Mark 8:14-21

Group 5

Mark 8:14 - 21

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

The Application of the Text

Importance

.Application is life changing

Broader Biblical and Theological Contexts

• Jesus' Warning

• Disciples Distracted

• This story fits within the passage’s broader context by serving as the climax of the disciples’ incomprehension of spiritual truths.

Are we distracted?

Recurring Themes

Three Boat Scenes in Mark

1.) Jesus Calms the Storm - 4:35-41

2.) Jesus Walks on the Water - 6:45-52

Word and Concept Analysis

3.) The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod - 8:14-21

• Controversy and Oppression
• Shows up in 8:11-13 when the Pharisees question Jesus and ask Him for a sign

• Scarcity and Bread
• The disciples minds go to their physical needs even though they had just seen Jesus feed the five thousand and the four thousand earlier in the Gospel.

• Blindness and Deafness
• Shown in the disciples’ inability to understand the spiritual matters that Jesus is speaking of. This issue has been associated with the “outsiders” previously in the Gospel, but we now clearly see that it has become a problem for the disciples who are considered to be “insiders.”

• Brings the disciples' incomprehension to a climax

• After being witnesses and doers of miracles, they still are deaf, dumb and blind to spiritual truth.

• The audience comes to the chilling realization that the disciples have indeed taken on the characteristics of the “outsiders” and are deaf and blind to spiritual truths.

There is still hope...

1.) Symbolism behind the word "yeast"

• The parallel stories in 7:31-37 when Jesus heals a deaf man and in 8:22-26 when Jesus heals a blind man in Bethsaida when they get off the boat surround the climax of the disciples' blindness in 8:14-21.

• These two stories surrounding the climax of the disciples’ incomprehension give hope that Jesus can still heal the disciples’ deafness and blindness that has plagued them throughout the Gospel thus far.

2.) Disciples' failure to understand

Translations and General Observation

3.) Reference to the Feedings

4.) Repetition of verse 21

The Backdrop of the Text

•Translations and versions of the bible make a difference

•Key transition – “Do you still not understand?”

•Main point – Jesus is living bread

Outline

i. Warning

ii. Realization

iii. Interjection

• Author - Mark
• Recipients - Intended for a gentile audience
• Place - Galilee
• Time Period - 65-70 A.D. (Time Period of Writing) 28-33 A.D. (When the events were taking place)

• Purpose for Writing - Mark was written in the late 60's after Peter's death to a predominantly Gentile Christian audience that faced opposition concerning their faith.

Initial Impression of the Text

The

• Pharisees

. The disciples thoughts and our initial impression are alike.

and

• Herod

. What did Jesus actually mean by what he said?

. How it applies to us today