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Mark 8:1 – “During those days” – Mark’s emphasizing the location.  Jesus is in the region of the Decapolis.
Mark 8:2-3 – “I have compassion for these people” – A feeling of empathizing with someone’s suffering and feeling a strong desire to help.  Empathy is the feeling of suffering with and seeing yourself in their shoes.  Which is different than being compassionate.  For being compassionate is the action you take in response to having compassion.  It’s the thoughtful, conscious response to having compassion, that leads to action.  You’ll always do what you do, because of what you believe.
So, Jesus is having compassion and is going to ask his disciples to be compassionate.  You figure that this would be a no-brainer for the disciples.  Since they’ve already experienced The Feeding of the Five Thousand.
Mark 8:4 – “But” – Enter the questions.  Enter the doubt.  Enter the bureaucracy.  The disciples seem to have forgotten about The Feeding of the Five Thousand.  They haven’t yet connected with the truth that Jesus’ past faithfulness is a promise to meet our current needs.
Mark 8:5 – “How many loaves do you have?” – Jesus asked the disciples to give up their own food.  Instead of the food that someone else provided to them.  This is teaching the disciples that they’ve been given everything that they need.  It’s just you and Jesus, and that’s all you need.
This also represents the fact that in order for the Gentile’s to be saved, the Jews must first meet them, walk with them, impact their lives with the good news of Jesus and watch as God transforms them.
“Seven” – Refer to the above explanation of the significance of the number seven, when it comes to the feeding of the Gentiles.  
Mark 8:6-10 – Basically the same miracle as The Feeding of the Five Thousand.
“The region of Dalmanutha” – A region on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.  Its exact location is uncertain, but it’s likely the same as, or near, Magdala (also called Migdal).  This area was a significant location for Jesus’ ministry because it was the hometown of Mary Magdalene.
message, sign of hope or confirmation from a higher power.”  The Pharisees have tried tripping Jesus up with religious laws.  Now they simply dare him to perform a miracle.  A miracle by their standards.  Not like any of the other miracles Jesus has performed.        
Mark 8:11 – “A sign from heaven” – “A miraculous event or extraordinary phenomenon interpreted as a divine message, sign of hope or confirmation from a higher power.”  The Pharisees have tried tripping Jesus up with religious laws.  Now they simply dare him to perform a miracle.  A miracle by their standards.  Not like any of the other miracles Jesus has performed.        
Mark 8:12 – “He sighed deeply” – This attack and the unbelief it demonstrated distressed Jesus.  He was amazed at their unbelief and their audacity.  His sigh was simply a physical sign of his spiritual pain. 
Don’t ask someone what they believe, simply watch what they do.  Jesus’ outward sigh was representative of the inward distance that had grown between Jesus and the religious establishment.  Along with his astonishment at their unbelief in light of their impending doom, of which Jesus was well aware.
“Why does this generation ask for a sign?” – The demand for a sign stemmed from a lack of faith, skepticism and a desire for gratification rather than genuine belief.  This reflects a spiritual attitude of testing God, rather than humbly accepting the truth already presented.
“No sign will be given to it” – Jesus would not be doing any signs for these Pharisees.  The Greek word translated as “generation” can mean a group of people living at the same time, a specific family line or a particular type or “genus” of people known for a shared character or belief.  Jesus will be dead and resurrected in less than three years, so generation means the genus known as Pharisees.
Mark 8:13 – “Crossed to the other side” – This is a transition passage.  Yes, Jesus and the disciples are literally going to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.  But also, this passage marks Jesus’ transition from public ministry in Galilee to personal ministry with his disciples.  He needs to prepare them for his sacrifice and the new era that will follow.
Jesus prophesied that the Pharisees wouldn’t see any miracles. Yet, the miracle of the resurrection is right around the corner.  Jesus’ prophecy isn’t about no miracles happening.  It’s about the Pharisee’s inability to actually see any miracles that are happening right in front of them.    
Mark 8:14 – “The disciples had forgotten to bring bread” – You think with all of the focus on bread (feeding the 5,000 and the 4,000) bread would be the last thing the disciples would forget to bring.  Yet the very focus on forgetting bread is an example of the disciple’s practical atheism.  They were worried about a lack of food, despite Jesus’ proven ability to provide it.  Who Jesus is has yet to soak into the disciple’s everyday lives.
