Mark 8
Encyclopedia
Mark 8 is the eighth chapter of the Gospel of Mark
in the New Testament
of the Christian
Bible
. It contains two miracles of Jesus
, Peter's
confession that he believes Jesus
is the Messiah
, and Jesus' first prediction of his own death
and resurrection
. It is the midchapter and the turning point in Mark between Mark's description of Jesus as teacher and miracle
worker to his focus on the role of Jesus' death and the difficult nature of his teachings.
6:30-44 Mark 8 describes Jesus feeding a large crowd with hardly any food at all. He is teaching a large crowd in a remote place, "About four thousand men..." (9) and everyone is hungry but they only have seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus takes the food, gives thanks to God
, and the disciples
then distribute the food. The text in Greek
uses the word eucharistein to describe his actions. After everyone has eaten they find seven baskets of left over food. Matthew
also records this in chapter 15:29-39 but neither Luke
nor John
have this, yet both record the preceding feeding of the 5000. Skeptical
scholars have concluded that this is just a doubling of the story in Mark 6 with only a few details, such as the number of loaves and baskets, changed. Luke goes right from the feeding of the 5000 to Peter's confession in Luke 9. However, these skeptics must deal with the (later discussed) passage in Mark 8:17-21 where Jesus actually compares and contrasts the two events as an exercise to teach his disciples.
They leave in a boat and go to Dalmanutha
, which is listed in Matthew as Magadan and some early manuscripts of Mark as Magdala
, home of Mary Magdalene
. There Jesus encounters the Pharisees
who ask him to perform a miracle for them. "He 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.'" 12. Matthew and Luke say only the Sign of Jonah will be given . See also Signs Gospel
. They leave in a boat. On the other side of the lake, presumably the Sea of Galilee
, they find they have only brought one loaf of bread. Jesus tells his disciples to be careful and "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod
." (15) criticizing the Pharisees after his last encounter with them. His disciples think he's scolding them for not having enough bread but Jesus instead scolds them for not understanding him:
Jesus doesn't explain any further and they travel to Bethsaida
where they come upon a blind man. He puts spit on the man's eyes and the man can partially see and then he touches his eyes again and he is totally healed. This miracle
only occurs in Mark.
This entire sequence, along with the preceding chapter, shows Jesus' work with Gentiles. Jesus fed Jewish listeners in Mark 6 and he most probably feeds a Gentile crowd here. He refuses to perform a miracle for the Pharisees, who ask for one, but performs miracles for the Gentiles, who don't. Jesus' enigmatic explaining of the meaning of the miracles and the disciple's confusion is contrasted with Jesus restoring a Gentile man's sight, perhaps symbolically showing Jesus' effort, and Mark's, to get his listener's to see what he is trying to tell them. Matthew unambiguously states in that Jesus was saying stay away from the teachings of the Pharisees, yet in Jesus says to do what the Pharisees say because of their authority but still labels them as hypocrites. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." The Jewish Encyclopedia
article on Jesus argues the Halakah ["Jewish Law"] was not in so definite a form at this period due to the disputes between those of Hillel the Elder
and those of Shammai
. The twelve of the first feeding might be a reference to the Twelve tribes of Israel and the seven of the second feeding the seven pagan
nations originally surrounding Israel. It is possible that Jesus was also using this to remind his disciples about the abundant care of God as shown by the contrast between the hunger of the disciples, with the abundance of food after each of the miracles.
or Elijah
, they reply. Jesus asks them what they think. Peter
says he thinks Jesus is "the Christ
", the Anointed One. Jesus tells them to keep it a secret.
Jesus tells them that he must be persecuted by the priests and teachers and killed and after three days rise again. Peter rebukes him but Jesus replies "'Get behind me, Satan!...You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.'" (33) Peter has just said that Jesus is the Anointed One and then Jesus tells him that he has to die, which Peter can't believe. Mark then states that Jesus called a crowd to listen to him, which assumes they had arrived at the city, or it may show that Jesus' reply to Peter applies to everyone else, including the reader, as well. He says:
Peter's rebuke of Jesus and Jesus' answer brings up the issue of a reader's belief or disbelief in Jesus' death and divinity
. Mark records Jesus as saying that anyone who loses his life for Jesus or the "gospel" will be saved. Jesus, after Peter has said he is the Messiah, calls himself the Son of Man, probably a quote from Daniel
7:13. This is from a purported prophetic
dream
that is used elsewhere, such as the Book of Revelation
1:13 and 14:14. Mark is trying to show to the reader that even though they are about to read about Jesus' death, he is still the Messiah and that the Old Testament
had foreseen this as well as their own possible suffering as Christians. To "take up one's cross" has been a common idea of Christianity over the centuries. Jesus' claim of divinity is addressed immediately in the following chapter 9 with the Transfiguration
.
Matthew has the same sequence of stories as this chapter in chapters 15 and 16.
