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BACKGROUND FOR THIS EPISODE

(In Order of Appearance)

 NEW TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Mark 7:31 – Again, Jesus left the area near Tyre and went through the city of Sidon to Lake Galilee, which was in the middle of the area of Ten Towns. 
  • Luke 13:33 – After that, I must go, because all prophets should die in Jerusalem.’
  • Mark 7:32-37 – Some people brought a man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to put his hand on the man to heal him. The man was deaf. It was very hard for the man to talk. 33Jesus took the man along with him to be alone, away from the crowd. Then Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, made some spit, and touched the man’s tongue. 34Looking up to heaven, Jesus groaned. He said to the man, “Ephphatha!” (This means “Be opened!”) 35Instantly, the man could hear clearly, and the bond on his speech was released. He began to talk plainly. 36Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about this. But the more he warned them, the more they proclaimed it! 37The people were totally shocked. They said, “He has done everything well. He causes deaf people to hear and people who could not speak to speak!”
  • Matthew 15:29-39 – Jesus went away from there and came to Lake Galilee. He went up on a mountain and sat down there. 30Many, many people came to him. They had their sick people with them: the lame, the blind, the crippled, the deaf, and many others. They laid them at Jesus’ feet, and he healed them all. 31The crowd was amazed when they saw the deaf people talking, the crippled people healthy, the lame ones walking, and the blind people seeing. They praised the God of Israel. 32Jesus called his followers. He said to them, “I feel sorry for this crowd. For three days they have stayed with me without eating anything. I don’t want to send them away hungry; they might faint along the road.” 33His followers said to him, “Where can we get enough bread in this remote place to satisfy such a large crowd!?” 34Jesus said to them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?” They answered, “Seven . . . and a few little fish.” 35Jesus ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish. After he thanked God, he divided the food and began giving it to his followers, who then distributed it to the crowd. 37Everyone ate and was full. They gathered up all the pieces of food which were left over. With this food, they filled seven huge baskets. 38(There were 4,000 men who ate, not including the women and children.) 39Jesus sent the crowds away. Then he climbed into the small boat and he came to the Magadan area.
  • Mark 8:10-12 – Immediately Jesus got into a small boat with his followers. He went to the Dalmanutha area. 11The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Jesus. They were trying to make Jesus prove that he came from God. 12Jesus groaned in his spirit. He said, “Why do the people living today ask for a miracle? I am telling you the truth; no proof like that will be given to them!”
  • Matthew 16:1-12 – The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus. They were trying to make Jesus prove to them that he came from heaven. 2Jesus answered them, “When evening begins, you say, ‘It will be good weather tomorrow, because the sky is red.’ 3And, in the morning, you say, ‘Today it will be stormy, because the sky is red and dark.’ You can understand changes in the sky which show a change in the weather, but you cannot understand the signs of change of this time in history. 4The people who are living today are evil and not faithful to God. They ask for a proof from God, but no proof will be given to them except the Jonah miracle.” Then Jesus left them and went away. 5When Jesus’ followers went across Lake Galilee, they forgot to bring along some bread. 6Jesus said to them, “Be careful! Watch out for the yeasta of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.” 7They started thinking to themselves, “Jesus must have said this because we didn’t bring along any bread.” 8Jesus knew what was on their minds. He said, “Oh, you have so little faith! Why are you thinking to yourselves, ‘. . . that you have no bread’? 9Do you still not understand!? Do you remember the five loaves of bread which fed the 5,000 men? Do you remember how many large baskets of leftovers you picked up? 10“Do you remember the seven loaves of bread which fed the 4,000 men? Do you remember how many huge baskets of leftovers you picked up? 11Why could you not understand what I said to you!? When I said, ‘Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and the Sadducees,’ I was not talking about literal bread.” 12Then they understood that Jesus was not wanting them to stay away from the yeast used for literal bread. Instead, he wanted them to avoid the teaching of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.
  • Bethsaida was built into a beautiful walled city by Herod Philip and renamed Julius in honor of the daughter of Augustus Caesar.  He made it his capital city, complete with magnificent palace and other public buildings.  It is today known as Khirbet el ‘Araj.
  • Mark 8:22 – Jesus and his followers came into Bethsaida. The people were carrying a blind man to Jesus. They begged Jesus to touch him. 
  • John 19:23-24 – After the soldiers had nailed Jesus to the cross, they took his clothes and divided them into four parts—one for each soldier, but the robe remained. This robe was seamless—completely made of one piece of woven cloth. 24They said to one another, “Let’s not tear it. Let’s gamble for it, to see who will get it!” This happened to make this Scripture come true: “They divided my clothes among themselves. They gambled for my clothing.” (Psalms 22:18) That is what the soldiers did.
  • Mark 8:23-26 – He held the blind man’s hand and led him outside the village. After Jesus spit into the man’s eyes, he put his hands on him. Jesus asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24The man looked up and said, “I see people moving around; they look like trees to me!” 25Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes again. Then the man could see well; his sight came back. He could see everything clearly. 26Jesus sent the man to his home with these words, “Don’t go into the village!”
OLD TESTAMENT OF THE BIBLE:
  • Exodus 39:1 – They made finely-woven clothes from blue, purple, and red yarn for the priests who were serving in the Holy Place. They also made holy clothes for Aaron, just as Yahweh had commanded Moses.
  • Zechariah 6:11, 13 [PREDICTED 480 YEARS BEFORE JESUS] – 11Take some silver and gold,o and shape it into a double crown.p Then put it on the head of Joshua [Hebrew for Jesus], the son of Jehozadak. (Joshua is the high priest.)…13He is the One who will build the temple of Yahweh. He will receive royal honor. He will sit upon his thrones and he will rule. And, there will be a priest beside his throne. And, there will be harmony between the two.’t 