Mark 8:15 – “Be careful” - To be is a reference to identity.  To be something means that it’s who you are.  Be someone who is full of care.  Which means to be cautious in one’s actions, mindful.  Jesus is getting ready to move from preaching to meddling.  Not about forgetting bread, but about the danger of becoming a practical atheist. 
“Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod” – This is a warning from Jesus to his disciples to be on guard against the corrupting influences of religious hypocrisy, legalism and worldly compromise.  It only takes a little bit of “yeast” to cause the dough to rise.   
“Herod” – Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee.  He was the son of Herod the Great.  He was half-Jewish on his mother’s side (She was Samaritan).  He was the Herod that had to kill John the Baptist because of a drunken party promise to his step-daughter (Mark 6:26).  And he will be a figure in Jesus’ crucifixion.  He’s mentioned because of the alliance that had been formed between the Herodians and the Pharisees back in Mark 3:6.
What is the yeast of Herod? – Worldly compromise.  Herod compromised his Jewish faith for political power under Roman rule.  His yeast represents the danger of allowing worldly power, fear and secular concerns to dictate one’s spiritual life. 
An example for today of the yeast of Herod would be Christianity’s pursuit of or over-reliance on, political power and influence to achieve spiritual or moral goals.  Believing that one human leader or political structure is the “Savior” of a nation.  Becoming more passionate and committed to changing external laws and public policy than to inward spiritual transformation.  Focusing primarily on creating a “Christian” utopia through external societal changes, rather than starting with personal, internal transformation.   
What is the yeast of the Pharisees? – Jesus frequently criticized the Pharisees for their outward show of piety while neglecting a deeper, inner faith.  Their “yeast” is a warning against being so focused on rules that one loses their spiritual integrity.  So heavenly focused that you’re no earthly good.
An example for today of the yeast of the Pharisees would be Christian legalism.  Which is the tendency to elevate man-made rules and traditions to the level of God’s commands or to seek justification by personal good works rather than by God’s grace.  An emphasis placed on external behaviors and rituals, while neglecting the more important matters of the heart such as justice, mercy and genuine love.  Adding expectations and standards of conduct, making life seem heavy, burdened and difficult for people to follow.  Creating a sense of moral superiority and a judgmental attitude toward those who don’t conform.  Prioritizing the appearance of holiness over being real with yourself, with God and with others.
Mark 8:16 – “It is because we have no bread” – Gotta love the disciples.  They didn’t get what Jesus was trying to teach them.  They were still stuck on the physical bread that they forgot.  While Jesus was merely using their forgetting bread as a way of teaching them about the spiritual bread, that they need to remember. 
Mark 8:17 – “Do you still not see or understand?” – Jesus had just performed miracles of feeding thousands of people, yet the disciples were still worried about having only one loaf of bread with them.  This rhetorical question challenges the disciples (and us) to understand Jesus’ power and message, rather than focusing on physical needs.
Mark 8:18-21 – Jesus reviews the two feeding miracles with the disciples.  His point is to teach them (and us) that we can always take the past faithfulness of God as a promise for their continued love and care.  

We’ve reached the mid-way point of Mark’s Gospel.  We’re half way there!

Mark 8:22 – “Bethsaida” – A fishing village on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.  The home of Philip, Andrew and Peter.  The name means “house of the fisher”. 
“Some people brought a blind man” – We don’t know where the blind man is, regarding Jesus.  But the people who brought him, obviously believed.  All of us have to be brought to Jesus in some way, shape or form.  Maybe brought by our family?  Maybe brought by our friends?  Maybe brought by a circumstance in life?
There’s significance in people bringing a blind man to Jesus, in the shadow of the disciples’ blindness that was revealed in Mark 8:14-21.
Mark 8:23 – “He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village.” – (1) To escape unbelief.  According to Matthew’s gospel, Bethsaida had witnessed many miracles but failed to believe, so Jesus removed the man from a negative environment.  (2) To ensure privacy.  This prevented a public spectacle and the attention of his enemies, the Pharisees.  (3) For a personal encounter.  Jesus knew that this man needed to be healed in private. 
“Do you see anything?” – This is the only gradual or progressive healing described in the ministry of Jesus.  Again, no coincidence that this progressive healing happens at the midway point of Mark’s gospel and in the shadow of the disciples’ struggle to understand Jesus.  For faith is a journey, not a destination.  Jesus offers complete understanding and restoration, if we embrace the possibility.  For faith is all about possibility and living into possibility is a process.