Gospel of Mark
The Gospel According to Mark , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Mark or simply Mark, is the second book of the New Testament. This canonical account of the life of Jesus of Nazareth is one of the three synoptic gospels. It was thought to be an epitome, which accounts for its place as the second...
in the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
of the Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
Bible
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
. It contains two miracles of Jesus
Miracles of Jesus
The miracles of Jesus are the supernatural deeds of Jesus, as recorded in Gospels, in the course of his ministry. According to the Gospel of John, only some of these were recorded. states that "Jesus did many other things as well...
, Peter's
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
confession that he believes Jesus
Jesus
Jesus of Nazareth , commonly referred to as Jesus Christ or simply as Jesus or Christ, is the central figure of Christianity...
is the Messiah
Messiah
A messiah is a redeemer figure expected or foretold in one form or another by a religion. Slightly more widely, a messiah is any redeemer figure. Messianic beliefs or theories generally relate to eschatological improvement of the state of humanity or the world, in other words the World to...
, and Jesus' first prediction of his own death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
and resurrection
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
. It is the midchapter and the turning point in Mark between Mark's description of Jesus as teacher and miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
worker to his focus on the role of Jesus' death and the difficult nature of his teachings.
Feeding of the 4000 and the healing of the blind man at Bethsaida
Like MarkMark 6
Mark 6 is the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament of the Christian Bible.- Rejection of Jesus at Nazareth :Mark relates the story, also found in Matthew and probably Luke , of Jesus's rejection at Nazareth. The people question his authority and don't seem to think much of the...
6:30-44 Mark 8 describes Jesus feeding a large crowd with hardly any food at all. He is teaching a large crowd in a remote place, "About four thousand men..." (9) and everyone is hungry but they only have seven loaves of bread and a few fish. Jesus takes the food, gives thanks to God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
, and the disciples
Disciple (Christianity)
In Christianity, the disciples were the students of Jesus during his ministry. While Jesus attracted a large following, the term disciple is commonly used to refer specifically to "the Twelve", an inner circle of men whose number perhaps represented the twelve tribes of Israel...
then distribute the food. The text in Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
uses the word eucharistein to describe his actions. After everyone has eaten they find seven baskets of left over food. Matthew
Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel According to Matthew is one of the four canonical gospels, one of the three synoptic gospels, and the first book of the New Testament. It tells of the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth...
also records this in chapter 15:29-39 but neither Luke
Gospel of Luke
The Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
nor John
Gospel of John
The Gospel According to John , commonly referred to as the Gospel of John or simply John, and often referred to in New Testament scholarship as the Fourth Gospel, is an account of the public ministry of Jesus...
have this, yet both record the preceding feeding of the 5000. Skeptical
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
scholars have concluded that this is just a doubling of the story in Mark 6 with only a few details, such as the number of loaves and baskets, changed. Luke goes right from the feeding of the 5000 to Peter's confession in Luke 9. However, these skeptics must deal with the (later discussed) passage in Mark 8:17-21 where Jesus actually compares and contrasts the two events as an exercise to teach his disciples.
They leave in a boat and go to Dalmanutha
Dalmanutha
Dalmanutha is the unknown destination of Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Gallilee after he fed the four thousand, as recorded in Mark's gospel,...
, which is listed in Matthew as Magadan and some early manuscripts of Mark as Magdala
Magdala
Magdala is the name of at least two places in ancient Israel mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and one place that may be mentioned in the Christian New Testament...
, home of Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene was one of Jesus' most celebrated disciples, and the most important woman disciple in the movement of Jesus. Jesus cleansed her of "seven demons", conventionally interpreted as referring to complex illnesses...
. There Jesus encounters the Pharisees
Pharisees
The Pharisees were at various times a political party, a social movement, and a school of thought among Jews during the Second Temple period beginning under the Hasmonean dynasty in the wake of...
who ask him to perform a miracle for them. "He 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.'" 12. Matthew and Luke say only the Sign of Jonah will be given . See also Signs Gospel
Signs Gospel
The Signs Gospel is a hypothetical gospel account of the life of Jesus Christ. Some scholars believe it to be a primary source document for the Gospel of John. This theory has its basis in source criticism...
. They leave in a boat. On the other side of the lake, presumably the Sea of Galilee
Sea of Galilee
The Sea of Galilee, also Kinneret, Lake of Gennesaret, or Lake Tiberias , is the largest freshwater lake in Israel, and it is approximately in circumference, about long, and wide. The lake has a total area of , and a maximum depth of approximately 43 m...
, they find they have only brought one loaf of bread. Jesus tells his disciples to be careful and "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod
Herod Antipas
Herod Antipater , known by the nickname Antipas, was a 1st-century AD ruler of Galilee and Perea, who bore the title of tetrarch...
