Mark 8

Mark 8:1-9

CHAPTER 33 Satisfaction Found in the Wilderness “In those days the multitude being very great, and having nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples unto him, and saith unto them, I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness? And he asked them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven. 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. And they had a few small fishes: and he blessed, and commanded to set them also before them.

So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets. And they that had eaten were about four thousand: and he sent them away.” (Mark 8:1-9) Once again our Savior is seen here miraculously feeding a hungry multitude in the wilderness. Here he fed four thousand men with just seven loaves of bread and a few pieces of fish. A similar miracle is recorded in Mark 6 and this same miracle was recorded by Matthew in Matthew 15. The Son of God knew (and knows) the heart of man. He knew that caviling skeptics would arise in every age who would deny his miraculous works, works that displayed his divinity with undeniable clarity. Therefore, he repeated this great miracle in a very public manner, before thousands of witnesses. He has fixed it so that the only way you can read the Bible and still go to hell in unbelief is by jumping over walls of stumbling blocks. Yet, men far prefer to explain away the very existence of God by the most ludicrous arguments imaginable, than believe the Word of God, trust a crucified Substitute, and bow to a sovereign Lord. Satisfaction for Our Souls “And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” (Mark 8:4) — In this wilderness we call life, in this world of sin, sorrow and suffering, and in the world to come, in that great wilderness called eternity, there is no satisfaction to be found for our immortal souls, except that satisfaction which is found in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life. Let me find nothing satisfying until I find Christ in it. I know that nothing can be dissatisfying, no matter how unpleasant and painful it is in itself, if I can see Christ in it. A conscious awareness of his presence sweetens every earthly bitterness. The love-tokens of his favor increases every joy. The sweet savor of his blessed name is as ointment poured forth, a spikenard very precious to perfume the lives of all who trust him. May God be pleased to make Christ the satisfaction of your heart and soul and of mine forever.

Let us find satisfaction in nothing except our Savior! He alone leads his chosen to “fountains of living water” and feeds us with the “bread of life.” He makes his flesh to be meat indeed and his blood to be drink indeed, and he promises, that feeding upon him, we shall never hunger or thirst after the unsatisfying things of time and sense again (Revelation 7:17; John 6:51; John 4:15). False Faith “The multitude was very great” (Mark 8:1). — There is, in the multitudes who followed our Savior, though they never knew his grace, a clear demonstration of that false faith, by which multitudes deceive themselves. These vast multitudes followed our Master because of the loaves and fishes. They had either seen or heard about his miraculous powers and bountiful provisions. Like these multitudes, many today take up a profession of faith and follow Christ in this world, sometimes for many years, who never know him. Some do so because they imagine they have seen a supernatural vision, or miracle. Some do so because they have been convinced of the historic facts of our Lord’s earthly accomplishments.

Some simply continue in the religious traditions in which they have been reared. Many take up a profession of religion for purely carnal, covetous reasons. Many more do so at a time of emotional crisis. But the vast majority of those who profess faith in Christ prove in time that they never knew Christ. True, saving faith is much, much more than a religious experience, doctrinal position and form of godliness. True faith essentially involves three things. Knowledge — You cannot trust Christ if you do not know who he is and what he has done. Assent — We must agree with God’s testimony concerning his Son. Commitment — We must bow to the Son of God as our Lord, trusting our souls upon his merit and to his dominion. Matthew Henry wrote, “True zeal makes nothing of hardships in the way of duty. They that have a full feast for their souls may be content with slender provision for their bodies.” However, it is not at all unusual for false piety to produce the same outward zeal. Religion without zeal is certainly false. But outward zeal is no true evidence of inward grace. Grace produces love, kindness, compassion, and care. Frequently, those who are deceived with a false faith will endure great hardships to keep up their profession. These people underwent a great deal of difficulty in following Christ. They were with him three days, and had nothing to eat. That was hard service. Probably, there were some who brought some food with them from home. But by this time it was all gone. And they were a long way from home in the wilderness. Yet, they continued with Christ, and did not speak of leaving him. Christ’s Compassion “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far” (Mark 8:2-3). Our all glorious Christ is a Savior full of compassion for needy souls. He has a compassion for those who are in need. As a man, he was the most caring of men. Yet, he has a special, particular concern for those that are reduced to need because of their zeal and devotion to him. He said, “I have compassion on the multitude.” John Gill observed… “Christ is a compassionate Saviour both of the bodies and souls of men: he had compassion on the souls of this multitude, and therefore had been teaching them sound doctrine and he had compassion on the bodies of many of them, and had healed them of their diseases; and his bowels yearned towards them all.” Those whom the proud Pharisees looked upon with disdain, the Son of God looked upon with pity and tenderness. We ought to do the same. Our Lord knew that the vast majority of those before him were hypocrites. Yet, he was moved with compassion toward them. He felt tenderly toward them. Thus, by example, he teaches us to love our enemies and to do good to those who hate us. I fear any form of religion that makes people hard, callous, unkind, and uncaring. Whatever it is, it is not the religion of Christ. Yet, we must never fail to observe that our Lord’s primary concern here and in all things is for his elect among the mixed multitude. While the multitudes often have a temporal benefit from his mercy, his mercy is designed for his elect. Paul tells us that he is the Savior of all men, but that he is specially, particularly, and distinctly the Savior of his elect. With that in mind, he said, “They have been with me three days, and have nothing to eat.” Our Master will see that we lack nothing by following him. Whatever losses we may incur, whatever hardships we may endure, whatever sacrifices we may be compelled to make because of our faith in, love for, and devotion to him will be taken care of by our Master. We shall lose nothing in this world and nothing in the world to come. He has promised, “Them that honour me I will honour” (1 Samuel 2:30), and “They that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing” (Psalms 34:10). The Lord Jesus said, “If I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way.” He knows and considers our frame. If we seek to glorify him, we shall be fed by him. He considered that many of these men came from afar, that they were a long way from home. He would not send them home fasting. It is not his way to send those away empty who look to him for bread. Grace Sufficient “And his disciples answered him, From whence can a man satisfy these men with bread here in the wilderness?” (v.4) — Here we are reminded of the terrible weakness of our faith. Like these poor disciples, we quickly forget the wondrous things we have seen and experienced; and, forgetting them, our hearts are filled with foul unbelief. How weak we are! Yet, Our Lord’s all-sufficiency and grace is made perfect in our weakness. That is what the Master tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9. — “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” Our unbelief and sin is often the black backdrop against which the diamonds of our Lord’s mercy, love, and grace shine forth most brilliantly. Our unfaithfulness makes his faithfulness all the more radiant. I do not suggest for a moment, “Let us sin that grace may abound.” But I am saying that our unbelief and sin, the sins and unbelief of God’s elect are graciously overruled by our great and glorious Savior to make his grace shine forth most brightly in us forever. These disciples could not imagine how so many men should be satisfied with bread in the wilderness, though they had seen it before. That therefore which they considered impossible, must have appeared all the more glorious when it was done. The fact is, — our blessed Savior usually intervenes at the time of utmost extremity. Christ’s time to act for the relief of his people is when things are brought to the last extremity. He made provision for these men when they were at the point of fainting (Mark 8:3). When they were reduced to absolute dependence upon him, he stepped in for their salvation. That is always the time when mercy comes. When we are completely helpless, he steps in to deliver us from trouble. When we are at our wits end he steps in to save. Grace Inexhaustible Our Savior’s storehouse of grace is inexhaustible. He performed virtually the same miracle twice before, and seems to have done so with a specific purpose in mind. He wanted to show that he is ever gracious and infinitely bountiful in grace and power. He is still the same today. His throne is a throne of grace. He invites us to come, as often as we have need, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:16). Notice this, too. In the first miracle he took five loaves and two small fish and used them to feed five thousand men. Here he takes seven loaves and a few small pieces of fish to feed four thousand. Why? I think he intends for us to understand three things specifically. It is our responsibility to use everything God puts in our hands for the work he gives us opportunity to do for the souls of men and the glory of his name. If the work we are doing is God’s work, it matters not whether we appear to have much or little. It is all the same to him. What we have is utterly insignificant. Our greatest assets and abilities are just as insignificant in the work of God’s kingdom as our greatest needs and liabilities. With our great God and Savior nothing is impossible. In our Father’s house there is bread enough and to spare. — “So they did eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets” (Mark 8:8). They all had a full meal. Not one left the scene desiring more. As John Trapp wrote, “They did eat to satiety, as men use to do at feasts, where the tables seemed to sweat with variety.” And, spiritually, there is such a fulness in Christ, which he communicates to all who come to him, that from it we receive, and “grace for grace” (John 1:16). Those who live upon Christ shall always have bread enough and to spare and should never fear being brought to need. — “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread,” neither for their bodies or their souls. — “For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness” (Psalms 37:25; Psalms 107:9).

