Mark 8:31-38

[MatthewG]

In the last lesson we went over with Jesus and his disciples in Bethsaida which was the hometown of Peter, Andrew, and Philip, and it was know as the fishers town.
While Jesus and his disciples come through that way, there was a group of people bring forth to the Lord a blindman who the group were seemingly desirous of seeing the healing of the Lord in whence they come bring this blind man.

Jesus did not heal in front of everyone on this account. By the hand the blind man consented in to Jesus leading them man outside of the town away from the other. Where the Lord healed him after placing water from the mouth of the Lord, that was placed on his eyes (some scripture says the Lord spits on the mans eyes). After doing so the Lord ask him if he is seeing anything and he mentioned he sees people walking, but they look like trees.
With this new half way seeing sight, the Lord helped the blindman see fully and completely with presistence in faith that the Lord would indeed heal him of his affliction, which caused him problems with not being able to see.

Afterward Jesus and his dsiciples left Bethsadia, and venture forth in towards Czsar Philipi
(add history about city)
Czsar Phillipi was a town located at the southwest foot of Mount Hermon, where a sparkling stream, the most eastern source of the Jordan River, rushes out from a cave at the base of a great cliff. Being well-watered, it is one of the most beautiful plaes in all the HOly LAnd. In the Old Testament times it had a shrine dedicated to Baal (Joshua 11:17); while later the Greeks built a shrine to Pan, the god of nature, and called the place Paneas.
It 20 B.c. Herod the Great built a white marble temple here and dedicated it to Augustus Caesar. After Herod's death, his son Herod Philip enlarged the town and named it Casesarea to complete the honor to Augustus. By the First Century A.d it was called Caesarea Philippi to distinguish it from the better-know captial and seaport Caesarea Martitma on the coast.
This is where Jesus pulls his disciple aside the road, and proceeds to ask the disicples; Who do people say that I am? The disciples responded back, some say John the baptist, others say Elijah, some say just a prophet. Then Jesus asks, who do you say that I am? Then peter says openly that - Jesus is the Christ - Anointed one - Messiah the one that was prophized about the Old Testament which they were able look at read and see by going to their Jewish temples, and hearing by going to the synangouges and there was anyone teaching it. In verse 30 where we left from the last video on this subject we see that Jesus strictly charges the disciples to tell no one that he is indeed the Christ.
With all of this we are still on the side of the road with Jesus and his disciples, in Czsar Philipi, With the disciples telling who people think that he was, and what the disciples themselves thought about him. Peter answers saying that He is the Messiah that was who Peter believed that Jesus was in his heart.
Now we are going to see and listen about the teaching that Jesus starts telling to his disciples, which you will now hear.

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection
Mar 8:31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

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

The Lord is now beginning to teach the disciples, on the side of the road that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.

What does the Lord mean when talking to his disciples when using the term Son of Man? To me personally though I may be wrong in this assement is that. Son of Man is a reference of the Lord being of the same body of flesh as us, and that the soul with-in him however lives on forever. That is what is suggested when Jesus says that He will rise again after three days. That His body will resurrected back to life after dying. Therefore the term which the Lord uses as a reference to his flesh saying the Son of Man must suffer, which is also to bring forth everything that was prophised about himself in the old testament.

Notice that Jesus is saying that the Son of Man must suffer many things. The word suffer - which appears in the KJV 42 times, 3 words - pascho - patho - pentho - means to expereince a sensation or impression (Usally painful) - feel, suffer, vex, passion.

He was going to suffer, in experiencing sensations, or impressions that are usally painful during these times that He would go forth and endure. From being handed over to the Roman government, to be scouraged, mocked, ridiculed, based in his face with fist, spit on, placed a crown of thorns on his head. However after being on the cross, died, was then buried, and was to raise again three days later.

Jesus says that he was going to be rejected - apodokimazo - to disapprove, reject, repudiate, - 9 Occurences Kjv

Rejected by who? His own people - the Jewish people - the Nation of Israel.

Listen stick with me ; lets go and look at some other information from the Gospels to confirm some of this information again above.

Here in Marks account which we will end up getting to again you have the same thing said when the death of the Lord had drew closer.

Mar 9:31 for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.”
Mar 9:32 But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.