." (15) criticizing the Pharisees after his last encounter with them. His disciples think he's scolding them for not having enough bread but Jesus instead scolds them for not understanding him:
- Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don't you remember? When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" "Twelve," they replied. "And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?" They answered, "Seven." He said to them, "Do you still not understand?" (17-21)
Jesus doesn't explain any further and they travel to Bethsaida
Bethsaida
Bethsaida is a place mentioned in the New Testament.- Bethsaida Julias :...
where they come upon a blind man. He puts spit on the man's eyes and the man can partially see and then he touches his eyes again and he is totally healed. This miracle
Miracle
A miracle often denotes an event attributed to divine intervention. Alternatively, it may be an event attributed to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that a god may work with the laws...
only occurs in Mark.
This entire sequence, along with the preceding chapter, shows Jesus' work with Gentiles. Jesus fed Jewish listeners in Mark 6 and he most probably feeds a Gentile crowd here. He refuses to perform a miracle for the Pharisees, who ask for one, but performs miracles for the Gentiles, who don't. Jesus' enigmatic explaining of the meaning of the miracles and the disciple's confusion is contrasted with Jesus restoring a Gentile man's sight, perhaps symbolically showing Jesus' effort, and Mark's, to get his listener's to see what he is trying to tell them. Matthew unambiguously states in that Jesus was saying stay away from the teachings of the Pharisees, yet in Jesus says to do what the Pharisees say because of their authority but still labels them as hypocrites. "The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat: All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not." The Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
article on Jesus argues the Halakah ["Jewish Law"] was not in so definite a form at this period due to the disputes between those of Hillel the Elder
Hillel the Elder
Hillel was a famous Jewish religious leader, one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He is associated with the development of the Mishnah and the Talmud...
and those of Shammai
Shammai
Shammai was a Jewish scholar of the 1st century, and an important figure in Judaism's core work of rabbinic literature, the Mishnah....
. The twelve of the first feeding might be a reference to the Twelve tribes of Israel and the seven of the second feeding the seven pagan
Paganism
Paganism is a blanket term, typically used to refer to non-Abrahamic, indigenous polytheistic religious traditions....
nations originally surrounding Israel. It is possible that Jesus was also using this to remind his disciples about the abundant care of God as shown by the contrast between the hunger of the disciples, with the abundance of food after each of the miracles.
Peter's confession and Jesus' prediction
Mark begins the second half of his book with Jesus and the disciples traveling to Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks them who people think he is. JohnJohn the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
or Elijah
Elijah (prophet)
Elijah also Elias ; , meaning "Yahweh is my God";Arabic:إلياس, Ilyās), was a prophet in the Kingdom of Samaria during the reign of Ahab , according to the Books of Kings....
, they reply. Jesus asks them what they think. Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
says he thinks Jesus is "the Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
", the Anointed One. Jesus tells them to keep it a secret.
Jesus tells them that he must be persecuted by the priests and teachers and killed and after three days rise again. Peter rebukes him but Jesus replies "'Get behind me, Satan!...You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.'" (33) Peter has just said that Jesus is the Anointed One and then Jesus tells him that he has to die, which Peter can't believe. Mark then states that Jesus called a crowd to listen to him, which assumes they had arrived at the city, or it may show that Jesus' reply to Peter applies to everyone else, including the reader, as well. He says:
- If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his lifeLifeLife is a characteristic that distinguishes objects that have signaling and self-sustaining processes from those that do not, either because such functions have ceased , or else because they lack such functions and are classified as inanimate...
(or soulSoulA soul in certain spiritual, philosophical, and psychological traditions is the incorporeal essence of a person or living thing or object. Many philosophical and spiritual systems teach that humans have souls, and others teach that all living things and even inanimate objects have souls. The...
) will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 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? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinfulSinfulTo be sinful is to have committed an act that violates a known moral rule.Sinful may also refer to:* Sinful , a 1979 hard rock album* Sinful , a 1965 Mexican film-See also:* Sin * Sinner...
generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels. (34-38)
Peter's rebuke of Jesus and Jesus' answer brings up the issue of a reader's belief or disbelief in Jesus' death and divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
. Mark records Jesus as saying that anyone who loses his life for Jesus or the "gospel" will be saved. Jesus, after Peter has said he is the Messiah, calls himself the Son of Man, probably a quote from Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
7:13. This is from a purported prophetic
Prophecy
Prophecy is a process in which one or more messages that have been communicated to a prophet are then communicated to others. Such messages typically involve divine inspiration, interpretation, or revelation of conditioned events to come as well as testimonies or repeated revelations that the...
dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
that is used elsewhere, such as the Book of Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
1:13 and 14:14. Mark is trying to show to the reader that even though they are about to read about Jesus' death, he is still the Messiah and that the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
had foreseen this as well as their own possible suffering as Christians. To "take up one's cross" has been a common idea of Christianity over the centuries. Jesus' claim of divinity is addressed immediately in the following chapter 9 with the Transfiguration
Transfiguration of Jesus
The Transfiguration of Jesus is an event reported in the New Testament in which Jesus is transfigured and becomes radiant upon a mountain. The Synoptic Gospels describe it, and 2 Peter 1:16-18 refers to it....
.
Matthew has the same sequence of stories as this chapter in chapters 15 and 16.