Mark 8:10-21

CHAPTER 34 Watch out for the leaven! “And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 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. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side. Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf. And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.

And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 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? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up?

And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?” (Mark 8:10-21) We have before us a very solemn portion of Scripture. The Lord Jesus came into a place called “Dalmanutha[5]“ preaching the gospel. We are told that he came there by ship. What a blessed opportunity the people of that region were given! The Son of God came into their midst with his disciples with the gospel of free grace and salvation. But the opportunity and privilege afforded them in God’s good providence was despised.

Not one person in that place seems to have availed himself of the privilege set before him. Instead, our Master was confronted by a group of self-righteous religionists who wanted to argue doctrine with him. Because of their folly, the Holy Spirit tells us that the Lord Jesus turned around, got back into the ship with his disciples, and sailed away. What a solemn passage of Scripture this is. May God the Holy Spirit be our Teacher and open it to us, and open our understanding to it. May he be pleased to effectually instruct our hearts and use his Word to convey to us the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [5] Matthew says, “he came into the coasts of Magdala” (Matthew 15:39); but there is no conflict between Matthew and Mark. Dalmanutha was a place within Magdala, just as Danville is a city within Boyle County, Kentucky.The Pharisees “And straightway he entered into a ship with his disciples, and came into the parts of Dalmanutha. And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting him. 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. And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side” (Mark 8:10-13). When the Lord Jesus saw these Pharisees and heard their religious caviling, “he sighed deeply in his spirit.” What a sweet testimony this is of our Savior’s humanity. Our great Savior, as he walked through this world, was a man subject to all the sorrows, griefs, and passions we experience, except sin. He who rules the universe and makes intercession in heaven as our Great High Priest is God in human flesh, a man touched with the feeling of our infirmities (Hebrews 2:14-17; Hebrews 4:14-16). Yet, it cannot be imagined that our Lord’s sighing was any indication of frustration on his part, or that he both willed the salvation of these Pharisees and willed it not! He spoke plainly when he called them a generation of vipers who could not believe and could not escape the damnation of hell (Matthew 23:1-33). Though, as a man, his heart was grieved by their unbelief (as ours should be), our Savior fully acquiesced in his Father’s sovereign will (Matthew 11:25-27). May God give us grace to imitate him, ever bowing to his sovereign and absolute will of predestination; yet, having hearts full of tenderness, even toward the most obstinate, self-righteous, and unbelieving sinners. And let us ever seek grace from God the Holy Spirit to magnify and rejoice in our heavenly Father’s distinguishing grace. Did he not make us to differ, we would all be just like these Pharisees; and we would all perish with them (1 Corinthians 4:7; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14). Though our Lord Jesus “sighed deeply in his spirit,” because of their unbelief and hardness of heart, he shows us plainly that nothing is more disgusting and contemptuous to him than smug, religious hypocrisy and self-righteousness. These Pharisees, presuming themselves to be righteous, had no need for the grace proclaimed by the Son of God and the redemption he had come to accomplish. To them the gospel of grace was an affront. Who needs grace, when you are righteous? Notice four things here. These men came to the Master not to learn, but to ask carping questions of no profit. “They began to question him.” — They did not ask questions to learn, but to discuss and debate, to show how much they knew. We are warned again and again to avoid such people (1 Timothy 6:3-4; 2 Timothy 2:23; Titus 3:9). There are many who are ever learning, but never come to the knowledge of the truth. They play religious games, trifling with the Word of God, with less reverence than our modern Supreme Court does the Constitution of the United States. They think they are smart, spiritual giants; but they are really spiritual morons and pigmies. Our Lord refused to answer their questions. He would not stoop to debating with them about holy things. The sooner we learn to follow his example, the better. These religious zealots came to the Lord Jesus seeking a sign. Paul told us later, “The Jews, (lost religious people), require after a sign. The Gentiles, (lost irreligious people), seek after wisdom.” Both groups reject the authority of God and his Word. Both pretend that they would believe, if you could give them either a sign from heaven or intellectual proof. But they deceive themselves. The Lord Jesus refused to give them a sign. He said, There shall no sign be given to this generation.” Many signs had already been given on earth, signs that could be easily investigated; but they would not receive them. There was a public sign from heaven at his baptism in the descent of the dove and the voice of God being audibly heard (Matthew 3:16-17). If they had attended John the Baptist’s ministry, as they ought to have done and could have done, they might themselves have seen the sign. Our Lord’s miracles of mercy were all performed in the most public manner. Not one of them was ever disputed by anyone.

But those whose faith is built on signs and miracles never have enough signs. We see this in the fact that afterward, when the Lord of glory was nailed to the cross, these same men were still demanding a sign. They said, “Let him come down from the cross, and we will believe him.” Matthew Henry correctly observed… “Thus obstinate infidelity will still have something to say, though ever so unreasonable. They demanded this sign, tempting him; not in hopes that he would give it them, that they might be satisfied, but in hopes that he would not, that they might imagine themselves to have a pretence for their infidelity.” Nothing is more contemptuous than religious infidelity and hypocrisy. The Scriptures tell us here that, “He sighed deeply in his Spirit.” Here is the God of glory sighing, sighing deeply in his spirit, groaning as one in painful vexation of soul. Then he said, “Why doth this generation seek after a sign?” — That generation so unworthy to have the gospel brought to it wanted a sign! — That generation that so greedily swallowed the traditions of the elders, without the confirmation of any sign at all, wanted a sign! — That generation, which, by the calculating of the times set and revealed in the Old Testament, might easily have perceived that the time of the Messiah had come, wanted a sign! — That generation, which had seen such great wonders and miracles, as were given to none before or since, wanted a sign! What an absurdity! But religious men, without life before God, are always absurd beyond imagination in their objections to divine revelation.

