Chapter 8
Verses 1-3.
In those days there was another large crowd with nothing to eat. So[a] Jesus[b] called his disciples and said to them, 2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat. 3 If I send them home hungry, they will faint on the way, and some of them have come from a great distance.”
Womack. This was the second time in a relatively short period of time that Jesus fed a multitude with a small amount of food. See Mark 6:35-44.
In Mark 6, when Jesus fed the multitude, Jesus’ disciples had compassion on the multitude and asked Jesus to send the people away to buy food for themselves (Mark 6:35-36). Jesus rebuked them and instructed them to feed the people. Here, Jesus has compassion on the multitude.
It’s amazing that a multitude went to hear Jesus for three days in a desert place. This speaks volumes about the person and ministry of Jesus. Jesus is aware of our physical needs and limitations.
Verses 4-5.
4 His disciples answered him, “Where can someone get enough bread in this desolate place to satisfy these people?” 5 He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They replied, “Seven.”
Womack. The disciples witnessed Jesus multiplying five loaves and two fish to feed a multitude just days before (Mark 6:37-44). However, they missed the message. When asked by Jesus how to meet this need, they looked to their own resources and concluded they couldn’t do it. This is characteristic of a hardened heart. Those who have hardened hearts can’t understand or remember.
There were more food and fewer people this time than when Jesus multiplied food to feed the 5,000 (Mark 6:38-44). The disciples should have remembered and suggested that Jesus multiply the food again. If Jesus could do the greater miracle, He could surely do the lesser one.
Verses 6-10.
6 Then[a] he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. After he took the seven loaves and gave thanks, he broke them and began giving them to the disciples to serve. So[b] they served the crowd. 7 They also had a few small fish. After giving thanks for these, he told them to serve these as well. 8 Everyone[c] ate and was satisfied, and they picked up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 9 There were about 4,000[d] who ate.[e] Then he dismissed them.[f] 10 Immediately he got into a boat[g] with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.
TPT. V. 8. Baskets? This is the same word used for Paul escaping from Damascus by being lowered down the city wall in a basket. These baskets were large enough for a man to hide in. See Acts 9:25.
Swaggart. “He broke and continued giving them to His Disciples, in order that they might continue setting them forth.”
Womack. The multiplication probably took place in the disciples’ hands as in the feeding of the 5,000. See also Matthew 15:32-38.
The bread that Jesus blessed and multiplied was a manmade food from the materials that God created. God created he fish. The Lord can multiply manmade or natural resources.
This time they had more food to multiply (Mark 6:38 and 8:5) and fewer people to feed (Mark 6:44 and 8:9), yet there was less left over (Mark 6:43).
In Mark 6:44, there were 5,000 men. This is the case here (Matthew 15:38): 4,000 men. This was also known as Magdala.
Verses 11-12.
11 Then the Pharisees[a] came and began to argue with Jesus, asking for[b] a sign from heaven[c] to test him. 12 Sighing deeply in his spirit he said, “Why does this generation look for a sign? I tell you the truth,[d] no sign will be given to this generation.”
TPT. Pharisees are “separated ones.” They saw themselves as Jewish purists and guardians of religious orthodoxy. Although the text does not say what sign they were demanding, they were requiring proof of Jesus’ divine mission and ministry. The text does imply that they were disingenuous and wanted only to discredit Jesus.
Swaggart. The pharisees were seeking a miracle from Jesus to demonstrate that He was God’s son.
Womack. See also Matthew 16:1-4. Matthew records Jesus rebuking them for their ability to discern the weather but not spiritual things.
Matthew’s account records additional statements that Mark left out (Matthew 16:1-4). Jesus spoke of the Pharisees being able to discern the weather but not spiritual things. Matthew recorded Jesus saying that the only sign they would be given was the sign of the prophet Jonas.
On yet another occasion, recorded in Matthew 12:39-40 and Luke 11:29-30, Jesus spoke of the sign of the prophet Jonas. In Matthew’s account, Jesus went on to say that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so He (“the Son of man”) would be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth. Jesus was speaking of His death and resurrection on the third day.
Verse 11-12.
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, “Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to it.”
Mark 8:11. What exactly this sign would have been, given what Jesus was already doing, is not clear. But here is where the fence-sitters reside, refusing to commit to him.
Swaggart. Decapolis was mostly non-Jewish (heathen to the Pharisees). They normally would not come to Decapolis but stay in Judea or Jerusalem. In their zealous opposition to Jesus, they come out of Jerusalem, and come to attack Him, cross-examine Him, and harass Him. The Greek used indicates a dispute with Jesus defending His position.
