Marcos 8

Kenneth Wuest · Citado em PreceptAustin

Marcos 8

Wuest on plainly - Here, as in John 11:14, 16:25, 29, it means plain speech as opposed to hints or veiled allusions, such as Jesus had previously given as in Mark 2:20 (bridegroom taken away).” (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Hiebert on Jesus' veiled allusions to His death - Previous obscure intimations of His death were given in (1) His statement to the Jews at the first Passover, John 2:19; (2) His words to Nicodemus in John 3:14; (3) His remark about the bridegroom’s being taken away, Matt. 9:15, Mark 2:20; (4) His words about giving His flesh for the life of the world in John 6:51; (5) His reference to the sign of Jonah, Matt. 16:4. (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) Jones - “If Christ had allowed His death to come upon Him without a word of warning to His disciples, it would have shattered their faith completely.” (Mark 8 Commentary)

Marcos 8

Wuest - The Pharisees were the ritualists, the Sadducees, the rationalists. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) James Edwards - Several Greek words in v. 11 are more antagonistic than the NIV ("The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus.") indicates, leaving no doubt of the Pharisees’ opposition. For “came,” Mark reads “came out” (Gk. exēlthon), as if in military rank. They not only “question” him, but they “dispute” or “oppose” him, according to the Gk. suzeteo, a staple in the Markan narrative (Mk 1:27; 8:11; 9:10, 14, 16; 12:28). The word for “asked” (Gk. zētein), another regular of Markan vocabulary, means to attempt to gain control of (see the discussion of term at 1:37). Likewise, the word for “test” (Gk. peirazein) does not mean an objective test to discover the merit of something, but an obstacle or stumbling block to discredit. It occurs only four times in Mark, once of Satan’s temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Mk 1:13) and three times of the opposition of the Pharisees (Mk 8:11; 10:2; 12:15). It is thus apparent in v. 11 that the Pharisees represent a challenge and confrontation of Jesus. (PNTC-Mark) And began to argue with Him - Note they did not come to learn but to argue! Argue is in the present tense expressing the continual hostility of the religious leaders toward Jesus. THOUGHT - If you are a teacher or preacher and someone is constantly wanting to argue, then there is a definite possibility they are not interested in learning! Been there, done that in my teaching life! Argue (debate)(4802)(suzeteo from sun = together + zeteo = to seek, inquire) means to carry on a discussion (Mk 9:10), to inquire together and evolved to a negative meaning - to dispute, debate or argue (Mk 1:27, etc). BDAG = "to contend with persistence for a point of view." Of Pharisees arguing with Jesus (Mk 8:11), of Scribes arguing with Jesus' disciples (Mk 9:14), of Jews arguing with Stephen (Acts 6:9), of Paul (Saul at the time) arguing with the Hellenistic Jews (Acts 9:29). Not in the Septuagint. Frequently used in Gospel of Mark = Mk. 1:27 = "they debated among themselves"; Mk. 8:11; Mk. 9:10; Mk. 9:14 = "scribes arguing"; Mk. 9:16 ; Mk. 12:28 = "scribes came and heard them arguing," ; Lk. 22:23; Lk. 24:15; Acts 6:9; Acts 9:29 Seeking from Him a sign from heaven - As Paul said "Jews ask for signs" (1 Cor 1:22) This was not the only time they sought a "sign" (see Related Passages above) Seeing is in the present tense (continually seeking) making investigation in the sense of examining Jesus. The irony of the verb zeteo is that it is used elsewhere to describe man's quest for God in Acts 17:27+ ("that they should seek God..."), and here these blind guides had the very "Sign" Himself, the God-Man who came from Heaven, standing before them. Unbelief blinded their spiritual eyes! Recall the Jews had seen "heavenly signs" already as in Mk 1:9-11+ when Jesus was baptized and heaven was opened up "and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” You can't get much more of a sign from heaven than that one! Admittedly the Pharisees were probably not there but it is still a sign. As an aside, God would give a "sign" from Heaven when Jesus was crucified Mk 15:33 recording "When the sixth hour (High Noon) came, darkness fell over the whole land until the ninth hour." (3PM, the time of the sacrifice of the lambs in the Temple!) This sign from heaven would be followed by a sign on earth when He gave up His spirit, Mark recording that "the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom." (Mk 15:38) This "sign" signified the end of the Old Covenant and beginning of the New Covenant which provided access to God's Holy Place (cf Heb 10:19-20+). Also of note is the Pharisee Nicodemus who "came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” (John 3:2+) James Edwards - Even in the OT, however, signs were not regarded as proof positive of God’s will. A prophet who commanded something contrary to the Torah but performed a miraculous sign was still a false prophet, for example (Deut 13:1–5). On the other hand, true prophecy was corroborated by the fulfillment of what a prophet predicted (Deut 18:22) (PNTC-Mark)

