Jesus and his disciples took a ship to what a
coast that isn't certain. They were trying to find
a few days of rest.

But Mark 8:11 shows they hardly got there
when some Pharisees came questioning Him and
seeking a sign. He gave them an abrupt answer
and went back into the ship, leaving them there,
and going over to the other side.
Notice that the disciples didn't suggest what He
should do. By now, they had realized that He had
never made use of His supernatural power un-
necessarily. So they didn't presume to advise Him.

Whatever He told them to do, they would do it. So
when Jesus asked them what food they had, they
told Him, "Seven loaves and a few little fishes."

Jesus had the people sit down, then took the loaves
and fishes and gave thanks. When Jesus broke the
bread, there was enough for all and some left over.
By the time it was all gathered, there were seven
baskets full.
Jesus seemed to want to get away from the
people for a while, but they had been with Him
for about three days and looked tired. Their
provisions were gone. They didn't want to miss
anything so they hadn't gone for any more.

Jesus took pity on them and didn't want to send
them away in case some were to faint by the
way.

Many times multitudes had been with them but
not before had He fed them.
O' Give Thanks unto the Lord!
The people of that area who weren't familiar with
His miracles were astonished. And they said, "He
hath done all things well:: he maketh both the
deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak" Mark 7:37

After the miracle He requested the people to not
speak of it, but as usual they did it anyway.

Great multitudes followed Jesus, bringing to Him
their sick, blind, and dumb. The Bible say that
He healed them all.
It seems that all the intensity and compassion
that was in Jesus' nature was shown in this case.
He took time with this man. He was moved with
pity when He saw the condition of a human whom
God intended to be in His own image.

He saw and sighed over the sorrows and sufferings
of the human race. It was a sigh of intercession to
the ears of the Father.
In the case of this deaf-mute there was some
thing affecting his speech. So not only was the
deaf spirit cast out, but a miracle of healing also
was performed.

Because this healing was unusual, Jesus' way of
treating the man was different. Jesus took him
aside from the crowd, put His fingers in his ears
and He spit and touched his tongue.

His way of ministering in this case was rather
peculiar but had a specific purpose.
Read about the deaf-mute that was brought to
Jesus to be healed in Mark 7:32-35

This wasn't an ordinary case of deafness and this
man was unable to speak. Deafness is often caused
by an evil spirit oppressing the auditory nerve.
Often there is nothing else wrong with the deaf
person who would be able to speak if only he could
hear. But since he couldn't hear, he had no idea
what kind of sounds he made when he tried to talk.
Jesus, knowing that His ministry was "to the
lost sheep of the house of Israel," returned to
Galilee. Even though the Pharisees had become
His deadly enemy, Jesus continued to heal the
multitudes that followed Him.

They had brought the lame, maimed, blind, and
dumb, and many other sick and cast them down
at Jesus' feet to be healed. He healed them all.

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The woman said, "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat
of the crumbs which fall from their master's
table" Matthew 15:27 She had come to the point
where she was able to get her blessing.

Her perseverance paid off and the Lord granted
deliverance for her daughter and said, "O woman,
great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou
wilt" Matthew 15:28
Great faith is marked by persistence, a refusal
to accept defeat. Difficulties only encouraged
her on.

We are taught that though there are instances
when deliverance does not appear immediately,
that is not a reason to be discouraged.

"Men ought always to pray, and not to faint."
It the Syrophoenician woman who was not of
the people of faith could prevail for an answer,
how much more should the people of faith!
We see her amazing faith through all of her dis-
couragement. She didn't have a revealed promise
to stand on. But she felt that a God of mercy
could provide for her.

Her persistence and patience would shame most
who claim to be 'believers' and are those who are
to inherit the promises. It seems Jesus was try-
ing to draw out of her the faith she had inside.
From this incident, we may learn the valuable
lesson on the power of persevering faith.

Her daughter was tormented by a devil and out
of her mind. She had no chance of getting better.

When she found Jesus, He didn't pay any attention
to her. "He answered her not a word."

She turned to the disciples, but they were for send-
ing her away. Though Jesus didn't send her away,
He seemed to agree, "I am not sent but unto the
lost sheep f Israel".

She then came and worshipped Him, pleading,
"Lord, help me." Jesus said, "It is not meet to take
the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs" He
had called her as a Gentile dog. It was not for her
....
People who had been to Galilee and had seen the
miracles there had returned and told the others
what had happened. Apparently, word of His
coming had gotten there before Him.

As soon as He reached the area, a woman came to
Him for help saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord,
thou son of David; my daughter is grievously
vexed with a devil."

They must have thought that Jesus would answer
her prayer immediately. But if He had, He would
be presenting His kingdom to the Gentile world.
By birth she was a Canaanite; by position a subject
of Rome; and by culture a Greek.

