To show that salvation is in Christ and Him alone.

To impress that we should be witnesses for Him.

To show that Jesus is able to save every soul.

To teach that we should be sincere in our faith and service and not hypocrites, like the Pharisees.

To show that it displeases God for us to be earthly minded.

To teach the importance of not wasting our life.

Introduction: Use an illustration of a slothful or incompetent worker. In our lesson today we see Jesus again as a servant and as one who doeth all things well.

Vs. 31 -- Decapolis was an area of ten cities and was where the Demoniac of Gadara was healed.

Vs. 32 --A deaf and dumb man who had some Christian friends was brought to Jesus by them. This sick man is another picture of an unsaved person, for the unsaved cannot really hear and understand spiritual truths apart from Christ (I Corinthians 2:14). Neither can they speak with clarity, the Bible message. One cannot speak with clarity what he does not understand.

Note: We ought to be bringing the unsaved to Jesus and we ought to be beseeching Our Lord on their behalf.

Vs. 33 -- The fact that He took him aside shows that Christ deals with every person as he needs to be dealt with. Some can best be saved amidst the multitude while others must be dealt with in privacy. Jesus evidently used this method of putting His fingers in his ears, etc., to show the man that the healing came from within His (Christ's) own being and thereby made it possible for the man to exercise faith in Him.

Vs. 34 -35 -- Christ served this man well with His power over sickness and affliction. At His command the affliction was immediately removed. Jesus is still saving souls and opening their hearing so they can understand spiritual truths and then give them out to other spiritually deaf people.

Vs. 36-37 -- Jesus still was not desirous of acclaim as a miracle worker so He charged them not to publish this but such news, men would not keep quiet. This should inspire us in this age, when Jesus does want the truths about Him published, to give out these truths in haste throughout the World.

The Blind Man Healed -- Vs. 8:22-26

Vs. 22 -- Bethsaida was a town on the northern coast of the sea of Galilee. The blind man was also a picture of a sinner, for the Bible teaches that sinners are spiritually blind. II Corinthians 4:3-6. Here again was a man who had friends who wanted him to be healed, so they brought him to the only one who could do it. Jesus is the only hope for unsaved sinners and we must do all we can to bring them to Jesus. Notice, his friends besought (prayed) Jesus to touch him. We should pray for our friends in like manner.

Vs. 23 -- The blind man followed Jesus, which showed that his faith would probably be adequate for he was willing. Here, again, Jesus took this man from the milling crowd in order to use His divine therapy personally and quietly upon him. Note, also, that Bethsaida was now a condemned city. Matthew 11:21-24. Jesus would not heal in that village nor permit further testimony to be borne there, vs. 26. God had shut the door to that town.

Vs. 24 -25 -- For some people, the full orbed vision of Christ seems to come more slowly than for others. This man needed a further demonstration of Christ's work and then he would clearly see. Jesus, because of this man's willingness, worked more with him. John 7:17.

The Holy Spirit included this miracle in Mark because it reveals the continuing compassion (concern, broken heart) of Christ whose heart is ever tender towards those in need. It underscores the slowness of the disciples to believe and it paves the way for Jesus' warning against doctrinal leaven.

Vs. 1-3 --Crowds continued to swarm around our Lord. For three days they had trailed Him, not even taking time to check their provisions. Jesus, ever sympathetic consulted with His disciples, who although skeptical cooperated in distributing the food.

Vs. 4 -- The disciples still did not realize that Jesus could satisfy the needs of all persons just at His command. How dull of mind we so often are. How full of unbelief we often are, just as these disciples. We underestimate the love and power of Christ. Matthew 28:18.

Vs. 5 -- Seven is the number of perfectness. We, who have Christ, have that which is perfect and complete and can feed and satisfy the hungry hearts of unsaved people.

Vs. 6-8 --He, in an orderly fashion, had the meal served and after prayer they ate. After all were filled, there was still a sufficient supply for all others, seven baskets full. Regardless of how many are saved by partaking or receiving Him who is the Bread of Life (John 6:31-58) there is still enough to satisfy every hungry heart on the face of the earth. I John 2:1 & 2. The Master Servant feeds well.