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Wuest - Jesus groaned because of the apostate rejection of His ministry. Here was no simple, hard-hearted rejection as from an ordinary sinner. This rejection came from the religious leaders of Israel, who, entrenched in their ecclesiasticism, later crucified the Lord of Glory, having recognized Him as such and having seen the attesting miracles He had performed, even attempting to break the force of these attesting miracles by attributing them to Satan (Matthew 21:37–39, 12:22–24). Expositors says: “The sigh physical, its source spiritual—a sense of irreconcilable enmity, invincible unbelief, and coming doom.” (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Utley on in His spirit (not the Holy Spirit but His human spirit) - This refers to Jesus’ personhood (cf. 2:8). It has the same connotation in 14:38 in respect to human beings. The term “spirit” is used in Mark for the Holy Spirit (Mk 1:10, 12), unclean spirits (i.e. demons, Mk 1:23, 26, 27; 3:11, 30; 5:2, 8, 13; 6:7; 7:25; 9:17, 20, 25), the human spirit (Mk 2:8; 8:12; 14:38) (Mark 8 Commentary) James Edwards on sighed deeply - Although it is not entirely apparent in the NIV, this verse records a nadir of dismay in the Gospel of Mark. The original Greek reads that Jesus “groaned in his spirit.” The word for “groaned” (Gk. anastenazein) is a rare word, occurring only here in the NT, and fewer than thirty times in all of Greek literature. A survey of its uses reveals that it is not an expression of anger or indignation so much as of dismay or despair. Anastenazein is used to describe persons who find themselves in situations where they are pushed to the limit of faithfulness. The antagonism of the Pharisees parallels the antagonism of the Israelites to Moses in the wilderness—and Jesus’ groaning in dismay seems to reflect God’s disgust with the bent and recalcitrant Israelites (Exod 33:5!). (PNTC-Mark) Swindoll on sighed deeply - He lamented two difficulties among the Jews: the inability to see the truth on the part of some (most notably His own disciples), and the unwillingness to see the truth on the part of others. We might separate them into these two categories: those who did not see and those who would not see. The fact that the Pharisees asked for a sign follows the pattern set by the disciples in Mark 8:1-9. When confronted with the challenge of feeding the four thousand, the Twelve failed to connect the dots. The feeding of the five thousand should have prepared them to respond positively to this new, almost identical challenge. The disciples wanted to see, but they had—as it were—scales over their eyes. They were hindered by a spiritual dullness. (- Swindoll's Living Insights New Testament Commentary – Mark.) Wessel on Sighing deeply - “It describes Jesus’ grief and disappointment when faced with the unbelief of those who, because of their spiritual privileges, ought to have been more responsive to him.” He said, "Why does this generation seek for a sign? - NLT = "Why do these people keep demanding a miraculous sign? This is not a simple question but is in fact a rebuke of not just the apostate religious leaders but was also directed at the entire generation of Jews who followed their false teaching! Seek is present tense indicating they keep seeking a sign. James Edwards - The reference to “this generation” signals the Pharisees’ alienation from Jesus and recalls the disbelieving generation of Noah’s day (Gen 7:1) and the stubbornness of the Exodus generation in the wilderness (Ps 95:10–11). The latter was a generation that turned its back on God, “in whom is no faithfulness” (Deut 32:20). (PNTC-Mark) Generation recalls the words of Deuteronomy 32:5, 20. 5 “They have acted corruptly toward Him, They are not His children, because of their defect; But are a perverse and crooked generation. 20 “Then He said, ‘I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be; For they are a perverse generation, Sons in whom is no faithfulness. One also recalls the words in Ps 95 Psalm 95:10-11+ “For forty years I loathed that generation, And said they are a people who err in their heart, And they do not know My ways. 11 “Therefore I swore in My anger, Truly they shall not enter into My rest.” Truly I say to you - Truly is amen which seals the import of the following statement. The first of truly I say was also related to the Pharisees (Mk 3:28+). Truly I say - 13 times in the Gospel of Mark - Mk. 3:28; Mk. 8:12; Mk. 9:1; Mk. 9:41; Mk. 10:15; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 11:23; Mk. 12:43; Mk. 13:30; Mk. 14:9; Mk. 14:18; Mk. 14:25; Mk. 14:30; No sign will be given to this generation - Jesus' response is an agonizing negative that “No sign shall be given.” Why? Because He had performed innumerable signs and yet the unbelieving religious leaders remained unconvinced that God was working through Jesus. It follows that a sign from heaven, like a comet blazing across the sky or a sudden total eclipse of the Sun would not convince the hard hearted Pharisees. If we compare with Matthew's parallel, we see in Mt 16:4+ Jesus added an exception declaring "a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” In other words, the resurrection of Jesus would be the supreme sign that He was indeed the long expected Messiah! Wuest on No sign will be given to this generation - The statement is literally “If a sign shall be given.” It is a Hebrew idiom, and is really at bottom, a form of imprecation. The idea is “If I do not thus and so, may I die, or may God punish me.” In Mark, we have an absolute refusal of a sign. In Matthew, the refusal is qualified by the offer of the miracle of the resurrection (the sign of Jonah). But the latter was an absolute refusal of a sign in the sense that the Pharisees and Sadducees conceived of a sign. They later refused to be convinced after He had arisen from the dead (Acts 3–5). We must be careful to note that the primary purpose of our Lord’s miracles was that of attesting His Messianic claims to be true, and of proving that His message was from God (Matthew 11:2–5). That was Matthew’s purpose in gathering together some of the miracles of our Lord in what we know as chapters eight and nine of his Gospel. But when it came to the performing of attesting miracles at the demands of apostates who He knew would not accept their attesting value, He refused. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Swindoll adds an interesting note that "both Jesus and the Pharisees knew that false prophets traffic in the sensational. More miraculous signs would only begin to undermine His credibility. (Ibid) Mark 8:13 Leaving them, He again embarked and went away to the other side. Wuest And having sent them away, again having embarked, He went off to the other side. (Wuest) NET Mark 8:13 Then he left them, got back into the boat, and went to the other side. NLT Mark 8:13 So he got back into the boat and left them, and he crossed to the other side of the lake. ESV Mark 8:13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side. NIV Mark 8:13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side. GNT Mark 8:13 καὶ ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἐμβὰς ἀπῆλθεν εἰς τὸ πέραν. KJV Mark 8:13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. YLT Mark 8:13 And having left them, having entered again into the boat, he went away to the other side; ASV Mark 8:13 And he left them, and again entering into the boat departed to the other side. CSB Mark 8:13 Then He left them, got on board the boat again, and went to the other side. NKJ Mark 8:13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. NRS Mark 8:13 And he left them, and getting into the boat again, he went across to the other side. NAB Mark 8:13 Then he left them, got into the boat again, and went off to the other shore. NJB Mark 8:13 And, leaving them again, he re-embarked and went away to the other side. GWN Mark 8:13 Then he left them there. He got into a boat again and crossed to the other side of the Sea of Galilee. Ps 81:12 Jer 23:33 Ho 4:17 9:12 Zec 11:8,9 Mt 7:6 15:14 Lu 8:37 Joh 8:21 12:36 Ac 13:45,46 18:6 Mark 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 16:4+ An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign; and a sign will not be given it, except the sign of Jonah.” And He left them and went away. JESUS ABANDONS THE SPIRITUALLY BLIND LEADERS Leaving them - Leaving (aphiemi) is in the aorist tense, describing a definite moving away or departing. It was used in some context to describe a divorce, not a bad picture of what Jesus was doing! In the parallel Matthew the word left is kataleipo meant He left them behind using a verb which also carried the idea of forsaking or abandoning. One recalls Jesus' words in His Sermon on the Mount... Do not give what is holy to dogs, and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces. (Mt 7:6+). Edwards points out that leaving "is a physical description of Jesus departing from one place to another, but it also appears to symbolize Jesus’ parting ways with the Pharisees....In the Synoptic Gospels the demand for “signs” is itself a sign of attempting to gain by empirical means what can only be gained by faith and trust. It is the false prophet who seeks to deceive by signs and wonders (13:22). Jesus forsakes signs, for “to force the evidence upon one would make a faith response by its very nature impossible.” Faith that depends on proof is not faith, but only veiled doubt. If a man hires a private eye to spy on his wife while he is away in order to “prove” her faithfulness, the detective’s “proofs” will scarcely guarantee the husband’s faith. Faith, like love itself, cannot be proven; it can only be demonstrated by trust and active commitment. The Pharisees turn and walk away; the disciples follow Jesus into the boat. Eduard Schweizer draws an insightful conclusion from this closing description: “faith comes when one steps into the boat with Jesus and does not prefer to remain in safety on the shore.”" (PNTC-Mark) Wuest on Leaving (aphiemi) - The verb is aphiēmi (ἀφιημι), “to send away, to send from one’s self, to bid go away.” It is used of teachers, speakers, writers, in the sense of “to let go, let alone, disregard, to leave, not to discuss now,” when about to terminate a discussion. Our Lord brought the dispute to an abrupt end by His statement in which He refused an attesting miracle to that stock or breed of men He had before Him, namely, apostates. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) He again embarked and went away to the other side - Back in the boat again they sailed for the northeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee (Bethsaida in Mk 8:22). John

