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Pursuing Jesus In The Gospel of Mark
Signs, Signs, Everywhere A Sign
Mark 8:1-26

Introduction: What Does It Take?

On this first Sunday of 2007 we carry many hopes and dreams of what this new year has to offer. Among those dreams are the hopes that some people you and I know would accept Jesus as Savior. Have you ever wondered what it is going to take for some people to believe?

They have friends who love them and have shared the good news with them

They have heard messages at church or on TV

They have even experienced some of God’s goodness

But, something holds them back.

Some people long for a sign. They wish…

If I just had proof that God exists

If I could know for sure that Jesus is the way

If God would just let me know… somehow

We become a bit like Gideon in the Old Testament who wanted to be sure God was calling him to lead the nation. He put out a fleece. The first time he asked God to have dew on the fleece while the ground around it remained dry. Then, just to be sure, he asked for a second sign with the ground being wet with dew while the fleece remained dry. With both signs given, Gideon obeyed God.

Signs given don’t always mean people will respond. As God wanted Israel to be released from slavery in Egypt, He gave Pharaoh sign after sign—ten in all. At first Pharaoh would relent, but then he would harden his heart and refuse. What could Pharaoh have been thinking as the water began to flood over his army as the Red Sea rushed to fill the pathway through which Israel had passed? “Maybe one more sign, God. If the water stops I’ll think about believing.”

Having returned to our study of Mark, please remember that Marks’ objective is to lead people to consider who Jesus is so they might put faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord.

In chapter 8 there are a series of signs visible for all to see. Some see and respond. There is encouraging progress made by the followers of Christ. Sadly, however, many don’t see as the darkness of opposition and rejection deepens.

The Sign of Bread (vv. 1-9)

During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, "I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance." His disciples answered, "But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?""How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked. "Seven," they replied. He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them. The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. About four thousand men were present.

Some see this as a confused repetition of the earlier account when 5,000 were fed with a boy’s small lunch. There certainly are similarities to the first account (6:30-44). Both accounts have:

Thousands of hungry people

Desolate locations

Compassion that meets the need

Miraculous provision

Lack of understanding by the disciples

The accounts are, however, very different.

Different Crowd

This time Jesus is on the other side of the lake—the southeastern shore. This crowd is largely non-Jewish. Mark writes for the Christians in Rome. This second miracle powerfully tells them that God’s good news is for everyone—not just the Jews.

Different Need

The primary need in the earlier account was for teaching. Jesus had compassion on them because they needed a shepherd for their souls. This time the primary need is physical food. The people have been there for three days and food is running low.

Different Challenge

In the earlier account Jesus urged the disciples to feed the people after they urged Jesus to send the crowd away. Jesus initiates the action this time.

About this time another large crowd had gathered, and the people ran out of food again. Jesus called his disciples and told them, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been here with me for three days, and they have nothing left to eat. If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a long distance.”

Mark 8:1-3 NLT

In the first miracle meal the disciples essentially had asked Jesus, “Why should we be expected to feed them?” Their question this time shows progress.

His disciples replied, “How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?”

Mark 8:4 NLT

While it’s tempting to condemn the disciples for their lack of faith, they are no longer asking why. They are to be commended for asking how because they ask Jesus. They are learning that He is the answer to how.

The miracle is performed. This time with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish the crowd of 4,000 is fed as Jesus blesses the food and the disciples distribute it. With the crowd satisfied, seven baskets are collected. These baskets are different than the 12 baskets leftover in the earlier account. That was a basket in which a lunch was carried. The word used for basket here is the same one describing the basket in which Paul was lowered over the wall as he escaped those wanting to kill him (Acts 9:25).

There are several spiritual truths to be learned from this second miracle meal. We learn the truth about…

The divine power of Christ: He is God

The dependence on divine resources: God is not limited

Divine provision: God provides as we release what little we have

Servanthood: God doesn’t need servants, but He gives us the privilege of being involved

God’s generosity: They weren’t just fed—they were filled

Spiritual investment: The disciples never received until they gave what they had, but they were never disappointed

Compassion: Jesus moved to meet both spiritual and physical needs. He is concerned about that which concerns us.

