Mark 8.1-38 tells us about two more miracles of Yeshua, the feeding of the four thousand and the healing of a blind man. It also talks about Peter’s confession that Yeshua is the Messiah and Yeshua’s prophecy about his own death and resurrection.
v 1…In those days (about the time he healed the deaf man) again, when there was a great multitude and they had nothing to eat, he summoned his talmidim and said to them,
v 2…”I feel compassion for the multitude because they have remained with me now three days (Matt 15.32), and have nothing to eat;
v 3…and if I send them away fasting to their home, they will faint on the way (to some this would be a “bad confession” but it was a concern based in fact); and some of them have come from a distance (Yeshua is not only interested in our spiritual well-being, but he is also interested in our physical well-being).”
v 4…And his talmidim answered him, “Where will anyone be able to satisfy these men with bread in the wilderness?”
v 5…And he was asking them, “How many loaves do you have ?” And they said, “Seven (number of completion).”
v 6…And he directed the multitude to sit down on the ground; and taking the seven loaves, he gave thanks (probably said the “Ha Motzi” prayer) and broke them, and giving them to his talmidim, to serve them, and they served them to the multitude.
v 7…They also had a few small fish and after he had blessed them (Matt 15.36 says he said the prayer over both the bread and the fish), he ordered these to be served as well.
v 8…And they ate and were satisfied; and they picked up seven more large baskets full of what was left over of the broken pieces (there is a wordplay in Hebrew with the words “satisfied” and “seven.” Yeshua’s bread is the word of God, the Torah, and it satisfies and is complete-John 5.46-47).
v 9…And about four thousand (Yeshua is from the fourth tribe of Judah, and came around four thousand years after creation, and the sun is a picture of the Messiah in Mal 4.2 and was created on the fourth day) were there; and he sent them away.
v 10…And immediately he entered the boat with his talmidim, and came to the district of Dalmanutha (near Magdala-Matt 15.39).
v 11…And the Pharisees (Matt 16.1 says some Sadducees were there. There was an alliance between Beit Shammai and the Sadducees going back to 20 BC, so these Pharisees were probably from Beit Shammai who opposed Yeshua-see our teachings called “Torah and New Testament Foundations-the Pharisees, Sadducees and Yeshua” and “Torah and New Testament Foundations-the Sanhedrin, Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai” on this website for more information) came out and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
v 12…And sighing deeply in his spirit (his heart, mind-their hearts were hard and he sighed audibly), he said, “Why does this generation seek for a sign (he had showed them many prophetic signs already)? Truly I say to you, so sign will be given to this generation (no further signs demanded shall be given).”
v 13…And leaving them, he again embarked and went away to the other side (probably to the Bethsaida area, northeast of the lake-v 22).
v 14…And they had forgotten to take bread (as they crossed); and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them.
v 15…And he was giving orders to them, saying (emphasizing), “Watch out! Beware of the leaven (leavening is the pervading influence of their teaching) of the Pharisees (from Beit Shammai-in Mark 12.13 they try to trap him-Matt 16.6 includes the Sadducees) and the leaven (the pervading influence of their teaching) of Herod (the Herodians-the Boethusians were one stream of the Sadducees because Herod had appointed Shimon Ben Boethus as high priest because he was Herod’s father-in-law).
v 16…And they began to discuss (reason) with one another that they had no bread (he said this because they had no bread).
v 17…And Yeshua, aware of this (their reasoning), said to them, “Why do you discuss that you have no bread? Do you not see or understand (what I meant)? Do you have a hardened heart (so the seed of my words cannot produce)?
v 18…Having eyes, do you not see (they saw the miracles but had no spiritual perception)? And having ears (to hear and take in the words), do you not hear (spiritual truth in things)? And do you not remember,
v 19…when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand (five loaves are symbolic of the Torah), how many baskets full of the broken pieces you picked up?” They said to him, “Twelve (the word of God is sufficient to teach/feed the twelve tribes)?
v 20…And when I broke the seven (perfect number of completion) for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to him, “Seven (perfect number of completion).”