Marcos 8

Wuest on Zume -The word is zumē. It is used in the LXX (Ex. 12:15) of beer-yeast. The principle of fermentation which inheres in it makes it the symbol of corruption, for fermentation is the result of the divine curse upon the material universe because of sin. Always in the Bible, it speaks of evil in some form, Matthew 13:33 being no exception, for the kingdom of heaven here refers to Christendom, in which are the true and the false, the evil and the good. Leaven in I Corinthians 5:6–8, speaks of malice and wickedness as contrasted to sincerity and truth. In Matthew 16:12, it speaks of evil doctrine in its three-fold form of Pharisaism, externalism in religion, of Sadduceeism, scepticism as to the supernatural and as to the Scriptures, of Herodianism, worldliness. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Mark 8:16 They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. Wuest And they kept on discussing among themselves, saying, Because we do not have loaves of bread. NET Mark 8:16 So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread. NLT Mark 8:16 At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. ESV Mark 8:16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread. NIV Mark 8:16 They discussed this with one another and said, "It is because we have no bread." GNT Mark 8:16 καὶ διελογίζοντο πρὸς ἀλλήλους ὅτι Ἄρτους οὐκ ἔχουσιν. KJV Mark 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. YLT Mark 8:16 and they were reasoning with one another, saying -- 'Because we have no loaves.' ASV Mark 8:16 And they reasoned one with another, saying, We have no bread. CSB Mark 8:16 They were discussing among themselves that they did not have any bread. NKJ Mark 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, "It is because we have no bread." NRS Mark 8:16 They said to one another, "It is because we have no bread." NAB Mark 8:16 They concluded among themselves that it was because they had no bread. NJB Mark 8:16 And they said to one another, 'It is because we have no bread.' Mt 16:7,8 Lu 9:46 20:5 Mark 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Matthew 16:7+ They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” They began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread - Discuss is in the imperfect tense indicating that they were repeating this over and over. The had just received a strong double command about leaven and yet they are turned to their deficiency of bread. Amazing! Perhaps their stomachs were growling! And so once again they were more focused on the physical need then on the spiritual truths Jesus had just served them. The upshot is that they totally missed Jesus' figurative use of leaven and thought He was speaking of yeast which brought to their minds their "bread problem." "Jesus is talking about corrupting influences and they think He’s talking about food!" (Utley Mark 8 Commentary)

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Wuest - Jesus Himself becomes the conductor of the blind man. He leads him out of the village in order that He might perform the cure in secret, and this, in order that He might not have a stampede of sick folk. Our Lord’s compassionate heart went out to the sick, but He always kept His chief mission in mind, the cure of souls, not bodies. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Hiebert - This healing has the unique distinction of being the only recorded miracle which Jesus performed in distinct stages. This is remarkable, since it occurs in a Gospel that repeatedly stressed the immediacy of Christ’s miracles (cf. Mk 1:42; 2:12; 5:29, 42; 10:52). (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) and after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him, He asked him, "Do you see anything?" - Note this miracle is not instantaneous but gradual. Why Jesus chose to heal the man in stages can only be conjectured.

Marcos 8

Wuest - The word “clearly” is tēlaugōs, made up of tēle, “afar,” and augē, “radiance,” the compound word meaning “far-shining.” Thayer gives, “at a distance and clearly.”(Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) This miracle at Bethsaida reminds me of Jesus' strong warning to those who see miracles but refuse to believe in Him... “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had been performed in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. “But it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you. (Lk 10:13-14+) Mark 8:26 And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." Wuest - And He sent him off into his home, saying, Neither into the town go. (Wuest) NET Mark 8:26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Do not even go into the village." NLT Mark 8:26 Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." ESV Mark 8:26 And he sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village." NIV Mark 8:26 Jesus sent him home, saying, "Don't go into the village. " GNT Mark 8:26 καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εἰς οἶκον αὐτοῦ λέγων, Μηδὲ εἰς τὴν κώμην εἰσέλθῃς. KJV Mark 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town. YLT Mark 8:26 and he sent him away to his house, saying, 'Neither to the village mayest thou go, nor tell it to any in the village.' ASV Mark 8:26 And he sent him away to his home, saying, Do not even enter into the village. CSB Mark 8:26 Then He sent him home, saying, "Don't even go into the village." NKJ Mark 8:26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, "Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town." NRS Mark 8:26 Then he sent him away to his home, saying, "Do not even go into the village." Neither: Mk 5:43 7:36 Mt 8:4 9:30 12:16 Mark 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries And He sent him to his home, saying, "Do not even enter the village - Jesus did not want this miracle published and as best we can tell His order was obeyed. This would therefore be classified as a "Messianic Secret" which is described in more detail in the note on Mark 7. "Jesus was seeking retirement with His disciples and acted “to avoid creating a run on Him for cures." (Hiebert)

