Mark 8:34-9:1

I. What it means to follow Jesus (8:34)

A. Deny self (Philippians 3:3-11; Galatians 2:20)
B. Take up your cross (2 Corinthians 11:23-28; 1 Peter 4:4, 14)
C. Follow Him (Luke 6:46; 1 Peter 2:21)

II. The value of man (8:35-37)

A. Soul preservation is more important than self-preservation (Matt. 10:28)
B. Your soul is worth more than all treasure (Matt. 10:29-30; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

III. The Second Coming (8:38)

A. Are you ashamed of your belief in Jesus? (John 1:29, 49; 6:69)
B. This world is “adulterous and sinful” (James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17)
C. When Jesus comes again, He will come “in the glory of His Father with the holy angels” (Matthew 25:31-46)

IV. The coming kingdom (9:1)

A. The kingdom came during the lifetime of some who heard these words – nearly 2000 years ago (Acts 2:1-4)
B. This is not a “still future” event! (Colossians 1:13-14)
C. When Jesus returns, He will judge the world and deliver His kingdom to the Father (1 Corinthians 15:24)

Mark 8:27-33

I. “Who do men say that I am?” (8:27-28)

A. First century confusion: John, Elijah, one of the prophets
B. Twenty-first century confusion: a good man, a prophet, but not the Messiah

II. “But who do you say that I am?” (8:29-30)

A. Peter’s answer: “You are the Christ!”
B. They were warned to tell no one at the time, but were later commanded to tell everyone (Mark 16:15; Acts 2:36; 4:8-12)

III. The suffering of the Son of Man (8:31-33)

A. Jesus predicts His death and resurrection
B. Peter rebuked the Lord – do we ever disagree with Jesus about His identity? His nature? His love for us?
C. Jesus rebuked Peter: “For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Isaiah 55:8-9; Philippians 2:5; Ephesians 4:31-32)

Mark 8:11-26

I. The Pharisees’ demand (8:11-12)

A. Such a sign had already been given! (Matthew 3:13-17)
B. Jesus refused to give a sign on their terms

II. The Pharisees’ and Herod’s leaven (8:13-21)

A. Sadducees included in Matthew’s account (Matthew 16:1-12)
B. The apostles were hardened by their opponents’ doctrine, doubting, and deceit
C. There is danger in tolerance of falsehood (Ephesians 5:11; Revelation 2:14-15, 20) – even “just a little” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7)

III. The blind man at Bethsaida (8:22-26)

A. The problem with Bethsaida (Matthew 11:21-22)
B. The healing done in stages for the building up of faith
C. “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town” – the citizens in Bethsaida had already shown their unbelief (Matthew 7:6)

Mark 7:24-8:10

I. The individual woman and her daughter (7:24-30)

A. A Syro-Phoenician Gentile woman
B. Jesus’ initial mission was to the Jews, not to the Gentiles (cf. Mt. 10:5-6)
C. She was persistent, begging for the crumbs from the Master’s table

II. The individual man with physical limitations (7:31-37)

A. A deaf, mute man
B. Jesus took him away from the crowd and healed him (cf. Isaiah 35:5-6)
C. “He has done all things well” (cf. Acts 10:38)

III. The multitude in their hunger (8:1-10)

A. A group of 4000 Gentiles so devoted to following Jesus because of what He provided – healing “the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others” (cf. Matthew 15:29-31)
B. Why didn’t the apostles ask Jesus to do what they knew He could do after witnessing feeding the 5000 (Mark 6:30-44)?
C. Don’t ever try to limit the power of God to transform someone’s life because of who they are! (Romans 1:16)