The Greek word for sign means a miracle. The Pharisees wanted Jesus to perform a miracle on command to prove that He was a representative of God. Here, they also put Jesus to the test to force Him to prove to them whether He was indeed the Messiah.
Jesus performed countless miracles, many of them seen by the Pharisees. They attributed them to the devil. Religious spirits were behind it. See Mt. 7:6.
Womack. This is also recorded in Matthew 16:1-4. Matthew records Jesus rebuking them for their ability to discern the weather but not spiritual things.
Matthew’s account records additional facts (Matthew 16:1-4). There, Jesus noted that the Pharisees could discern natural things, like the weather, but not things of the Spirit. Matthew also recorded Jesus saying that the only sign they would be given was the sign of the prophet Jonas.
In Matthew 12:39-40 and Luke 11:29-30, Jesus spoke of the sign of the prophet Jonas. In Matthew’s account, Jesus said that as Jonas was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so He (“the Son of man”) would be three days and three nights in the belly of the earth. Jesus spoke of His death and of resurrection on the third day.
Verses 13-15.
And He left them (the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees), and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side (of the Sea of Galilee). Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. Then He charged them, saying ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’
Swaggart. The Greek of “He left them” was used by teachers in the context of leaving or ending a discussion. Jesus abruptly ended the dispute and left the skeptics. In the Greek “He charged them” means that He repeatedly charged them.
Smith. Leaven was always a symbol of evil. It was the starter that they would always save from the previous batch of dough. And it was like the sourdough that the old forty-niners used to use. They always had their starter. When they would make a new batch of dough, they would stick in this little part from the old batch, their starter that would start their fermenting process in the new batch of dough. And because just a little bit could permeate the whole loaf by this process of fermentation, it was, to the Jews, a very good symbol of evil, how just a little bit of evil tolerated can permeate throughout a whole system. And when Jesus said, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, or the leaven of Herod," He was talking about that evil of the Pharisees. That type of spirit that is able to permeate and infect others.
Womack. Jesus was on the west side of the Sea of Galilee in the area called Dalmanutha (Mark 8:10). So, Jesus and His disciples were traveling to the east side where the Gadarene demoniac was delivered (Mark 5:1-20).
One of the disciples’ responsibilities must have been to take plan for and purchase their food. Jesus only multiplied food to meet the needs of the multitude (Mark 6:35-44 and 8:1-9). With the disciples, Jesus had physical needs, and He delegated the responsibility for providing those needs to others. Any leader who cannot delegate will not be very effective. Cf. Matthew 16:6-12. In Matthew 16:12, Jesus spoke of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Verse 16-21.
So they began to discuss with one another about having no bread.[a] 17 When he learned of this,[b] Jesus said to them, “Why are you arguing[c] about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Have your hearts been hardened? 18 Though you have eyes, don’t you see? And though you have ears, can’t you hear?[d] Don’t you remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the 5,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied, “Twelve.” 20 “When I broke the seven loaves for the 4,000, how many baskets full of pieces did you pick up?” They replied,[e] “Seven.” 21 Then[f] he said to them, “Do you still not understand?”
Swaggart. Imperfect tense of “reasoning” indicating that they continued thinking, talking, and reasoning among themselves. They did not understand.
Womack. Just a few days before, their hardened hearts had made the disciples amazed when they saw Jesus walk on the water to them. Here, Jesus’ statements reveal characteristics of a hardened heart. First, hard hearts keep us from perceiving spiritual truths. Everyone in a church service will hear the same message, but not all receive truth. The Word is not variable; rather the condition of the hearts (soil). (Exodus 7:10-13, 19-23; 8:8-19, 31-32; 9:5-7, 10-12, 22-35; 10:13-27; 11:10; and 14:3-4)(1 Corinthians 2:14). When we don’t understand God’s Word, Satan finds no resistance when he comes to steal it away (Matthew 13:19). Second, hard hearts keep us from remembering truth. In Mark 8:19-20, the disciples remembered the facts of the two miraculous feedings, but they had forgotten the spiritual lessons of truth from those events. Likewise, we may quote Scripture or remember the sermon’s contents, but we can’t perceive the spiritual life in them or retain what we did perceive, because of hardened hearts. Third, in Job 39:13-17, God spoke of the ostrich as being hardened toward her young and equated that with being deprived of wisdom. A hardened heart toward God produces spiritual retardation.
