Mark 8:22 He came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Him, and begged Jesus to touch him. 23 He took hold of the blind man by the hand, and brought him out of the village. When He had spit on his eyes, and laid His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 24 He looked up, and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking.” 25 Then again He laid his hands on his eyes. He made him look up, and was restored, and saw everything clearly. 26 He sent him away to his house, saying, “Do not enter into the village.” 27 Jesus went out, with his disciples, into the villages of Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” 28 And they said to him, saying, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah, but 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 He commanded them that they should tell no one about him. NHEB
In the verses just prior to these (Mark 8:14-21) while en-route to Bethsaida, Jesus presses the apostles regarding their inability to see despite having eyes and He questions whether they understand. Bethsaida is a town on the north side of the Sea of Galilee that is where Phillip, Peter and Andrew are from. Jesus performed a number of miracles here but without much impact on the population. In Matthew, we see Him denouncing Bethsaida:
Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin. Woe to you, Bethsaida. For if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon which were done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. NHEB
This particular miracle is a little different because it is performed in private and it is a two part miracle. Some suggest that Jesus took the blind man out of town because there was no need to continue performing miracles in Bethsaida given their unbelief. A second point of view is that this is a teaching moment for the apostles and as such, is done privately. This miracle may point to the apostles current spiritual position since they have watched but still don’t have insight into what it all means. (Pentecost will change this when they receive the Holy Spirit and will see clearly just as the blind man did here after part two of the miracle). Some of them are about to see with greater clarity even ahead of Pentecost after what happens in Mark 9:2.
At this point, John the Baptist is dead so it seems odd for people to think that is who Jesus is (as Herod did) unless John has somehow been resurrected, reincarnated or otherwise brought back to life. (There were some Jews in the first century that believed in reincarnation). There is an expectation of a messenger who will clear the way for the Messiah (Malachi 3:1). Peter, in a brief moment of clarity, answers for the group that Jesus is the Christ (Greek for Messiah). As has been happening earlier in the text, Jesus then instructs them to keep it quiet.
During the second exile, the Persians defeated the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to return home and rebuild the Temple. Later, Alexander the Great takes over for the Persians. After he dies, the empire was divided between his four generals with the Jews falling under control of Seleucus I. A later successor of Seleucus outlawed the practice of Judaism and defiled the Temple leading to the Maccabean Revolt. This revolt was so successful that the Jews essentially were an autonomous kingdom again until the Romans came along in 63 B.C.
The Jews in Jesus’ time remember not only the Maccabean Revolt but also the independence that came from those battles. Combine these memories with the expectation of a Messiah who, as a descendant of King David, will be royalty Himself. Even the disciples have this expectation of a warrior king who will return them to the glory years of King David. If Jesus is the Messiah they expect, it will mean political freedom as well as violence.
Acts 1:6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?” WEB
This expectation must have been known by the Romans as they built a military compound right next to the Temple and filled it with soldiers on high holy days, just in case of revolt. They have also executed people claiming to be the Jewish Messiah.
Mark 8:31 He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 He spoke to them openly. Peter took him, and began to rebuke him. 33 But he, turning around, and seeing his disciples, rebuked Peter, and said, “Get behind me, Satan. For you have in mind not the things of God, but the things of man.” NHEB
After Peter refers to Him as “Christ”, Jesus responds as “Son of Man” (Some see this as a reference to His humanity but since Mark 8 is about Messiah this title comes from Daniel 7). Jesus tells them that He is the Messiah but is not who they were expecting because instead of a military skirmish, He is going to die.
Jesus will make this same statement again in chapters 9 and 10 of Mark. We get to the end and Jesus dies leaving the disciples disappointed. They thought Jesus was the one yet in their minds, the Messiah isn’t supposed to die. (Our favorite rabbi also doesn’t expect the Messiah to die). At this point, this is a tough pill for the apostles to swallow.
Mark 9:30 Going on from there, they passed through Galilee. But Jesus did not want anyone to know, 31 because He was teaching His disciples. He told them, “The Son of Man will be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill Him, and after three days He will rise.” 32 But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him about it. BSB
Mark 10:32 They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going in front of them, and they were amazed; and those who followed were afraid. He again took the twelve, and began to tell them the things that were going to happen to him. 33 “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem. The Son of Man will be delivered to the chief priests and the scribes. They will condemn Him to death, and will deliver Him to foreigners. 34 They will mock Him, spit on Him, scourge Him, and kill Him. After three days He will rise again.” NHEB
In Luke 24, Jesus does Bible study with the two who are on their way to Emmaus after they tell Him about their dashed hopes of Israel’s redemption.
Luke 24:17 He said to them, “What are you talking about as you walk, and are sad?” 18 One of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who doesn’t know the things which have happened there in these days?” 19 He said to them, “What things?” They said to him, “The things concerning Jesus, the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people; 20 and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we were hoping that it was He who would redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened…… 25He said to them, “Foolish men, and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Didn’t the Christ have to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Beginning from Moses and from all the prophets, He explained to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself. WEB
Later with the disciples, He explains to them about how the Old Testament is about a Messiah who will suffer and die first.
Luke 24:44 He said to them, “This is what I told you, while I was still with you, that all things which are written in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms, concerning Me must be fulfilled.” 45 Then He opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 Behold, I send forth the promise of my Father on you. But wait in the city of Jerusalem until you are clothed with power from on high.” WEB
We might ask why they didn’t they see this as it seems rather clear in Isaiah.