With the disciples recognizing that Jesus is truly the long-awaited Messiah and the very Son of God, Jesus starts preparing them for what will happen next: The Kingdom of God will be initiated through suffering and death. The news is unbelievable, and Peter is the first to resist, but as we’ll read in Matthew 16, Jesus now shows the cost of discipleship.
In Matthew 16, Jesus once more heads into predominantly Gentile territory. This time, He travels straight north to Caesarea Philippi, a prominent place of idol worship at the northern tip of Israel’s land. With His disciples struggling with hard hearts, Jesus confronts them by asking them, “Who do you say that I am?” Tune in and see how the resulting conversation would come to change the world.
Following the events of Mark 7, Jesus remains on the Gentile side of the lake, ministering to what the Jews would call the “unclean.” After three days of teaching with no food, the crowd is in a similar predicament to the Jewish crowd a few months earlier. Would Jesus provide for the Gentiles the way He had provided for the Jews? Are the unclean on a similar footing as the clean? Who is the Kingdom of God for? Tune in as we explore the answers in Mark chapter 8.
Jesus continues through Gentile land back to the region of Decapolis, where he had once been. While being rejected the first time, Jesus now finds crowds flocking to him for healing. Jesus’ response to the needs of these people, perceived as unclean, will tell us much about the coming kingdom of God.
With the threat of death coming from Judea and growing opposition in the region of Galilee, Jesus fled from the Jewish land into ancient Phoenicia. However, His rising popularity had preceded Him, and it wasn’t long before a Gentile woman with a demon-possessed daughter fell at His feet. Although she was a pathetic picture of helplessness in the eyes of the Jews, we’ll see that this foreign woman became a role model for believers today.
In the next season of Jesus’ ministry, we encounter another confrontation with the Pharisees. This time, the issue is hand washing, which for first-century Jews had not only a cleaning value but also a ceremonial value. Jesus turns the act of washing into a parable to confront the sin in the hearts of the Pharisees… and our hearts as well.
What a disappointment! After feeding the 5000, the crowds wanted more food and even more provisions. They had caught up with Jesus on the other side of the lake only to hear that Jesus was and is the break of life and that they needed more of Him. Their response is disheartening and provides great insight into our hearts. Why do we follow Jesus?
After Jesus performed a string of miracles, from feeding 5,000 to walking on water and calming the storm, the people of Galilee were in a frenzy. They were stalking Jesus, wanting more bread or more provision rather than recognizing that the bread was just a sign of something far more important. What could be more important than the very sustenance of life?
Following the earlier events of Mark chapter 6, Jesus’ presentation of the Kingdom of Heaven now includes the unbelievable multiplication of food, with just 5 loaves and 2 fish feeding 5,000 men. However, the sudden end to the picnic shows there’s more going on than just an afternoon lunch. When the disciples are thrust into a boat bound for Bethsaida, they find themselves battling the elements throughout the night, making no progress and wondering all the while—will Jesus show up?
Jesus’ retreat from the public following the death of John the Baptist only brought about His largest crowd yet. With compassion, Jesus taught and ministered to the people in a remote place near the Sea of Galilee. Tune in as we see that by the end of that day, a hunger crisis set the stage for the crowds and the disciples to learn even more about the identity of Jesus and His kingdom of provision.