Crossroads Week 1: "Beware of Blind Spots: Missing God’s Signs"
Main Teaching Points:
Mark 8:11-13 – The Pharisees’ Demand for a Sign
Mark 8:14-16 – The Disciples’ Misunderstanding
Mark 8:17-21 – Jesus Confronts Their Blindness
Verse 11, The Pharisees come demanding a sign, but not just a sign or miracle (there were an abundance of “miracle workers” in the society, but they require A SIGN FROM HEAVEN.) They are fully aware of the feeding of the 5000 that has recently occurred (Mark 6:30-44) there would have also been Pharisees and Scribes likely present amongst the crowd of 4000 that has just been fed.
- The demand for a sign is a further illustration of the hardened hearts of those who will not receive the Gospel message.
- No longer does the Messianic (kangaroo court, heresy detection) council converse through the disciples or simply from observation, now they directly converse with Jesus. Not only conversing but attempting to disprove Jesus’ Messianic connection.
Verse 12, “He sighed deeply in His spirit (NKJV)” this request for proof based on signs shows a complete lack of open heart to receive the Gospel message. Faith requires no proof, simply belief.
Matthew 12:39-40 ESV Romans 10:17 NIV
Verse 13, rather than remain in the area of Dalmanutha (Magdala) [West] Jesus and His disciples get back into the boat and head back to the other side [East] in the direction of Capernaum, Chorazin, Bethsaida, etc.
Verse 14, following Jesus revelation as the “Bread of Life” after the miracle of the feeding of the 4000 it is no coincidence that once more we see the bread connection to the journey.
Verse 15, “Leaven of the Pharisees” is a symbolic representation of self-righteousness or absorption to man made religion rather than pursuit of the purity of God.
- To followers of Jesus who have been watching His’ ministry and battles with the Pharisees and the Herodians who have true spiritual hearts attuned to Jesus, to be compared to them would be a dagger to the heart. This showed a lack of belief in the true Gospel, that Jesus is the Christ/Messiah.
Verse 16, the disciples still cannot see spiritual truths. Instead they are once more invaded by literalism and legalism that hears of leaven and thinks only of the physical bread.
Verse 17, similarly to the deep sigh of the spirit (verse 12) Jesus is once more grieved at the hardness of heart and the lack of faith to believe in Him as the “Bread of Life” and the Messiah who is to save God’s chosen people.
Verse 18, in both remembrance and foreshadowing it is no coincidence Jesus uses the analogy of “eyes but you do not see” and “ears but you do not hear”. Jesus is highlighting the healing miracle of hearing restored to the deaf man (ch7v31-35) and the miracle they have not yet seen that Jesus would restore sight to the blind man (ch8v22-26).
Verse 19, In Jewish culture and tradition numbers are most often associated with symbology. The number twelve would bring immediate links and bridges with the Twelve Tribes of Israel.
Verse 20, Similarly with the twelve left over baskets in the feeding of the 5000; there were seven baskets full after the feeding of the 4000 with links and connections with the concept of completion (in abundance) associated with the number seven. The number seven is directly linked to the Sabbath, the end of the sacred cycle.
Verse 21, much in the way Babe Ruth “called his shot” Jesus says to His disciples as well as the Pharisees and Scribes present “do you not yet understand?” He has proved Himself with repeated signs, shows His omni nature as God in the flesh and has now foreshadowed a healing that has not yet occurred.
