Mark 7:31-37

Mark 7:31-37

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha," that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Reflection Questions

1. Jesus heals the deaf and mute man with a single word but does a number of things beforehand.  Why might he have touched the man's ears and tongue if it wasn’t necessary to heal him?

2. Why might Jesus have sighed before healing the man?

3.  In Mark 5 Jesus casts out a demon in this same area and tells the man to tell everyone what has been done for him.  In our passage this week, Jesus tells the healed man not to tell anyone.  Why might he have done this?

Mark 7:24-30

The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

Reflection Questions

1)Why is it significant that Mark points out Jesus and the disciples traveled to the region of Tyre and Sidon?  

2) During this time it is not culturally ok for a Jewish Rabbi (man) to speak to a gentile woman!  How does Jesus show us how to give people value as children of God? 

3) How does this gentile woman's faith in Jesus differ from the disciples? 

4) Do you have the same faith in Jesus as this woman? 

Advent - Love

John 3:16-21 (ESV)

For God So Loved the World

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil.20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”

1 John 4:7-21 (ESV)

God is love

7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.

13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world.18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot[a] love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Reflection Questions

1) As we have discussed before, John is the Apostle of Love.  What do these to passages say about God loving us and how we should love one another? 

2) John uses the term condemned several times. How does the idea of being condemned jive with God loving the world? 

3) John makes the statement anyone who does not love does not know God. John is making a personal statement and asking a question. How do we apply this idea of loving others corporately to our church? 

4) In this Advent season how do verses 14 and 15 in 1 John impact us? Jesus is God's son, who is the savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he in God. 

Advent - Joy

Luke 2:8-21

The Shepherds and the Angels

8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,

14 “Glory to God in the highest,
    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”

15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.

21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.

Take time to reflect on the passage. 

1) Jesus is born in Luke 2 and the announcement goes first to the shepherds. Why is it significant that God begins with the announcement to the shepherds in the fields?
2) The angels come and announce they have good news of great joy! Do you believe that Jesus' coming is great joy? Do you believe this is a great joy for our world?
3) The good news the angels bring is that Jesus is Christ the Lord. What is the significance that Jesus is announced from the beginning to be Jesus the Christ, the Messiah has come?
4) The response of the shepherds was to go see for themselves and then tell others what they have been told. Why is this response significant as eyewitnesses?

Advent- Peace

Luke 1:67-80

Zechariah's Prophecy

67 And his father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied, saying,

68 “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel,
    for he has visited and redeemed his people
69 and has raised up a horn of salvation for us
    in the house of his servant David,
70 as he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets from of old,
71 that we should be saved from our enemies
    and from the hand of all who hate us;
72 to show the mercy promised to our fathers
    and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us
74     that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
might serve him without fear,
75   in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High;
    for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways,
77 to give knowledge of salvation to his people
    in the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
    whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high
79 to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
    to guide our feet into the way of peace.”

80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit, and he was in the wilderness until the day of his public appearance to Israel.

Reflection Questions

1) Zechariah had been made silent by an angel until John was born due to his lack of faith. What are the first words that came out of Zechariah's mouth? What would your first words be? 

2) What emotions does this passage evoke? Hope, Peace, Nothing? What makes this passage evoke those emotions? 
 
3) Why does God choose to use Zechariah to proclaim his plan? If God can use Zechariah in his unbelief, do you believe God can use you to announce Jesus' second coming? 
 
4) Verse 79 says, "to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,to guide our feet into the way of peace?" Do you believe this is your message to others about Jesus today? 

Mark 6:30-56

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught.31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things. 35 And when it grew late, his disciples came to him and said, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late.36 Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 And he said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they had found out, they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then he commanded them all to sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups, by hundreds and by fifties. 41 And taking the five loaves and the two fish, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing and broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples to set before the people. And he divided the two fish among them all. 42 And they all ate and were satisfied.43 And they took up twelve baskets full of broken pieces and of the fish. 44 And those who ate the loaves were five thousand men.

Jesus Walks on the Water

45 Immediately he made his disciples get into the boat and go before him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd. 46 And after he had taken leave of them, he went up on the mountain to pray. 47 And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. 48 And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, 49 but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, 50 for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” 51 And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, 52 for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened.

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well.


Take time to reflect on the passage. Jesus was teaching the crowd, but his primary teaching is about to occur with the 12 disciples. At the end of His time with the disciples, they still don’t understand the power of Jesus. 