Everyone eyes and ears, but they also had spiritual eyes and ears, and we do too. Jesus was speaking about their spiritual eyesight and hearing being dull (Matthew 13:15).
Verse 22-26.
22 Then[a] they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus[b] and asked him to touch him. 23 He took the blind man by the hand and brought him outside of the village. Then[c] he spit on his eyes, placed his hands on his eyes[d] and asked, “Do you see anything?” 24 Regaining his sight[e] he said, “I see people, but they look like trees walking.” 25 Then Jesus[f] placed his hands on the man’s[g] eyes again. And he opened his eyes,[h] his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 Jesus[i] sent him home, saying, “Do not even go into the village.”
The verb ἀναβλέπω, though normally meaning “look up,” when used in conjunction with blindness means “regain sight.”
Smith. Rather than perform this miracle in front of the people, Jesus took the blind man out of town.
This is the fourth of seven blind men that Jesus granted sight. The first and second are in Matthew 9:27-31; the third in Matthew 12:22-23; the fourth in Mark 8:22-26; the fifth in John 9; and the sixth and seventh in Matthew 20:29-34, Mark 10:46-52, and Luke 18:35-43. There are three other references where many blind people are spoken of as being healed: Matthew 11:4-6 (same instance as Luke 7:22-23), 15:30-31, and 21:14.
Swaggart. Among all of these instances, only the third (Matthew 12:22-23) is stated as being caused by a demon.
Jesus did “nothing of himself” but only what He saw His Father do (John 5:19). He had a purpose in leading the man out of town. Bethsaida was a city that received Jesus’ rebuke because of the people’s hardened, unbelieving hearts (Matthew 11:20-22 and Luke 10:13-14). Per Mark 6:5-6, other’s unbelief can hinder the manifestation of God’s will. Therefore, it is probable that Jesus led this man away from the crowd to separate him from the unbelief of others, just as He did on other occasions.
This was an unusual for Jesus to minister healing and then ask what the results were. We can rule out the possibility that Jesus didn’t know what the will of the Father was in this case (John 5:19) and was therefore asking this man if he could see to find out if God had heard and answered His prayer (John 11:41-42). Jesus didn’t doubt God, but rather He knew that manifestations of God’s power could be hindered by the unbelief of others. Although He took the man out of town, He knew He hadn’t removed all of the “town” out of the man (i.e., the unbelief of those in the town of Bethsaida).
Therefore, rather than release God’s power into this man and then leave him to struggle with the healing’s manifestation, Jesus helped the man with his unbelief until the healing was complete. This establishes the principle that not all healings (or other answers to prayer) are manifested instantly (see note 5 at Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.). Satan can hinder God’s power even after it has been released. In Daniel 10:1-13, God answered Daniel’s prayer instantly (Daniel 10:12), yet it took twenty-one days (Daniel 10:2) for the answer to come, because the prince of Persia (a demonic power) withstood his manifestation. God answers many prayers (Matthew 7:7-8) that fail to manifest, because those praying fail don’t stand as Daniel did (Mark 11:24 and Galatians 6:9).
The Greek word “ANABLEPO,” translated “looked up” means more than the man moving his head. It speaks of spiritual sight or using one’s faith.
It was unusual for Jesus to inquire of the results of his at of faith as He did in Mark 8:23, but it was more unusual for Jesus to lay his hands on the man a second time. Although other O.T. saints prayed more than once to obtain results (Elijah - 1 Kings 17:21-22 and 18:42-45, and Elisha - 2 Kings 4:32-35), this is the only N.T. example in where Jesus ministered to any need more than once to effect healing. Many of us request things from God and then look at our circumstances to see if God answered our prayers. That is walking by sight and not by faith (2 Corinthians 5:7). If we can’t “see” God’s answer, then we pray again asking for the same thing. This is not the way Jesus taught us to pray and receive (Mark 11:22-24), and we can be certain that Jesus didn’t lay hands on this man a second time because He thought His Father hadn’t heard Him the first time. Since the man received partial sight, it is evident that God’s healing power was at work in him. Jesus did not petition His Father again for healing. Through His spirit, Jesus knew that unbelief was hindering a perfect manifestation of God’s power in this man, and He gave him another “dose” of the anointing power of God. Satan may hinder but cannot overcome someone who continues resisting him (James 4:7). We only need to petition God once for a need and then believe that we receive (Mark 11:24). If we petition (or ask) God more than once, then we didn’t really believe we received the first time. However, we can and should continue to pray until we receive our manifestation, just as Jesus did with the blind man. There is more to prayer than simply asking God for things. We should continue to resist the devil’s hindrances by praying the prayer of agreement (Matthew 18:19), the prayer of praise (Psalms 8:2 with Matthew 21:16), the prayer of intercession (1 Timothy 2:1), the prayer of binding and loosing (Matthew 18:18), by the laying on of hands.