God has spoken in his Word. It is the height of presumption to demand signs and proofs from the Almighty. “Shall a man teach God knowledge?” Our Lord denied the demand of these pompous Pharisees. With disgust and contempt he said, “No, I will not give you a sign!” Then, he left them. — “And he left them, and entering into the ship again departed to the other side” (Mark 8:13). Oh, what a solemn word that is. — “He left them!” He left them in the darkness of their own light! He left them in the corruption of their own self-righteousness! He left them in the ignorance of their own brilliance! He left them forever! If God Almighty is kind enough, good enough, merciful enough to speak to you by his Word, by the gospel of his grace, and you are fool enough to spit in his face, despise his grace, and refuse to believe the record he has given of his Son, the time will come when he will leave you alone. And if God ever leaves you to yourself, you will be left to yourself forever! “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.” (Proverbs 1:23-33) “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1) The Leaven of the Pharisees Our gracious Lord warns us once more to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. — “And he charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (Mark 8:15). “Take heed, beware,” lest you partake of “the leaven of the Pharisees,” lest you embrace the tradition of the elders, to which they are so wedded, lest you be proud, hypocritical ritualists like the Pharisees. This was not an isolated warning. It is given to us numerous times. Matthew adds, “and of the Sadducee.” Mark adds, “and of Herod.” The Pharisees were religious conservatives. The Sadducees were religious liberals. Herod was an infidel. Our Lord warns us to ever beware of the leaven of these three groups. We are not left to guess what our Lord means by this warning. The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees is the leaven of false doctrine. False doctrine is any doctrine, liberal or conservative, Catholic or Protestant, Jewish or Muslim, any doctrine that makes salvation dependent upon you. The Pharisees and Sadducees were two distinct, doctrinally different religious sects among the Jews. The Pharisees were self-righteous religious ritualists and conservative, theological purists, a form of religion which appeals to many. The Pharisees’ religion would appeal to most of the people we know. The Sadducees were self-righteous religious liberals, just as ritualistic as the Pharisees, but theological liberals, the smug intellectuals who were tolerant of anything except the dogmatism of the gospel. The Sadducees’ religion is the religion of people who think they are smarter than God and more diverse thinking than hell. Herod and those like him were self-serving, self-righteous worldlings, self-serving materialists, infidels who believed nothing and stood for nothing except that which would advantage themselves. They were pragmatists. Our Lord warns us to beware of the leaven of false doctrine, because “a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” That statement is used twice in the New Testament. Both times the one making the statement is the apostle Paul. We find this statement first in 1 Corinthians 5:6. — “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” The leaven here refers to sin. The Spirit of God is warning us that like a little yeast in a large lump of dough will gradually spread through the whole lump, so the tolerance of any sin is disastrous. We must never be satisfied with anything less than perfection. Our goal must always be to “sin not” (1 John 2:1). Paul tells us the very same thing about false doctrine in Galatians 5:9. — “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” If we tolerate anything, be it a work, an experience, a feeling, or even a decision, if we tolerate anything, be it ever so small, as a condition we must meet in order to be saved, we cut ourselves off from Christ and from the grace of God in him (Galatians 5:1-4). Salvation, from election to glorification and everything between, is the work of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. The voice of the world, the whole world, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herods, constantly says, “That’s too strict. That’s too dogmatic. That’s too bigoted.” But remember, “A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.” False doctrine, like leaven in the dough, always begins with something small, almost undetectable. It moves through and permeates with great subtlety, but with deadly efficacy. The same thing is true of sin and worldliness. The deceitfulness of riches, the care of this world, and the lusts of other things, like leaven in the lump, begins with such small, insignificant compromises that they are hardly detectable until their work is done. Spiritual Weakness This passage also demonstrates the fact that as long as we are in this world we will have a sinful, fleshly dullness to all things spiritual. Read Mark 8:14; Mark 8:16-21, and understand that the strongest believers in this world are terribly weak and full of unbelief. “Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, neither had they in the ship with them more than one loaf…And they reasoned among themselves, saying, It is because we have no bread. 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? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not? and do ye not remember? When I brake the five loaves among five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? They say unto him, Twelve. And when the seven among four thousand, how many baskets full of fragments took ye up? And they said, Seven. And he said unto them, How is it that ye do not understand?” The most godly of God’s saints in this world are only sinners still. The most learned and well instructed of God’s people are still dull of understanding. Abraham sometimes trembles. Lot, the righteous man, sometimes makes sinful choices. Job, the perfect man who fears God and eschews evil, will on some occasions curse the day of his birth. Noah, that man who found grace in the eyes of the Lord, may be found in a drunken stupor.

Moses, the meekest man who ever lived, will strike out at God himself with his rod in a fit of anger. David, the man after God’s own heart, will, when left to himself, commit adultery and then murder to protect his image. Bold Peter will wither before a maiden, cuss, and deny the Master he loves above anything. The Apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas, loyal, faithful friends, loyal, faithful servants of God, will, when weak and in the flesh, part company and never walk together again in this world. Like the Lord’s disciples here, we are often overwhelmed with present cares and distrusts, because we do not understand and remember what we have known and seen of the power and goodness of our all glorious Savior. Matthew Henry wrote, “When we thus forget the works of God, and distrust him, we should chide ourselves severely for it, as Christ doth his disciples here; ‘Am I thus without understanding? How is it that my heart is thus hardened?’’’ Why does our God so plainly sets before us such weaknesses, sins, unbelief, and dullness of understanding in the lives of his beloved people? Here are seven obvious reasons for such revelations. We must be constantly reminded that salvation is God’s work alone. We must be constantly reminded not to think too highly of ourselves. We need to learn to be tender, patient, forbearing with and forgiving of one another. We constantly need to be reminded that Christ alone gives us acceptance with God. We must ever be reminded that it is he alone who keeps us in life, and in grace, and in faith. While we live in this world, we must never imagine that we have arrived at anything close to perfection. Yet, we must also be constantly reminded that though we are sin and do sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, an ever-living, ever-faithful High Priest (1 John 2:1-2).

Mark 8:22-26

CHAPTER 35 “He saw every man clearly.” “And he cometh to Bethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him. 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. And he looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly. And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” (Mark 8:22-26) This is another of those miracles related by none of the other Evangelists. Mark alone was inspired to tell us about the healing of this blind man at Bethsaida. None of our Lord’s miracles were accidental or mere representations of his supernatural power over physical things. Every miracle performed by the Master was designed to teach us spiritual, gospel truths, particularly truths about the workings of his grace in his elect. On this occasion, we see a blind man who was healed gradually, by degrees. This is the only time in the New Testament that happened. So, we might properly expect that that is, in itself, highly significant and instructive. The healing of this blind man is a picture of the way God saves chosen, redeemed sinners by the almighty power and grace of his Holy Spirit. As our Lord Jesus took this poor blind man by the hand, he takes chosen sinners by his hand and leads them to himself, giving them light and grace and life by his omnipotent mercy. Brought by Friends Mark 8:22. “And he cometh to Bethsaida.” — Bethsaida was a fishing village, the home of Andrew, Peter, and Philip (John 1:44). The Lord Jesus came here on an errand of mercy. In Mark 8:13 we read that our Savior left the Pharisees. What solemn words we read there, “And he left them!” Having left them in judgment, he came to Bethsaida on an errand of mercy, seeking one of his lost sheep for whom the “time of love had come,” a poor blind man who must now receive his sight. — “And they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to touch him.” — Here is a blind man brought to the Lord Jesus Christ by his friends. Mark tells us three simple, but very important and instructive things in this verse. First, we are told that the man was blind. In that fact, he is representative of all men in their natural, unregenerate state. Whether religious or irreligious, educated or uneducated, all human beings are spiritually blind. This poor man did not have so much as one faint, glimmering ray of light, until the Lord Jesus touched him. So it is with every man by nature. Those who are without Christ, who alone is Light, live in darkness.

