October 11th, 2020 Study Guide
Sign Seekers - Mark 8:11-13
INTRODUCTORY THOUGHT: There is a proverb which states, There are none so blind as those who will not see. It means if your mind is set on one direction, it will be almost impossible to convince you of something different. Such is the frame of mind of the Pharisees concerning Jesus. When they approach Him and ask for a sign from heaven, their mind is already made up that Jesus is fake. Their intention is to expose Him as such and thus to undermine his authority and even hopefully, to completely discredit Him and have Him lose popular support.
SIGNS DEMANDED (Mark 8:11)
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
Q: Why did the Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus?
A: A popular Jewish superstition alleged that demons could mimic earthly miracles (like the signs performed by the magicians in Pharaohs court; Ex. 7:11 to 12, 22), but only God could work wonders in the sky. The religious leaders could not deny that Jesus performed miracles on earth, but they insisted that He did so through the power of Satan (cf. Mark 3:22). Thus, if Jesus were unable to perform a miraculous sign in the heavens, it would bolster their claim to the people that He was not empowered by God.
Q: What do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees response would have been if Jesus had given them a sign from heaven?
A: On this and other occasions, the religious leaders exhibited permanent spiritual blindness: they responded to additional light with more intense rejection. The Pharisees and Sadducees were no different than Pharaoh who, with each sign that Moses performed, hardened his heart even more (Ex. 8:32; 9:12, etc.). Rather than responding in faith to the light of the Savior, they retreated even farther into the darkness.
SIGNS DENIED (Mark 8:12)
And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.
Q: Why did Jesus sigh deeply?
A: Jesus responded emotionally to their resolute faithlessness. The willful blindness of the religious leaders broke the Lord’s heart, later causing Him to weep over the people of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
Q: What did Jesus mean by asking his condemning question, Why does this generation seek a sign?
A: Jesus indicted the entire generation of Israelites who followed their apostate teaching (cf. Matt. 16:4). Like their ancestors who fell into apostasy (cf. Deut. 32:20; Judg. 2:10 to 11) and persecuted the prophets (cf. Matt. 23:29 to 36), the Jews of Jesus’ day proved similarly faithless.
Q: Why did Jesus refuse to give a sign?
A: Their willful rejection was such that no sign would convince them to believe. When confronted by the light, they ran deeper into the shrouded gloom of their self-righteous traditions. There was therefore no reason for Jesus to perform another miracle, since it would have only compounded their guilt. The permanence of their blindness was such that Jesus issued an unalterable verdict. the Lord would not oblige the wicked demands of hard-hearted unbelievers.
SAD DEPARTURE (Mark 8:13)
And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
Q: What is the significance of Jesus leaving the Pharisees and Sadducees?
A: This exchange constituted Jesus’ final conflict with the religious leaders in Galilee. Once again, they tried to put Him to a test He would fail (cf. Deut. 6:16). And once again, they failed and He rebuked them for their hard-hearted unbelief. From this point forward, the Lord’s miracles, like His parables, would primarily be intended for His disciples, and not for the religious leaders or even the crowds. Moreover, His public ministry in Galilee had come to its end. When He later made a trip through the region, He did so secretly (cf. Mark 9:30). The populace of Galilee had been given ample opportunity to repent and believe, but they did not (cf. Matt. 11:20–24). Having been finally rejected by them, Jesus shifted His focus to Judea and Jerusalem, and ultimately the cross.
FOUR LESSONS FOR US TODAY:
1. In ministry work, there will always be people we cannot please.
The writer and preacher Gordon MacDonald gives initials to several types of people we may meet: VRPs, VIPs, VTPs, VNPs and VDPs. The VIPs, of course, are the Very Important People, and the VRPs are Very Resourceful People – both are great people to have around. But the interesting category here are the VDPs. They are the Very Draining People. They are never happy; never satisfied; never appreciative. To reach the lost you could swim through shark-infested waters, trudge for days through desert and quicksand, wrestle wild animals, risk death from hostile tribes, all to bring the gospel to people in a far-off land, and the VDPs will ask Why didn’t you go last year? or You mean only ten came to faith? What about the other two?
2. There is great danger in presenting the Gospel in a way that is pleasing to the unsaved.
The Pharisees had seen and heard almost everything Jesus had done. He just fed thousands of people with a few loaves and fish, but the Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven and, of course, they had their own idea what that meant.
Jesus would not yield. He would not let anyone tell him what he must do. Only God set his agenda. He told his disciples: …the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 5:19). He would not deviate.
Most of us know that car sales people will negotiate on price. Whatever the sticker says, that’s only their starting point. We offer less, they ask for more, we come up a bit, they come down a bit, and finally a price is agreed. In other words, they adjust to what the customer is willing to pay.
Jesus would not adjust. These Pharisees had set their own terms for following him, and he would not meet their demands. Take him as he was; accept the evidence already there. They were loved; they were wanted; this was something they needed to do. But there would be no discount on discipleship to suit their preferences.
When it comes to Christianity there is only one Master. That is Jesus, and no-one can manipulate him to fit their preferences.
3. Often people will not be one to Christ by debating with them.
Jesus did not engage in debate with these people. They were not honest enquirers; they were people who had come to trap him. He didn’t ask them what they meant by a sign from heaven or whether, if they got a sign, they’d demand another sign and then another and another. Questions like those would all have been good debating points, but if they were ever to be won over it would not be by debate.
4. Ultimately, not everyone will be won to Christ.
Jesus did not win everyone. In the last part of Luke 9 (verses 57-62), there are three people who all had reasons they could not follow Jesus, or at least not yet:
FOUR LESSONS FOR US TODAY adapted from https://www.seminary.edu/dealing-with-draining-people-mark-811-13/
SIGNS DEMANDED (Mark 8:11)
The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.
