What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? The cross wasnt about self-promotion or self-affirmation. Scripture: Mark 8:34-38. Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, Who do men say that I am? So they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets. He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Peter answered and said to Him, You are the Christ. Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. You dont lose a seed when you plant it, though it seems dead and buried. Your partnership makes all we do possible. Christ would by no means have them go home fasting, for it is not his manner to send those empty way from him, that in a right manner attend on him. We can imagine Jesus hoping one of the disciples might say, Jesus, You did this before. Here is Christ leading this blind man, v. 23. b. And he looked up and said, "I see people, but they look like trees, walking." Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. As Christ has a compassion for all that are in wants and straits, so he has a special concern for those that are reduced to straits by their zeal and diligence in attending on him. 7. Look at the Book. He condemned the generation who sought a sign. However, for that to happen, we must desire it, not resile from the commitment needed to gain it. Romans 4:13-25 . Peter seemed to mind more the things that relate to the lower world, and the life that now is, than those which relate to the upper world, and the life to come. We are called to rebel against the tyranny of the flesh, against the fear and conformity of the world, against the traditions of man. Avoiding the walk down death row with Jesus means that we may gain the whole world, and end up losing everything. But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, Get behind Me, Satan! This is that which all are concerned to know, and consider, if they expect Christ should heal their souls. 1:08 Dan Sanders. Jesus performs a mass feeding (Mark 8:1-9; Mark 6:31-44), publicly disagrees with the religious leaders (Mark 8:10-21; Mark 7:1-23), and performs a healing miracle that the Old Testament associates with the Messiah (Mark 8:22-26; Mark 7:31-37). conservative Christian faith, which includes a firm belief in the inerrancy b. 35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. They wanted political power in this life; Jesus established spiritual power for the life to come. c. But who do you say that I am? In Jesus' time, the cross had not yet become the sign of victory and resurrection. a. Those who believe that if people see enough signs they will come to faith presume to know more than Jesus did. The notice he gave his disciples of his own approaching sufferings (ver 31-33), and the warning he gave them to prepare for sufferings likewise, ver 34-38. In 8:22-26 Jesus privately heals a man's blindness, though it requires two steps to complete the process. He considered that many of them came from afar, and had a great way home. They must not indulge the ease of the body. This man needed a second touch to experience a full restoration of sight. (1.) Mark 8:34-38. i. Peter is a perfect example of how a sincere heart coupled with mans thinking can often lead to disaster. He came thither by ship (v. 10); but, meeting with occasions of dispute there, and not with opportunities of doing good, he entered into the ship again (v. 13), and came back. Amazingly, the people who live this way before Jesus are the ones who are really, genuinely happy. Not that Christ always went by this rule, but thus he would sometimes put a rebuke upon those who came to him, doubting. ii. How is it that my heart is thus hardened?". What the caution was (v. 15); "Take heed, beware, lest ye partake of the leaven of the Pharisees, lest ye embrace the tradition of the elders, which they are so wedded to, lest ye be proud, and hypocritical, and ceremonious, like them." 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, "Do you see anything?" 24 And he looked up and said . i. In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. Denying self means to live as an others-centered person. Mark 8:27-38; Mark 9 Commentary. Having eyes, see ye not that which is plain before your eyes? 1. Then again, it is their prayer that is mentioned, not his-he asked nothing. Yet observe. Is It Ok for Christians to Follow Zodiac Signs? Nederlandstalige Bijbelstudies door Stan Marinussen, Copyright - Enduring Word       |      . The cure was wrought gradually, which was not usual in our Lord's miracles. Wisdom Literature 28 And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. It is now time for us to pause a little, and to consider what these things mean; the wondrous works which Christ then forbade the publishing of, being recorded in these sacred writings, are thereby published to all the world, to us, to all ages; now what shall we think of them? Best of T20. i. Jesus probably choose this method at this time as an illustration to His disciples, showing them then that their spiritual blindness shown in the previous passage will be healed, but only gradually. We can always take the past faithfulness of God as a promise for His continued love and care. Jesus complimented Peter, telling him that God revealed this to him. Matthew adds, and of the Sadducees; Mark adds, and of Herod: whence some gather, that Herod, and his courtiers were generally Sadducees, that is, deists, men of no religion. Is the record of those things designed only for an amusement, or to furnish us with matter