Another one from Mark Chapter 10:

Mar 10:32 And they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was walking ahead of them. And they were amazed, and those who followed were afraid. And taking the twelve again, he began to tell them what was to happen to him,
Mar 10:33 saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles.
Mar 10:34 And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.”

One more scripture from the account of Luke

Luk 18:31 And taking the twelve, he said to them, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished.
Luk 18:32 For he will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon.
Luk 18:33 And after flogging him, they will kill him, and on the third day he will rise.”
Luk 18:34 But they understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.

Multiple times Jesus seems to have this teaching before his disciples, and they did not understand them because the knowledge was hidden from them, and they did not understand what Jesus Christ had been telling them. It is like they saw in part just like blind man who was healed in Bethsadia. It is like the disciples can only see in part but not completely the true meaning is hidden to them.
Here again, they are going up to Jerusalem - this may be the last trip they make into Jerusalem - in Marks account. See that He is making again the same proclaimation He has mentioned here, only with a little bit more added detail each time. I am guessing the reason the Master had done this was because for the sake of when the King sent the holy spirit to be with them, that they would finally understand what had happened also by having so many times to remind each other when they heard and remembered what the Lord had said as they fellowshiped with one another when they had to those chances to get together.

 

[MatthewG]

You can also see in the notion of Rejection to Jesus - In Isaiah 53:3 it says talking about how Jesus looked to people - from the prophet Isaiah - It reads " He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and aquainted with greif and as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised and was esteemed not ".

Another scripture from that was qoueted from Psalms 118:22 - The stone which the builders refused is become the headstone for the corner. That stone would have support them if they had recieved him, however they instead rejected him for the matter of their own Kingdom, rather than the Kingdom of God. Jesus also knew this and understood that they were not willingly to change by the merit of their own freewill, so He went alongside willingly denying his own will, and doing the will of the Father for the ulitmate payoff in paying for the sin of the entire world. All people. He was not respected, yet despised, men would hide their faces from him, he was aquinted with grief, rejected and was despised by men. He was the stone - the stumbling block of offense to the Jews, and foolishness to the Gentiles.

The word refused in the scripture from Psalms 118:22 there was maw-as and it means to reject, cast off, abhor, melt away, refuse, - Jesus was the stone which the builders abhor, rejected, disapproved of, and and that stone has now become the headstone for the corner which is and has been set up as the foundation which no one else could lay but Jesus Christ himself.

Lets consider Acts 3:13-15
Portico
Act 3:11 While he clung to Peter and John, all the people, utterly astounded, ran together to them in the portico called Solomon's.
Act 3:12 And when Peter saw it he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why do you wonder at this, or why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk?
Act 3:13 The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him.
Act 3:14 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,
Act 3:15 and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses.

You see here that Peter and John, were witnesses to the rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ, as they had traveled along on their journey, which was being directed to the 'Men of Israel' that means they would have been Jewish by blood. If you remember in the discourse with the Jews and Pilate, - The Jews there who were calling for Barrabas and to cruficfy Jesus were accepting of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ being upont their own childrens hands. That is quite a mindset to have.

Now that you bore with me we have more evidence now of the Lord and what He was going to be going through with being rejected being disapporved of by his own people the Jews. They were the ones who ended up killing the Author of life, having desired a murder instead of an innocent man.

 

[MatthewG]

Going back now to where the disciples are standing there with Jesus - He is teaching them all about what he would go through, then he would die, but in three days he would be risen again. Which God did raise the Lord Jesus Christ up again. Jesus then goes on to teach them about what He must suffer, which that is being put to death itself.

Mar 8:32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

It says this Mat 16:22 And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

Peter is hearing the Lord talk about his upcoming death and resurrection. Peter does not desire for that to happen so to me he is trying to get Jesus to not think about what was to come and instead stay. Do not die, you do not have to, you could stay here with us. Suggesting Peter would trying to get Jesus to reason and just stay here and quit talking about all of this death and resurrection.

Therefore Jesus hearing the rebukes of Peter looks over and sees his disciples looking at the rebuttal that is happing. Jesus turns back to Peter and tells him

Mar 8:33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

Jesus goes on to address that Peter had his mindset on the things of man and not the things of God. Peter was very open to engaging with the Lord. This was a moment when Jesus makes another strong rebuke and it is called Peter - Satan. Get behind me, Satan. Peter is hearing the sufferings that the Son of Man would go through, and Peter, of course this is my opinion, could not stand the thought of the Lord dying, that Peter tried to talk Jesus out of doing it.

