Mark 8:10-9:1
10 immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha.
11 Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. 12 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.”
13 And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. 14 Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. 15 Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”
16 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.”
17 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart still hardened? 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 fragments did you take up?”
They said to Him, “Twelve.”
20 “Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?”
And they said, “Seven.”
21 So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?”
22 Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. 23 So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything.
24 And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.”
25 Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. 26 Then He sent him away to his house, saying, “Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.”
27 Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?”
28 So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.”
29 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.”
30 Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.
31 And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33 But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. 36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 38 For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
9 And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Jesus warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Herod.” The Pharisees’ teachings functioned like leaven, or yeast, that spread throughout Jerusalem like a cancer and turned people away from the truth of Scripture. Their teachings were nothing more than rules by which to live and their own erroneous interpretations and applications of the Scriptures over which they claimed to have authority. Although they were the religious leaders, they didn’t believe in Jesus as the fulfiller of Old Testament prophecies; they didn’t believe He was the Messiah, the Savior of the world.
Any preaching or teaching in the church by anyone claiming to be “religious” that does not point to Jesus as the only One who has fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies and Who gave His life on the cross to pay for the sins of all mankind is leaven. It is false and misleading. It is a cancer that ultimately and eternally kills.
What saves and gives life is the confession and teaching that Peter gave: Jesus is “the Christ, the Son of the living God” (the fuller presentation from Mt. 19:16), a confession that, according to Matthew, was given from God the Father. That is the only truth that matters in this world. That is the only truth that gives not only the certainty of sins paid for and the promise of heaven, but also the sure and certain hope of the resurrection.
Forgiveness of sins is given to us through God-given faith in Christ’s work for us on the cross. In Holy Baptism we die to sin as Christ did and rise to life as Christ did. His death and resurrection become ours in those wonderful waters by the power of the Word of God. And through regular hearing of Christ’s Gospel and reception of Christ’s Sacramental gifts, we continue to proclaim Christ’s death until He comes and are strengthened in our various vocations as living confessions of Christ to those around us.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, Your death and resurrection are solid truth. Keep us in that one true faith until You call us Home to be with You forever. Amen.
