TITLE: The Leaven of Unbelief

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TEXT: Mark 8:11-21

11 And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question [dispute] with him, seeking of him a sign from heaven, tempting [proving or testing] him. 12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek after a sign? verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation.

INTRO: Of all the questions that we might ask our text today, none is more important than “What does the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod represent?” As a child, I was taught that leaven represented sin, and I assumed that as such the Jews never consumed it. That assumption was wrong. Jews were commanded to abstain from leavened bread and put all leaven out of their houses during the Feast of Unleavened Bread that immediately followed Passover (Exodus 12:14-15).

14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. 15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

Leaven was the word used for any substance that produced fermentation when added to dough. Today, we add dry yeast to dough to cause it to rise. In Bible times, dough already “infected by leaven” was placed into flour so that the leaven could pass through the entire mass before baking. This may be what Jesus referenced in one of the kingdom parables of Matthew 13:33.

33 The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.

But leaven itself was not evil. It increased the volume and improved the taste of bread. Scripture only forbade leaven during the Feast of Unleavened Bread associated with Passover and forbade it for any offering that was laid on the alter. While the Bible does not address this matter directly, Jewish historian Josephus said that shewbread baked for the table of shewbread in the tabernacle/temple was baked with leaven (Antiq. 4.6.6; 10).

Two exceptions to this rule should be noted. Leaven could be used in offerings that were to be eaten by the priests or others. Leavened bread could accompany the peace offering (

Passover commemorated the night of the 10th plague when the LORD passed throughout the land of Egypt taking the life of all firstborn unless they were in a home where the blood of the Passover sacrifice had been properly applied to the door. While Passover pointed to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus on the Cross by which our judgment for sin may be passed over, the observance and the associated 8-day feast was instituted as the children of Israel exited their Egyptian bondage. Their departure from Pharaoh’s enslavement was sudden and rushed. Leaven bread took time to prepare, and there was no time for that when Pharaoh finally let God’s people go (Exodus 12:34, 39).

34 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneadingtroughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders. . . 39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

Because it took so much time to prepare and use, leavened dough became less common in ordinary baking. Rabbinic representations of leaven as a symbol of evil may also have contributed to its disuse. The New Testament, however, uses leaven to symbolize both good and bad. Jesus used it to picture false doctrine and hypocrisy (Matthew 16:6, 11-12; Mark 8:15). Paul used unleavened bread to represent sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? 7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jesus also used it in a kingdom parable. Those who think leaven always represents evil (like J. Vernon McGee) suggest that the leaven a woman kneaded into three measures of flour represents the evil that coexists in churches today. Others say, no, the leavened dough of this parable represents the power of the gospel. I think that the latter is more likely what Jesus intended.
So is there a consistent principle illustrated by leaven in the Bible? Yes. That principle is the power of influence. When leaven is added to a lump of dough, that dough will not stay the same.
John wrote that all the miraculous signs performed by Jesus were done so that people might believe on Him (John 20:30-31). Why? Because believing on Jesus Whom God sent can we be saved (John 5:24).

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

When they saw his mighty works, many believed on Jesus.
In Jerusalem at Passover (John 2:23):

23 Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did.

In Samaria (John 4:39):

39 And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.

In Jerusalem at the Feast of Tabernacles, mid-October (John 7:31):

31 And many of the people believed on him, and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?

In Bethany when He Raised Lazarus (John 12:11):

11 By reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

Yet some who believed on Him did so secretly for fear of the Pharisees who so opposed Jesus (John 12:37-43).

37 But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him: 38 That the saying of Esaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? and to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? 39 Therefore they could not believe, because that Esaias said again, 40

Matthew’s record of Jesus’ leaven teaching refers to the leaven of the Pharisees and the Saducees. Both of these were religious sects committed to Rabbinic traditions. The Saducees, while a religous sect, were a little more secular in their thinking. The rejected the idea of angels, and they denied the resurrection. Pharisees numbered about 6,000 in Jesus’ day, and they maintained influence over religious and political life. Mark wrote of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod. Why Herod? Well, Herod also sought after signs and wonders and as a puppet king of the Jews, had good reason to resist a rising Messiah. These religious and political influencers were bothered when many were believing on Jesus. Unbelief is not a failure to be convinced; it is a choice not to accept what God reveals as truth.
PROP: Beware of unbelief.
1. Unbelief argues but cannot win (8:11).
“Question with him” - They were not sincerely seeking answers; they were debating and finding fault.
“Tempting him” - They were not were not enticing Him with evil; they were testing and trying to prove Him wrong. Whenever the Pharisees showed up in Jesus’ biography, this was their objective.
2. Unbelief asks and does not receive (8:11).
“Seeking of him” - What they sought of Jesus, they did not seek in faith. They were only seeking signs whereby they might accuse Him (Mark 3:2).

2 And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.

Ask Him for forgiveness of sin while you are depending upon your improved performance to earn His favor, and you will not receive the thing for which you ask.
Ask for Him depending upon the words that you utter as though some magical incantation is pronounced, and you will not receive the thing for which you ask.
But ask of Him relying only upon what He is willing and able to provide, and you can see the deepest need of your soul met.
3. Unbelief assumes but cannot know with certainty (8:14-21).
As Jesus climbed into the boat with His disciples, you can read the disappointment in His Words, “Take heed, beware of the leaven (influence) of the Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod” (8:15). What followed was a conversation between His disciples about why he mentioned leaven. Turns out, that no one had brought sufficient bread for their trip. As they discussed it among themselves, they concluded either that Jesus was dropping a hint about their neglect to bring bread or that He was cautioning them against accepting anything from the Pharisees.
Jesus called men and women to rely upon (believe in) Him. As Jesus overheard their preoccupation with their next meal, He asked, “What was left over when I fed 5K?” They answered, “Twelve baskets of bread.” He asked, “What was left over when I fed four thousand?” They answered, “Seven baskets of bread.” They point was “Believe in me. Stop worrying about where your next meal will come from.”
Unbelief will stop men with eyes from seeing.
Unbelief will stop men with ears from hearing.
Unbelief will stop men with hearts from understanding.
Some men are sure about what they know, but they are surely wrong. They are hardened to the truth that the Lord has so obviously revealed. The certainty to which the Lord summons us is based upon a faith response to truth He reveals. The Pharisees, Saducees, and Herodians would have nothing to do with that. But those who followed Jesus obtained truth and certainty by faith.
You can know how the physical world came into being (Hebrews 11:3).

3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

You can know that your sins are forgiven and that you are on your way to heaven (1 John 5:11-13).

11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

You can know God is in control and that you are secure in His care even when trials abound (Philippians 4:6-7).

6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

<<My Faith Has Found a Resting Place by Eliza Hewitt>>
My faith has found a resting place,   Not in device nor creed; I trust the Ever-living One,   His wounds for me shall plead. 
Enough for me that Jesus saves,   This ends my fear and doubt; A sinful soul I come to Him,   He’ll never cast me out.
I need no other argument,   I need no other plea; It is enough that Jesus died,     And that He died for me.
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