Sunday: Pharisees Seek a Sign — Matthew 16:1-4; Mark 8:10-12
The saying, “Red sky at morning, sailors take warning; red sky at night, sailors delight,” often seems more accurate than modern-day weather forecasts. From ancient times fishermen and farmers examined the skies to predict the weather. The Pharisees wanted a similar sign as proof of who Jesus was. They looked for some miracle from Heaven. Jesus reminded them that they already had indicators but were unable to interpret them. How often do we look right at a message from God but not see what God is telling us or asking of us because we are blinded by distractions of the world? We should ask God to open our spiritual eyes to see.
Monday: Leaven of the Pharisees — Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:13-21
In this passage, Jesus compares the teaching of the religious leaders to leaven. It took the disciples a while, but they finally realized He was referring to spiritual things. Jesus put a great deal of emphasis on discerning between the traditions of men, the principles of the world, and the Word of God (Colossians 2:9). His desire was that His followers recognize false doctrine and detect the truth. The main yardstick by which to measure truth is the Word of God. We need to study and know the Word of God so that we aren’t taken in by an incomplete presentation of the Word.
Tuesday: Ye of Little Faith — Matthew 16:5-12; Mark 8:13-21
The disciples, distracted by their hunger, misinterpreted what Jesus was talking about. They thought He was talking about their situation in the natural (hunger). He reminded them that He could easily solve that problem as He had done for the multitude when He fed the 5000 and later the 4000. Jesus chastised them for their lack of faith: they had seen the miracles, yet they worried about where their next meal would come from. We must believe not only that God “can” but also that He “will” do the work.
Wednesday: The Blind Man at Bethsaida — Mark 8:22-26
This passage shows us that Jesus does care about what we suffer in the natural. With just a divine touch, a man’s blindness was healed, leading us to the truth that Jesus has the power to restore blindness, both in the natural and in the spiritual. The city of Bethsaida had judgment pronounced upon it for their unbelief (Matthew 11:21-24). Jesus takes the blind man away and restores his sight from outside the city so that no other signs to His lordship would be given to them. The healed man is directed to return home without going through Bethsaida again.
Thursday: Peter Proclaims the Messiah — Matthew 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21
Peter’s confession that Jesus was the Messiah holds a multitude of lessons for us: acknowledgement of the divinity of Jesus; revelation that Jesus is the Savior; the authority of Christ; Jesus as the spiritual foundation; and the promises of blessings and authority to all who believe.
Friday: Predicting Christ’s Death — Matthew 16:21-28; Mark 8:31-37; Luke 9:22-25
One minute, Peter is a rock, sharing the revelation that Jesus is the Christ. The next minute, Peter is a stumbling block, rebuking Jesus for predicting His rejection and death. How difficult it is for us to understand the divine will! God reveals His will to the spiritually minded man, yet even so, we still see through a glass darkly. We must allow God to direct our lives, and trust in Him.
Saturday: Predicting the Second Coming — Matthew 16:27-28; Mark 8:38-9:1; Luke 9:26-27
After revealing His soon-coming death, Jesus did not leave His disciples with feelings that they’d be abandoned. Instead, He shared with them the hope of His imminent return. This is still our hope—as we toil against sin’s reign and victoriously overcome by His power—we await in joyful hope for His return.