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Mark 8

1 - In those days, when there was a very great multitude, and they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to himself, and said to them,
2 - "I have compassion on the multitude, because they have stayed with me now three days, and have nothing to eat.
3 - If I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way, for some of them have come a long way."
4 - His disciples answered him, "From where could one satisfy these people with bread here in a deserted place?"
5 - He asked them,"How many loaves do you have?"They said, "Seven."
6 - He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground, and he took the seven loaves. Having given thanks, he broke them, and gave them to his disciples to serve, and they served the multitude.
7 - They had a few small fish. Having blessed them, he said to serve these also.
8 - They ate, and were filled. They took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over.
9 - Those who had eaten were about four thousand. Then he sent them away.
10 - Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.

Immediately he entered into the boat with his disciples, and came into the region of Dalmanutha.


11 - The Pharisees came out and began to question him, seeking from him a sign from heaven, and testing him.
12 - He sighed deeply in his spirit, and said,"Why does this generationseek a sign? Most certainly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation."
13 - He left them, and again entering into the boat, departed to the other side.
14 - They forgot to take bread; and they didn't have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
15 - He warned them, saying,"Take heed: beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod."
16 - They reasoned with one another, saying, "It's because we have no bread."
17 - Jesus, perceiving it, said to them,"Why do you reason that it's because you have no bread? Don't you perceive yet, neither understand? Is your heart still hardened?
18 - Having eyes, don't you see? Having ears, don't you hear? Don't you remember?
19 - When I broke the five loaves among the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?"They told him, "Twelve."
20 - "When the seven loaves fed the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?"They told him, "Seven."
21 - He asked them,"Don't you understand, yet?"
22 - He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to him, and begged him to touch him.
23 - He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When he had spit on his eyes, and laid his hands on him, he asked him if he saw anything.
24 - He looked up, and said, "I see men; for I see them like trees walking."
25 - Then again he laid his hands on his eyes. He looked intently, and was restored, and saw everyone clearly.
26 - He sent him away to his house, saying,"Don't enter into the village, nor tell anyone in the village."
27 - Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples,"Who do men say that I am?"
28 - They told him, "John the Baptizer, and others say Elijah, but others: one of the prophets."
29 - He said to them,"But who do you say that I am?"Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30 - He commanded them that they should tell no one about him.
31 - He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
32 - He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.
33 - But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said,"Get behind me, Satan! For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of men."
34 - He called the multitude to himself with his disciples, and said to them,"Whoever wants to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
35 - For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; and whoever will lose his life for my sake and the sake of the Good News will save it.
36 - For what does it profit a man, to gain the whole world, and forfeit his life?
37 - For what will a man give in exchange for his life?
38 - For whoever will be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man also will be ashamed of him, when he comes in his Father's glory, with the holy angels."
Mark Images and Notes

The Book of Mark

Mark 1:15 - And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.

Mark 2:12 - And immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went forth before them all; insomuch that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, We never saw it on this fashion.

Mark in The New Testament - A Brief Overview

St. Mark by Titian - 1560
Painting of St. Mark by Titian - 1560

Introduction to The Gospel of Mark

The Word Gospel. The second book of the English Bible that most of us read from is the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the second of the four gospel writings, yet there is only one gospel about Jesus Christ and there are four different writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. The word "Gospel" means "good news", and the good news is about Jesus Christ dying on the cross and then 3 days later conquering death and rising from the dead, offering salvation to all mankind, this is the Gospel.

Summary of The Book of Mark

Brief Summary. Jesus of Nazareth is the suffering servant who came to die for the sins of all men. He did His work and "immediately" went to the cross, so be encouraged all who are suffering because Christ suffered for you.

Purpose. The Book of Mark is the shortest of the 4 Gospel accounts of the life of Jesus Christ. and he seems to write his account of the Gospel of Christ with a sense of urgency. He mentions the word "immediately" 27 times. In Mark many times Jesus exercises actions rather than words, which would impress his Roman readers who the Book seems to be addressing. He portrays Jesus as a man of power and miracles, who could set aside the laws of nature at will. Yet this powerful Son of God was the suffering servant who would give up His life as a ransom for all mankind (Mark 10:45). The clear purpose of mark was to encourage those suffering persecution that their master suffered first, and He suffered for them.

Audience. Apparently Mark wrote his Gospel account to encourage gentile Christians in Rome who were facing the persecutions of the Emperor Nero. History is clear about the atrocious behavior of the Romans and especially the insanity of Nero. The other evidence that scholars bring up concerning mark's audience as being gentiles is the fact that Mark does not deal with Jewish Laws and he only quotes one prophecy from the Old Testament. There is also careful thought into explaining Jewish customs and idioms. (See Mark 3:7; 5:41; 7:2; 10:46; 14:36; 15:34; 9:43; 14:12; 15:42).

Authorship. The gospel of Mark does not proclaim who the author is within the document, yet the information that we know about Mark can be seen in the writer of this gospel. It is evident that the writer was Jewish, he was a Christian, and he was familiar with every day Jewish life, as well as the Jewish Scriptures. We know from the Scriptures that Mark was Jewish, and he knew the teachings of Jesus very well. He also knew the teachings of the rest of the apostles. It is also important to notice that after Peter was imprisoned he went to the house of Mary, the mother of Mark (Acts 12:12-17). Also Peter mentions in his epistle "my son Mark" (1 Peter 5:13). During Paul's missionary journeys Mark became a companion of Paul and Barnabas, and he left them at Perga in Pamphylia (Acts 13:13), after Paul had rebuked him. Many years later Mark regained the favor of Paul  (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11). Early Church tradition unanimously ascribes the second gospel to Mark as a companion of Peter and the writer of the second Gospel. One prologue to the Gospels which was written around 160 AD has this statement: "Mark� Was Peter's interpreter, and after Peter's decease wrote down this gospel in the region of Italy." Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandria and Tertullian also attest to Mark as the author.

Location. Nothing in the Gospel of Mark indicates where it was written from. Most of the early writers who boast of Mark as the author also name Rome as the place it was written.

Date. Early Christian writers and traditions place the Gospel of Mark sometime close to the end of Peter's life, around 60-65 AD. Most scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, while the Second Temple in Jerusalem was still standing (Mark 13:1-2). Many scholars do not believe in the miracle of predictive prophecy and argue that the Gospel of Mark was written after the fall of Jerusalem, because of the accurate details of the events that Jesus spoke about.  Mark's Gospel account seems to have been written as encouragement to the Christians who were facing the persecution of the Emperor Nero which took place in 64 AD.

Outline of the Book of Mark

The Servant Comes - Chapter 1:1-13
The Servant's Work - Chapters 1:14-13:37
The Servant's Death - Chapters 14:1-15:47
The Servant's Resurrection - Chapter 16:1-20

Jesus written in Hebrew
The Name Jesus In Ancient Hebrew Text
"Yeshua" in First Century Hebrew Text. This is how the name "Jesus" would have been written in ancient Hebrew documents. The four letters or consonants from right to left are Yod, Shin, Vav, Ayin (Y, SH, OO, A). Jesus is the Greek name for the Hebrew name Joshua or Y'shua which means "The LORD or Yahweh is Salvation".

Mark Resources

Outline of the Life of Jesus in Harmony
Simple Map of First Century Israel
Topographical Map of First Century Israel
Map of the Ministry of Jesus
Map of the Roads in Ancient Israel
Map of the Roman Empire