1)How could this be after they had been sent out and done miracles? 

In vs. 43, after the crowds had eaten, a remaining 12 basket-fulls were collected. For “basket” the Greek word “kofinos” is used as opposed to “spyris” which is used in the latter feeding of 4000. Mark’s point is exacting. “Kofinos” means small, lunch sized baskets, opposed to larger carrying baskets. Jesus had provided the exact right amount for the crowd and also His disciples, only small lunch basket-fulls are left. Jesus knows how to provide. His understanding is exact. He can be trusted. 

3) Why does Jesus begin to “pass by” the disciples who are in the wave-rocked boat? 

4) How do the people’s responses on shore confirm the message of the story?

5) What do the crowds want from Jesus? Do they want to experience what He gives them in the form of a good life, safety, morality, feeling good about themselves? Or, do they want Him?

He feeds people miraculously. He walks on water and calms a storm. Yet he is not even welcome in his hometown and constantly rejected. This man is full of irony. Yet the greatest irony is coming “immediately”. The God-King will suffer on a cross.

6) If you are a Christian, why? Why do you follow or want to follow Jesus?

Mark 6:1-29

Did you know that in ancient times it was offensive to call a male child the “son of his mother” rather than “son of his father”? Joseph most likely was dead at this time, but even so, this was a snub towards Jesus. Jesus’ little town of around 200 people did not think He was worthy of any respect. The King of the universe gains no esteem from those who knew about Him the most. 

1. What is the significance that Jesus is mentioned as the “son of Mary”? A Carpenter? 

2. If Jesus handles rejection, what does it give to our ability to handle rejection? How do I answer this question with a Gospel answer rather than a “moralism” answer?

A common answer to the question 2 might be, “I want to be like Jesus, so I try hard to handle rejection”. The Gospel says, “I can face rejection because my sense of worth is not dependent on someone else’s acceptance and opinion of me. It is founded firstly and surely on Christ’s acceptance of me.” God becomes the centrifuge of life and we begin to find meaning and identity in Him. This shows the world that God is greater than anything or anyone around us, and so God is glorified in the handling of rejection.

This does not mean we do not feel sad, hurt, or grieved by the actions or words of others…. or that we are to push down our emotions. It does mean we have the privilege and opportunity to experience rejection and hurt with our Heavenly Father….knowing He is our comfort, and that He grieves with us. He readily extends grace and mercy to us in our time of need. We no longer trust in our own power, strength, or rightness. We trust in the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge Him in all our ways. The power of the cross sets us free from performance and self. 

       3) How can I encourage and remind myself and others of the freedom and identity we have in Christ?

       4) Verse 5 is troubling. How do you make sense of this? Wrestle with this, what does it say about Jesus?

C.F. Cranfield wrote: “It was not that Jesus was powerless apart from men’s faith, but that in the absence of faith he could not work miracles in accordance with the purpose of his ministry.”

From previous chapters, we know Jesus did not lack the power to perform miracles but lacked the proper context for his purpose in miracles. Jesus’ miracles were not “magic tricks” designed to prove how powerful He was, but “signs of the kingdom” to show how his redemptive power operates. His miracles always healed and restored and delivered people in ways that revealed how we are to find him by faith and have our lives transformed by him.

       5) Look at 6:7-13  What important things should we notice about how Jesus sets up ministry?

-Jesus sends out in pairs. Ministry is lonely and community is important to Jesus. Also, there is accountability in both purpose and moral fortitude. 

-They take Jesus’ authority. It is not on their own strength that they minister. 

-They are to trust Jesus for His provision and not rely on their own forethought and preparedness. 

- Their message was one of repentance alongside good works. One was not without the other. There was not a primary, then secondary level of their ministry to the poor, hungry, sick and dead hearted. It went together.

       6)Look at 6:14-29 Mark includes a lengthy section on the murder of John the Baptist.

Speculate as to why he includes this here (remember the purpose of Mark’s gospel from the outset)? 

During the time of writing by Mark (A.D. 60’s), conflict and pressure were growing around Jesus. The emperor Nero was almost mad and had a diabolical plot against the Christians to be carried out just around the corner. Mark reminds all of us that no plans, even by government officials, can thwart the plans of God.

Mark 4:35 - 5:43

“Only when we begin to see that nothing in the world really, finally, satisfies at all, can we come to Christ with anything but the right attitude.”  -C.S. Lewis’ Mere Christianity 

Reflection questions For Saturday's message from God's word.

