Mark Worksheet - Chapter 8

Worksheet - Mark 8

Review of Chapter 7:

1) Jesus made it clear that it is not the things of external order that defile a person, but it is the things that come out of the person in the seat of his heart, such as adultery, coveting, sensuality, envy, and pride to name a few that He listed.  Many times we have those things in our hearts and yet we worship God through rules and regulations and think of ourselves as religious and needing nothing.  He quoted Isaiah, "The people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me."... we need to cleanse our hearts and draw near to God.  We need to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord, confessing our sins, and dealing with heart issues more than external ones.  2) We saw the persistent faith of the Syrophoenician woman and how she settled for the crumbs of anything the Lord would do for her, but she would not let go until He answered her.  He honored her faith and delivered her daughter from the demon.  3) We saw Jesus heal the deaf and the dumb man by touching his ears with His fingers and placing His own saliva onto the man's tongue and looked to heaven to cry that they be opened...I pray that in a spiritual sense He will touch my ears to hear and cause my mouth to speak of the things He has done for me.  The healed man and the others could not stop talking about how the Lord did all things well.  I pray the same would come from me.

Mark, Chapter 8:

1.  The multitudes would follow Jesus out into desolate places and listen for days to His teachings. 

• How long had this group of people been with Jesus when He had compassion to feed them something for their journeys home? vs. 1-3 -

2.  What obstacle did the disciples see to His kind thought to feed these many people (4000 men besides the women and children)? 

• vs. 4 -

3.  Jesus had the solution.  He only needed them to give Him what they did have.  He asked them how many loaves they had and they answered 7 loaves of bread.  Jesus had the multitude of people sit down on the grass while He took the loaves and gave thanks to the Father for them.  He would break the bread and give to the disciples who would pass it out as given to the multitude.  He did the same with the few small fish they had available. 

• After the entire crowd ate and were fully satisfied, how many large baskets were left over of the broken pieces?  vs. 8 -

We learn a great lesson of sowing and reaping in this miracle of multiplication.  They gave what they 'had' and it was enough when 'blessed by the Lord'.  So many times, we say we will tithe to the Lord or give an offering to the Lord's work or causes when we have enough.  That is not the way to operate in God's kingdom.  Remember the lady who gave her one mite?  Jesus said she gave an abundance when she gave what she 'had'.  It is not how much we give, but the heart and the sacrifice of what we give.  Let's all make up our minds to give what we 'have' to the Lord - our time, our finances, our service, our lives - and watch Him multiply it to feed a multitude of needs and people.

4.  Comment on the following verses of giving and receiving:

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-11 -
• What does God love?
• What is God able to do with our gifts?
• Galatians 6:6-10 -
• God is not mocked.  What will a man reap in life?
• What will happen if we do not grow weary and continue to sow good things to others?
• How will you change your attitude and actions of giving from this lesson on?

Back to Mark 8:

5.  Jesus and His disciples got in a boat after feeding the multitude and came to the district of Dalmanutha.  The Pharisees came out and argued with Him, seeking a sign from Him from heaven, wanting to test Him.  Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit.  Surely it was not always easy for Him to continue to walk this path of tolerating the religious spirits of the day. 

• What did he tell them regarding signs that they were seeking for Him to perform for them? vs. 12 -

6.  Jesus and His disciples went to the other side of the water.  The disciples forgot to bring bread for themselves to eat and there was only one loaf with them.  Jesus began to tell them to beware of the 'leaven' of the Pharisees and Herod.  They discussed among themselves their lack of bread. 

Jesus wanted them to get the deeper meaning of what He was saying. 

• What did He ask them concerning the feeding of 5000 and what was their answer? vs. 19 -
• What did He ask them concerning the feeding of 4000 and what was their answer? vs. 20 -  
• He asked them if they understood yet.  This is all that is shared with us, but what do you think the significance of the amount of left over baskets might mean in each of the two cases?  It will be interesting to see our perspectives on this.

