christ" (Greek) and "the Messiah" (Hebrew) both mean "the Anointed One."
- 8:35 The Greek word means either life or soul; also in verse 36.
Bible text from
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International Bible Society.