Could you image if Jesus just decided to listen to Peter - saying - Alright peter, I will just stay here with you guys and live on earth with you forever. Then not having sacrficed himself on the cross? Just going through this makes me think of how selfless the Lord Jesus Christ really was. He was doing everything He could to do what the Father willed for the Son to do, up until the very end having the victory over all things after the Ressurection had come about, in defeating of sin, death, hell, the grave, separation from God because of the Lord Jesus Christ having done what He had done which was a sacrfice that no other person could have done for the entirety of the world by - the Word of God.

And here is Peter - who would desires for Jesus to stay and be a king their on earth but Jesus had other plans because He was always looking forward to the Fathers over all will for mankind, to reconcile the world back unto the Father by and through being a living sacrifce.

You can see Jesus say this in John 6:38: Joh 6:38 For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.

Jesus always had his mind on what the Fathers will was, Peter was set on the will of man. The way and mind of the flesh, to have live forever on earth and stay being a king, to Peter would sound awesome and amazing and no more suffering and things like that. Peter would see to himself the vision of Materialistic Kingdom; rather that what Jesus was bringing forth which was a spiritual Kingdom rather, called the Kingdom of God. Some refer to the Kingdom of God as the holy spirit. The Kingdom of God is with-in you is what Jesus says himself, in Luk 17:21 nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”

 

[MatthewG]

Therefore Jesus then rebukes Peter saying that his mind is set on the earthly things of what men know. Get behind me adversary - you can see how even into todays life if you have a problem you can rebuke that though by understanding that what you yourself are thinking about which is may pretain to earthly but is it useful to you? There is nothing wrong with particpating in this world and all that it has to offer, however when it comes down to the eternal perspective of things, the world seems to become lesser and lesser though you live in the world but are actively having a relationship with God and the Lord Jesus Christ as your headstone being the cheif cornerstone the head over all arches.

It seems that Jesus need to make it a point to Peter that he was not looking and seeing the bigger pciture which was to be able to offer etneral life freely to all people by the Lord going up to be sacrficed for the world freely - by the peoples choice - being the nation of Israel. In which He died on the cross which served as payment for all of inquinty done towards the already chosen nation of Israel - and to all of the rest of the Gentile world in that day in age. Where the wrath of God would end up being poured out among the nation of Israel - for having disobeyed the covenant that was made with them in the beginning creating a new covenant which deals with God himself writing his laws on the minds and hearts of other people by the spirit, and God working with that person on a one on one basis.

Moving forward to verse 34 lets look and see what happens.

Mar 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.

Jesus is now calling over some people out in Czaer Philippi after having had taught the disciples what would come upon the son of man and settling matters with Peter. Jesus goes on speaking : Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

A commentary from Roberstons Word Pictures - He called unto him the multitude with his disciples - Mark alone notes the unexpected presence of a crowd up near Czaer Philippi - In the presence of this crowd JEsus explains his philosophy of life and death which is a direct contrast with that offered by Peter, and evidently shared by the disciples and the people. So Jesus gies the profound view of life and death to them all.

Jesus again says and calling the crowd 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"-

The Lord here is explaining prior that he must be killed - now saying if anyone would come after me let him deny himself and take up his cross - and follow him.

The word for Cross here is Stowros' - a stake or post that is upright - a pole or cross - an instrument of captiol punishment. - Fig exposure to death, that is self denial; by implication the atonment of Christ - cross

Therefore to take up ones cross is to love God, and to love others, denying ones self and making GOd the sole priority in ones life. Which in order consists of having love for God first and foremost - having love towards others, as you would love yourself.

The Lord said in Matthew 22:37 And He said to him "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is equally important to Love your neighbour as yourself.

In 1 Corinthians 4: 1Co 4:9 For I think that God has exhibited us apostles as last of all, like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men.
1Co 4:10 We are fools for Christ's sake, but you are wise in Christ. We are weak, but you are strong. You are held in honor, but we in disrepute.
1Co 4:11 To the present hour we hunger and thirst, we are poorly dressed and buffeted and homeless,
1Co 4:12 and we labor, working with our own hands. When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure;
1Co 4:13 when slandered, we entreat. We have become, and are still, like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

Here we can see the way that the Apostle were suffering. Being made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. Being fools for Christ's sake - for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Paul writes to Corinthains - that they are weak, but they are strong. That they are held in honor, but the apostles heald in dishonor, but we in disrepute, to that present hour then and there. Paul writes that they are in hunger and thirst, being poorly dressed, buffeted and homeless, they are working laboring with their own hands. Though when they are reviled against others the disciples bless them. When persectued by someone they endure it. When someone slanders them, they entreat it. We have become and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.