This miraculous meal should have convinced anyone, but as Jesus crosses back into Galilee the “truth squad” of Pharisees is waiting for Him. They can’t deny what happened. Too many people who had been fed were there. They hope they can inject doubt in people’s minds with a counter challenge. Hoping to win the crowd by appealing to their love for the spectacular, they ask for…

A Sign From Heaven (vv. 11-13)

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived, they came and started to argue with him. Testing him, they demanded that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

Mark 8:11 NLT

The word test can also mean tempt. It is the same word used when Jesus was tempted in the wilderness. Clearly, the Pharisees’ intent is evil. We’re not told what kind if sign is requested, but it needs to be one to prove He is from heaven. So,

They challenge the legitimacy of His power

They challenge the trustworthiness of His character

They challenge the authority behind His action

They reinforce the earlier charge that He is aligned with the devil (3:22)

Jesus refuses to play their game. I might have been tempted to use the Elijah calling-down-fire-from-heaven approach. Think about it: What more should they need?

A man who couldn’t hear or speak now does

A hungry crowd has been fed

Are fire and lightning really going to be any more convincing? Jesus takes the high road.

When he heard this, he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, I will not give this generation any such sign.” So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake.

Mark 8:12-13 NLT

Jesus reveals His heart as He sighs deeply. Rejection runs deep for some people as they are always demanding still another sign when there are already signs, signs everywhere a sign. How about it? Does God ever sigh because of you and me? He has, but my hope is I am learning to increasingly take Him at His word.

The Sign of Leaven (vv. 8:14-21)

 The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. "Be careful," Jesus warned them. "Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod." They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: "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?"

Leaving in the boat to cross back to the other side of the lake the disciples face a dilemma.

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat.

Mark 8:14 NLT

Why was there only one loaf of bread? They had forgotten to bring any food!

Jesus uses this as an opportunity to issue a warning.

As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod.”

Mark 8:15 NLT

Yeast is the active agent in the fermentation process that results in bread. About what is Jesus warning them?

Yeast of the Pharisees: This is phony religion that stresses external practices without addressing the heart. It is a system of self-justification that ignores the need for God’s justification.

Yeast of Herod: This is political ambition that stresses power built on military might. Herod kept his power for himself in order to control people. God gives us His power to take on and overcome the challenges of life.

Both systems are bankrupt!

The disciples’ discussion shows they totally miss the point.

They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread."

Mark 8:16 NIV

They are completely hung up with the physical, material world. They think Jesus is warning them not to eat any bread given to them by the Pharisees or Herod. They can’t see past the physical to the spiritual. They haven’t yet understood the earlier lesson that it isn’t what goes into a person that corrupts, but it is what is already in the heart.

We need to be very careful here. We can be too hard on the disciples when the truth is we spend much of our time and energy on physical concerns. We could very easily be in the same boat as the disciples.

What’s instructive here is the way Jesus responds to the disciples. They are beginning to see. This time Jesus guides them through a series of questions.

Why are you talking about having no bread? (v. 17)

Don’t you see or understand? (v. 17)

Are your hearts hardened? (v. 17)

Do you have eyes that can’t see? (v. 18)

Do you have ears that can’t hear? (v. 18)

Don’t you remember how many baskets of leftover bread you picked up when I fed the 5,000? (vv. 18-19)

They answer, “Twelve.”

Don’t you remember how many large baskets of leftover bread you picked up when I fed the 4,000? (v. 20)

Again, they answer, “Seven.”

Don’t you understand yet? (v. 21)

Matthew adds an important insight in his account of Jesus’ life.

Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Matthew 16:12 NLT

Jesus wants them to see and understand that…

If He is concerned about physical bread, he can handle that

He wants them to focus on spiritual bread and get down to the spiritual realities that matter.

Jesus knows this is our struggle, too. We are earthbound creatures. Like the Pharisees we get caught up in trying to make our own way spiritually. Like Herod we become concerned with building our own little kingdoms. Jesus guides them toward His truth that matters.

Thomas Steward was the victim of an accident at work that caused a knife to damage his eye. Fearing his other eye might be in danger from the damage, doctors recommended his eye be removed. It was only when the surgery was finished that they discovered they had tragically removed the wrong eye, leaving Thomas totally blind. In spite of his handicap, Thomas studied law at McGill University in Montreal, graduating first in his class.

His brother William graduated second in the class. William had gone to class with Thomas, read the books to him and written the necessary papers. Without William, Thomas would never have completed school.

We need that same type of guidance. In dealing with His disciples Jesus demonstrates that He willingly and patiently provides that guidance as we grow in spiritual maturity and understanding. Jesus knows we  are born with an inbred bias toward setting our minds on earthly things rather than heavenly things. We, too, need to learn from the sign of the leaven.

