· Constable (2008) references Lane noticing a repetition in Mark
| 6:31-44 | Feeding of the multitude | 8:1-9 |
| 6:45-56 | Crossing of the sea and landing | 8:10 |
| 7:1-23 | Conflict with the Pharisees | 8:11-13 |
| 7:24-30 | Conversation about bread | 8:14-21 |
| 7:31-36 | Healing | 8:22-26 |
| 7:37 | Confession of faith | 8:27-30 |
· What do we learn about this repetition?
o First, what was the focus in six and seven?
· Chapter six concerned ministry
· Chapter seven concerned real worship, real ministry, not rules
o Jesus uses repetition to teach truth to his disciples
· APPLICATION: God does the same thing in our lives as well. Depending on the issue, God can also up the ante to teach us the lesson we need to hear. Also, we can use the same philosophy, teach and re-teach, but do it in context
Mark 8:29-9:1 (NIV) "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?"
Peter answered, "You are the Christ."
30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.
31 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33 But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. "Get behind me, Satan!" he said. "You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."
34 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it. 36 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels."
9:1 And he said to them, "I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power."
· First of all, what is the result of Peter's confession of faith (which is also representing the group confession)?
o Incidentally, Judas would be part of the group, but I don't think he understood
o Jesus begins to teach them many new things, things that he does not reveal to the crowd
· So, did Satan indwell Peter? Why does Jesus call Peter Satan?
o It got his attention
o He spoke from a human understanding. This is always the problem when our planning meetings are not bathed in the prayer and the word.
· Example of Elder meetings, with and without time in the word and prayer
· Example of church votes with and without time in the word and prayer
o APPLICATION: It is very easy to naturally respond to things we don't understand fully. I think the idea of a coming judgment of the United States for sin, the rapture, and other topics bring up the same response
· The verses, 34-38, Jesus uses to further explain his statement to Peter. What is Jesus saying?
o Peter wanted a good life. He wanted to Jesus rule so that he would have a good life
o His focus was on his earthly life
o Example: I live a good life, although it has not always been so. I need to be very careful not to fall in love with this life. It will all end someday, and I must be more concerned about what God wants in this world and not what I want
· Verse 9:1 reads more clearly here than in the other gospels. What is Jesus talking about?
o There is a kingdom coming
o Some of you will live to see it established (Judas won't, possibly James too, and other non-apostles)
o By the time Jerusalem is destroyed (40 years), much of the known world will have the gospel and the church established
Mark 9:9-10 (NIV) As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone what they had seen until the Son of Man had risen from the dead. 10 They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what "rising from the dead" meant.
Mark 9:30-32 (NIV) They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, 31 because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise." 32 But they did not understand what he meant and were afraid to ask him about it.
· It is not as if Jesus did not tell them he would rise from the dead
· It is not as if they didn't see Jesus do incredible miracles (note: we skipped over the transfiguration)
· The idea of dying soon at the hand of the religious leaders, or rising from the dead was just too much to understand. Realize as well, that even though the majority of disciples have faith, they do not have the indwelling Holy Spirit
Mark 9:33-37 (NIV) They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" 34 But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.
35 Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."
36 He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms, he said to them, 37 "Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me."
· Obviously they still do not understand the kingdom. How do they view the kingdom?
o They have a view of the kingdom that includes position, authority, status, and respect
· Once again, why does Jesus ask the question? Is it because he doesn't know what was discussed?
o Jesus knew. No one responded and he still attacked the issue
o God asks us questions to get us to think, to recognize, and to respond to him
· Jesus makes a teaching statement and then follows it up with an example. The statement is that if you want to be first in the kingdom, you need to be the last, the servant to all. How does the example reflect the teaching?
o Children were considered unimportant in terms of position in both Jewish and Greco-Roman society
o James taught the same principle. Real faith is being kind to those who you cannot get anything in return. It is believing that your reward comes from the Lord, and not from people or this world
· James 2:2-4 (NIV) Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3 If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4 have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?
· The reason we give favor to the rich is we think there might be a reward in it, or even status in knowing the rich person. It is a test of faith because our reward comes from God and may not occur in this life. That is why a test of our faith is how we treat societal distinctions
· APPLICANT: When what the world calls unimportant we deem important, then we are truly being at servant that pleases God
Mark 9:38-48 (NIV) "Teacher," said John, "we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us."
39 "Do not stop him," Jesus said. "No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.
42 "And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. 43 If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
"'their worm does not die,
and the fire is not quenched.'
· This is another trap of the world, this idea that the only one who is doing good work is the group I'm involved with. It is a very ignorant and divisive attitude
o Example: Briefing with GO who talked about the difference in attitude of wing to HQ and HQ to wing, and it all depends on where you are sitting at the time
o We do the same thing with other churches and denominations. Most of us have very little insight into other organizations, but we know a thing or two, and we talk against it
o We would do well to follow the admonition in these verses:
· Col 4:6 (NIV) Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.
· Eph 4:29 (NIV) Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
· Eph 4:29 (AMP) Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God's favor) to those who hear it.
· The issue of "for us" and "against us" comes in Philippians as well
o Phil 1:15-18 (NIV) It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. 16 The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. 17 The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. 18 But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
o There may be bad motives for the preaching of the gospel. And the other side, who are we to think that we are so perfect either? But the important is that the gospel is preached. We need to focus on the things that draw us together and not that pull us apart
· In light of the "for us" and "against us" discussion, what is verses 42 and following saying to us?
o Our witness should have a positive effect on those around us
o We need to take drastic action with our sin. Do we bring people together or does conflict and discord seem to follow us around?
o Verse 42 deals with another believer, but vss 43-38 deal with unbelievers because a consequence of failure to deal with sin is hell. That would not be the case for a believer. There will be unbelievers in the church. Often times, those are the ones who cause the most discord. They have never dealt with the issue of their sin. The live in the world and play church on the side, and think they are a part of God's kingdom, and they are not
· It is better to be a disciple and have radically dealt with our sin and to enter eternal life, than to be an unbeliever
· APPLICATION:
o We are not called to live for this world
o Our reward is not in this world
o We are called to be servants
o We are not called to be critics of other believers
o We must be very careful, with our words and actions, so as not to cause young believers to fall into a trap of sin
o And if we don't know the savior, but think we do, and we cause discord with our words or actions, we need to radically forsake our sin, and put our faith in the savior, because Hell awaits us