With this displayed we can see some of the characteristics of the Christian walk about what is like to pick up ones own cross, for the sake of the Gospels, and Christ sake. The apostles went out to do the will of God for the sake of Christ and for the good news of the coming of the kingdom of God, and you can see how the apostles conducting their day to day life and how they treated others, even while they were looked as the scum of the world, the refuse of all things. When the apostles even spoke about Jesus their are details of them getting arrested, and to stop preaching or teaching in the name of Christ. Do you see how far this rejection of Christ goes? Especially in that day and age.

 

[MatthewG]

Evenso with Jesus having brought over the crowd that had shown up while on the side of the road with his disiciples he is now explaining how a person must consider the cost of what it is like to follow Jesus. Because Jesus himself is going to consider the cost when his life is handed over and left in the hands of his Father. Having just set Peter in his own place to think about what he is considering and doing with the mindset on things of man.

Jesus is now talking with the crowd: Mar 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.

Could you imagine?

Mar 8:35 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel's will save it.

Jesus goes on after mentioning that if anyone was willingly to come after him and follow which was a self-denial which Jesus had done since his birth and that was always being about His Fathers business it seems like to me even at a young age. Yeshua lives to be 33, and loses his life on the cross, yet was buried and resurrected again. The same thing happened to the disciples when their death had arrived for them to go back to God. The same life that Jesus lived was also followed after by the Apostles, they went out and did the will of God; though they did have their own will and make their own decisions as well which can be seen through scriptures. The Apostles gave their life for the Anonited ones sake and for the good news which was able to savce their souls.

However whoever would try to save their own life will lose it is said here by Jesus.

The word for save here is sode'zo - to ave deliver or protect (fig. lit.) heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be - make - well)

So whoever tries to save (self) their own life will lose it. Anyone who tries to save their own life will lose it? Why is that? Our natural inclination in life to perserve the self - and to protect it. However we are unable to save ourselves when it comes down to our own heart nature as a living breathing human being. Our natural heart has thoughts which Jesus stated:

Mar 7:20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.
Mar 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
Mar 7:22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
Mar 7:23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Just from this understanding alone set forth by Jesus is the natural mans inclinations even without having any spiritual revelation or any spiritual knowledge. Naturally these thoughts come from with-in and from the heart of man or woman.

So no one will be able to save their own life - they will have loss of spiritual loss because of that setting their mind on the flesh rather than the heavenly things that are far more valuable when it comes to knowing who God and who the Lord is.

Jesus states that whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospels will save it.

With this, we seen how the Apostles had ended up;
And can see the way that the Apostle were suffering. Being made a spectacle to the world, to angels and to men. Being fools for Christ's sake - for the sake of the Gospel of Christ. Paul writes to Corinthains - that they are weak, but they are strong. That they are held in honor, but the apostles heald in dishonor, but we in disrepute, to that present hour then and there. Paul writes that they are in hunger and thirst, being poorly dressed, buffeted and homeless, they are working laboring with their own hands. Though when they are reviled against others the disciples bless them. When persectued by someone they endure it. When someone slanders them, they entreat it. We have become and are still like the scum of the world, the refuse of all things.
They were handling all these things by their own will to serve the will of God willingly and they even gave up their lives for the sake of Christ - so that the Gospels of Christ of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John could be looked at and seen today.

Mar 8:36 For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?
Mar 8:37 For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Here in these finalizing statments Jesus says; what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his sould? For what can a man give in return for his soul?

Mar 8:38 For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

 

[MatthewG]

Added to this in the first post is the video. Everything you are reading is stated in the presentation however there may be some things missed out on while explaining in the video. If you do end up watching it you are going to be fed a lot of information on the Death, and Resurrection of Christ, temporal earthly, and eternal spiritual aspects found with-in Mark 8:31-38, including Jesus's aspect of life and death.

God bless and take care.