Many times, in an effort to walk by faith, we pray for God’s power to manifest and then ignore any evidence to the contrary. That’s more faith than responding to circumstances in unbelief, but it falls short of Jesus’ example here. The best thing to do is exactly what Jesus did. We should believe that we received when we prayed to such a degree that we can confront anything to the contrary and overcome it by continuing to apply the power of God. Perseverance in prayer overcomes Satan, not God.
Jesus had to separate this man from the unbelief of the people in the town.
Verse 27-30.
27 Then Jesus and his disciples went to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples,[a] “Who do people say that I am?” 28 They said,[b] “John the Baptist, others say Elijah,[c] and still others, one of the prophets.” 29 He asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him,[d] “You are the Christ.”[e] 30 Then[f] he warned them not to tell anyone about him.
Swaggart. “Whom do men say that I am?” The imperfect tense indicates “He continued to ask.” He was seeking to draw from His disciples what they thought of Him.
The Elders, Scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees wanted a Jewish military leader who would free them from the yoke of Roman political rule. They were not concerned about, nor sympathetic to, a savior who would free them from the bondage of sin. Jesus’ purpose was spiritual while theirs was strictly temporal.
Smith. Messiah in Hebrew means the anointed one, and the word Christ in Greek means the anointed one. Now, it was customary in those days when a king was crowned to anoint that king with oil, to pour oil over his head in an anointing ceremony by which he was recognized and acknowledged now as the king. So, Jesus, using the title Christ or Messiah, was that signifying that He was anointed by God to be the King. And they were looking for that King to come anointed by God. "Thou art the Messiah, the Christ."
Womack. Cf. Matthew 16:13-20 and Luke 9:18-21. Matthew’s account records Jesus’ response to Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ.
No one believed that Jesus was a deceiver or of the devil. The religious leaders said that about Him. But the people believed He was a supernatural messenger of God. Jesus was much more than a messenger. He was and is THE only way to the Father (John 14:6). He is the Christ (Mark 8:29).
It really doesn’t matter what others think of Jesus. It all comes down to a personal choice. We have to make our own decision on who Christ is to us. We can’t have a relationship with Jesus based on what others think.
Peter judged rightly who Jesus was, as attested by Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:17. Any belief about Jesus that is less than Him being the Christ and the Son of the living God is inadequate and falls short of true salvation (Romans 10:9). Jesus is either who He said He was, or He was a deceiver. There is no room for other choices.
Matthew’s account reveals Jesus’ blessing Peter for this understanding of who He was (Matthew 16:16-19).
Jesus often encouraged people not to broadcast who He was or what miracles He had performed (Matthew 8:4, 9:30, 16:20, 17:9; Mark 3:12, 5:43, 7:36, 8:26, this verse, 9:9; Luke 4:41, 5:14, 8:56, and 9:21). He did not want people to pursue Him in such large numbers. It hindered His ministry. Cf. Matthew 12:16-21.
Verses 31-33.
31 Then[a] Jesus[b] began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer[c] many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law,[d] and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke openly about this. So[e] Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But after turning and looking at his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan. You are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.”
The necessity that the Son of Man suffer is the particular point that needed emphasis, since for many 1st century Jews the Messiah was a glorious and powerful figure, not a suffering one.
This great injustice refers to the beatings, mocking, rejection, and illegal trial Jesus endured. To have the Messiah suffer was contrary to every belief system among the Jews. The Messiah was to be the King of Israel, surrounded with glory, not suffering. Mark gives us three instances of Jesus prophesying his death and resurrection (8:31; 9:31; 10:33). Each time Jesus made this prediction, the disciples were confused and unable to understand. So, each time Jesus took the opportunity to explain what being his follower really entailed (8: 34-38; 9:33-37: 10: 35-45.
Swaggart. Jesus had to die on the cross to satisfy the claims of Holy Justice. Man is a sinner and needs to be saved. God, in His love for man, provides the Salvation ma is incapable of providing for himself. Jesus did not meet the specifications laid down by the Jewish leaders. He was not the kind of Messiah the Jews were looking for. They wanted a military leader who would free them from the Roman yoke. They were not concerned about a savior who would free them from sin. Jesus’ purpose was spiritual; theirs was political and temporal. He repeatedly talked about being killed and raised from the dead.