Q: Why did the Pharisees demand a sign from Jesus?
A: A popular Jewish superstition alleged that demons could mimic earthly miracles (like the signs performed by the magicians in Pharaohs court; Ex. 7:11 to 12, 22), but only God could work wonders in the sky. The religious leaders could not deny that Jesus performed miracles on earth, but they insisted that He did so through the power of Satan (cf. Mark 3:22). Thus, if Jesus were unable to perform a miraculous sign in the heavens, it would bolster their claim to the people that He was not empowered by God.
Q: What do you think the Pharisees and Sadducees response would have been if Jesus had given them a sign from heaven?
A: On this and other occasions, the religious leaders exhibited permanent spiritual blindness: they responded to additional light with more intense rejection. The Pharisees and Sadducees were no different than Pharaoh who, with each sign that Moses performed, hardened his heart even more (Ex. 8:32; 9:12, etc.). Rather than responding in faith to the light of the Savior, they retreated even farther into the darkness.
SIGNS DENIED (Mark 8:12)
And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.
Q: Why did Jesus sigh deeply?
A: Jesus responded emotionally to their resolute faithlessness. The willful blindness of the religious leaders broke the Lord’s heart, later causing Him to weep over the people of Jerusalem (Luke 19:41).
Q: What did Jesus mean by asking his condemning question, Why does this generation seek a sign?
A: Jesus indicted the entire generation of Israelites who followed their apostate teaching (cf. Matt. 16:4). Like their ancestors who fell into apostasy (cf. Deut. 32:20; Judg. 2:10 to 11) and persecuted the prophets (cf. Matt. 23:29 to 36), the Jews of Jesus’ day proved similarly faithless.
Q: Why did Jesus refuse to give a sign?
A: Their willful rejection was such that no sign would convince them to believe. When confronted by the light, they ran deeper into the shrouded gloom of their self-righteous traditions. There was therefore no reason for Jesus to perform another miracle, since it would have only compounded their guilt. The permanence of their blindness was such that Jesus issued an unalterable verdict. the Lord would not oblige the wicked demands of hard-hearted unbelievers.
SAD DEPARTURE (Mark 8:13)
And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.
Q: What is the significance of Jesus leaving the Pharisees and Sadducees?
A: This exchange constituted Jesus’ final conflict with the religious leaders in Galilee. Once again, they tried to put Him to a test He would fail (cf. Deut. 6:16). And once again, they failed and He rebuked them for their hard-hearted unbelief. From this point forward, the Lord’s miracles, like His parables, would primarily be intended for His disciples, and not for the religious leaders or even the crowds. Moreover, His public ministry in Galilee had come to its end. When He later made a trip through the region, He did so secretly (cf. Mark 9:30). The populace of Galilee had been given ample opportunity to repent and believe, but they did not (cf. Matt. 11:20–24). Having been finally rejected by them, Jesus shifted His focus to Judea and Jerusalem, and ultimately the cross.
FOUR LESSONS FOR US TODAY:
1. In ministry work, there will always be people we cannot please.
The writer and preacher Gordon MacDonald gives initials to several types of people we may meet: VRPs, VIPs, VTPs, VNPs and VDPs. The VIPs, of course, are the Very Important People, and the VRPs are Very Resourceful People – both are great people to have around. But the interesting category here are the VDPs. They are the Very Draining People. They are never happy; never satisfied; never appreciative. To reach the lost you could swim through shark-infested waters, trudge for days through desert and quicksand, wrestle wild animals, risk death from hostile tribes, all to bring the gospel to people in a far-off land, and the VDPs will ask Why didn’t you go last year? or You mean only ten came to faith? What about the other two?
2. There is great danger in presenting the Gospel in a way that is pleasing to the unsaved.
The Pharisees had seen and heard almost everything Jesus had done. He just fed thousands of people with a few loaves and fish, but the Pharisees wanted a sign from heaven and, of course, they had their own idea what that meant.
Jesus would not yield. He would not let anyone tell him what he must do. Only God set his agenda. He told his disciples: …the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does (John 5:19). He would not deviate.
Most of us know that car sales people will negotiate on price. Whatever the sticker says, that’s only their starting point. We offer less, they ask for more, we come up a bit, they come down a bit, and finally a price is agreed. In other words, they adjust to what the customer is willing to pay.
Jesus would not adjust. These Pharisees had set their own terms for following him, and he would not meet their demands. Take him as he was; accept the evidence already there. They were loved; they were wanted; this was something they needed to do. But there would be no discount on discipleship to suit their preferences.
When it comes to Christianity there is only one Master. That is Jesus, and no-one can manipulate him to fit their preferences.
3. Often people will not be one to Christ by debating with them.
Jesus did not engage in debate with these people. They were not honest enquirers; they were people who had come to trap him. He didn’t ask them what they meant by a sign from heaven or whether, if they got a sign, they’d demand another sign and then another and another. Questions like those would all have been good debating points, but if they were ever to be won over it would not be by debate.
4. Ultimately, not everyone will be won to Christ.
Jesus did not win everyone. In the last part of Luke 9 (verses 57-62), there are three people who all had reasons they could not follow Jesus, or at least not yet:
- A man who promised to follow but did not seem to have counted the cost.
- Another who wanted to prioritize burying his father but Jesus would not let him wait.
- Another who wanted to put family needs first and Jesus told him he could not look back.
FOUR LESSONS FOR US TODAY adapted from https://www.seminary.edu/dealing-with-draining-people-mark-811-13/
Recent
Archive
2021
January
February
March
April
2020
September
October
November