The Sign of Vision (vv. 8:22-26)

The fourth and final sign involves the restoration of physical sight to a man who was blind.

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him.

Mark 8:22 NLT

Jesus had healed this way before. This time He doesn’t. Instead, Jesus uses a two-stage process.

He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man's eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, "Do you see anything?" He looked up and said, "I see people; they look like trees walking around."

Once more Jesus put his hands on the man's eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village."

Mark 8:23-26 NLT

Mark follows up Jesus’ earlier question, “Do you have eyes that can’t see?” with an account about eyes that can’t see. Jesus leads his disciples back through the miracles so their eyes can be opened to who He is and understand what He does.

Through the two-stage process the disciples are able to see themselves. Their vision is clearing. For a while people may look like trees walking around but eventually they will see everything clearly. The healing of the blind man brings everything together. They now stand on the threshold of understanding where they will be able to say, “Aha! I can see clearly now!” Signs would no longer be needed because they would see Jesus.

Conclusion: Your Aha! Moment

When was your “Aha” moment with Jesus? When did your vision finally clear so you could see and understand that Jesus is the Son of God Who desires to be your Savior? When did you understand that being ready for eternity is far more important that what takes place during the 70, 80 or maybe even 90 years that we live here on this earth?

If you have never had that Aha! Moment it’s eternally imperative that you do. There are only two kinds of people in the world. There are the blind who never see and the blind who are made to see. Which are you?

There was a little girl in France who was blind. She was given the Gospel of Mark in Braille. With her fingers she began to read the Gospel. She read it over and over until she developed such calluses on her fingers that she could no longer sense the letters. Because she desired so much to read the Gospel, she peeled the skin off her fingertips so she could use those more sensitive tissues. In doing so, she damaged the nerves and could never feel again with her fingers. One day, brokenhearted, she picked up her Braille copy of Mark’s Gospel and put it to her lips for a farewell kiss. She discovered her lips were far more sensitive than her fingers had ever been. She spent the rest of her life reading it with her lips.

How hungry is your heart in longing for that “Aha!” moment with God?

There are those who refuse to see. What about those people who are in danger of entering into eternal darkness?

Ethan Allan is well known in American history. He was a legendary soldier with the Green Mountain Boys during the late 1700’s who also happened to be a Deist. A Deist believes God exists but keeps Himself separate from the ongoing operation of the world. Allan wrote a book that denied the deity of Jesus. His wife, however, was a devout Christian. They had a daughter who was caught between two beliefs.

His wife died, leaving him to raise their daughter. The fragile, sensitive girl who treasured the memory of her mother also loved and respected her father. She was caught in the middle of determining which was right—believing in Christ or being against Him. Sadly, for all who knew her but especially for her father, she contracted tuberculosis. As she wasted away, the sight of her brought tears.

Her father came into her room one day and sat beside her on the bed. As he took her hand in his, she looked up at him and said, “My dear father, I’m going to die.” Allan’s biographer writes:

Allan said, “O no my child. No!. The spring is coming, and with the birds and breezes and blooms, our pale cheeks will blush with health.”

“The doctor was here today,” she said. “I felt I was nearing the grave and I asked him to tell me plainly what I had to expect. I told him that it was a great thing to exchange worlds, and that I did not wish to be deceived about myself. If I was going to die I had some preparations I wanted to make. He then told me that my disease is beyond human skill.”

“You will bury me by the side of my mother, for that was her dying request. But, father, you and mother did not agree on religion. Mother spoke often to me of the blessed Savior who died for us all. She used to pray for both you and me that the Savior might be our friend, and that we might see Him as our Savior when He sits enthroned in His glory.”

Her eyes looked desperately into his, “I don’t feel that I can go alone through the dark valley of the shadow of death. Tell me, father, whom I shall follow, you or mother? Shall I reject Christ, as you have taught me, or shall I accept Him?”

There was an honest heart beneath the rough exterior. Though tears nearly choked his words, the soldier said, “My child, cling to your mother’s Savior. She was right. I’ll try to follow you to that blessed place.”

A serene smile spread over the face of the dying girl. Is there any reason to doubt there is an unbroken family in Heaven?

The choice is yours as well. You can choose light or darkness; sight or blindness. Open your eyes to say, “Aha! I see clearly now!”