Mark

By Joyce Webb 2022

Chapter 8     Vs. 22-33

Verse 22 Jesus and his disciples came into the town of Bethsaida.

There was a blind man there. Jesus took the blind man and led him our of town.
It seems that Jesus took the man out of town—so the healing would be private—without any one else knowing about it.

When people saw healings and miracles—big crowds began to follow Jesus.
Sometimes that was a problem for Jesus. Many were there just to see what would happen. They were not there to hear Jesus teach.

Big crowds of people meant many more who wanted to be healed. They did not really care who Jesus was—they just wanted to be well.

In this place, Jesus did not want a big crowd—so he took the man out of town where there were not many to see what happened.

Jesus spit on the man’s eyes. Then he asked the man what he could see. The man said he saw men as trees–walking.

Jesus put his hands upon the man’s eyes. The man looked up. Now his eyes could see everything clearly.

People often wonder why Jesus did not heal the man completely the first time.
Bible teachers have different ideas about that. I do not know if any of them are right.

Why Jesus did not heal the man completely the first time—is still a question.
Some Bible teachers say the blind man did not have enough faith at first.
The Bible does not say that.

I think we will just have to leave this as a question–as to why.

Maybe Jesus had his reason for doing it the way he did.

Verse 26 Jesus told the man to go home. Do not go into town. Do not tell anyone in town.
It seems, that Jesus does not want a big crowd to start following him here at this place.

Verse 27 Jesus and his disciples are at another area, Caesarea Philippi. They were in some of the towns in this area.

Jesus asked the disciples, “Whom do men say I am?”
The disciples answered—John the Baptist, Elias (Elijah). Both of those men were dead. The people must have believed that those men came to life again in a new body.

Then Jesus asked the disciples–”Whom do you say I am?”
Peter answered–”You are the Christ.”

Peter was saying that Jesus was the promised Messiah that the Old Testament prophets said would come to be a savior to Israel.

The people of Israel always believe that this “Messiah” would come be their king. He would be a powerful king and free the Jewish people from the rule of other nations.

At the time Jesus come into the world—the Romans were ruling over the Jewish people.

Verse 30 When Jesus heard Peter say–You are the Christ (Messiah). Jesus told him not to speak of it to anyone. (The word Christ and Messiah have the same meaning.)

For Peter to say he believed Jesus was the promised Messiah was a big confession. I do not think many of the other disciples had as yet believed this.

Jesus told Peter not to speak of it. If word got around the country that Jesus was the Messiah, maybe some would believe it and try to make him a king.

Or, maybe the Jewish leaders—when they heard so many talking about it—they would do something to Jesus sooner to stop him.

Verse 31 Then Jesus began to tell the disciples that the Son of Man (Jesus) would not be accepted by the Jewish leaders. That he would suffer many things, He would be killed. He would come alive again on the 3rd day.

Verse 32,33 Peter began to say that those things surely would not happen.
Such a thing was more than Peter could believe would happen.

Jesus said to Peter “Satan get behind me.” Meaning, that what Peter was saying was from the devil.

Jesus said, You do not speak the things of God, but you are speaking men’s thoughts.

Peter was thinking like most Jewish people—Jesus was going to become their king.

Someday—-yet in the future—Jesus would be their king—-but not at this time.
For Peter to think that Jesus would be their king—then—–was not in God’s plan.
God’s plan was for Jesus to suffer and be killed and come alive again.

That was not part of the plan in the Jewish mind.

How could the Messiah help them—if he suffered, and was killed?

Then the part where Jesus said that he would come alive again in 3 days—
No one had ever heard of such a thing.    It was just too much to believe.

Jesus had come to be their Savior—-but not as a king.
Jesus came to save people from their sins—by paying their death punishment for sin.

Some day Jesus will come to earth again—then He will come as King. And not just as king for the Jewish people—but king over the whole world.