They have no sight. They cannot see themselves. They cannot see the kingdom of God, or the things of God. They are blind. That is the condition of all men naturally. It is not that there is a lack of light, but a lack of sight. — “There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God” (Romans 3:11). — “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Fallen man is poor, miserable, wretched, and naked; but he cannot see it, because he is blind. Though the Son of God stands before him, he cannot see him, because he is blind. Though God’s salvation is displayed before his very eyes, he cannot see it, because having eyes, he sees not. He is blind. Second, Mark tells us that this poor blind man’s friends brought him to the Master. We are not told that this blind man believed anything or expected anything from the Lord at all. He seems to have come to the place where the Master was simply because his friends persuaded him to do so. What a blessed man he was to have such friends! He did not know Christ, but his friends did. He did not believe Christ, but his friends did. He would never have come to Christ, but his friends brought him. Third, having done all that they could do, this blind man’s friends “besought the Lord Jesus to touch him.” They could not heal him, but they knew Christ could. This blind man, it appears, did not have sense enough to pray for himself. So his friends prayed for him. Blessed is the man who has such friends! Blessed is the man who is such a friend! Divine Separation In Mark 8:23 we see our Savior performing his operation of grace upon this man in a most unusual way. We have no other picture like this in all the Word of God. He performs his work gradually and in private. Surely this is intended to teach us some things we need to learn and remember. This is what the Son of God does for sinners in the saving operations of his grace, when he turns them from darkness to light. — “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.” The Master “took the blind man by the hand.” Can you imagine how elated, how thrilled, how excited this man’s friends were when they saw the Master stretch out that arm which they knew was the arm of omnipotence in mercy, love, and grace to their friend? That was in itself an act of great condescension. But here is a far greater act of condescension. One day he Lord Jesus took me by the hand! He took me in his hand as my Surety in old eternity. Taking me in his hand, he separated me from all the rest of the human race by sovereign election and particular redemption. Then, at the appointed time of his love, the God of all grace stooped to take me by the hand in effectual calling. If he takes a sinner into his hand, he will open his blind eyes. If he takes you by the hand, he will never let you go. If he takes you by the hand, you are perfectly safe. No man can pluck you out of his hand. If he takes you by the hand in time, he took you in his hand before time began. When the Lord Jesus takes sinners by the hand, he “becomes,” as John Gill wrote, “their guide and leader. A better, and safer guide they cannot have. He brings them by a way they know not, and leads them in paths they had not known before; makes darkness light before them, and crooked things straight, and does not forsake them.” Next, he “led him out of the town.” As Hosea allured Gomer and brought her into the wilderness, that he might speak comfortably to her, so the Lord Jesus graciously brings the chosen sinner away to himself alone, that he might speak comfortably to his beloved in the time of love. He led this poor blind man out of the town, because he was not interested in the town, but in this one man. He did not want the applause of the people of Bethsaida, but the heart of this sinner. The people of Bethsaida, because of their unbelief, were declared unworthy even to witness the wondrous works of Christ (Matthew 11:21). So “he took the blind man by the hand, and led him out of the town.” When the Son of God saves his people, he calls them out of the world. He bids us come unto him without the camp: — outside the camp of human religion — outside the camp of worldly ambition — outside the camp of sin’s dominion — outside the camp unto him!A Despised Means The next thing our Savior did, if he had allowed anyone to see it, would have been looked upon as an utterly despicable, contemptible, and foolish thing. — “And when he had spit on his eyes.” Why did our Lord do that? Many suggest that because it was a common medical practice (Doctors believed there was healing, medicinal power in saliva!), our Lord used the common medical practice of the day to heal the man, adding to it his divine power. Needless to say, I do not agree. The Son of God did not employ falsehood to perform his work. However, our all-wise Savior did choose (and still chooses) to use a terribly despicable means to perform his work of grace upon this poor blind man. God has chosen the foolishness of preaching to save his elect. The spit from the Savior’s lips represents the eye salve of the gospel with which the Son of God anoints the eyes of the blind (Revelation 3:18). After spitting on the man’s eyes, the Lord Jesus “put his hands upon him.” The touch of his hand is the symbol of his omnipotent grace, without which the means of grace, the preaching of the gospel, is utterly useless. A Sovereign Savior What we have before us is a picture of our Lord’s sovereignty in the exercise of his grace. God will not be put in a box. He never limits himself and cannot be limited by men. He heals some gradually and others immediately, some with spit and others without any spit. All saved sinners trust the same Savior, experience the same grace and believe the same gospel. But we do not all experience grace the same way.

This will come as a shock to some; but God does not deal with us all the same way. In fact, we are told in the New Testament of four other blind men who were healed by our Savior (Matthew 9:27-30; Mark 10:46-52; Luke 18:35-43; John 9:1-7). Three were healed by his mere word, without his touch. One was healed by the Savior spitting in his eyes and touching them. And another was healed by our Savior spitting on the ground, making clay, and anointing his eyes with the clay. In all five cases, there were certain things that were done differently. Trees Walking The Lord Jesus required a confession from this blind man. — “He asked him if he saw aught.” Remember, this man had not expressed any faith in the Son of God. He had not even acknowledged his blindness and need of cure. Now the Master requires him to acknowledge both his infirmity and the power of God he had experienced. There is no salvation apart from a personal confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:1-10; 1 John 1:9). Secret disciples are always suspect disciples. No one can be looked upon, treated as, or think of himself as a child of God until Christ is confessed. Our Savior requires and deserves that we confess him before men. After he touched the blind man’s eyes, the Savior asked him if he could see anything. He “looked up, and said, I see men as trees, walking” (Mark 8:24). He could see, but not very clearly. So it is with us. When the Lord God saves a sinner, he is immediately translated from darkness to light. Every saved sinner sees the kingdom of God; but we do not immediately see everything in the kingdom of God. In Mark 8:24-25 we see that the light of God’s grace usually comes gradually. Christ, who is the Light of the world and came preaching the recovering of sight to the blind (Luke 4:18), gave what he proclaimed and compelled the man who had received his sight to tell what had happened to him. This blind man confessed exactly what he knew and had experienced, no more and no less. He was not delivered from his blindness all at once, but by degrees. He saw a little, but not much; and what he did see he did not see clearly. He did not pretend to see what he did not see. This blind man received his sight gradually. The work was as truly gracious, miraculous, and glorious as the healing of Bartemaeus, the healing of the woman with the issue of blood, and the healing of the leper. But it was less spectacular. However, it is not a miracle to be despised and ignored because it was gradually performed. Our Lord hereby shows us that his works of grace in the lives of chosen sinners are sometimes gradual. Men and women usually come to light and understanding in spiritual things gradually. J.C. Ryle, made three very simple, but profoundly instructive comments about this man’s experience and the lessons it is intended to convey. Ryle said… “We are all naturally blind and ignorant in the matters which concern our souls.” “Conversion is an illumination, a change from darkness to light, from blindness to seeing the kingdom of God.” “Few converted people see things distinctly at first.” While we are rightfully insistent that there is no saving faith, no conversion, no true salvation apart from the knowledge of Christ (John 17:3) in his true character, as he is revealed in the gospel, we readily acknowledge that saving knowledge is but limited knowledge while we live in this world. Be sure you understand this. Light is light; but it usually comes to our sin blinded souls by degrees. We all see spiritual things gradually. — First we see the sinfulness of our deeds, then the sinfulness of our hearts. — First we see the suitableness and ability of Christ to redeem and save, then his willingness to save us. — First we see the fact of forgiveness, then the experience of forgiveness. — First we see the good news of the gospel, then the great truths of the gospel. When God first saved me, I knew whom I believed; but I did not know much about him. I knew that the Lord Jesus Christ is my God and Savior; but I did not know much about eternal Sonship and the distinction of persons in the Holy Trinity. I was convinced of my sin; but I did not know the difference between iniquity, transgression, and sin. I was convinced that Christ had brought in everlasting righteousness for me, and that I had no righteousness but him; but I knew nothing about imputation and forensic righteousness. I was convinced that judgment was finished by the judgment of my sin in Christ my Substitute; but I did not know a thing about forensic justification. I knew that it was God who had saved me, that “Salvation is of the Lord;” but I didn’t know a thing about the decrees of God.

If you had asked me about lapsarianism, I would probably have said, “I don’t know anything about Lapland.” If someone had asked me about election, I would most likely have said, “I’m not old enough to vote.” — I knew my Savior; but I really knew very little about how he had saved me. I could say with the blind man our Lord healed in John 9, “Once I was blind, but now I see.” Yet, I did not see much. All I saw was “men as trees walking.” Yet, the Son of God never does his work partially. This man’s healing was soon completed. Once he has begun his work of grace in a man’s soul, he never stops working until he says, “It is finished.” — “He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). The healing of this blind man gives us a picture of both the present and future condition of God’s saints. As long as we live in this world we see as through a glass darkly. We are like men traveling by night.

