Mark 8 - Jesus Defines What It Means To Be His Follower

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Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

As the crowds continued to follow him in very large groups, Jesus had another opportunity to perform another sign. In this sign Jesus is again going to feed a large number of people, in this case 4,000. Whether it is exactly four thousand people or not doesn't really matter to me. Four thousand people in Jesus' day as a percentage of the population is a huge number. 

Jesus felt bad for these people because they hadn't had anything to eat for three days. It shows they were more hungry for God's Word than food. Once the disciples voice that they are in a remote place and don't have even close to enough to feed four thousand people. Seven loaves could feed maybe 21 people. 

But Jesus knew God would provide, so he sat the people on the ground. Jesus prepared them for the miracle. Jesus gave them the bread and also a few small fish and told them to distribute the food. What happened next we cannot explain by human logic. A miracle is something that happens that we cannot explain by the laws of nature. That is why they call it a miracle. 

Notice too that Jesus gave thanks for what he had. Before he asked for more from the Father, he gave thanks for what he had. The people ate and were satisfied. After going three days without food that was no small feat. In fact there was such an abundance of food, there were seven baskets of broken pieces of bread left over. When God provides there is an abundance beyond what we even need. 

Jesus got into a boat and went to another town, and when he landed he was met again by the Pharisees. They obviously were keeping close tabs on Jesus to be with him wherever he went. They came once again to test him. They asked him to do a sign from heaven, It's ironic since Jesus had been doing plenty of signs that they had seen or heard about. Clearly, they were just trying to trap him and Jesus didn't take the bait. 

Jesus was very frustrated by their silly question and said, 

“Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.” 

Jesus refused because His miracles are not done with the intention of convincing hardened unbelievers. Instead, Jesus did miracles to show the power of God in the context of mercy. Those who believe that if people see enough signs they will come to faith presume to know more than Jesus did. He condemned the generation who sought a sign. - Guzik

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

The disciples are still not getting it. They were still talking about bread, when Jesus said to them, "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." 

It is interesting that Jesus lumps Herod in with the Pharisees. The disciples mistakenly thought it was because they didn't have enough bread. It gave Jesus a chance to explain what he was really talking about. 

They wondered if they didn't have enough bread when Jesus was talking about the false teaching of the Pharisees that goes through to the people like yeast spreads through bread. In the bible yeast had a negative connotation as something evil.

But more than that it seems like the disciples are still talking about having enough bread. Really? Jesus has not fed 5,000 and 4,000 with just a few loaves of bread. It's kind of hard to believe the disciples would be so slow to believe after seeing so many signs and wonders from Jesus. 

When Jesus spoke of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod, the disciples didn’t relate it to a spiritual idea at all. All they could think of was the bread that goes in the stomach, not the bread that goes in the soul. - Guzik

Before we get to judgmental, I'm sure there have been times in our lives when we have been slow to believe, even after Jesus has provided for us many times in our lives. 

Jesus Heals a Blind Man at Bethsaida

Jesus once again heals a blind man and once again uses a different method for healing him. As the Son of God, he could have done it in anyway at any time. But he chose to show God's power in different ways and according to the people he was healing. Sometimes he wanted others to see it and sometimes not. 

There is one very interesting aspect of healing this blind man. As Jesus prayed for healing, he asked him if he could see anything. This is valuable lesson when we pray for anyone for healing that we check in with them and see how they are doing. They may see something or feel something we need to add to our healing prayer. 

In this case the man said, 

“I see people; they look like trees walking around.” 

Jesus put his hand on the man's eyes and he was healed. This is why we say the phrase "laying on of hands for healing". Today the laying on of hands needs to be done appropriately, especially when a man is praying for a woman. Men need to be very sensitive and should ask things like, "Do you mind if put my hand on your shoulder when I pray for you?" The back of a person's shoulder if the safest place. 

Jesus was very adamant about this man not telling anyone even saying, “Don’t even go into the village.” It is not that Jesus does not want the good news of this man's healing to bring more people into the kingdom. Jesus knows that he has more work to do and a bigger onslaught of people will not help him to accomplish what he came to do. 

This is the only “gradual” or “progressive” healing described in the ministry of Jesus. It is another example of the variety of healing methods Jesus used. - Guzik

Peter Declares That Jesus Is the Messiah

As Jesus and the disciples go to another town, he decides it is time to check in with them again as to what extent do they know who he is. Peter answered, "You are the Messiah!" Peter seemingly is the only one who got it right, or at least he is one Mark reports to have gotten it right. Since it is widely assumed that Mark wrote his gospel taking his information from Peter, one might think this had a bearing on the story, but it is recorded similarly in the Matthew and Luke. Again Jesus warns them not to tell anyone. 

