Mark 8:1 - In those days, when there was again a great following, and they had nothing to eat, He called His disciples, 2 “I feel compassion for these people, they have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home fasting, they may fail on the way, and some of them have come from afar.” 4 His disciples answered Him, “Where can anyone get enough bread to fill these people in this isolated place?” 5 Then He asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” And they said, “Seven.” 6 Then He directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, He broke and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. So they set them before the people. 7 They also had a few little fish. After giving thanks for these too, He told them to set these before them also. 8 And they ate, and were filled and they took up seven baskets of broken pieces that were left over. 9 There were about 4,000 who ate. Then He dismissed them. 10 Without delaying He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11 And the Pharisees came formally to debate Him, zealously demanding a sign from heaven from Him, to test Him. 12 Sighing deeply in His spirit He said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 Then He abandoned these and got into the boat again, and went to the other side of the Sea. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to bring bread, and had only one loaf with them in the stores of the boat. 15 While He was warning them, “Watch out, see for yourselves the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod,” 16 they began to argue with one another about having no bread. 17 Aware of this, He said to them, “Why are you arguing that you do not have any bread? Do you not understand or comprehend? Is your heart hardened? 18 “Having eyes, you do not see and having ears, you do not hear and you do not remember?” (Jer. 5:21; Ez. 12:2). 19 When I broke and gave the five loaves to the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you take up?” They replied, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke and gave the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many large baskets full of pieces of bread did you take up?” “Seven,” they said, 21 Then He said to them, “Do you still not understand?” 22 Then they came to Bethsaida. They led a blind man to Him and begged Him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him out of the village. When He had put spittle on his eyes and laid His hands on him, He asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 The man looked up and said, “I see people, but they look blurry as trees moving.” 25 Again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, then he looked with eyes wide open. He was restored and could see all things clearly. 26 And He sent him away to his home, saying, “Do not even enter into the village.” 27 Then Jesus and His disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way He questioned His disciples, “Who do men say that I am?” 28 And they told him, John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but others, one of the prophets. 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the anointed King.” 30 And He charged them that they should tell no man of Him. 31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the lawyers of Torah, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And He was speaking this word boldly and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But He turned around, and seeing His disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan; for you are not minded on the things of God, but the things of men.” 34 And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become My disciple, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me and because of the gospel announcement will save it. 36 For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet ruin his life? 37 “For what will a man value so much that he will give it for his life? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him, when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels. (G. Strawbridge trans.)
The Bread of Gentile Disciples (vv. 1-10)
The Bread of Jewish Disciples (vv. 11-26)
The Bread of True Disciples (vv. 23-38)