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Wuest - Robertson suggests that here Jesus was safe from annoyance by Herod Antipas and the Pharisees and Sadducees. Here He is to prepare His disciples for His coming crucifixion just a little over six months ahead. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) And on the way He questioned His disciples, saying to them - Luke gives some additional background recording "And it happened that while He was praying alone, the disciples were with Him, and He questioned them, saying, “Who do the people say that I am?” (Luke 9:18+) Questioned is in the imperfect tense indicating He ask them several times. This was their "final exam" and He had only two questions, in what would be a pass-fail (so to speak) exam). Jesus was frequently in prayer - Mt. 14:23; 19:13; 26:36, 39, 42, 44; Mk 1:35; 6:46; 14:32, 35, 39; Lk 3:21; 5:16; 6:12; 9:28–29; 11:1; 22:32, 41–45 Who do people say that I am (Luke 9:18+) - In Matthew 16:13+ the question is "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" People does not include the antagonistic religious leaders! So first Jesus begins by asking the disciples what the public opinion was regarding His identity, for they would have heard various opinions voiced by the crowds to whom Jesus had ministered, teaching and performing miracles to authenticate His authority, divinity and His true identity. Jesus is not asking because He did not know for He did (cf Jn 2:24-25+), but He asked to prepare His disciples for their test question. The answer is that Jesus is the Messiah foretold in over 300 passages in the Old Testament so that He would not be missed! The four Gospels underscore the truth that Jesus is both the Messiah (Mt. 1:18; 16:16; 23:10; 26:63–64; Mk 1:1; 14:61–62; Lk 2:11, 26; 4:41; 24:46; Jn 1:17, 41; 4:25–26; 11:27; 17:3) and that He is also the Son of God (Mt. 8:29; 27:43, 54; Mk 3:11; 15:39; Lk 1:35; 3:21–22; 4:41; 9:35; 22:70; Jn 1:34, 49; 5:18; 10:30, 36; 11:4; 14:9–10; 19:7). John summarizes the reason for the his Gospel but also for the synoptic Gospels - Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written (perfect tense) so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (THE MESSIAH), the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His Name. (John 20:30, 31) In his first epistle John writes And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20+)

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Wuest on you - You” is humeis, the personal pronoun used for contrast. It is “As for you, in contradistinction to others, who are you saying that I am?” (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Peter answered and said to Him, "You are the Christ - "You are the Messiah." You is emphatic. In Matthew's version Peter adds "the Son of the living God." (Mt 16:15+) and Luke has “The Christ of God.” (Lk 9:20+) Peter now identifies Jesus as the Christ, “the Anointed One” the equivalent of the Hebrew term mashiach/masiyah from which we derive our word Messiah. The tragedy is while Peter answered for the 12, one of the 12 (Judas Iscariot) would never believe that Jesus was the Messiah and would perish forever in his sins in spite of his intimate association with Jesus. This is only the second time in Mark’s gospel that the title Christos has been used, the first being Mk 1:1. As an aside only twice before has Peter been mentioned in Mark (Mk 3:16; 5:37), but from this point on, he is the most prominent disciple (as in all the other Gospel accounts). Hiebert - In the time of Jesus, it was the current Jewish designation for the promised greater Son of David who would restore the kingdom of David and reign in worldwide power. The occurrences of the title in the Gospels show that Jesus was reluctant to use the term of Himself, apparently because of the limited and inadequate nature of the current messianic hopes. In popular thought, the Messiah had largely become a nationalistic figure; and, if used of Jesus, the title would at once have inflamed the political aspirations of the people (cf. John 6:14–15). But Jesus did not reject the title whenever it was applied to Him. He understood and fulfilled His messianic mission in a way different from and larger than the current messianic expectations. In His own understanding of His Person and mission, Jesus fused the Old Testament pictures of the Messiah, the suffering Servant, and the Son of man. Thus, His own presentation of Himself was not at once fully understood. The present discussion with His disciples was intended by Jesus to lead them into a fuller understanding of His messianic identity and function. (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary)

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Wuest - It is the judgment of the present writer that the translation here should be “Messiah,” the transliteration of the Hebrew word meaning “the Anointed One.” It has a definite content of meaning with reference to Israel which the word “Christ” does not have to the English reader. In Psalm 2:2, the kings of the earth are said to take counsel against the Lord and His Anointed, the word “Anointed” here being “Messiah” (mashiach/masiyah) in the original (ED: THE SEPTUAGINT TRANSLATES THE HEBREW WITH Christos). The word designates that King whom God will provide for Israel, who will occupy the throne of David forever. Thus Peter was confessing the fact that he believed that Jesus of Nazareth was that coming King. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Believer's Study Bible - Peter means by his answer that Jesus is the One who would fulfill the messianic hope of the O.T. He does not completely understand the nature of Jesus' messiahship, but the truth is beginning to dawn, as Matthew 16:16 makes clear by the expression "the Son of the living God." ( This is Peter's astonishing insight. To avow that Jesus was the Messiah was not startling. But to affirm that Jesus, the Messiah, was the Son of God -- deity in human flesh -- was an insight of momentous illumination (Mt 16:17). Henry