"But He answered her not a word." Jesus had a
reason for delaying.
After Jesus talked to the Pharisees about washing
pots and pans and all their traditions, He rebuked
them for making the word nothing by doing them.

"Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the
coasts of Tyre and Sidon." Matthew 15:21

Jesus made a journey into a land beyond Israel.
Maybe it was to be alone with His disciples. Before
He had crossed over into the Gadarenes, and even
Galilee; but wasn't able to find seclusion. Now he
decided to go into Phoenicia where the people
were idolatrous and sinful and had been run off by
the Israelites. The Jews wouldn't ordinarily go near
this area so it may have been a good place to get
some rest. He wouldn't be recognized there.

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Caiaphas had given the authorities the orders to
arrest Jesus and was arranging for the trial.

Although he and the others thought they were
achieving their own purpose, instead they were
working out the eternal plan and bringing upon
the nation and the world the events that they
were trying to avoid.
Jesus knew of the Jews decision to kill Him, which
they thought they had kept secret.

So He got His disciples and left Jerusalem. They
went to a small town named Ephraim. They didn't
have to wait long because the Passover was soon

and Jesus and His disciples would be going back.


Caiaphas was a high priest so he was suppose to
have the gift of prophecy. The decendants of
Aaron received supernatural revelation.

When Caiaphas spoke it was accepted as prophecy,
and by accepting his words as prophecy which were
fulfilled, the Jews became guilty of a terrible crime.
This prophecy sealed their doom, they made the
awful decision to kill Jesus.

They put a price on His head. The high priest was
given the authoriy to offer a reward to whoever
would give them the information needed to make
Jesus' arrest.
"And one of them, named Caiaphas, being the
high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye
know nothing at all. Nor consider that it is ex-
penient for us, that one man should die for the
people, and that the whole nation perish not"
John 11:49-50

In verses 51 and 52 Caiaphas is told to have
prophecied of Jesus' death by the spirit of God.
That seems strange that one of these men
who was about to commit the crime of the ages,
in fact, the leader, could me moved by the Spirit
of God to tell of Jesus' death.

Jesus said that some will prophecy but will be
rejected by Him as those He never knew in
Matthew 7:22-23
These Jewish leaders were worried that the crowds
would rally and glorify Jesus as the Messiah and
king of Israel; then the Romans would take over.

"Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees
a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth
many miracles. If we let him thus alone, all men
will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and
take away both our place and nation."
John 11:47-48
Many of the Jews, who were there when Lazarus
was raised from the dead accepted Jesus as their
Messiah. But others were stubborn and set in
their ways.

They went back to Jerusalem and reported the
miracle and its results to the rulers of the Jews.
The chief priests and the Pharisees got together to
see what they should do.

They were angry but could't deny the miracle;
yet they wouldn't believe in Jesus. They debated
on what to do. This miracle was going to make
Jesus very popular.
Then raising His voice with awesome authority,
Jesus cried, "Lazarus come forth." And after He
had called Lazarus, a figure appeared to move in
the darkness.

His spirit had returned to his body, from the
paradise of Abraham. Wrapped in grave cloth
he was hardly able to walk out of the tomb.

"Loose him, and let him go," Jesus, who had the
power over death and life, told them. They did as
He said; and before them was a young man in
great health, and continued to live for another
thirty years.
"Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe,
thou shouldest see the glory of God?" Jesus had to
remind Martha of His promise.

Jesus looked up to heaven and thanked the Father
for raising up Lazarus while he was yet in the tomb.
Jesus knew that the Father always heard Him, even
before the miracle happened.

Then they removed the stone from in front of the
tomb.
In Jesus' time the law required that graveyards
be a mile away from a town. This grave, like most
graves of rich people, was carved out of the rock
and a large slab of stone placed in front of the
entrance.

When they all reached the tomb, Jesus said, "Take
ye away the stone." This is the time Martha was
unsure of opening it because Lazarus had been
dead for four days and there would be an awful
odor.
Not everyone at Bethany were Jesus' friends.
There likely were spies that were watching to
see if He would return because of Lazarus' death.
But no one was going to Jerusalem to tell the
Jews that He was there.

In fact, some of them wondered, "Could not
this man, which opened the eyes of the blind,
have caused that even this man should not
have died?"
Jesus was outside of Bethany with His disciples
and some friends. When Mary came, she fell
at Jesus' feet, weeping and said, "Lord, if thou
hadst been here, my brother had not died."
Others that were with her were weeping also.

Her grief was so great and her emotions were
so intense that she just humbly left all in His
hands.
Martha didn't fully understand what Jesus meant
but she showed her faith in Him. "Yea, Lord: I
believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God,
which should come into the world." John 11:27

Then she went back to tell Mary that He had come.
It seems like the way she was quick and silent to
go to Jesus and return to Mary, that it wasn't safe
for Jesus to return.