 

OTHER JESUS QUOTES IN THIS EPISODE

FLAVIUS JOSEPHUS:
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, Bk. 18, 1 and 2 (Palestine and Syria were the same province and Cyrenius, a Romans senator, and Coponius were sent to rule it.  It was this Cyrenius who carried out the census ordered by Caesar that resulted in Jesus being born in Bethlehem.  When Herod Archaelaus was dethroned and banished by Caesar when Jesus was eleven, Palestine was separated and put under a prefect headquartered in Jerusalem.  At the time of Jesus’ ministry, Pilate was that prefect. )
  • (See ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, Bk. 18, Containing The Interval Of Thirty-Two Years.—From The Banishment Of Archelus To The Departure From Babylon.  CHAPTER 1. How Cyrenius Was Sent By Cæsar To Make A Taxation Of Syria And Judea; And How Coponius Was Sent To Be Procurator Of Judea; Concerning Judas Of Galilee And Concerning The Sects That Were Among The Jews.CHAPTER 2. Now Herod And Philip Built Several Cities In Honor Of Cæsar. Concerning The Succession Of Priests And Procurators; As Also What Befell Phraates And The Parthians.)  The previous chapter explained that Decapolis was a region within Herod Philip’s province where there were ten Greek cities with all citizens holding Roman citizenship and answering directly to Caesar, bypassing Herod.
  • ANTIQUITIES OF THE JEWS, BK. 18, 2:1 – When Philip also had built Paneas, a city at the fountains of Jordan, he named it Caesarea.  He also advanced the village Bethsaida, situate at the lake of Gennessareth [Galilee] unto the dignity of a city, both by the number of inhabitants it contained, and its other grandeur, and called it by the name of Julias, the same name with Caesar’s daughter.

JULIAN, ROMAN EMPEROR 361-363 (enemy of Christianity):

  • Jesus has now been celebrated about three hundred years; having done nothing in his lifetime worthy of fame, unless anyone thinks it a very great work to heal lame and blind people and exorcise demons in the villages of Bethsaida and Bethany.

SPECIAL CHARACTERS APPEARING IN OTHER EPISODES

Season 2, Folk Hero, “Gates of Glory”