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Wuest on rejected - The religious leaders of Israel put Jesus to the test for the purpose of approving Him as Messiah, for they were looking for their Messiah. But He did not meet their specifications. He was not the kind of a Messiah the Jews wanted. They wanted a military leader who would liberate them from the yoke of Rome, not a Saviour who would free them from their bondage to sin. Peter in his first letter (1 Pe 2:7+ uses apodokimazo = “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED”) speaks of the same thing. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Rejected (593) apodokimazo from apo = off, away from, pictures separation of one thing from another + dokimazo = to test, examine, scrutinize to see whether a thing is genuine or not) means “to put a person to the test for the purpose of approving him should he meet the specifications laid down.” Thus the idea was to reject or refuse to accept something or someone after testing, scrutiny or examination. The preposition apo- speaks of separation and thus conveys the picture of rejecting completely. It means to examine and deem as useless. It means to judge something or someone as not being fit, worthy or genuine and thus something or someone to be rejected. It means to throw out as the result of a test, to put out of office, to repudiate, to disapprove or to declare useless. Eight of the nine NT uses of apodokimazo refer to men's (primarily Israel and her leaders who should have known better) rejection of the Messiah as genuine, worthy, qualified! All NT uses = Matt. 21:42; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 12:10; Lk. 9:22; Lk. 17:25; Lk. 20:17; Heb. 12:17; 1 Pet. 2:4; 1 Pet. 2:7 Elders (4245) presbuteros he comparative form of présbus = an old man or an ambassador) referred to men who were older or more senior with no negative connotations but rather a sense of venerability. In this context presbuteros designated lay members of the Sanhedrin from important families as distinct from priests and scribes Chief priests (749)(archiereus from arche = first in a series, the leader or ruler, idea of rank or degree + hiereus = priest. In Mk 8:31 it is in the plural and so archiereus refers to all the ruling priests, the members of the high-priestly families as a group, the upper echelons of the priestly class, especially those who served on the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high court (Lk 9:22+, Mk 8:31). In the singular archiereus refers to the acting high priest (Lk 3.2, Mk 14:47, 53, 54, 60, 61, 63, 66), who by Jesus' day was more of a role obtained by political connections than priestly lineage. Scribes (1122)grammateus from grapho = to write) was one skilled in Jewish law and theology scribe, expert, scholar (Mt 2.4). The were the recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Jesus gives a long rebuke including 8 WOES primarily to the Scribes and Pharisees which should be read to help understand how this group of Jewish religious men functioned (See Mt 23:1-39, 13, 14, 15, 16, etc). Most sources consider the lawyers (nomikos - meaning one skilled in the Mosaic law) to be scribes specialized in the jurisprudence of the Law of Moses. Finally the scribes in Lk 5:17 (nomdidaskalos) were teachers of the Jewish law who were equal to the lawyers and scribes. and be killed - At this time Jesus does not tell them the mode of murder nor the profound significance of His death. But if they had good memories they might have ponder words like those of John the Baptist who declared "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" (John 1:29). The knew about sacrificial lambs and knew that they provided atonement only by shedding their blood. They simply failed to put the pieces of the puzzle together. Killed (put to death)(615) apokteino from apó = intensifies meaning + kteíno = slay) means to kill outright or to put to death in any manner. To kill someone results in a state of separation and often used of Christ's death (Mt 16:21; 17:23; 21:35, 38, 39) All uses in Mark - Mk. 3:4; Mk. 6:19; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:34; Mk. 12:5; Mk. 12:7; Mk. 12:8; Mk. 14:1 Utley on “be killed … rise again” This is the essence of the gospel message: a substitutionary sacrifice, and a glorious divine confirmation of its acceptance. (Mark 8 Commentary) Utley on after 3 days - This phrase could refer to Hos. 6:1–2. It is interpreted in a similar way in the Aramaic Targum on this verse. However, Jesus seems to be making an allusion to Jonah 1:17 (cf. Matt. 12:39; 16:4). This type of predictive sign was exactly what the Pharisees were asking for in v. 12 (cf. Matt. 16:4). This type of prediction was the basis of defining a true prophet according to Deut. 13:2–5; 18:18–22. Jesus gave them sign after sign, but they could not comprehend. (Mark 8 Commentary) and after three days rise again - He clearly predicts His resurrection from the dead. "The announcement of His resurrection made no impression upon the disciples, as their future behavior at that event clearly shows." (Wuest)

Marcos 8

Wuest - The word is used not only of an unjust, undeserved rebuke, but also of one which is deserved, but where the rebuke is ineffectual, where the one rebuked is not brought to see his sin. Had Peter been convicted of wrong-doing here, Mark could have used elegchō (ἐλεγχω) “to rebuke so as to bring the person rebuked, if not always to a confession, yet at least to a conviction of his sin.” Peter at this time did not realize the dreadful thing he did. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Robertson on get behind Me Satan - Peter had not risen above the level of ordinary men and deserves the name of Satan whose role he was now acting. It was withering, but it was needed. The temptation of the devil on the mountain was here offered by Peter. It was Satan over again....Just before Peter played the part of a rock in the noble confession and was given a place of leadership. Now he is playing the part of Satan and is ordered to the rear. Peter was tempting Jesus not to go on to the cross as Satan had done in the wilderness. “None are more formidable instruments of temptation than well-meaning friends, who care more for our comfort than for our character” (Bruce). “In Peter the banished Satan had once more returned” (Plummer) Hiebert - In Peter’s effort to dissuade Him from the cross, Jesus recognized a repetition of the wilderness temptation; Peter had made himself an unwitting agent of Satan. Satan does not identify Peter with the Devil but names Peter as a real adversary. Jesus banished Peter’s suggestion with the finality used against Satan in the wilderness. (Gospel of Mark - An Expositional Commentary) A SPOKESMAN FOR THE DEVIL! and said, "Get behind Me, Satan - Get is in the present imperative (command calling for continual "falling in line" so to speak). This recalls Jesus' command to Satan in His temptation = "Then Jesus *said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’" (Mt 4:10+) Peter was not commanded to leave Him but to get out of His way, for he was a stumbling block (Matt. 16:23).