Mark 8:24 & 25 – “I see people, they look like trees.” – A symbolic illustration of partial spiritual understanding, mirroring the disciples’ unclear vision of Jesus and his mission.  The blurry sight represents initial spiritual awareness.  Followers of Jesus grow in understanding Jesus and God’s kingdom over time, moving from vague impressions to clear perception. 
This healing is also a parable.  It shows that spiritual growth is gradual, requiring ongoing divine help.
Mark 8:26 – “Don’t even go into the village” – Jesus wanted to protect this man from the unbelief of the people, to uphold Mark’s Messianic Secret and to encourage this man to embrace a new, spiritually transformed life away from his old, spiritually blind ways.  You can’t follow Jesus and stay where you are.  For being a follower of Jesus is a journey.  
Mark 8:27 – “Villages around Caesarea Philippi” – Mark doesn’t have to share with us their location, for it doesn’t seem to move the plot along. But then you have to ask yourself, why?  Why did Mark share this specific location?  Well, it’s important to know because this area is filled with pagan shrines to Pan and Caesar.  This provides a stark backdrop to the questions that Jesus is about to ask.  
Pan – The Greco-Roman god of nature, shepherds and wild places.  Worshipped in Caesarea Philippi in a cave sanctuary, with rituals involving sacrifices and offerings.  (Peter Pan)
“On the way he asked them” – We’ve passed the halfway mark of Mark’s gospel.  Jesus uses every possible opportunity to disciple the disciples.  This is another opportunity.   
“Who do people say I am?” – Jesus is asking a question of identity.  He’s not asking because he doesn’t already know who he is.  He’s asking this question to prime the pump for his next question. 
It’s always easier to get people to talk about other people; as opposed to getting people to talk about themselves.  Humans are ready and waiting to give their opinions about other people.  Why someone does something or why someone acts the way they do.  It’s the whole getting good at living in the “I don’t know” all over again.  We’re quick to define someone else, but we aren’t that quick to define ourselves.  Or, at least, not that quick to publicly share our defining of ourselves. 
Mark 8:28 – “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” – What do all of these examples, of the identity of Jesus that others have cast, show us?  They were all national reformers who stood up to the corrupt rulers of their day.  This indicates the people’s hope for a political messiah who would overthrow the corrupt powers oppressing Israel.  And we’ve already learned that hope spurs us on to action.  We act on that which we hope. 
Mark 8:29 – “But” – Always pay attention to the “buts” in the Bible! 
“Who do you say I am?” – Mark 4:41. This is your journey to be.  This is where your faith becomes exactly that, your faith.  It’s no longer the faith of your family, the faith of the church or the faith of the culture.  In answering this question, your faith becomes yours.  It’s no longer simply something that you do.  Your faith is who you are.
Just like Jesus’ first question, this is also a question of identity.  For you can’t honestly answer this question, without showing your hand into who you are.  Yes, you could give the answer that you think you should give.  But Jesus will never should on you.  Jesus will only invite you to be real. 
For its only in your realness, that God will ever be real to you.  And Jesus wants God to be real to his disciples.  Jesus hopes that God is real to his disciples.  (BTW, you’re one of his disciples.)
“Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah.’” -  Why would Mark share with us that it was Peter who first spoke up?  Because Mark was taught by Peter.  So, of course, Peter would’ve taken the opportunity, probably on several occasions, to remind Mark that it was him that spoke up first about Jesus being the Messiah. 
Messiah – The Greek word is “Christ”, which means the “Anointed One”.  The promised, divinely appointed King and Savior from David’s line expected to bring salvation, justice, and glory to Israel. 
Knowing what we know about Jesus, what’s the problem with this definition?  Jesus was promised, divinely appointed, from the line of David and he would bring salvation.  But was Jesus the King and Savior that would bring justice and glory to Israel? 
The disciples (from this point on assume that when I refer to “the disciples”, I’m referring to all of us as well.) had to grow into an understanding of Jesus, as Messiah.  Their understanding of Jesus, as Messiah.  Not the world’s definition.  Not the church’s definition.  And not their family’s definition.  They needed to make up their own minds.  They had to be transformed in their understanding of the Messiah.
Mark 8:30 - “Jesus warned them” – Jesus doesn’t tell them not to do it.  Not to tell anyone that he’s the Messiah.  He simply warned them “not to tell anyone about him”.  For nobody would truly understand what it means that Jesus is the Messiah.  For the disciples have yet to fully understand what it means for Jesus to be the Messiah.  Thus, Jesus just introduced the next semester of the disciple’s education.  Learning what it truly means that Jesus is the Messiah.          
   

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