We see what the light before us reveals; but we see very little around us. We see many things here that we simply do not understand, particularly in matters of providence. There are many things in the Word of God as well, which we simply do not understand. We are at best able to perceive spiritual things, like this man, as trees walking, so long as we live in his world. But the time will soon come when we shall see all things clearly. When the Lord Jesus comes again, our spiritual eyesight will be greatly improved! The Second Touch “After that he put his hands again upon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every man clearly” (Mark 8:25). — When the Master touched this man’s eyes a second time and made him look up, he was restored and “saw every man clearly.” It is written, “The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day” (Proverbs 4:18). So it is with us. Our shining light increases, and shines more and more unto the perfect day. The fact is, as long as we live in this world, the light we have is far from perfect, even among those who see the most and see most clearly. I am sorry to have to tell you this, but there are some things you do not yet know, and some things you know, about which you know very little. It must be acknowledged, if we are truthful, that we “see through a glass darkly.” After reading this passage in one of our evening worship services several years ago, Bro. Rex Bartley said, “When Christ heals a sinner, restores his sight, and makes him look up to him, he sees every man clearly.” Then he named four men spoken of in Holy Scripture, and said, “When a sinner is taught of God, he sees these four men clearly.” When a sinner is taught of God, he sees the first man, Adam, clearly, as both a representative man representing all the human race (1 Corinthians 15:45) and a typical man typifying our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:12-21). Every saved sinner sees the second man, Christ our Lord, clearly. The first man, Adam, was made in the image and likeness of the second Man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the God-man, our Mediator, our divine Surety, Jehovah’s righteous Servant, our sin-atoning Substitute, the Lord our Righteousness (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). — “In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:9-10). Then, the Scriptures speak of the natural man, that is man in his lost, ruined condition, without Christ. All who are taught of God see the natural man clearly. The natural man is dead in trespasses and in sins, without Christ, an alien from the commonwealth of Israel, a stranger to the covenant of promise, having no hope, without God in this perishing world. There is another man set before us in the Book of God; and all who are taught of God see him clearly, too. The Holy Spirit calls him “the new man” (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10). This new man is that holy thing in you called, “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” that which is “born of God,” “his seed” that remaineth in you, “the spirit,” “the divine nature.” John tells us “he cannot sin, because he is born of God.” The new man “created in righteousness and true holiness.” The new man, “the spirit,” that is in you is at war with the old man, the natural man, “the flesh.” The new man delights in the law of God (Galatians 5:16-25). This new man is a new creature in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:13-15; Colossians 3:10-11). We see “every man clearly,” but not perfectly. Soon, that will change. Soon, we shall see face to face and know even as we are known. How clearly will all things be seen in the new Jerusalem. There will be no need of the light of the sun or the moon of gospel ordinances there; but Christ, the Lamb, will be the everlasting light of that City, in which the nations of them that are saved shall walk! Then, when we see our Savior face to face, and not until then, will we see all things perfectly. Tell it Not There is one more thing I want you to see in this passage. It may seem strange, and it should. In Mark 8:26 the Lord Jesus Christ, our God who “delighteth in mercy,” performs an act of judgment. That, too, is his work; but it is “his strange work.” — “And he sent him away to his house, saying, Neither go into the town, nor tell it to any in the town.” Our Savior told this man to go home, specifically commanding him not to go back to Bethsaida and not to tell anyone in that town what the God of all grace had done for him. Why? The Lord Jesus had done many wonderful works among the inhabitants of Bethsaida; but they did not believe him. Therefore, because they would not hear him and would not believe him, he left them to themselves. As Matthew Henry observed, “Bethsaida, in the day of her visitation, would not know the things that belonged to her peace, and now they are hid from her eyes. They will not see, and therefore shall not see.” This is horrible to consider; but it is his just judgment upon men who will not receive his Word (Proverbs 1:23-33). What great wrath our God heaps upon those who refuse to believe him! He orders his servants to preach no more to them.

He allows none to tell them of the good news of life and salvation by him. He even commands his prophets not to pray for them. And even if they try to do otherwise, they simply cannot. As soon as our Lord had healed this man, he took his disciples and left town (Mark 8:27), but not until he had healed the man he came to Bethsaida to heal.

Mark 8:27-33

CHAPTER 36 Get Thee Behind Me, Satan “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? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets. And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him. 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.

