Mark 8

Thought on This Chapter

MK 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

The context of this verse is talking about salvation and not about your witnessing after salvation. Verse 38 says therefore, so you must look at the verses before it to understand what is being talked about.

MK 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

MK 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The implied answer to verses 36 and 37 is you cannot do anything, or give anything in exchange for your soul. You cannot work your way to heaven. The context here is salvation.

The meaning of verse 38 is that whoever is ashamed of Jesus and His Words and therefore rejects Him as saviour will be rejected by Jesus when He comes back.

Many people will not accept Jesus as Saviour because they are ashamed of what others might think. Or they are ashamed of the shed blood, or the virgin birth, or the teaching of His deity.

People who accept Jesus are not ashamed of Him.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

This does not mean that you are always as bold in your witness as you should be after you are saved. It simply means to get saved you cannot be ashamed of Jesus. It means that you will call upon Him to save you. Read Romans 10:11 in its context.

Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Rom 10:11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Rom 10:12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Thought On This Chapter

MK 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

MK 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

MK 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

Jesus plainly declared to the disciples what was to come. That He would suffer many things, that He would be rejected, that He would be killed, and after 3 days He would rise from the dead.

Peter then began to rebuke Jesus. Peter did not want Jesus suffer and die. At this time Peter did not yet understand the cross. He did not yet understand that there would be a church age before Jesus would set up His earthly kingdom.

Jesus then rebukes Peter and says, "Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men."

Peter was a believer. He had testified that Jesus is the Son of God. And here Jesus says to Peter, "Get thee behind me, Satan." Does this mean that Peter was Satan? No. Of course not. What it does mean is that Peter was thinking more like Satan at that moment. Peter was having a worldly attitude. Peter was not savoring the things of God, instead he was thinking like this wicked worldly system that Satan runs. Peter was rebuking Jesus with the intent to stop Jesus from going to the cross. That is the attitude of Satan. Peter was not Satan, but his attitude at that moment was not of God.

This shows us that people who believe can have wrong thoughts and wrong attitudes. Christians can start to put the things of the world and worldly thinking above the things of God and biblical thinking. We all need to be on our guard against wrong thoughts.

King James Bible Main Index:

Mark 8 [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] [16]

MK 8:1 In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them,

MK 8:2 I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:

MK 8:3 And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far.

MK 8:4 And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?

MK 8:5 And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven.

MK 8:6 And he commanded the people to sit down on the ground: and he took the seven loaves, and gave thanks, and brake, and gave to his disciples to set before them; and they did set them before the people.

MK 8:7 And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

MK 8:8 So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets.

MK 8:9 And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.

MK 8:10 And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha.

MK 8:11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him.

MK 8:12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

MK 8:13 And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side.

MK 8:14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf.

MK 8:15 And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

MK 8:16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread.

MK 8:17 And when Jesus knew it, he saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? perceive ye not yet, neither understand? have ye your heart yet hardened?

MK 8:18 Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember?

MK 8:19 When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve.

MK 8:20 And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven.

MK 8:21 And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?

MK 8:22 And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.

MK 8:23 And he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town; and when he had spit on his eyes, and put his hands upon him, he asked him if he saw ought.

MK 8:24 And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking.

MK 8:25 After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly.

MK 8:26 And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.

MK 8:27 And Jesus went out, and his disciples, into the towns of Caesarea Philippi: and by the way he asked his disciples, saying unto them, Whom do men say that I am?

MK 8:28 And they answered, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.

MK 8:29 And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.

MK 8:30 And he charged them that they should tell no man of him.

MK 8:31 And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again.

MK 8:32 And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him.

MK 8:33 But when he had turned about and looked on his disciples, he rebuked Peter, saying, Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.

MK 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.

MK 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it.

MK 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

MK 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

MK 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Outline of Mark Chapter 8

G. Feeding the 4,000
1. The multitude was great with nothing to eat
2. Jesus calls His disciples to Him
a. I have compassion on the multitude
1. They have been with me 3 days
2. They have nothing to eat
b. If I send them away fasting, they will faint on the trip
3. The disciples ask how can a man satisfy them with bread in the wilderness
4. Jesus asks how many loaves they have
5. They have 7 loaves
6. Jesus commands the people to sit down
7. Jesus took the seven loaves
a. He gave thanks
b. He brake the bread
c. He gave it to His disciples
d. His disciples gave it to the people
8. They also had a few small fishes
a. He blessed them
b. He commanded to set them before the people
9. They ate and were filled
10. They took up seven baskets of left overs
11. About 4,000 had eaten
H. Demand for a sign
1. Jesus comes to Dalmanutha
2. The Pharisees come
a. They question Jesus
b. They seek of Him a sign
1. From heaven
2. Tempting Him
3. Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit
4. Jesus answers
a. Why seek a sign
b. No sign shall be given to this generation
5. Jesus left them
I. Warning about leaven
1. The disciples forgot to take bread
2. They only had one loaf on the ship
3. Jesus warns of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod
4. The disciples reasoned it is because we have no bread
5. Jesus knew it and answers
a. Why reason that you have no bread
b. Perceive ye not
c. Neither ye understand
d. Have your heart hardened
e. Having eyes, see ye not
f. Having ears, hear ye not
g. Reminder of leftovers at feeding of 5,000
h. Reminder of leftovers at the feeding of 4,000
6. How is it that ye do not understand?
J. Healing the blind man
1. Jesus leads the blind man out of town
2. Jesus spit on his eyes
3. Jesus put His hands on him
4. Jesus asks if he can see
5. He can see men as trees
6. Jesus put His hands on him again
7. Jesus made him look up
8. He was restored and saw clearly
9. Jesus sends him home
10. Jesus tells him not to go to town nor tell it to anyone in town
K. Lesson at Caesareo Philippi
1. Jesus asks His disciples, who do men say I am
2. They answer
a. John the Baptist
b. Elias
c. One of the prophets
3. Jesus asks Peter
a. Peter says the Christ
b. Jesus charges Peter to tell no man
4. Jesus teaches what is going to happen to Him
a. He must suffer many things
b. Be rejected
1. By elders
2. By chief priests
3. By scribes
c. Be killed
d. After 3 days rise again
5. Peter rebukes Jesus
6. Jesus rebukes Peter
a. Get behind me Satan
b. You savor not the things of God
c. You savor the things of men
7. Whosoever will come after me
a. Let him deny himself
b. Take up his cross
c. Follow me
d. Save your life and lose it
e. Lose you life and save it
1. For Jesus' sake
2. For the gospel's
f. The whole world is not worth your soul
g. Be ashamed of Jesus and He will be ashamed of you
1. When He comes in glory
2. With the angels

We have some questions in this chapter that have an obvious implied answer.

MK 8:36 For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

The obvious answer is that even if you owned the whole world it would profit you nothing if you lose your soul. You cannot take money or possessions with you when you die. Even if you owned the whole world, it will not help you when you die.

How sad it is that people put so much effort into pursue this world, which in the end will do them no good whatsoever.

MK 8:37 Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

The obvious answer is that there is nothing that you can give in exchange for your soul.

And in spite of this truth, many people are doing good works thinking that it will be enough to give in exchange for their soul, when the truth is that there is nothing (including good works) that you can give in exchange for your soul.