Mark 8:1–12:44

Four Thousand are Fed

Matt. 15:32–38

8 In those days, athe multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, 2 “I have bcompassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”

4 Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”

5 cHe asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”

And they said, “Seven.”

6 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. 7 They also had a few small fish; and dhaving blessed them, He said to set them also before them. 8 So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. 9 Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, 10 eimmediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.

Pharisees Seek a Sign

Matt. 15:39–16:4

11 fThen the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 But He gsighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, hno sign shall be given to this generation.”

13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.

Disciples Do Not Understand

Matt. 16:5–12

14 iNow 1the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 jThen He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the 2leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”

17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? kDo you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart 3still hardened? 18 Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 lWhen I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

They said to Him, “Twelve.”

20 “Also, mwhen I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”

And they said, “Seven.”

21 So He said to them, “How is it nyou do not understand?”

A Blind Man is Healed

22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a oblind man to Him, and begged Him to ptouch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when qHe had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.

24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”

25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, 4 “Neither go into the town, rnor tell anyone in the town.”

Peter’s Confession of Christ

Matt. 16:13–23; Luke 9:18–22

27 sNow 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?”

28 So they answered, t“John the Baptist; but some say, uElijah; and others, one of the prophets.”

29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Peter answered and said to Him, v“You are the Christ.”

30 wThen He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.

31 And xHe began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be yrejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be zkilled, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He arebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not 5mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Cost of Discipleship

Matt. 16:24–27; Luke 9:22–26

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, b“Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For cwhoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 dFor whoever eis 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.”

The Transfiguration

Matt. 16:28–17:3; Luke 9:27–36

9 And He said to them, a“Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see bthe kingdom of God 1present with power.”

2 cNow after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. 3 His clothes became shining, exceedingly dwhite, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. 4 And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. 5 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—6 because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.

7 And a ecloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is fMy beloved Son. gHear Him!” 8 Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves.

9 hNow as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 So they kept this word to themselves, questioning iwhat the rising from the dead meant.

11 And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say jthat Elijah must come first?”

12 Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And khow is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and lbe treated with contempt? 13 But I say to you that mElijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.”

Demon-Possessed Son is Delivered

Matt. 17:14–21; Luke 9:37–42

14 nAnd when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. 15 Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. 16 And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?”

17 Then oone of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. 18 And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.”

19 He answered him and said, “O pfaithless 2generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I 3bear with you? Bring him to Me.” 20 Then they brought him to Him. And qwhen he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

21 So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?”

And he said, “From childhood. 22 And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

23 Jesus said to him, r“If 4you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

24 Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; shelp my unbelief!”

25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He trebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” 26 Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” 27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.

28 uAnd when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?”

29 So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but vprayer 5and fasting.”

Jesus Foretells His Death

Matt. 17:22, 23; Luke 9:43–45

30 Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. 31 wFor He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will xkill Him. And after He is killed, He will yrise the third day.” 32 But they zdid not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him.

Attitude of Servanthood

Matt. 18:1–5; Luke 9:46–50

33 aThen He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you 6disputed among yourselves on the road?” 34 But they kept silent, for on the road they had bdisputed among themselves who would be the cgreatest. 35 And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, d “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” 36 Then eHe took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, 37 “Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and fwhoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.”

38 gNow John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

39 But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, hfor no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. 40 For ihe who is not against 7us is on 8our side. 41 jFor whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward.

Warning About Hell

Matt. 18:6–9

42 k“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me 9to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, …