Marcos 8

Wuest - It was an agonizing cry, for Jesus recognized a repetition of the temptation of Satan when the latter said to Him, after he had shown Him the great Roman empire, “These things, all of them, I will give to you, if having fallen down, you will worship me” (Matt. 4:9). This is the order of the words in the Greek text. Notice the bargaining power of the Devil. It was a temptation to go around the Cross and receive the rulership of the world empire from the hands of Satan, the price, the worship of him. Here was Satan again, using the foremost of the disciples, to tempt our Lord to go around the Cross. It is the opinion of the present writer that our Lord did not call Peter, Satan, but that, recognizing the source, He spoke directly to the Tempter, including Peter in the rebuke. Since Satan is incorrigible, he could not be brought to repentance, and epitimaō (ἐπιτιμαω) is most fitting here. Our Lord, in His utterance, brands Peter’s words as Satanic. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Satan (4567)(satanas transliterated from Hebrew Satan - see 07854 and Aramaic sātānâ) literally means Adversary, the evil antagonist who offers opposition, hostility, resentment, etc. An enemy who that contends with, opposes, resists. An adversary is one who hates or opposes another person and tries to harm them or stop them from doing something because of hatred and malice. Satan is the inveterate, implacable, relentless, ruthless, remorseless, merciless, heartless, pitiless, cruel, hard, harsh, hardened, incorrigible, dedicated enemy of God and man. Matthew adds "You are a stumbling block to Me" (Mt 16:23+) - "Peter was acting as Satan’s catspaw, in ignorance, surely, but none the less really. He had set a trap for Christ that would undo all his mission to earth. “Thou art not, as before, a noble block, lying in its right position as a massive foundation stone. On the contrary, thou art like a stone quite out of its proper place, and lying right across the road in which I must go—lying as a stone of stumbling” (Morison)." (Robertson) for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's - Not in Greek is "absolutely not." Setting is in the present tense, describing continuous action (attitude in this case) and denoting what dominated and swayed Peter’s thoughts. "He was motivated not by the things of God, things related to God’s purposes, but by the things of men, the concerns of fallible human beings. His human desire to spare his Master such sufferings prompted Peter to urge Jesus to avoid the very suffering to which Jesus had committed Himself as the messianic Servant." (Hiebert) Setting...mind (5426)(phroneo from phren = literally the diaphragm and thus that which curbs or restrains. Figuratively, phren is the supposed seat of all mental and emotional activity) refers to the basic orientation, bent, and thought patterns of the mind, rather than to the mind or intellect itself (that is the Greek word nous). Phroneo includes a person’s affections and will as well as his reasoning. In other words phroneo refers not simply to intellectual activity but also to direction and purpose of heart. Mark 8:34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. NET Mark 8:34 Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, "If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. NLT Mark 8:34 Then, calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. ESV Mark 8:34 And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, "If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. NIV Mark 8:34 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. GNT Mark 8:34 Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ὄχλον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς, Εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου ἀκολουθεῖν, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι. KJV Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. ASV Mark 8:34 And he called unto him the multitude with his disciples, and said unto them, If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. CSB Mark 8:34 Summoning the crowd along with His disciples, He said to them, "If anyone wants to be My follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. NKJ Mark 8:34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. NRS Mark 8:34 He called the crowd with his disciples, and said to them, "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. YLT Mark 8:34 And having called near the multitude, with his disciples, he said to them, 'Whoever doth will to come after me -- let him disown himself, and take up his cross, and follow me; He summoned : Mk 7:14 Lu 9:23 Lk 20:45 If anyone: Mk 9:43-48 Mt 5:29,30 7:13,14 16:24 Lu 13:24 14:27,33 Ro 15:1-3 1Co 8:13 9:19 Php 3:7 Tit 2:12 take: Mk 10:21 Mt 10:38 27:32 John 19:17 Ac 14:22 Ro 6:6 8:17 1Co 4:9-13 1Co 15:31 Ga 2:20 5:24 6:14 Php 3:10 Col 1:24 3:5 2Th 3:11 1Pe 4:1,13 Rev 2:10 follow: Nu 14:24 1Ki 14:8 Lu 14:26 18:22 Joh 10:27 13:36,37 21:19,20 Heb 13:13 2Pe 1:14 1Jn 3:16 Mark 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries DO YOU WISH TO FOLLOW JESUS? Related Passages: Matthew 16:24-28+ Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. 25 “For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS. 28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Luke 9:23-27+ And He was saying to them all, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily (HOW OFTEN?) and follow Me. 24 For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25 “For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26 “For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27 “But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”

Marcos 8

Wuest on comes - “Come” is erchomai (ἐρχομαι). The word is used in John 5:40 where our Lord speaks of the fact that certain will not come to Him that they might have life. The word is used here in the sense of becoming a disciple of Jesus, one who follows His instruction and enters into His fellowship. Likewise, to come after Jesus means to become His disciple, follow His teachings, and enter into His fellowship. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) Bruce Barton on come after Me - The initial decision to “come after” Christ and be His disciple is a once-for-all act. From then on the believer is no longer his or her own; that person belongs to Christ. (Life Application Commentary) After (3694) opiso from opis = a looking back) can refer to a position behind another (Lk 7:38), as a marker of one who is followed as a leader (Mt 16:24, in a negative sense 1 Ti 5:15, Rev 13:3). It can describe time - "after me One is coming" (Mk 1:7), "He who comes after me" (Jn 1:15, 27, 30). It means to fall back (Jn 18:6); look backward (Luke 9:62); turn back (Mt. 24:18; Mk 13:16; Lk 17:31; Jn 6:66; Jn 20:14; Ge 19:17, 26; 2 Sa 1:22; 1 Ki 18:37) It is used metaphorically in Php 3:13 "forgetting what lies behind" Paul alluding to his former human accomplishments. Jesus’ summons, “Follow (after) me,” demands a severing of ties with one’s former life and a rendering of an unconditional commitment to Him (Mt 4:19; cf. Mt 16:24). The disciple must renounce his own will (Mt 10:38) and studiously avoid the temptation to return to the things that he renounced to follow Christ (Lk 17:31). Only by this level of self-renunciation and commitment to Christ can one hope to share in His kingdom (Mark 8:34-38). Having understood this aspect of commitment implied in opisō, other similar constructions are easily understood, such as Acts 5:37; 20:30; 1 Timothy 5:15. (Complete Biblical Library Greek-English Dictionary) (1) DENIAL OF ONESELF He must deny himself - Here is the first condition that must be met in order to follow after Jesus. He must deny himself not a popular topic in our "selfie" generation. The verb must deny is not "maybe" or "might" but speaks of a definite obligation, an absolute necessity to deny self. This is a command in aorist imperative ("Just Do It!") which necessitates dependence on the Holy Spirit to obey. Jesus does not use the usual word for deny but a stronger verb (aparneoma), meaning to have absolutely no association with or disown completely without reservations or hesitation! The sad irony is that this is the very verb Jesus used to prophesy Peter's denial of Him! (Mk 14:30, 31, 72+ fulfilled in Mk 14:66-71+) Note He is not saying to deny "things" (like ice cream and deserts or giving up something for Lent!), but is making a radical command. In other words it is not a denial of something but of someone -- oneself! To some degree the 12 disciples had already manifested denial of self as Peter later said in Mk 10:28 "Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.”

