What Jesus Did

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod."

—Mark 8:14-15 NLT

Key Thought


Don't you just love the way Jesus helps his disciples move from temporal concerns and physical needs to spiritual and eternal issues? How often do we get so bogged down in the physical details that we lose sight of...

 

When [the Pharisees demanded a sign from Jesus], 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

Key Thought


Sometimes we just have to say, "No!" Jesus would not let his ministry become a sideshow. He would not pander to an audience that was...

 

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had arrived [in the region of Dalmanutha], 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

Key Thought


Seeking hearts in Jesus' day could see proof of his divinity with honest observation. Even some who were not seeking saw Jesus as God's Son as well. However, those who "came... to argue with him" and who were "testing...

 

Immediately after [feeding the multitude, Jesus] got into a boat with his disciples and crossed over to the region of Dalmanutha.

—Mark 8:10 NLT

Key Thought


Sometimes God's truths need to be heard with finality and without a lot of discussion. The power of the simple truth takes time to be absorbed. The starkness or challenge of the truth sometimes needs to be left in the hands of the hearers and the messenger needs to move on to the next group of people who need God's...

 

[After the disciples distributed the seven loaves of bread and the few fish to people in the crowd, they] ate as much as they wanted. Afterward, the disciples picked up seven large baskets of leftover food. There were about 4,000 men in the crowd that day, and Jesus sent them home after they had eaten.

—Mark 8:8-9 NLT

Key Thought


Wouldn't it be great if everyone could go home from church satisfied — both physically and spiritually? That is not going to happen unless we...

 

Jesus asked [his disciples], "How much bread do you have?"
"Seven loaves," they replied.

So Jesus told all the people to sit down on the ground. Then he took the seven loaves, thanked God for them, and broke them into pieces. He gave them to his disciples, who distributed the bread to the crowd. A few small fish were found, too, so Jesus also blessed these and told the disciples to distribute them.


—Mark 8:5-7 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus does not need our resources. He...

 

[After Jesus said the large crowd needed something to eat, his] disciples replied, "How are we supposed to find enough food to feed them out here in the wilderness?"

—Mark 8:4 NLT

Key Thought


Jesus' followers were basically saying that they didn't have the resources to meet the needs of the people around them. Sound familiar? So often, we don't pursue opportunities to serve others because we lack the resources. Clearly, we should count the cost before we begin a...

 

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

Key Thought


Two concerns are on Jesus' heart. First, he cares about the physical needs, especially the hunger, of...

 

A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to [Jesus], and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.
Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!" Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!


—Mark 7:32-35 NLT...

 

Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone [about his healing the deaf man], but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."

—Mark 7:36-37 NLT

Key Thought


Despite Jesus' intentions and efforts to keep things quiet about his miraculous power to heal, the healing miracle in the previous verses...