The Life of Christ

Jesus does give them the sign of Jonah, the warning to Nineveh that impending judgment was near.

• Unless Israel repents, the same will be true of them.

Jonah would also remain several days in the belly of the whale, illustrating Jesus’ similar stay within the heart of the earth.

• Then, just as Jonah emerged from the whale's belly, Jesus too, would resurrect conquering death.

• In the unlikely event that the Pharisees and Sadducees had taken to heart the sign given, there would have still been opportunity to repent during the opening days of the church age.

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Mk. 8:14-15 And they had forgotten to take bread; and did not have more than one loaf in the boat with them. 15 And He was giving orders to them, saying, “Watch out! Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

The leaven of Herod referred to the political/religious sect known as the Herodians, who believed the coming Messiah would descend from Herod.

• Their teachings had leavened the holy bread of Scripture.

Mk. 8:16 And they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread.

As soon as Jesus said, "leaven," the weightier matters of lunchtime appetite came to mind.

• They had forgotten to take bread along for their journey!

Mk. 8:17-21 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why do you discuss the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet see or understand? Do you have a hardened heart? 18 HAVING EYES, DO YOU NOT SEE? AND HAVING EARS, DO YOU NOT HEAR? And do you not remember, 19 when I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces you picked up?” They said to Him, “ Twelve. ” 20 “And when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of broken pieces did you pick up?” And they said to Him, “Seven.” 21 And He was saying to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

Their immediate fearful concern focused upon one of the very few things that irritated Jesus, according to the tone of His reaction — their lack of faith.

• He had hoped by now His disciples were beginning to grasp an understanding of the ever nearness of the miraculous.

• Even the multitudes would have believed!

• The fact that there was at least “one loaf” on board was all that really mattered; all that Jesus requires is just something to work with.

• God’s math is 1 (what we provide) x whatever God provides = enough for the miracle.

• This does show that Jesus was not opposed to performing miracles, if necessary, to meet the immediate needs of His own disciples.

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