Hello everyone! 🙂
Welcome to ‘Bradley’s Basement’ blog and I’m Tim Bradley!
And welcome back to ‘The Gospel of Mark’!
Click on the tag link for ‘the gospel of mark’ below to catch up on what I’ve shared in my summaries on the Gospel of Mark so far. This is part of a series of blog posts where I summarise the life story of Jesus Christ, the son of God, from the Holy Bible. I hope you’ll enjoy my summer of Chapter 8 today.
In Chapter 7 last week on the Gospel of Mark, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioned why Jesus’ disciples were eating with people who had dirty hands. Jesus also honoured a Syrophoenician Woman’s faith and he healed this deaf and mute man within the region of Decapolis.
Let’s find out what Jesus does in Chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel. Enjoy!
The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 8
In Chapter 8, Jesus first fed the four thousand. It happened when another large crowd gathered around Jesus. They had nothing to eat, so Jesus called his disciples and told him he had compassion on the people. The crowd has been with Jesus for three days. Jesus was afraid that they will collapse.
Jesus’ disciples told him that they didn’t know where to get enough bread to feed the four thousand. They did have seven loaves of bread. Jesus then told the crowd to sit down on the ground before he took the seven loaves and gave thanks for them. He broke the loaves and gave them to his disciples.
The disciples distributed the loaves to the crowd. They also had a few small fish which Jesus gave thanks for and the disciples disturbed too. The people ate and were satisfied. Seven basketfuls of broken pieces were picked up. This is similar to Jesus feeding the five thousand people in Chapter 6.
After the crowd were sent away, Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and they went to the region of Dalmanutha. It was there where the Pharisees came and asked Jesus for a sign from heaven. Jesus sighed, asking why this generation asks for a sign and he told the Pharisees that no sign will be given.
It was then Jesus warned his disciples of the Yeast of the Pharisees and of King Herod. The disciples were worried about not bringing any bread with them when they were in the boat with Jesus. They wondered whether Jesus meant that they had no bread as he gave the warning on this certain Yeast.
Jesus was dismayed as he asked why they were talking about bread and that they didn’t understand what he meant by his warning. He reminds them of when he fed the five thousand and when he fed the four thousand. The disciples recall but they still didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about.
Later on, Jesus heals a blind man at Bethsaida. Some people brought this blind man to Jesus and begged him to touch him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. He then spat on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him. Jesus asked the man if he could see anything.
The blind man said that he could see people looking like trees walking around. Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again and the blind man’s sight was restored clearly. Jesus sent the blind man back home and he told him not to go into the village. Later, Peter declared that Jesus is the Messiah.
It was when Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asked his disciples who people say he is. They replied that some think he is John the Baptists; some says Elijah and some say one of the prophets. Jesus then asked them who they believe he is. Peter answered.
He told Jesus that he is the Messiah/the Christ. Jesus warned his disciples not to tell anyone about this. He then predicts his death to his disciples, telling them that the Son of Man must suffer many things; be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law and he must be killed.
After these things, the Son of Man will rise again three days later. Peter later took Jesus aside and rebuked him, saying it’s not going to happen. Jesus then saw his disciples and rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind me, Satan! You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”
Jesus later called the crowd and his disciples, telling them ‘the way of the cross’. He told them that whoever wants to be his disciples must deny themselves and take up their cross to follow him. Jesus tells them many of things, saying whoever loses their life for him and the gospel will get to be saved.
That’s it for Chapter 8 of Mark’s Gospel. Stay tuned next week for Chapter 9.
Thanks for reading!
Bye for now!
Tim. 🙂
Bradley's Basement 