Smith. So, now He began to prepare them for the fact that He was not going to perform as they expected the Messiah to perform in immediately setting up the kingdom of God. "But I'm going to crucified; I have to be rejected." The prophecy of Isaiah said, "He is despised and rejected of men." That has to be fulfilled. Isaiah said, "He would be numbered with the transgressors in His death." That had to be fulfilled. David, in the twenty-second Psalm, described His death by crucifixion that had to be fulfilled. And so, Jesus is telling them, "Look, it's not what you think it's going to be. I'm going to have to be rejected." Daniel said, "But the Messiah will be cut off." That had to be fulfilled. "And not receive the kingdom." That had to come to pass. And so, He's seeking to prepare them. "I'm going to be rejected; I'm going to be turned over into the hands of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and they're going to kill me. But after three days I will rise again." Now, somehow when Jesus said, "They're going to kill me," this was so shocking to them, so far from their concept of the Messiah, that their brains just shut off and they didn't hear the rest of what He said. They didn't hear Him say, "I'm going to rise again the third day." It was just so shocking when He said, "They're going to kill me." "Woo! I-Yi-yi-yiiii!" And they didn't hear, "In three days I'm going to rise again."
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 savors not the things that be of God, but the things that be of men ( Mark 8:32-33 ).
As Peter was rebuking the Lord for declaring that He was going to be crucified, that He was going to die. Peter was only expressing really his own personal feelings as a man who loved the Lord and didn't want Him to talk about His death. But Jesus rebuked Peter really for lack of discernment; he doesn't really understand the things of God, he only understands the things of man. If he understood the things of God, he would know that the Messiah would have to be cut off, that the Messiah would have to be slain, that the Messiah would have to rise again from the dead.
Womack. Cf. Matthew 16:21-23 and Luke 9:22. Luke didn’t record Peter’s rebuke of Jesus and Jesus’ response, as Matthew and Mark did.
Jesus prophesied His death and resurrection on the third day, but His disciples didn’t remember until after it happened. This was hardness of heart.
Peter had been inspired by the Holy Spirit that Jesus was the Christ, the son of the living God. Here, he was being controlled by the devil.
This incident follows Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ. It is possible that Peter’s confession and rebuke happened the same day or even within the same hour. This illustrates going from one extreme to the other in a short time. Jesus was not implying that Peter and Satan were one, but that Satan inspired Peter’s statement. This metaphor was used elsewhere in Scripture, such as when God spoke to the serpent in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:15) as though addressing Satan. The serpent was vehicle of communication Satan used to tempt Adam and Eve, while Peter was the vehicle Satan used to tempt Jesus. Ephesians 6:12 reveals that our warfare isn’t with people but against the spiritual powers who inspire and use people. Jesus recognized that Peter’s reaction to His prophecy about His death was motivated by His enemy, Satan, and so He went right to the source. By looking at Jesus’ statement in Matthew 16:23, it is evident that Jesus recognized that Satan was trying to tempt Him through Peter’s rebuke. This further explains Jesus’ harsh response. He was reacting directly to Satan’s temptation.
Verses 34-38.
34 Then[a] Jesus[b] called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower,[c] he must deny[d] himself, take up his cross,[e] and follow me. 35 For whoever wants to save his life[f] will lose it,[g] but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel[h] will save it. 36 For what benefit is it for a person[i] to gain the whole world, yet[j] forfeit his life? 37 What can a person give in exchange for his life? 38 For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him[k] when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
PTP. This powerful verse was shocking to those who heard Jesus that day. To follow Jesus is more than the dethroning of our own lives, but the enthroning of Christ.
Swaggart. “He must deny Himself.” It means “to forget oneself or to lose sight of one’s self-interest.” It has the idea of entering into a new state of being. To take up his cross is to take up an instrument of death. It speaks of a person dying to self to find life in Christ. To follow Him is to “take the same road as Jesus.” A man who is born again is Jesus’ property.
Anyone denying His Kingship prior to the inception of His earthly Reign can expect that Jesus will deny His credentials. It is today, when the world rejects Him, persecuting and scoffing at the Believer that faith will be credited to Him as righteousness – as it was to Abraham.
