Mark 8

Mark 8:1-3

¹In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself and said to them, ²“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days and have nothing to eat. ³If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way.”

Jesus has compassion on a crowd that has stayed three days with nothing to eat.

Mark 8:4

⁴His disciples answered him, “From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?”

The disciples ask how anyone could feed so many in a deserted place.

Mark 8:5

⁵He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.”

Jesus asks how many loaves they have.

Mark 8:6-9

⁶He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude. ⁷They also had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also. ⁸They ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. ⁹Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.

Jesus gives thanks, breaks seven loaves and a few fish, feeds four thousand, and seven baskets remain.

Mark 8:10-12

¹⁰Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples and came into the region of Dalmanutha. ¹¹The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven and testing him. ¹²He sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.”

Pharisees demand a sign from heaven; Jesus sighs and refuses their generation a sign.

Mark 8:13-15

¹³He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side. ¹⁴They forgot to take bread; and they didn’t have more than one loaf in the boat with them. ¹⁵He warned them, saying, “Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod.”

In the boat Jesus warns against the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.

Mark 8:16

¹⁶They reasoned with one another, saying, “It’s because we have no bread.”

The disciples assume Jesus is talking about their lack of bread.

Mark 8:17-19

¹⁷Jesus, perceiving it, said to them, “Why do you reason that it’s because you have no bread? Don’t you perceive yet or understand? Is your heart still hardened? ¹⁸Having eyes, don’t you see? Having ears, don’t you hear? Don’t you remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Twelve.”

Jesus rebukes their hardened hearts and reminds them of the twelve baskets from five thousand.

Mark 8:20

²⁰“When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They told him, “Seven.”

Jesus reminds them of seven baskets left after feeding four thousand.

Mark 8:21

²¹He asked them, “Don’t you understand yet?”

Jesus asks, “Don’t you understand yet?”

Mark 8:22-23

²²He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. ²³He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spat on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.

At Bethsaida Jesus leads a blind man out of the village, spits on his eyes, and lays hands on him.

Mark 8:24

²⁴He looked up, and said, “I see men, but I see them like walking trees.”

The man sees people like walking trees—sight only partly restored.

Mark 8:25-26

²⁵Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly. ²⁶He sent him away to his house, saying, “Don’t enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village.”

Jesus touches him again; he sees clearly, and Jesus sends him home, not into the village.

Mark 8:27

²⁷Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do men say that I am?”

On the way to Caesarea Philippi Jesus asks who people say He is.

Mark 8:28

²⁸They told him, “John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others, one of the prophets.”

They report that people say John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets.

Mark 8:29

²⁹He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

Jesus asks the disciples who they say He is, and Peter confesses Him as the Christ.

Mark 8:30-33

³⁰He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. ³¹He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke to them openly. Peter took him and began to rebuke him. ³³But he, turning around and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men.”

Jesus predicts His suffering, death, and resurrection; Peter rebukes Him and is called Satan for setting his mind on man’s interests.

Mark 8:34-38

³⁴He called the multitude to himself with his disciples and said to them, “Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ³⁵For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it. ³⁶For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? ³⁷For what will a man give in exchange for his life? ³⁸For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Jesus calls hearers to deny themselves, take up the cross, follow Him, and not be ashamed of Him and His words.

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