And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 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.” (Mark 8:27-33) Mark has informed us of the doctrine Christ preached and the miracles he performed. Whenever we think of our Lord’s miracles, we must never associate them in our minds with the self-proclaimed miracle workers of our day. Our Lord’s miracles were numerous, well-attested, wrought in many different places, performed before countless eye witnesses who knew the people who were healed, raised from the dead and fed by his power. They were so well established as facts, that no one, not a single person familiar with his life and ministry, not a single one of his enemies and accusers ever even questioned their validity. Having spoken so much of these things, the Holy Spirit would now have us pause to consider what they mean. Those wondrous works which our Lord would not allow his disciples to publish in the streets of Israel were recorded for us in the Book of God for our learning and admonition. These things were not written by the finger of God for our amusement, or to supply us with material for debate. — “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.” (John 20:31). We have before us a conversation which took place between our Lord Jesus and his disciples as they were walking towards Caesarea Philippi. We read in verse twenty-seven that — “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?” There is something for us to learn even from this thing, which seems to have been just casually observed by Mark. We ought to take advantage of every opportunity to do good. Let us never behave as pretentious, religious hypocrites, who cannot talk about anything but religion, or as people who try to button hole everyone they meet. Yet, we ought to do what we can to do good to men’s souls and to help one another along the way, ever watching for opportunities to speak a word in season. Knowledge and Faith Many confuse doctrinal knowledge with saving faith. They vainly imagine tat knowing the facts revealed in the gospel is knowing Christ, that having a good opinion of Christ is know Christ. Multitudes have a very high and good opinion of Christ and his doctrine who do not know him. That fact is evident in Mark 8:27-28. “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? And they answered, John the Baptist: but some say, Elias; and others, One of the prophets.” There was among the Jews a great variety of opinions about Christ. Almost everyone thought he was a very good man, a godly man, even a great man. Most considered him a great prophet, perhaps even a resurrected prophet. They compared him to John the Baptist, Elijah and Jeremiah. Almost to a man the Jews thought he was a great prophet who had come back from the dead. No one, at this time, considered him a deceiver or a wicked man. Only the Scribes and Pharisees spoke evil of him, and they did so only because of envy. Multitudes knew much about the Savior and approved of what they knew. Yet, very few knew him. Things are pretty much the same today. Christ and his gospel are just as just as commonly misunderstood and unknown today, among religious people as they were among the Jews two thousand years ago. Almost everyone knows the name of Christ. Most of our relatives and neighbors go to church and acknowledge that Jesus came into the world to save sinners, that he died on the cross, was buried, and rose again the third day. In remembrance and honor of him, they set aside special holy days, build huge buildings, and engage in great enterprises. Yet, there are very few who know him. Vague ideas about Christ are common. Very few people know who he is, what he did, or why he did it. Those who know the Son of God are very few. Many there are who move beyond vagueness, and have very clear, even an orthodox knowledge of gospel doctrine and of the historic facts revealed in the gospel. They readily confess that Jesus Christ is the incarnate God, that he is God the eternal Son. They understand and defend the doctrines of Substitution, Redemption, Justification, Sanctification, and Regeneration. They can accurately describe Christ’s resurrection, ascension and exaltation, his priestly intercession at the Father’s right hand as our Advocate, and the certainty of his glorious second coming, who obviously do not know him. Those who know the Son of God appear to be very few. Yet, apart from knowing him there is no salvation. Without the knowledge of him, there is no eternal life. Until you know him, you are dead in trespasses and in sins (John 17:3); and if we would know him we must be born again (John 3:5-7). Three hundred years ago, the heretic Robert Sandeman insisted that to teach (as the Scriptures demand) that in regeneration the heaven born soul is made partaker of the divine nature and that this new, righteous nature imparted to God’s elect by grace is vital to salvation, is to teach men to look for righteousness in themselves, rather than in Christ. Like his successors today, Sandeman insisted that the new birth is nothing more than giving assent to doctrinal facts. Another heretic’s name may be more familiar to than Sandeman’s. — Alexander Campbell, founder of the Arminian, works denomination called “the Church of Christ,” wrote, “Sandeman was like a giant among dwarfs.” Heed Paul’s warning. — “Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.” Any man who denies the necessity of the Spirit’s work in us, teaching that faith in Christ is nothing but learning doctrine, is an utter heretic, a man to be marked and avoided. The new birth is more than a change of mind. It is more than the mere acquirement of religious knowledge. Anyone who is familiar with the Word of God knows that all men and women have some awareness of God, of sin, of life, of death, of judgment and of eternity (Romans 1:18-20; Romans 2:14-15). Man is by nature a very religious creature (John 5:39-40). And unsaved religious people often recognize and believe some true facts about God and Christ and salvation (John 3:2). But the quickening, regenerating work of God the Holy Spirit is much, much more than embracing facts about God and salvation. As John Owen wrote… “Of all the poison which at this day is diffused in the minds of men, corrupting them from the mystery of the gospel, there is no part that is more pernicious than this one perverse imagination, that to ‘believe in Christ’ is nothing at all but to believe the doctrine of the gospel!’” In the new birth Christ is revealed in the chosen sinner (Galatians 1:15-16). God the Holy Spirit gives impotent, dead sinners eternal life (John 3:5-8; Ephesians 2:1-5). And the life he imparts is Christ himself (Colossians 1:27; 2 Peter 1:4). Revealing Christ in the heart, he convicts and convinces sinners of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-10; Zechariah 10:12), and effectually draws sinners to Christ and makes them willing to come (John 6:44-45; Psalms 110:3). Saving Knowledge Allow me to pointedly apply these things to the present day. In 2 Corinthians 5:14 Paul declares that all who are born of God are constrained, motivated, and ruled by the love of Christ. The love of Christ rules in our hearts, he tells us in Mark 8:15, because we have been born again. We have been born again because Christ died for us. His death as our Substitute obtained and guaranteed our new birth. And, being born of God, we live, not unto ourselves, but unto Christ, who died for us and rose again. Then, in Mark 8:16, the inspired writer tells us that our knowledge of Christ is not a carnal apprehension of the intellect, but the gift and revelation of God the Holy Spirit. — “Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.” Be sure you understand what the Spirit of God tells us here. Our knowledge of Christ is not a carnal apprehension of the intellect, but the gift and revelation of God the Holy Spirit. Being born again by the omnipotent grace and irresistible mercy of God the Holy Spirit, all who are taught of God, know Christ after the Spirit, and not after the flesh. Will worshipping Arminians have long taught that faith in Christ is nothing but and act of the will, mental assent to the historic facts of the gospel. When I was a seven year old boy, I was conned into a profession of faith by will worshipping fundamentalists, who told me that salvation would be mine if I would simply believe “God’s plan of salvation.” Giving assent to what I was told, a “soul-winner” put his arms around me, with tears in his eyes, and announced, “Praise the Lord, son, you’re saved! You are born again.” But I didn’t know God from a gourd. Such deception is common among fundamentalists. But today there are some who claim to believe the gospel, or what we refer to as the doctrines of grace, who teach the same heresy, utterly denying the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ. Theirs is a much more subtle and dangerous heresy. They tell us that faith in Christ is nothing but agreement with “God’s testimony.” They laugh at what the apostle Paul calls “the mystery of the faith,” asserting that there is nothing mysterious about it. Being too deceptive to openly assert what their doctrine is, they continue to use terms like “regeneration,” “the new birth,” “effectual calling,” “the new nature,” “the new man,” and “Christ in you.” Yet, everything they teach denies the work of God the Holy Spirit in chosen redeemed sinners, teaching that salvation is arrived at by acquired knowledge, not by divine regeneration, by an act of the will, not by the revelation of grace. This philosophy of vain deceit denies the necessity of the new birth, denies that the believer is given a new nature by the Spirit of God, denies that righteousness is imparted to us, and that we are made partakers of the divine nature in regeneration. These modern Gnostics speak of God’s saving grace as nothing but a “principle” (an accepted philosophical rule). They look upon those of who believe God’s revelation of himself in his Word and trust Christ as their Wisdom, as well as their Righteousness, Sanctification, and Redemption, as poor, ignorant people, without spiritual understanding. One such deceiver has described that which the Scriptures call a God given light shining “in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” “a mystical, religious experience that takes place in ecstatic ignorance”! Deceivers are never honest men! The liberals of the mid 1900s, at first, were not manly enough to openly state that they did not believe in blood atonement, regeneration, and the resurrection. They made it a point to use such words frequently. But, with their “enlightened” understanding, they gave those clearly defined biblical terms new definitions. Carnal Knowledge That is exactly what is happening in our day. Many, who talk much about faith in Christ and imagine that no one possesses it except those who bow to their shrines, openly assert that, “Mental assent itself is equal to faith.” That is Gnosticism in its very essence. That is freewillism of the most deceptive form. It is the assertion that salvation is nothing but a man’s decision to agree with irrefutable facts! That which they have arrived at by their imaginary “brilliance of intellect” the Holy Spirit calls knowing “Christ after the flesh,” by mere carnal reason. They are people with religious knowledge, who are totally void of grace and spiritual life, groping in the darkness of their invented light. Most people presume that knowledge is the basis of faith; but the Scriptures assert exactly the opposite. Hebrews 11:3 declares, “Through faith we understand.” Through faith we see, perceive and comprehend all things spiritual. And this faith, which gives spiritual understanding, is the result of the new birth, without which no man can see the kingdom of God (John 3:5-7). Faith in Christ is the basis of spiritual knowledge and understanding. Spiritual knowledge is the result of faith in Christ. As I have heard Pastor Henry Mahan say so many times, “You don’t get to Christ by doctrine. You get to doctrine by Christ.” Saving knowledge is not what you know, but who (John 17:3). Believe and Confess “And he saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Peter answereth and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ. And he charged them that they should tell no man of him” (Mark 8:29-30). All true Christians know, believe and confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the living God. As Matthew Henry put it, “To be a Christian is to sincerely believe that Jesus is the Christ.” The confession of faith in Christ that Peter here gave was remarkable. He made this confession when the Lord Jesus was in a very poor earthly condition, without honor, without power, without majesty, without wealth, without influence. It was a confession made in opposition to the opinions and thoughts of the world in which he lived. All the Jewish world, civil and ecclesiastical, refused to acknowledge him as the Christ, and the entire Gentile world laughed at him as a Jewish zealot. Yet, Peter boldly confessed, “Thou art the Christ.” His faith was not shaken by opposition. His confidence did not waver before popular opinion. Peter believed that Jesus of Nazareth is indeed the Christ, the promised Messiah, the Prophet like Moses, the Priest like Melchizedek, the King like David. He believed and confessed the Man Christ Jesus to be God the Son! Erring and unstable as his faith sometimes was, Peter was a man of strong, exemplary faith. He believed the record God had given of his Son and boldly confessed his Master and his faith in him. Obviously, there was much that he did not know, much that had not yet been plainly revealed; but Peter was loyal to the core and confessed Christ unhesitatingly. Let us follow this faithful disciple’s example. Christ and his doctrine have never been popular, especially in the religious world. We must be prepared to confess him, though, if necessary, we are compelled to do so outside the camp of the religious world (Acts 2:36; Acts 4:11-12; Hebrews 13:7-12). All true Christians know, believe and confess that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of the living God. As Matthew Henry put it, “To be a Christian is to sincerely believe that Jesus is the Christ.” We should not overlook the fact that Mark, by divine inspiration, omitted the words that Matthew was inspired to include, “That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Had Mark esteemed Peter as the foundation rock upon which the church is built, as papists assert, he would certainly have included those words of our Lord. Indeed, had any of the Apostles thought that our Lord was referring to Peter as the rock, surely we would have some indication of it in the New Testament. The fact is, Matthew, Mark, Peter, and all the writers of the New Testament understood clearly that our Savior’s words, “upon this rock I will build my church,” had reference to himself as the Foundation Stone upon which we are built. That fact is so evidently stated in Holy Scripture that the delusion of papists is obviously a willful delusion (Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42; Mark 1210; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:7). Must Suffer “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” (Mark 8:31). — Our Lord spoke these things openly. He did not preach in code. He did not wrap his message in ambiguous words. When he began to teach his disciples, he used plain, clear speech. Every true prophet does the same. Here the Lord Jesus made a full declaration of his own coming death and resurrection as our Substitute. Can you imagine how strange this must have sounded in the ears of these disciples, these men who knew he was the Christ, but who were yet looking for him, at any moment, to establish a great Jewish empire over the world in which he would sit as King forever? Yet, he now declares that he must suffer many things, that he must be rejected of the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, that he must be killed, and that he must rise again in three days. Why did our Lord use the term “must”? Why must these things be done? What was the great necessity that demanding the suffering and death of God’s dear Son? Was it because some force greater than he would compel him to endure these things? Was he saying that he would not be able to prevail over his enemies? Of course not!