He Disciplined Well -- Vs. 10-13

Dalmanutha was on the western side of the lake. The incredulous Pharisees had watched Jesus work. Their request was an evidence of sheer, blatant, defiant unbelief. He sighed deeply. His inmost being was grieved to find such unbelief and determined opposition on the part of those who should have led the populace in the path of subjection to God and obedience to His Word. Their request for a sign only indicated the condition of their hearts. People today do not need any sign either in order to believe and trust in Christ for the only sign necessary for belief was given in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. Matthew 12:39 & 40. He left them. His statement of rebuke was enough to show His displeasure, so He left. He would hear no more of their foolishness. He disciplined well.

He Taught With Practical Applications -- Vs. 14-21

Vs. 14 -15 -- En route across the sea, again, the disciples had forgotten to stock their vessel with food. Jesus used the occasion to teach a great lesson. They were thinking of bread so He began to speak of leaven, which was used in making bread, and warned them against the leaven (evil) of the Pharisees and the Herodians. In reference to the Pharisees, Jesus is speaking of their formalism and hypocrisy. In reference to the Herodians, Jesus is speaking of the spirit of compromise. (6:26)

Vs. 16-21 -- The disciples were unable to lift their gaze above the material. Jesus appealed to the multitudes because of his repeated feeding of them and He rebuked His followers for their dimness of spiritual perception in being unable to comprehend this. Note: We are so prone to forget the great things God has done in the past. We, also, are inclined to keep our minds on earthly matters when they should be on spiritual matters. Let us learn to think of spiritual truths as we see and think of earthly things.

He Taught With Questions and Approved of Correct Answers -- Vs. 27-30

Vs. 27 -- Caesarea Phillippi was about 25 miles north of the Sea of Galilee.

Vs. 28 -- We can understand to some extent what Jesus was like by whom people thought He was. CF. 16:14. The characteristics of these men Jesus manifested. Eg. Jeremiah was known as the weeping prophet.

Vs. 29&30 -- Peter's answer was the result of deep conviction, based on a divine revelation.

CF. Mt. 16:16. Thus he declared his faith in Jesus both as Messiah and as the Divine Son of God. Jesus commended Peter. CF. Matthew 16. They were to tell no man for this must await the Resurrection and Ascension.

He Taught Them Truths That Would Benefit Them in the Future -- Vs. 31-34

The Messiah's ultimate Lordship will be realized only by the way of rejection and a cross. Peter, impetuous but still faithful, timorous and only partially discerning, misunderstands; he deserves and receives a stern rebuke. Jesus will not yield to Simon's insinuation that the way of the cross be avoided. That pitfall was long since skirted when the Saviour was tempted in the wilderness. (1:13 & 14; Matthew 4:8-10). The facts of the future presented would be of great benefit to the disciples, later.

He Taught Them of the Most Valuable Things in Life -- Vs. 34-38

Vs. 34 -- As a cross awaited Jesus, so the cross of self-denial is the portion of His loyal followers. The true disciple of Jesus is one who is prepared to "die daily" for His Master's sake. I Corinthians 15:31.

Vs. 35 -- "Whosoever will save his life shall lose it." The professed follower of Jesus who is concerned with his own best interest, as men say, and lives to gratify his own natural desires will find out at the judgement seat of Christ, that his life has not counted for God and it is really lost. A life laid down for Christ's sake will be richly rewarded.

Vs. 36&37 -- The soul-life is the most important and if, at the end of physical life, the soul-life is lost and nothing has been gained -- What shall a man give to reclaim it? Then it will be too late.

Vs. 38 -- Jesus then solemnly declares that He will be ashamed in the final day of reckoning of any who are ashamed of Him now. Jesus taught we must live for eternity.

Conclusion: Jesus was and is the servant who doeth all things well. He will make of our lives what they ought to be if we will follow His example and leading. He serves us today and leads us. Psalm 23. We should follow Him.

With this lesson you could conclude on the note that we should all strive to do "all things well", as He did.

"Anything worth doing is worth doing well."