I.
The Basics
A.
Setting
Jesus’ ministry in Galilee was
coming to an end. Through what He has done, His divine nature was becoming
clearer. Nevertheless, the Pharisees continued to test Him, asking Him for a
sign from heaven.
B.
Key Verse
“But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said,
‘Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall
be given to this generation’” (8:12).
C.
Did You Know…?
1.
Greek (7:26): The woman was not from Greece, but
a Gentile by culture and religion.Matthew calls the woman a
Canaanite, referring to her nationality. Jesus almost certainly spoke Greek to
her.
2.
Syro-Phoenician (7:26): An inhabitant of
Phoenicia, which in New Testament times was part of the Roman province of Cilia
and Syria.
3.
Dogs (7:27): Wild dogs in Syria resemble
jackals—nocturnal scavengers. In biblical times, and in many cultures, calling
someone a dog was a great insult.11
4.
“Ephphatha!” (7:34): An Aramaic expression,
which might imply that the man was not a Gentile.
5.
Basket (8:8): A large basket (spuris), different
from the ones in Mk 6:43. It is more like a hamper, big enough to hold a man
(cf. Acts 9:25).
6.
Dalmanutha (8:10): Also called Magdala or
Magadan, it was the home of Mary Magdalene. It was likely south of Gennesaret.
7.
Leaven/yeast (8:15): Leaven played an important
part, not only in bread making but also in law, ritual, and religious teaching.
Leaven was produced from bread flour kneaded without salt and kept until it
fermented.Yeast doesn’t grow, it permeates the dough. Only a small
quantity is needed to make dough grow.
II.
Observation
A.
Outline
(7:24-30)
(24-26)
(27)
(28)
(29-30)
(7:31-37)
(31-32)
(33-35)
(36-37)
(8:1-9)
(1-5)
(6-9)
(8:10-21)
(10-11)
(12-13)
(14-18)
(19-21)
(8:22-26)
(22)
(23-25)
(26)
B.
Key Words/Phrases
III.
General Analysis
1. How
are the three miracles in 7:24-30, 7:31-37, and 8:22-26 different from other
miracles?
2. What
signs from God do you ask for?
IV.
Segment Analysis
A.
7:24-30
1. What is the significance of
the woman’s ethnic and cultural background (7:26)?
2. What did the woman mean by her
reply (7:28)?
3. What was commendable about the
woman?
4. Jesus usually was gentle with
people who came to Him. Why did He insult the woman (cf. 7:27)?
5. What does each of the
following represent?
5a. Children
5b. Bread
5c. Dogs
5d. Crumbs
6. What does this parable teach
us about God’s salvation plan?
B.
7:31-37
Questions combined with 8:22-26.
See below.
C.
8:1-9
7. Why did Jesus wait three days
before feeding the crowd? What does this teach us about waiting for God?
8. What does the disciples’
question in 8:4 tell you about their faith?
9. Compare the feeding of four
thousand to the feeding of five thousand (Mk 6:35-44). In which scenario was
the crowd hungrier? Which had more leftovers? What does this teach us?
A.
8:10-21
10. The following is a partial
list of “signs from heaven” (8:11) found in the Old Testament. For each, list a
similar sign given to prove Jesus’ divine nature. (cf. Mt 3:11; 28:2; Mk 1:11;
9:7; Lk 1:28; 2:10; Jn 6:33-35, 51; 12:28; 20:12).
10a. Angel (Gen 22:11; 2Kgs 6:17)
10b. Bread (Ex 16:4)
10c. Fire (Ex 19:18; 1Kgs 18:38,
2Chr 7:1)
10d. Voice (Ex 19:19; Dan 4:31)
11. Why was it a test to ask
Jesus for a sign?
12. What does “this generation”
(8:12) refer to?
13. What did Jesus mean by, “No
sign shall be given to this generation” (8:12)?
14. What were the leaven of the
Pharisees and the leaven of Herod (8:15)? (cf. Mt 16:12; Lk 12:1; 1Cor 5:6,8)
15. Why did Jesus specifically
remind the disciples of the leftovers? What did the two miracles of the loaves
have to do with leaven?
16. What does the disciples’
discussion (8:16) teach us about interpreting the Bible?
B.
7:31-37, 8:22-26
17a. Compare the healing of the
deaf man in 7:31-37 with the healing of the blind man in 8:22-26. List the
sequence of events for each miracle on Chart E below.
17b. How are the events similar? How are they different? What do the
similarities and differences tell us about sharing our testimonies with others?
18. Why did Jesus take the deaf man and the blind man away from the
crowd?
19. Why did Jesus use His spit to heal?
20a. How are these two miracles related to what Jesus said in
8:17-18?