Note:  In regard to the 'leaven' in the teaching of the Pharisees.  Leaven is a small amount, but look how it causes the entire loaf of bread to expand.  Jesus was making the point that a small amount of distortion or sin can ruin an entire congregation.  We are not only to be careful what we teach and say, but very careful of what we allow ourselves to listen to.  "Leaven" is used many times in the Scriptures to symbolize sin.  It is true that a very small sin can ruin a very large cause.  Have you seen a small sin cause a large problem in your life or another's life?  Comment if you would like to give testimony about that.

7.  Look up these verses of leaven and state how it represents sin.

• Luke 12:1 -
• 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 -
• Galatians 5:7-10 -

Back to Mark 8:

8.  Jesus and His disciples came to Bethsaida.  A blind man was brought to Him so that He would touch him.  Jesus brought the blind man out of the village, spit on his eyes, and layed hands on him. 

• Jesus asked him "do you see anything?"...how did the man reply? vs. 24 -
• Jesus laid hands on his eyes again.  What happened at this time? vs. 25

9.  Jesus sent him home not to return to the village.  Jesus went with His disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi.  On the way, He questioned His disciples, saying: 

• "Who do people say that I am?"  ...what were their answers to Him? vs. 28 -

Then Jesus got personal and to the point as He looked at His disciples and said:

• "Who do YOU say that I am?" .. How did Peter answer Him? vs. 29 -
• How does John explain Peter's confession of Christ to us in his gospel account?
• John 6:68-69 -

Ponder:  Jesus asks each of us the same question, "Who do we say that He is?" - the answer to that question is the difference between life and death; eternal life and eternal separation from God.  I hope we can all answer that question the way Peter did.  Amen.

10.  In Mark 8:31, we enter a new phase of the Lord's life and ministry on earth.  He begins to teach His disciples that He will suffer many things and be killed and then rise in three days.  This concept of the Messiah dying was not what the Jews had been taught and so Peter wanted Jesus to know that he just would not accept this. 

• What did Jesus say to the power behind Peter that caused him to think like this? vs. 33 -

11.  Jesus went on to explain why it was the evil one behind Peter's desire not to want His death.  He taught that each one of us have to have a spiritual death in uniting with His physical death for us. 

Read Mark 8:34-38 to answer these questions: 

• If we want to follow Jesus, what must we deny? 
• What do we have to bear? 
• If we choose to save our physical lives and live for ourselves in this temporary place, what will we lose in the end? 
• If we lose our life's ambitions and goals to follow Him and His purpose for us, what do we gain?
• What would it profit us to gain the whole world and lose our soul?
• What will be the outcome of those who are ashamed of Jesus and His Words in this adulterous and sinful generation? 
• How can we be sure we do not fall in that situation?

Ponder:  How does the enemy try to get your mind off of serving the Lord?  How does he make you think it is not worth it sometimes?  Do you realize he uses people to discourage you like Peter was used to try and discourage our Lord?  Jesus said to Peter:  "Get behind me Satan"...are there some people that are being used of the enemy in your life that you need to stand up to?

12.  What does Ephesians teach us about our battles with flesh?  Is it really the flesh that we are battling?  How do we handle it? 

• Ephesians 6:10-18 -

Review & Reflect:

• 1) Are you giving what you 'have' to the Lord and allowing Him to bless and multiply it?  Will you determine to give Him what you 'have' today from this lesson on? 
• 2) Do you realize what a little leaven of sin or wrong teaching about the Bible and the truth of Jesus can lead to?  Will you keep the leaven out of your life and mind with God's help, looking to the Bible for the truth and the answers to all of life? 
• 3) Who do you say that Jesus is?  Do you believe He is God, that He is the Creator and the very Son of God?  Do you believe in the virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His death on the cross to pay for your sins, to reconcile you to God the Father?  Do you believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead?  Will you confess with your mouth and your life that Jesus IS Lord and your Lord as well? 
• 4) How will you battle the flesh from this lesson on?  Do you battle the person or the spirit behind the person?  What have you learned about the spirit world and how to battle it today?

Your summary and prayer today:

 

 

 

Written by B LeMoine for Heart & Home Bible Fellowship© with permission to use on RTB websites only. For personal or ministry related use, please email Brenda for permission and conditions.