Jesus is ready to rest from serving so many people. He falls asleep in the boat, and a storm appears. The Sea of Galilee was situated such that storms frequently arose in the evening, and harsh weather was not unusual. The boat was filling with water, and the fishermen were fearful for their lives. Jesus is woken and speaks, and the winds calm. A reminder that Jesus is in control of nature. Don’t miss the OT backdrop here. In Isaiah 51, The Lord is accused of sleeping and not caring about Israel. They said that God was asleep! The disciples accuse Jesus of being asleep. Oh, how much they had to learn….In this passage, we see the disciples are once again exposed to his authority and power, his care and concern, but how quickly they forget.

Mark 4:35-43

1) Have you ever feared something or a situation or so much that your natural instinct was to think God was out of control?

2)What are the top qualities Jesus is trying to produce in these disciples’ lives?

Mark 5:1-20

This event takes place in the county of the Gerasenes, across the Sea of Galilee. This was Gentile land opposed to Jewish land. For the Jewish people, the Roman Gentiles were the source of all their afflictions and the ruling oppressors. Surely the true Christ would rid the land of oppression. Now Jesus actually goes to the Gentiles, and what more, He heals one and sets him free. 

3)Are Jesus’ actions reasonable? Why was there a negative response?

4)How does this story in Mark’s gospel show the Gospel loud and clear?

Mark 5:21-34

 This woman has a blood disorder. She had a physical problem leading to financial, social, and spiritual problems. She would have spent all her money on finding a cure and been outcast by society. She would have been cut off from the temple and not able to worship in the “presence” of God. This woman represents multiple facets of suffering and need. An outcast woman, touching a Jewish Rabbi (man), would have been the final straw. She could have been totally removed from society, perhaps killed for this act. This woman, at the total end of herself, saw Jesus as the only remedy. 

5) Why does he ask, “who touched me”? He was God, didn’t he know?

Mark:35-43

Again, what is on display here? Jesus’ authority. Jesus has authority over nature, over evil, over the physical…. Death is not death to Jesus; it is as simple as waking someone from sleep. Nothing is too great for Jesus. The disciples need not fear. Jesus is in control.

7)Why does Jesus say that she is “not dead but sleeping”?

8)What is your motivation to follow the Messiah? What will keep you going? 

Mark 3:7-35

Reflection questions For Saturday's message from God's word.

     Jesus breaks from ministry and retreats to the wilderness. In Matthew’s account, we learn Jesus withdraws due to a threat to His life. His popularity is getting out of control, and he escapes by boat to avoid being trampled. The people wanted healing, or desired to see what all the commotion was about…..not salvation, not Jesus.

     Jesus had not arrived as Messiah in the anticipated way, and was not amassing political influence and power as hoped. But, how He did arrive still drew all kinds of attention. Sometimes Jesus walks away from conflict, not this time…..He challenges the accusation that He was one with Satan. In chapter 3 we encounter Jesus beginning to build a community of followers and explaining to them in increasing detail who He is and what He has come to do.  

-How can you relate to the crowds? Do you think you would have been among those watching and listening to Him, do you think you would have followed Him? Why do you want Jesus? Is it something that you want from Him or do you want Him?

-Why was Jesus so upset with the Jewish leaders?

-What were the requirements of the twelve chosen by Christ to be apostles?

-How did Jesus’ family react to his ministry?

-What did Jesus mean when He declared that His true mother and brothers and sisters are those who do His will?

-What are some areas you can pray and ask God to conform your life more closely to the will of God?

“Jesus’ statement in v. 28 is that all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven. How can this be true in light of v. 29? Almost the only explanation is that a lack of repentance (spiritual pride) is the only sin that can kill you. If you repent, any and all sins are forgiven. But if you don’t repent, there is no forgiveness for anything. In any case, one thing is clear. If you are worried about having committed this sin, you certainly haven’t committed it. Anyone who is committing v. 29 isn’t worried or humble — and that’s the opposite of blasphemy!”

-Tim Keller

Romans Study pg. 36

Mark 2:13-3:6

Reflection Questions for Saturday's Message

“Jesus says: “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” He uses both terms ironically. He is saying that the word “righteous” here means self-righteous, and the word “sinners” here means people who know they are sinful and in need of a Savior. He does not congratulate those who have attained a high degree of theological precision and moral discipline. Instead, he warns them that they might be the farthest from him.” -Tim Keller

• God does not “come to call the righteous but sinners” vs. 17- what a profound statement! Who is a sinner and who is righteous? Why does Jesus say this? 