Marcos 8

Wuest - The “whosoever will come after Me” of verse 34, is in the indicative mode and uses the conditional particle ei (εἰ). The expression assumes as true that some do desire to come after Jesus. It is, “If, as is the case, anyone is desiring, etc.” But the “whosoever will” of this verse is a future unfulfilled hypothetical condition. It is “For whosoever would desire to save his life.” The word “life” here is not bios (βιος) referring to one’s physical existence and its needs but psuchē (ψυχη), referring to the soul, that part of man which wills, and thinks, and feels, or in other words, to the will power, the reason, and the emotions, to the personality with all his activities, hopes, and aspirations. That is, the person who desires to so live that these will find self-gratification, will lose that which alone makes the activity of these things, worthwhile and satisfying. God has so created man, that he does not find complete rest and satisfaction until his entire being is swallowed up in the sweet will of God. This is Jesus’ teaching here. Our Lord is not here giving the terms upon which God will give salvation, for self-denial never saved a soul from sin. Only Jesus’ blood can do that. Jesus is here giving His philosophy of life. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) J C Ryle on Mark 8:34-38 - THE words of our Lord Jesus Christ in this passage are peculiarly weighty and solemn. They were spoken to correct the mistaken views of His disciples, as to the nature of His kingdom. But they contain truths of the deepest importance to Christians in every age of the Church. The whole passage is one which should often form the subject of private meditation. We learn, for one thing, from these verses, the absolute necessity of self-denial, if we would be Christ’s disciples, and be saved. What saith our Lord? “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Salvation is undoubtedly all of grace. It is offered freely in the Gospel to the chief of sinners, without money and without price. “By grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephes. 2:8, 9.) But all who accept this great salvation, must prove the reality of their faith by carrying the cross after Christ. They must not think to enter heaven without trouble, pain, suffering, and conflict on earth (Acts 14:22). They must be content to take up the cross of doctrine, and the cross of practice,—the cross of holding a faith which the world despises, and the cross of living a life which the world ridicules as too strict and righteous overmuch. They must be willing to crucify the flesh, to mortify the deeds of the body, to fight daily with the devil, to come out from the world, and to lose their lives, if needful, for Christ’s sake and the Gospel’s.—These are hard sayings, but they admit of no evasion. The words of our Lord are plain and unmistakable. If we will not carry the cross, we shall never wear the crown. Let us not be deterred from Christ’s service by fear of the cross. Heavy as that cross may seem, Jesus will give us grace to bear it. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Phil. 4:13.) Thousands and tens of thousands have borne it before us, and have found Christ’s yoke easy, and Christ’s burden light. No good thing on earth was ever attained without trouble. We cannot surely expect that without trouble we can enter the kingdom of God. Let us go forward boldly, and allow no difficulty to keep us back. The cross by the way is but for a few years. The glory at the end is for evermore. Let us often ask ourselves whether our Christianity costs us anything? Does it entail any sacrifice? Has it the true stamp of heaven? Does it carry with it any cross?—If not, we may well tremble and be afraid. We have everything to learn. A religion which costs nothing, is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come. ILLUSTRATION OF LOSERS ARE KEEPERS - Kent