Was he saying he must endure these things to sit a good example of love, self-denial and self-sacrifice? Nonsense! Our Master said that these things must come to pass because they were decreed by the Father, declared in the Old Testament Scriptures, demanded by the law and justice of God for the salvation of his elect, and greatly desired by Christ himself. He said, “With desire have I desired to eat this supper with you.” It was necessary for Christ to suffer and die on the cross, under the wrath of God, to save his people. He did not have to save us; but if he would save us, he could not save in any other way. Justice demanded satisfaction (Proverbs 16:6; Proverbs 17:15; Romans 4:5; 1 Peter 3:18).

Since it was the design, purpose, and pleasure of the Almighty to bring chosen sinners into eternal glory and happiness as the sons of God by Christ, it was necessary for Christ, the Son of God, to suffer all that the law and justice of God required for the punishment of sin, dying under the wrath of God as our Substitute. I do not suggest that the sin-atoning death of Christ, by which justice has been satisfied, procures the love of God for us. It does not. The death of Christ is the fruit of God’s love, not the cause of it. But I am saying that it is the death of Christ and the satisfaction of justice by his death that opens the way into the embraces of God’s arms. We could never have been reconciled to God without the shedding of Christ’s blood. Our Savior said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). He came into this world with a commission, on a mission of mercy, under the bondage of his own voluntary suretyship engagements, which he assumed for us as the Surety of the everlasting covenant. His death upon the cursed tree was no accident. It was not something that came to pass because of man’s free will, or because the Jews would not let him be their king! The Lord Jesus died at Calvary because he must die at Calvary! Why?

What necessity was there for the death of the Son of God upon the cursed tree? Why must this Holy One be made sin for us? Why must this Savior be put to death? Here are four reasons given in the Word of God why he had to die the painful, shameful, cursed death of the cross at Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus Christ had die at Jerusalem as he did because God the Father purposed it from eternity (Acts 2:23). Our dear Savior had to die at Jerusalem, in order to fulfill his covenant engagements for us. Our Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily assumed all responsibility for our souls in the covenant of grace; but once he assumed that responsibility, he must fulfill it. He was honor bound to do so (Genesis 43:8-9; John 10:18; Acts 13:29). The Son of God must die as he did because the Scriptures must be fulfilled (Psalms 22; Psalms 40; Psalms 69; Isaiah 53) It was absolutely necessary for the Lord Jesus Christ to die as he did upon the cursed tree, lifted up from the earth, in order for the holy Lord God to save us from our sins (Romans 3:24-26; John 3:14-17). If God would save us from our sins, he could only do it this way, because righteousness must be maintained, sin must be punished, justice must be satisfied, forgiveness must be legitimate, and love must be blameless. If the holy, just and true God, would be the Savior of sinners, it must be by the satisfaction of justice; and justice could be satisfied in no other way. Now, justice being satisfied, the God of all grace declares himself to be “a just God and a Savior” and bids poor sinners look to him in his Son and live forever (Isaiah 45:20-25). Peter’s Great Error “And he spake that saying openly. And Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 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” (Mark 8:32-33). As often as I read this passage, I pause, as I hear our Savior rebuke his servant Peter, and try to remind myself that there is in every true child of God a strange mixture of flesh and Spirit, grace and infirmity, strength and weakness, faith and unbelief, knowledge and great ignorance, the old man and the new. I can almost see Peter. No doubt, he acted out of love and zeal for his Lord. It is as though, he took the Master by the arm and said, “Now don’t you fret about these scribes, elders, and chief priests. We’re not about to let anything happen to you.” But his love and zeal were misguided passions of carnal reason and ignorance. He attempted to stand in the Lord’s way and, in doing so, drew down upon himself the sharpest rebuke that ever fell from our Savior’s lips upon one of his disciples. John Gill explained… “Peter might more especially be concerned at this free and open account Christ gave of his sufferings and death, because he had just now acquainted him, that he should have the keys of the kingdom of heaven; by which he might understand some high post in the temporal kingdom of the Messiah he expected; and immediately to hear of his sufferings and death, damped his spirits, and destroyed his hopes, and threw him into such difficulties he was not able to remove; and therefore he takes Christ aside, and very warmly expostulates with him about what he had said, and chides him for it, and entreats him that he would not think, or talk of such like things.” John Trapp wrote… “Peter having made a notable profession of his faith, and being therefore much commended by Christ, presently takes occasion to fall from the true holiness of faith to the sauciness of presumption, in advising his Master to decline the cross.” When he did, the Lord Jesus said to this man who had just declared, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God,” “Get thee behind me, Satan: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men.” He called this disciple, one of his chosen Apostles, “Satan,” because he devil himself had taken advantage of Peter’s weakness and ignorance , and acting through his flesh inspired Peter to contradict and dispute his God and Savior, dissuading him from suffering and dying for the salvation of his people, urging him not to pursue his purpose and fulfill his work as Jehovah’s Righteous Servant and his eternal engagements as the Surety of the covenant. Though he was a true believer, a heaven born soul, and a faithful servant of Christ, Peter was still a sinful man, just like you and me. When he spoke as he did here to the Savior, he spoke as a carnal man, savoring the things of men, not the things of God. May God the Holy Spirit teach us the things these two verses are obviously intended to teach us. May he give us grace never to forget them. The best of God’s saints are but poor, fallible, sinful creatures. As long as we are in this world, our highest attainments of knowledge are ignorance. Let no child of God entertain high thoughts about himself. Let us be charitable and gracious toward our erring brethren (Galatians 6:1).

Mark 8:34-38

CHAPTER 37 Truths of Deepest Importance “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. 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. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? 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.” (Mark 8:34-38) The words of our Lord Jesus Christ in these five verses of Scripture are solemn and weighty words. They separate the precious from the vile. They are a winnowing fan in the Master’s hand, by which he distinguishes wheat from the chaff. These are words which ought to be read often, prayed over much, and mediated upon continually. These few words define true Christianity more distinctly than all the volumes of theology and apologetics written by men. Robert Hawker observed… “A single soul is of more value than the whole world; and for this plain reason: The time is coming, when the whole world and all that is in it will be destroyed; but the soul of every individual must live, either in happiness or misery, forever. Reader, pause over the subject, and calculate, if possible, the value of a single soul. The creation of it called forth the council of the whole persons of the Godhead. The redemption of it cost Christ his blood. The regeneration of it was the work of God the Holy Ghost. The everlasting happiness of it engageth the services of angels and of men continually.

Angels rejoice in heaven in the recovery of every sinner. Hell rageth in the event of their salvation. The soul hath a capability of grace here, and glory forever. And therefore what a loss, incalculably great, must it be, that a being of such qualities, and so formed, should be exposed to everlasting destruction.” Coming to ChristThroughout the Scriptures faith is portrayed as a matter of coming to Christ. To believe on the Son of God is to come to him. To come to him is to believe on him. We come to him by following after him, as disciples follow after their Master. Our all glorious Christ says, “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself” (Mark 8:34).Coming to Christ is the result of a deliberate, purposeful choice. It is an act of the will.