for discourse? Poetical Books Yet, on the way, as we shall see, he is still ministering to men, still healing, still comforting, still cleansing, restoring, and blessing men. This wasnt so surprising after all. He expostulates with them upon this demand; "Why doth this generation seek after a sign; this generation, that is so unworthy to have the gospel brought to it, and to have any sign accompanying it; this generation, that so greedily swallows the traditions of the elders, without the confirmation of any sign at all; this generation, into which, by the calculating of the times prefixed in the Old Testament, they might easily perceive that the coming of the Messiah must fall; this generation, that has had such plenty of sensible and merciful signs given them in the cure of their sick? All rights reserved. i. The cross was a real . Click to enable/disable _gat_* - Google Analytics Cookie. He didnt 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. This was a strong rebuke from Jesus, yet entirely appropriate. Slighting Christ's favours is forfeiting them; and Christ will make those know the worth of their privileges by the want of them, that would not know them otherwise. We use cookies to let us know when you visit our websites, how you interact with us, to enrich your user experience, and to customize your relationship with our website. They demanded of him a sign from heaven, as if the signs he gave them on earth, which were more familiar to them, and were more capable of being examined and enquired into, were not sufficient. Yet if we are ashamed of Him, He will be ashamed of us. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" Is your heart still hardened? Johannine Writings Note, True zeal makes nothing of hardships in the way of duty. Jesus is coming again in glory, and if we will rebel against the world, the flesh, and the devil, we will share in the glory. Non sapisThou art not wise (so it may be read) in the things of God, but in the things of men. He asked this question as an introduction to a more important follow-up question. Good Fields and Excellent Racing. Denying self means to live as an others-centered person. Every Christian must be a Crucian, said Luther, and do somewhat more than those monks that made themselves wooden crosses, and carried them on their back continually, making all the world laugh at them. (Trapp). We can be sure that Peter was not aware that he spoke for Satan, just as a moment before he was not aware that he spoke for God. This is one of the situations where we wish we had a recording of Jesus words to hear what tone of voice He used. The top finisher in the $1,000,000+ stock division is Mark Minervini, + 334. ii. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospels will save it. 39 And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and came to the region of Magadan. and do ye not remember? For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? When God spoke to particular persons in a particular case, out of the road of his common dispensation, they were encouraged to ask a sign, as Gideon and Ahaz; but when he speaks in general to all, as in the law and the gospel, sending each with their own evidence, it is presumption to prescribe other signs than what he has given. Adult Bible Studies Spring 2022 Theme: FollowThe lessons this quarter are confined to two units so that we can observe the season of Lent. They claim that this was merely a retelling of the feeding of the 5,000. Thus Christ would show how, and in what method, those are healed by his grace, who by nature are spiritually blind; at first, their knowledge is confused, they see men as trees walking; but, like the light of the morning, it shines more and more to the perfect day, and then they see all things clearly, Prov 4 18. They reasoned itdielogizonto, they disputed about it; one said, "It was owing to you;" and the other said, "It was owing to you, that we are so ill provided for this voyage." The cross wasnt about self-promotion or self-affirmation. Let us sit down, and count the cost, whether we can prefer our advantages by Christ before life itself, whether we can bear to think of losing our life for Christ's sake and the gospel's. Perhaps Christ took the blind man out of the town, that he might have a larger prospect in the open fields, to try his sight with, than he could have in the close streets. But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, Why does this generation seek a sign? How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness? iii. b. What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. They must not be indulgent of the ease of the body; for (v. 34), "Whosoever will come after me for spiritual cures, as these people do for bodily cures, let him deny himself, and live a life of self-denial, mortification, and contempt of the world; let him not pretend to be his own physician, but renounce all confidence in himself and his own righteousness and strength, and let him take up his cross, conforming himself to the pattern of a crucified Jesus, and accommodating himself to the will of God in all the afflictions he lies under; and thus let him continue to follow me;" as many of those did, whom Christ healed. You always can block or delete cookies by changing your browser settings and force blocking all cookies on this website. May 25, 2017. May 23, 2017. 