Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand - Mark 8:1-13
Understand It
- Why did Jesus call the disciples to Him? (8:1-3)
- How did Jesus feel toward the crowd of people that had gathered? (8:2)
- How long had the crowd in this story been gathered? Why? (8:2)
- Why couldn’t Jesus just send the people to their homes for food? (8:3)
- What did Jesus’ disciples think of the crowd’s dilemma? (8:4)
- How did Jesus involve His disciples in this problem? (8:5-8)
- What did Jesus do with the seven loaves and few small fish that the disciples had found? (8:6)
- How much food went uneaten? (8:8)
- What did Jesus do after He had fed the crowd? (8:9-10)
- Who came to see Jesus? Why? (8:11)
- How did the Pharisees plan to "test" Jesus? (8:11)
- Why did Jesus "sigh deeply"? (8:12)
- What announcement did Jesus make to the generation of His day? (8:12)
- What did Jesus think of His visitors? (8:12-13)
Apply It
- To whom can you show compassion? How and when?
- In what one area of your life will you ask God to work miraculously this week?
- How can you trust God this week to supply your needs?
- For what difficult problem will you depend on God? How?
The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod - Mark 8:14-21
Understand It
- What had the disciples forgotten on their trip? (8:14)
- When did Jesus start talking about the Pharisees? (8:15)
- What did Jesus warn His disciples against? (8:15)
- How did the disciples misunderstand Jesus’ warning? (8:16)
- What was Christ’s explanation for why the disciples could not understand what He meant? (8:17-18)
- Why couldn’t the disciples understand what Jesus said? (8:17-18)
- What would have enabled the disciples to understand Jesus better? (8:17-18)
- Why was Jesus amazed at His disciples? (8:17-21)
- Why did Jesus remind the disciples about the miracles of feeding the crowds? (8:19)
- How did Jesus try to get through to His disciples? (8:18-20)
- Of what miracles did Jesus remind the disciples? Why? (8:19-20)
Apply It
- What miracles of Christ, negative examples, or object lessons can you use as reminders of Christ’s proper place in your life?
- What is one step you can take to soften your heart toward God this week?
- What is one specific command of Christ’s that you want to apply to your life this week?
- What can you do to steer clear of the evil and corruption in your workplace, community, or home life?
The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida - Mark 8:22-26
Understand It
- Where did the events of this story take place? (8:22)
- What did the people do about the blind man’s condition? (8:22)
- Where did Jesus perform this miracle? (8:23)
- How did Jesus get the blind man out of the village? (8:23)
- How did Jesus heal the blind man? (8:23-25)
- How did Jesus treat the blind man differently from the many other people He had healed? (8:23-26)
- What do we learn about Jesus’ character from the way He treated the blind man? (8:23-26)
- What is unique about this healing compared to every other healing Mark recorded in his Gospel? (8:23-26)
- What did the blind man see after the first touch from Jesus? (8:24)
- What occurred after Jesus touched the blind man a second time? (8:25)
- What did Jesus urge the man to do after he was healed? (8:26)
Apply It
- What can you do this week for someone in need?
- What is one area of your life in which you can pray for God’s healing?
- How do you want to respond the next time the Lord answers prayer in an unexpected way?
Peter's Confession of Christ - Mark 8:27-30
Understand It
- Where did this episode take place? (8:27)
- What did Jesus ask His disciples? (8:27)
- What did people theorize about Jesus? (8:27-28)
- How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ question? (8:28)
- How had people connected Jesus with Elijah, John the Baptist, and other prophets? (8:28)
- How did Jesus make this discussion personal? (8:29)
- How did the disciples answer Jesus’ question? (8:29)
- Who did Peter say Jesus was? (8:29)
- Who spoke for the whole group of disciples? (8:29)
- What was Peter’s declaration of faith? (8:29)
- What warning did Jesus give His disciples? (8:30)
Apply It
- How can you state your faith in Christ’s Lordship?
- Whom should you tell this week about your faith in Christ?
- What specific area of your life do you need to submit to the Lordship of Christ? How?
Jesus Predicts His Death - Mark 8:31-9:1
Understand It
- Who referred to Himself as the "Son of Man"? (8:31)
- What did Jesus teach the disciples? (8:31)
- How did Jesus speak about what would happen to Him? (8:32)
- Why did Peter rebuke Jesus? (8:32)
- How was what Jesus predicted different from what Peter expected? (8:32)
- What surprised Peter? (8:32)
- Who rebuked whom? Why? (8:32-33)
- What did Jesus say to Peter in response to his rebuke? (8:33)
- Why did Jesus rebuke Peter? (8:33)
- Why did Jesus speak harshly with Peter? (8:33)
- In what way did Peter have in mind the "things of man" as opposed to the "things of God"? (8:33)
- What was wrong with Peter’s thinking? (8:33)
- What did Jesus do after rebuking Peter? (8:34)
- What did Jesus want His disciples to do? (8:34-35)
- Why did Jesus say, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me"? (8:34-38)
- How did Jesus refer to the people to whom He was speaking? (8:38)
- How will Jesus come back to earth? (8:38)
- What promise was given to Jesus’ audience? (9:1)
Apply It
- What attitude or practice do you need to change in obedience to Christ?
- What specific steps can you take to listen closely to Christ this week?