Marcos 8

Wuest - On the other hand, while self-denial will not save a person in the sense of making him a child of God, yet, lack of self-denial, together with self-satisfaction will result in his going into eternity, a lost sinner. “World” here is kosmos (κοσμος), and refers to the world system of evil of which Satan is the head, all unsaved people his servants, together with the pursuits, pleasure, purposes, people, and places where God is not wanted. The word “lose” is zemioō (ζεμιοω) “to sustain damage, to receive injury, to suffer loss.” (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission) D L Moody - As you love your soul, beware of the world; it has slain its thousands and ten thousands. What ruined Lot’s wife? The world. What ruined Judas? The world. What ruined Simon Magus? The world. And “what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” Related Resources: Luke 9:24-26 - Steven Cole Luke 9:23-25 The Gospel: Self-Love or Self-Hate? - John MacArthur Luke 9:23-26 The Gospel in Perspective - John MacArthur J C Ryle on Mark 8:34-38 - THE words of our Lord Jesus Christ in this passage are peculiarly weighty and solemn. They were spoken to correct the mistaken views of His disciples, as to the nature of His kingdom. But they contain truths of the deepest importance to Christians in every age of the Church. The whole passage is one which should often form the subject of private meditation. We learn, for another thing, from these verses, the unspeakable value of the soul. What saith our Lord? “What shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” These words were meant to stir us up to exertion and self-denial. They ought to ring in our ears like a trumpet, every morning when we rise from our beds, and every night when we lie down. May they be deeply graven in our memories, and never effaced by the devil and the world! We have all souls that will live for evermore. Whether we know it or not, we all carry about with us something which will live on when our bodies are mouldering in the grave. We have all souls, for which we shall have to give account to God. It is an awful thought, when we consider how little attention most men give to anything except this world. But it is true. Any man may lose his own soul. He cannot save it: Christ alone can do that. But he can lose it, and that in many different ways. He may murder it, by loving sin and cleaving to the world.—He may poison it by choosing a religion of lies, and believing man-made superstitions.—He may starve it, by neglecting all means of grace, and refusing to receive into his heart the Gospel.—Many are the ways that lead to the pit. Whatever way a man takes, he, and he alone, is accountable for it. Weak, corrupt, fallen, impotent as human nature is, man has a mighty power of destroying, ruining, and losing his own soul. The whole world cannot make up to a man the loss of his soul. The possession of all the treasures that the world contains, would not compensate for eternal ruin. They would not satisfy us, and make us happy while we had them. They could only be enjoyed for a few years, at best, and must then be left for evermore. Of all unprofitable and foolish bargains that man can make, the worst is that of giving up his soul’s salvation for the sake of this present world. It is a bargain of which thousands, like Esau, who sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, have repented,—but many, unhappily, like Esau, have repented too late. Let these sayings of our Lord sink deep into our hearts. Words are inadequate to express their importance. May we remember them in the hour of temptation, when the soul seems a small and unimportant thing, and the world seems very bright and great. May we remember them in the hour of persecution, when we are tried by the fear of man, and half inclined to forsake Christ. In hours like these, let us call to mind this mighty question of our Lord, and repeat it to ourselves, “What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” The Treasure Myth Read: Psalm 37:7-20 What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul. —Mark 8:36 When the great ocean liner Titanic sank in 1912, it was rumored to have gone down with a fortune in jewels and gold. That longstanding myth was dispelled, however, by the discovery of the ship’s manifest, which showed that the ship was carrying raw feathers, linen, straw, hatter’s fur, tissue, auto parts, leather, rabbit hair, elastics, hair nets, and refrigerating equipment. There is another persistent rumor about riches. It is widely believed that a wealthy person should be honored and valued, even though he may be ungodly. On the other hand, a godly, self-disciplined person is considered by some to be of little worth if he is not wealthy. David, the author of Psalm 37, cautioned the poor and needy not to be envious of the rich and prosperous. In time, the cargo manifest of the ungodly will be uncovered, revealing that their lives contain nothing of enduring value. Some people think they have it all When riches come their way; But their great loss will be revealed On God's accounting day. —Bosch It's better to be poor and walk by faith than to be rich and walk by sight. Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945) understood what the normal Christian life should look like. The way may be hard, but the path and the end are glorious. The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.... But it is the same death every time—death in Jesus Christ, the death of the old man at his call. Jesus’ summons to the rich young man was calling him to die, because only the man who is dead to his own will can follow Christ. In fact every command of Jesus is a call to die, with all our affections and lusts. But we do not want to die, and therefore Jesus Christ and his call are necessarily our death as well as our life. The call to discipleship, the baptism in the name of Jesus Christ means both death and life. (Bonhoeffer, Cost, 99) (Quoted by Daniel Akin in Christ-Centered Exposition – Exalting Jesus in Mark) ILLUSTRATION - Adrian Rogers tells this story about Ernest Hemingway - Ernest Hemingway was a remarkable man. He won a Pulitzer Prize. He won a Nobel Prize. He was a young reporter—already a news reporter—when World War I began. And, he went to the front and was wounded in Italy. He came back and had an exciting life as a big game hunter. He was a bullfighter. He was a sports fisherman, who would fish for marlin. And, when World War II came, he didn't want to be left out, so he took his fishing boat and rigged it with two 50-caliber machine guns, bazookas, hand grenades, and would cruise off the coast of Cuba, hoping that a German U-boat would surface. If he could see the conning tower or the periscope, or if he could see the water breaking over that steel skin of that U-boat, he would move toward it, expecting them to surface and get a boarding party to come and board his ship. And, he would remain about 50 yards away. And, when it would come up, and they would open the tower and come out on the deck, then he would increase speed and move toward them with machine guns firing, hoping to lob a grenade down the conning tower into the U-boat and to sink it. A daring man! He was in an airplane accident. He was hit by a taxi. He had all kinds of escapades. He was wounded in war. He lived in France. He lived in Italy. He lived in Cuba. He lived in Key West. He lived in Idaho. He was a man that did everything. But, he abused himself with alcohol and became just a slave to alcohol. He went through four marriages. He said, finally, at the end of all of this, thinking of his life—this great novelist, this great author—he said, "It seems that we are ants"—a-n-t-s—"ants on the end of a burning log." Do you know how he ended it all? With a shotgun to his head. Ernest Hemmingway—he did so much, seeking, everywhere, adventure. You talk about a man who had a full life and an empty life at the same time! His life was filled with futility—no purpose. "We're like ants—ants on the end of a burning log." An empty life. ILLUSTRATION - Bob Hope was one of the most beloved comedians in American history. He had everything (just glance at his home which sold for $13 million). He had the world, but the question is did he have Jesus as His Savior? You be the judge - Here are two distinctly different critiques of his life to help you decide (and of course you and I are NOT the final judge - that right is God's alone!) - (1) Stories of Faith: Bob Hope Finds Real Hope in Jesus (2) The Death of Bob Hope - R L Hymers Finally see this article in Wikipedia regarding Hope's lifestyle. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul? Mark 8:37 "For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? NET Mark 8:37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? NLT Mark 8:37 Is anything worth more than your soul? ESV Mark 8:37 For what can a man give in return for his soul? NIV Mark 8:37 Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? GNT Mark 8:37 τί γὰρ δοῖ ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ; KJV Mark 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? ASV Mark 8:37 For what should a man give in exchange for his life? CSB Mark 8:37 What can a man give in exchange for his life? NKJ Mark 8:37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? NRS Mark 8:37 Indeed, what can they give in return for their life? YLT Mark 8:37 Or what shall a man give as an exchange for his life? Ps 49:7,8 1Pe 1:18,19 Mark 8 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries A SIMPLE QUESTION ANSWER: NOTHING! Related Passages: Matthew 16:26+ “For (term of explanation - explains Mt 16:25 losing one's life by asking a rhetorical question) what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? No man can by any means redeem his brother Or give to God a ransom for him– (49:8) For the redemption of his soul is costly, And he should cease trying forever (Psalm 49:7-8+)

Marcos 8

Wuest has a long comment - A. T. Robertson said that the first rule of scripture interpretation is that one should ignore chapter and verse divisions as one studies the Word. The chapter division destroys the connection here. In Mk 8:38, our Lord is speaking of the second Advent of the Son of God, not the coming into the air to catch out the Church, commonly called the Rapture, but the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus to the earth itself to set up the Millennial Kingdom. At the Rapture, He is not attended by angels, but in the second Advent angels come with Him from the Glory (Rev. 19:14+ = "the armies which are in heaven"). He speaks of the kingdom of God coming with power. This is the Kingdom of Heaven of Matthew 3:2, 4:17, announced by John the Baptist and the Messiah Himself, rejected by Israel at the first Advent, to be accepted by Israel at the second Advent (ED: AT LEAST BY 1/3 OF THE NATION - Zech 13:8-9+), the mysterious form of the kingdom, Christendom, obtaining during the time Israel is in rejection, the Church Age, and the Christian Church, namely, the Mystical Body of Christ, being included in the term Christendom (Matthew 13). Mark and Luke both use the term “Kingdom of God” where Matthew uses “Kingdom of Heaven.” The probable reason for this is that the first two are writing for the Gentiles, Mark for the Romans, and Luke for the Greeks, whereas Matthew writes for the Jews. But what did our Lord mean by the statement that some of those standing there would not die until they saw the Millennial Kingdom? Peter, James, and John are dead. They were standing there. The Millennium is still future. The answer is that what these men saw at that time was an anticipatory picture of the Millennium. The transfigured Lord Jesus is the Messiah glorified in the Millennium. Peter, James, and John are Israel, cleansed, restored, at the second Advent. (Wuest Word Studies - Eerdman Publishing Company Volume 1, Volume 2, Volume 3 - used by permission)