Calling Jesus the Messiah was right on the mark but easily misunderstood. In the thinking of most people in Jesus’ day, the Messiah was a political and national superman. “Toward the close of the OT period, the word ‘anointed’ assumed a special meaning. It denoted the ideal king anointed and empowered by God to deliver his people and establish his righteous kingdom.” (Wessel)

Jesus Predicts His Death

This is the first of three times Jesus will predict his death showing us he knew what his fate would be. He also revealed that he would be killed at the hands of all the Jewish leaders and then be raised again after three days. It says he "spoke plainly about this", though obviously it was not "plain" matter. 

Peter shows that though he answered correctly on Jesus being the Messiah, he had an incorrect assumption about the type of Messiah Jesus would be. Like most other Jews, he expected the Messiah to come and conquer Israel's enemies and set up its earthly kingdom again. 

Now Peter gets it wrong. Very wrong. He takes Jesus aside and actually began to rebuke Jesus for not thinking like he did regarding his role as the Messiah. Wow! That took some nerve and we see Jesus' reaction when he rebukes Peter by saying, 

“Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

This scene with Jesus and Peter reminds us that sometimes people might have the right "answer" about Jesus, but they still don't really know him on his terms. 

He didn’t make a deliberate choice to reject God and embrace Satan; he simply let his mind settle on the things of men instead of the things of God, and Satan took advantage of it. Peter is a perfect example of how a sincere heart coupled with man’s thinking can often lead to disaster. (Guzik)

The Way of the Cross

Jesus then takes the time not only with his disciples but also the crowds to clarify what it will mean to follow him. In its simplest terms Jesus says to follow him means to, 

“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."

Though they may be simple and straightforward words, they are very hard to apply. First Jesus says, "Whoever wants to be my disciple". In some sense following Jesus is a choice we make, or at the very least participate in with the help of the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' culture being a disciple meant following a person for a certain person of time as an "apprentice." One would learn everything their master did and then begin to do what their master was doing.  The goal was when the apprentice was fully trained they could take over the master's job.  

The four phases of discipleship training are: You watch and I do. You do and I watch. You do. You train others to do. 

Jesus says to be his follower is to deny oneself. Our current teaches us that we are entitled to get all we want, whenever we want it. To deny ourselves is certainly a counter cultural thing to do. The basic impulse of our sinful nature, which we inherit from Adam, is that everything is about me. "Me, me, me". To deny ourselves is to say, "It's not about me. It about serving God and other first!"  

Finally, Jesus says to take up your cross and follow him. As you probably know a cross was an instrument of torture. It was meant to kill someone. Again when Jesus challenges his followers to, "Take up your cross and follow me", it is an intentional cross.  No one can pick up your cross but you, though others can help you carry the burden of it.  To take up your cross is to realize that following Jesus will not be easy. There are sacrifices to be made. But as we make them, they will honor Jesus and he will honor us as we seek first to follow him above all things. 

As you can see Jesus' definition of a discipleship goes against the modern day "consumer Christianity that we see being promoted in some churches. This is basically the notion that I give something to Jesus in return he gives something to me. It is a version that is very different from Jesus' definition of discipleship. As a Christian consumer if a person doesn't get something "out of church", they go on to the next church to see if they like it better or it is more entertaining. I am not against church being a great experience in every worship service I have been a part of we want to message to be biblical but also with application to real life. We want worship to draw people into God's presence. But we are not just trying to make people happy we are offering them an opportunity to encounter the living God. 

Jesus uses a similar analogy when he says, 

"For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.  What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? 37 Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?"

Jesus is referring to the person who says they follow Jesus, but they are trying to follow the way of the world. They are trying to gain what the world says in important. But to follow Jesus means to renounce the world's version of success. It doesn't mean that God will not bless you financially, but it is saying if primary goal is gain wealth or fame in this life you are trying to gain the world and risk forfeiting your soul.

Finally, Jesus says something about how we should publicly identify with Jesus. If we are ashamed of Jesus in this world, he will be ashamed of us when he comes back in great and promised glory. 

This is a good challenge to us today. When we have the chance to stand up for Jesus will we do it? If someone asks us if we follow Jesus will we be ashamed? Are we ashamed of share the Good News about Jesus and how it has become Good News for us? Do we look for opportunities tell others about Jesus? 

Jesus' words remind me of Paul's word in Romans 1:16-17

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,[e] just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”

This is a good verse to memorize. I have and it has convicted me many times to share Jesus even if it is uncomfortable.