Our Master says, “whosoever will”. Let us never alter his Word. I know that faith is a gift of God. I know that none will ever come to Christ unless God the Holy Spirit graciously, effectually causes them to come. Yet, it is certain that any who come to him, come to him because they want him and choose him. God does not save sinners by knocking them in the head and dragging them to Christ.

He saves sinners by causing them to want Christ more than life itself. Faith in Christ is not a matter of conscription, but a voluntary act. The soldiers in Christ’s army are not drafted, forced soldiers, but volunteers. It is written, “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power” (Psalms 110:3). — “Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts” (Psalms 65:4). Coming to Christ is an act of the heart, a spiritual, not a carnal thing. No one has ever come to Christ by walking a church aisle, kneeling at an altar, saying a prayer someone taught them to repeat, or signing a decision card. If you would come to Christ, you must do so without moving a muscle. You must come to him in your heart. Faith is a heart work (Romans 10:8-10). True faith is the willful, deliberate, voluntary confidence of my heart in the power and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is trusting the merits of his blood and righteousness as my only acceptance before God. Faith in Christ involves the willing surrender of my heart to him as my Lord. It is the bowing and submission of my heart to him as my Lord (Luke 14:25-33). Coming to Christ is a continual thing. Our Savior does not speak of coming to him as a one time thing, as a single act, but as a constant, continual, lifelong thing. Faith in Christ is not an event in life, but a way of life. — “If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious” (1 Peter 2:3-4). Not only are sinners bidden to come to Christ, we are commanded to come (1 John 3:23). The warrant of faith is not my feeling, my emotion, my meeting certain prescribed conditions, but God’s Word. If the Son of God says for me to come to him, then I may come to him! Any sinner in all the world who will come to Christ may come to Christ. Our Master uses that blessed world of universal application and uses it frequently — “Whosoever”. I am so thankful he said, “Whosoever will,” rather than, “if Don Fortner will.” Had he said that, I would have concluded he must have meant some other Don Fortner. But I cannot doubt that “whosoever” includes me! “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36) “And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Revelation 22:17) Carrying the Cross of ChristThe first aspect of faith is coming to Christ. The second is carrying his cross. This is not an optional thing. Here, and throughout the Word of God, our Master tells us plainly that if we would follow him, if we would be his disciples, if we would be saved, self-denial is an absolute necessity. — “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” (Mark 8:34). Again, this is a matter of personal, deliberate choice. Carrying your cross for Christ is not enduring providential hardships with patience, but deliberately choosing a course that is sure to bring trouble upon you, because trouble lies in the path of following Christ. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. We are not saved by what we do, but by what God does and has done. We are saved by grace alone (Ephesians 2:8-10). Yet, if we are saved by the grace of God, we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God; and we must deny self. J. C.

Ryle was correct when he wrote, “A religion which costs nothing is worth nothing. It will do us no good in the life that now is. It will lead to no salvation in the life to come.” If I am saved by the grace of God, I take up my cross and follow my Master. I must take up the cross of his doctrine, the cross of his will, and the cross of his honor. Our Savior’s words here are as plain as the noonday sun. If I choose not to bear his cross on this earth, I shall never wear his crown in heaven. Our Master teaches us that true, saving faith involves deliberate and persevering self-denial and consecration. Matthew Henry wrote, “The first lesson in Christ’s school is self-denial.” Those who deny themselves here for Christ shall enjoy themselves in Christ forever. Grace is free; but it is not cheap. Faith in Christ involves the total surrender of myself to him, to his dominion as my Lord and Savior, my Priest and King. That is what it is to take up your cross and follow Christ. Christianity, true Christianity, true saving faith involves a total surrender to Christ the Lord. Either you will be a servant under the dominion of King Jesus, voluntarily giving up all to his claims, or you will go to hell. You may not have to give up anything in actuality. But surrender to Christ must be just as real and complete in your heart as if you had actually given up everything, even down to life itself. Our Lord Jesus Christ requires total and unreserved surrender to himself. Christ will be Lord of all, or he will not be Lord at all. Is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, your Lord? Is he truly your Lord? But we must never imagine that this is a matter dealt with only in the initial experience of grace and in the initial act of faith. Here our Lord Jesus addresses these words to men who had been his faithful disciples for a long time. How graciously he warns us and teaches us to guard against the terrible tendency of our sinful flesh to rebel against his rule and his will. How much evil we bring upon ourselves by our carnal misapprehensions! We are all, like Peter (Mark 8:33), inclined to judge things by our emotions, personal desires, and carnal reason. We must not. Rather, we must seek grace to know and bow to the will of God our Savior in all things. Oh, for grace to savor the things which are of God, and not those which are of men!Consecration to Christ. Faith is coming to Christ, carrying the cross of Christ, and consecration to Christ. “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. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Mark 8:35-37). If I would save my life, I must loose it to Christ. I repeat myself deliberately. — Salvation is neither more nor less than surrender to the rule and reign of Jesus Christ as my Lord and King. “And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:25-33) Faith in Christ is giving over the rule of your life to Christ; but that is no great sacrifice at all. — “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” That question is so well known and so often repeated that I fear that few take it to heart. It ought to sound in our ears like a trumpet, whenever we are tempted to neglect our eternal interests. Each of us has an immortal soul, a soul that will live forever, either in the bliss of eternal life or in the torment of eternal death. There is nothing the world can offer, nothing money can buy, nothing a man can give, nothing to be named in comparison with our souls. We live in a world where everything is temporal.

We are going to a world where everything is eternal. Let us count nothing here more valuable than we shall when we have to leave it forever! It is a very easy thing for you to lose your soul. You can murder it, by loving and clinging to the world. You can poison it with the deadly wine of false, freewill works religion. You can starve it, by neglecting God’s ordained means of grace, the preaching of the gospel, by keeping from it the bread of life, by the neglect of prayer, the neglect of worship and the neglect of his Word. There are many ways to hell. Whichever way you choose is a matter for which you alone are responsible. But there is only one way to life eternal. Christ is that Way. Confessing ChristFaith in Christ involves coming to Christ, carrying the cross of Christ, consecration to Christ, and confessing Christ. — “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” (Mark 8:38). Who is capable of being ashamed of Christ and his words? None among the sons of men can be compared to him. We do not have to guess what it is to be ashamed of Christ. It is to refuse to confess him, to refuse to identify ourselves with him. Every son and daughter of Adam show themselves ashamed of him and his gospel who refuse to seek salvation in his name, trusting him alone as Savior and Lord. All who seek to add their own works to his righteousness and his precious blood for acceptance with God prove themselves ashamed of him. To refuse to trust the Lord Jesus Christ is to deny him. That is what it is to be ashamed of him. If you are ashamed of Christ’s doctrine, you are ashamed of him (Romans 1:16-17). If you are ashamed of Christ’s ordinances, you are ashamed of him. If you are ashamed of Christ’s people, ashamed to identify yourself with them, you are ashamed of him. If you are ashamed of Christ in this adulterous and sinful generation, he will be ashamed of you when he comes in the glory of his Father with his holy angels to judge the world. “Jesus! and shall it ever be A mortal man ashamed of Thee? Ashamed of Thee, whom angels praise, Whose glories shine through endless days? Ashamed of Jesus? Sooner far Let evening blush to own a star. He sheds the beams of light divine O’er this benighted soul of mine. Ashamed of Jesus? Just as soon Let midnight be ashamed of noon. ‘Tis midnight with my soul till He, Bright Morning Star, bids darkness flee. Ashamed of Jesus, that dear Friend On whom my hopes of heaven depend? No; when I blush, be this my shame, That I no more revere His name. Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may When I’ve no guilt to wash away, No tears to wipe, no joys to crave, No fears to quell, no soul to save. Till then, nor is the boasting vain, Till then I boast a Savior slain. And oh, may this my portion be, That Christ is not ashamed of me!”