v 21…And he was saying to them, “Do you not understand (Yeshua’s teaching from the Torah is from God, who is the master teacher; his teaching is perfectly complete and true, and it will feed and satisfy you, you don’t need the oral law of the elders, Pharisees, scribes, Sadducees and the Herodians-Matt 23.1-3)?”
v 22…And they came to Bethsaida. And they brought a blind man to him, and entreated him to touch him.
v 23…And taking the blind man by the hand, he brought him out of the village; and after spitting on his eyes, and laying his hands upon him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?”
v 24…And he looked up and said, “I see men, for I am seeing them like trees, walking about (he had gained some sight).”
v 25…Then again he laid his hands upon the eyes and he looked intently and was restored, and began to see everything clearly (obviously Yeshua could have healed him immediately, so what is going on? Taking him by the hand and leading him out of the village alludes to the election of a believer and separating us from the others. Spitting on his eyes alludes to the word going forth out of the mouth of God. Laying his hands on the person and asking if he sees speaks of being born again, but we only see spiritual things dimly at first-1 Cor 13.9-13. But the Lord does not give up on us because we don’t see much spiritually at first, he continues until we see everything clearly).
v 26…And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not enter the village (don’t go back to where you were before-Bethsaida had already rejected Yeshua and his ministry in Matt 11.21).
v 27…And Yeshua went out, along with his talmidim (out of Bethsaida, going north up the Jordan Valley about 30 miles), to the villages of Caesarea Philippi, also called “Banias”- there was a shrine to “Pan” there called the “gate of Hades”); and on the way he questioned his talmidim, saying to them, “Who do people say that I am (Matt 16.13 says “son of man” and in Dan 7.13 “son of man” is “Bar Enosh” and clearly refers to the Messiah, so this is an eschatological title and question)?”
v 28…And they told him, saying, “John the Baptist (Herod wasn’t the only one who thought this); and others Elijah; but still others, one of the prophets (Matt 16.14 says, “Jeremiah” so some saw a connection between the “weeping prophet” and the Messiah, a man of sorrows).”
v 29…And he continued by questioning them, “But who do you say that I am (in Greek this is an imperative, tense and sharp)?” Peter answered and said to him, “Thou art the Messiah (Matt 16.16 includes, “the son of the living God” and a term that can mean Yehovah’s king-1 Cor 28.5-7; Psa 1.6-7).”
v 30…And he warned them to tell no one about him (just yet; to avoid a revolt by some who would try and make him an earthly king at that time, angering Rome and Jewish rulers; he doesn’t want them to think he is going to proclaim himself a king, either. That is not why he came).
v 31…And he began to teach them that the son of man (Bar Enosh of Dan 7.13 and an eschatological title) must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.
v 32…And he was stating the matter plainly, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke (reprimand) him.
v 33…But turning around (so all the talmidim could hear, and seeing his talmidim) he rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan (in other words, “Peter, you are an adversary to me”-2 Sam 19.22 says the same thing); for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s (the way man sees things, which was the Messiah would come and overthrow the Romans and be a worldly leader who makes everyone happy, particularly his “favorites.” Some of this is based on Daniel’s interpretation of the vision in Chapter 2, but the spiritual task Yeshua came to do first had not entered into their minds yet).
v 34…And he summoned the multitude with his talmidim, and said to them, “If any man wishes to come after me, let him deny (dethrone) himself (of his carnal desires and selfishness), and take up his cross (the cross was a one-way trip, and a parallelism with “deny himself”) and follow me.
v 35…For whoever wishes to save his life (in self-preservation when called to lay your life down) shall lose it (by living for yourself you may save your physical self, but suffer the second death); and whoever loses his life (for Yeshua and others-John 12.24-26) for my sake (as it relates to the Torah, the truth, etc) and the gospel’s (the Basar as it relates to the redemption) shall save it (may physically die, but he will have life in the Olam Haba).
v 36…For what does it profit a man (in the long run) to gain the whole world (if that were possible), and forfeit his soul (lose everything)?
v 37…For what shall a man give in exchange for his own soul (to redeem it from its state of misery-Luke 16.30-31)?
v 38…For whoever is ashamed of me and my words (based in the Torah) in this adulterous and sinful generation, the son of man (Bar Enosh of Dan 7.13, an eschatological title) will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy (they have a kedusha) angels.”
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