26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. Since the text and audio content provided by BLB represent a What an absurdity is it for them to desire a sign!" It required a miracle to restore the sight, and this was done in consequence of Christ having laid his hands upon the blind man: it required no miracle to separate the eyelids, and, therefore, natural means only were employed this was done by rubbing them with spittle.. He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. We are therefore overwhelmed with present cares and distrusts, because we do not understand, and remember, what we have known and seen of the power and goodness of our Lord Jesus. GenesisExodusLeviticusNumbersDeuteronomyJoshuaJudgesRuth1 Samuel2 Samuel1 Kings2 Kings1 Chronicles2 ChroniclesEzraNehemiahEstherJobPsalmsProverbsEcclesiastesSong of SongsIsaiahJeremiahLamentationsEzekielDanielHoseaJoelAmosObadiahJonahMicahNahumHabakkukZephaniahHaggaiZechariahMalachiMatthewMarkLukeJohnActsRomans1 Corinthians2 CorinthiansGalatiansEphesiansPhilippiansColossians1 Thessalonians2 Thessalonians1 Timothy2 TimothyTitusPhilemonHebrewsJames1 Peter2 Peter1 John2 John3 JohnJudeRevelation, Select an Ending Point For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. And He said to them, Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.. 2. The Bible (from Koine Greek , t bibla, 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. Cross bearing does not refer to some irritation in life. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. He was more than a national reformer, more than a miracle worker, more than a prophet. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. You dont lose a seed when you plant it, though it seems dead and buried. [4.] 6 35), and of this same miracle (Matt 15 32), and here is little or no addition or alternation as to the circumstances. Whatever losses we sustain, or hardships we go through, for Christ's sake, and in love to him, he will take care that they shall be made up to us one way or other. They prove that he is the true Messiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the world: this the works he did witnessed concerning him; and this his disciples, who were the eye-witnesses of those works, here profess their belief of; which cannot but be a satisfaction to us in making the same inference from them. 8. Seeking from Him a sign from heaven: In the mind of the Pharisees, this was not a request for another miracle of the type Jesus had already done. Scripture: Mark 8:34-38. In the second place, it was other people that brought him; he did not come of his own accord. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. (Mark 8:31-32a) Jesus reveals His mission plainly: to come and die, and then rise again. And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. They demanded this sign, tempting him; not in hopes that he would give it them, that they might be satisfied, but in hopes that he would not, that they might imagine themselves to have a pretence for their infidelity. But we deny self when we surrender ourselves to Christ and determine to obey His will. (Wiersbe). Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. He had some glimmerings of sight, and betwixt him and the sky could perceive a man erect like a tree, but could not discern the form thereof, Job 4 16. 2. It was an old saying among the Puritans, Grown bread and the gospel are good fare. When therefore Christ bid them beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, they understood it as an intimation to them, not to apply themselves to any of the Pharisees for relief, when they came to the other side, for they had lately been offended at them for eating with unwashen hands. The account they gave him of their own sentiments concerning him, intimated their abundant satisfaction in him, and in their having left all to follow him, which now, after some time of trial, they see no reason to repent; But whom say ye that I am? Prophets Historical Books c. Jesus makes deny himself equal with take up his cross. We know that even when Jesus confronted His disciples, He did it in love. Note, Christ sees that amiss in what we say and do, which we ourselves are not aware of, and knows what manner of spirit we are of, when we ourselves do not. c. Do you not remember? Mark 10:2-16; Mark 10:17-31; Mark 10:35-45; Mark 10:46-52; Mark 11 Commentary. (Mark 8:16-21) Jesus questions the twelve about their lack of understanding. It is offering our entire life as a living sacrifice which is set apart for God and remains holy to the Lord. Pauline Epistles John Piper May 25, 2017. This he spoke openly (v. 32), parresia. He denied them, and then left them, as men not fit to be talked with; if they will not be convinced, they shall not; leave them to their strong delusions. The Whole Bible Recognizing the value of consistent reflection upon the Word of God in order to refocus one's mind and heart upon Christ and His Gospel of peace, we provide several reading plans designed to cover the entire Bible in a year. 6. Sometimes the Jew used the word leaven much as we would use the term original sin, or the natural evil of human nature. (Barclay). The disciples could not imagine whence so many men should be satisfied with bread here in the wilderness, v. 4. 3. The Messiah will be the most destructive conqueror in history, smashing his enemies into utter extinction. (Barclay). So He commanded the multitude to sit down: He intended them not only a running banquet, a slight come-off, but a full feast, a good meal, and therefore bade them sit down and feed their fill. (Trapp). 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