Smith. The three requirements for discipleship: first of all, is to deny himself. How far this is from the world's position today. The world today is saying, "You must assert yourself." And they even have created now assertive classes, where you can learn how to assert yourself. You don't have to take anything from anybody if you'll just learn to assert yourself. And I understand the women are crowding to these classes, as if they needed it. Jesus said, "No, if you come after Me, you have to deny yourself." Paul tells us, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God, humbled Himself and took on the form of man" ( Philippians 2:5-7 ). Denied Himself, in order that He might be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. He denied Himself that place with the Father in order that He might come down as a servant and die on the cross. "So, if you're going to come after Me," Jesus said, "you too will have to deny yourself and take up your cross, and follow Me.
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it ( Mark 8:35 ).
That person who is looking for life, doing everything he can to find life, its meaning, its purpose, and following his ambitions, his goals, seeking to save your life, you'll 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? ( Mark 8:35-36 )
Now tonight, think for a moment of the greatest ambition that you have. If you could be...play that game for a moment. If you could be anything you wanted to be, if you could have anything you wanted to have, what would be the greatest ambition of your life? What would you choose? Now, if in achieving that goal you lost your own soul, would it be worth it? "What would it profit a man if he would gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?" If you gained the whole world, how long do you think you could hold it? Now, someone said something to me the other day that absolutely astounded me; I'd never thought of it that way. And it just really blew my mind. This fellow said, "I just celebrated my sixtieth birthday, which means I have lived 1% of the time since Adam." Man! That just shocked me to realize I've almost lived 1% of history, of the time of history since Adam. Man! What a shocking thought. So, if you gain the world, how long do you think you could hold it? How long could you enjoy it? A hundred years? Do you think you're going to live to be a hundred years old? Do you think by the time you were ninety-eight you'd still enjoy it? You see, the Lord is talking about eternity now. "What would it profit a man if he would gain the whole world and yet lose his own soul?" That's eternal. The gaining of the world is only for a short time. Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the children of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season, because he knew that sin is always limited. That pleasure in sin has its definite time limitations. But that walk with God is forever, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt.
What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? What will you take to trade for your soul? I am amazed at the things that people give in exchange for their souls. I'm disheartened. You know, they say the Indians over here were taken advantage of by the people coming from the Old World, by these early traders trading them these little baubles, glass beads, for expensive gold and silver artifacts. You think, "Oh, those poor Indians. They were taken advantage of by those white men coming in." And they were, unfortunately. They traded those expensive golden artifacts for just beads. How foolish. Wait a minute. What are you trading your soul for? What kind of a deal is Satan offering you for your soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul? Some men, just for foolish pride; some men, for a few moments of pleasure. Satan is holding out these little baubles, and says, "Your soul, man, your 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 8:38 ).
Now, Jesus is saying, "Look, I'm going to die. I'm going to rise again." And now He's saying, "I'm going to come in the glory of the Father with the holy angels." So, the Messiah is going to come in glory and power and establish the kingdom of God, but not this trip. This trip the Messiah is going to be rejected, turned over to the scribes and Pharisees, killed, but on the third day, rise again. "But I'm coming again one day in the glory and in the power of the Father with the holy angels."
Womack. Cf. Matthew 16:24-27 and Luke 9:23-36. Matthew 10:37-39 and Luke 14:26-33.
Jesus stated in Luke 14:26-27 that we must hate our lives in order to be His disciples. We have multitudes of converts who love their lives, but only a few true disciples.
The cross is what we suffer for the cause of Christ. We die to our lusts and selfishness and embrace God’s will above our own.
Most people are giving their souls to obtain a small portion of what the world has to offer their physical bodies. But the entire world and all it has to offer isn’t worth a healthy soul. People’s souls are not satisfied with the things of the world. They were made for God (Revelation 4:11), and no one or nothing else will satisfy.
Our time here on earth is like a blink of the eye in comparison to eternity. We should plan for our eternal future.
Jesus emphasized that the soul (the internal, intangible part of man) is infinitely more important than the physical body.
The Greek word “EPAISCHUNOMAI” is translated “be ashamed” twice in this verse. It does not speak of rejection from our Lord any more than our being ashamed of Him is speaking of total denial of Jesus or His Gospel. It is simply stating that if we are embarrassed or fearful to be associated with Jesus or His teachings, He will also be ashamed of our conduct. Although this is certainly not desirable, it should be understood that this is not speaking of Christ damning us for failure to be witnesses. Peter was ashamed more than once (Matthew 26:24-75 and Galatians 2:11-14), yet he repented and was still mightily used of God.