The Law and Fasting 2:18-22: The Pharisees placed a huge weight on themselves and other Jews to obey the law. In this section, it is both John’s disciples and the Pharisees talking with Jesus. Jesus was stirring the pot for all Jews, not only the zealots. His lack of dogma starts to disturb the Jewish circle as a whole. 

• What is the design of fasting? What are the good aspects of religious fasting? How could fasting actually be used as a way to find safety apart from God? 

The Law and the Sabbath 2:23-3:6: Remember, Mark is not often overly troubled with chronology of events. The ordering of events often clash with Matthew’s and Luke’s. He is building theological themes. Specific times and places of events are often not given. The connection is the theme of the incident as Mark frames a pattern for the rising conflict against Jesus

• What was the purpose of the Sabbath? How might the purpose of the Sabbath be lost? 

“We do not set aside certain laws based on cultural desires. We set aside those either fulfilled in Christ, or not pertaining to the nation-state of Israel. We now eat pork without second thought. We now shave our beards. We no longer sacrifice animals. Though we set them aside as not binding, there is not one jot or tittle of the law that is not instructive in understanding the heart and holiness of God. 

So, positively, we do love others, we do give to the poor, we do memorize God’s Word so on and so on. The heart of these laws stems from God’s character and though times and specific expression change, the heart from which they stem does not. 

We are always morally bound to do what honors God and what is best for those with whom we share the earth. There will be argument about the specific ramifications of how that is lived out since we are now led by the Spirit and the list of New Testament is much more sparse than the Old Testament. However, the Word of God is the guide for the Christian and not cultural pressure.” Miles O’Neal

• What does Jesus say about Himself as He claims to be Lord of the Sabbath?

Mark 1:21-2:12

In this passage we see Jesus teaching and healing with authority. Notice the pattern in Jesus’ ministry: He doesn’t just heal… He teaches the truth. And He doesn’t only heal and teach, He does them with a specific goal in mind, to show His authority.

“The teachers and even the prophets would begin their teaching with, “Thus saith the Lord,” but Jesus would say, “but I say unto you.” This is something neither the teachers of the law nor even the Old Testament prophets ever had the audacity to do. Another unique characteristic of Jesus’ teaching was how he often began a statement by saying “Amen, amen” (translated in the King James as “Verily, verily” and in modern translations as “Truly, I say to you”).
    This term was pronounced by elders of the synagogue aftera teaching as a way of approving and validating what the speaker had just said. The term means “yes, this statement squares with the Scripture and the traditions;” it is always used to affirm the teaching of someone else. Jesus, however, begins his statements with this formula and bestows it on Himself. He is saying, “I take away your right to judge my teaching. No one has the authority to reject any part of my teaching nor is there any standard for evaluation of teaching any higher than me.” As one commentator said, Jesus’ use of this phrase was without analogy or precedence in history. No prophet, priest, elder, teacher of the law, or king had ever assumed to speak like this. Jesus was so much more authoritative in his teaching than anyone else had ever been that it left his hearers dumbfounded.” Tim Keller, Gospel of Mark Study 

Reflection Questions

-Reflect on each of the 4 main sections in this passage, what category above (teaching, healing, authority) would you put each of the following stories under?

-Ch.1: 23-28 Jesus performs a miracle of healing, but what is the main point? Given what the watchers and listeners were expecting, why does Jesus point towards his authority as the emphasis rather than the exorcism?

-How do you respond to God’s authority? 

-Ch. 2:1-12 Jesus says, “Your sins are forgiven”- Why is this such a big deal to the scribes?

 - What made the religious people of Jesus’ time feel safe in their social and spiritual lives? What rules have you made to make you feel safe?

Mark 1:9-20

Reflection questions For Saturday's message from God's word.

Mark 1:9-20

As you begin reading Mark this week remember, “The Word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12 Ask God to help you see both the big picture and the personal implications.  Mark is presenting to us the person of Jesus and His message...and he does so quickly, moving us immediately from one account to the next. 

-Why is Jesus’ father’s approval significant, especially since Jesus has not yet started his ministry?

-Look at verses 14 and 15.  Mark has introduced us to this new literary form called “gospel”. What is the Gospel to Mark? Pay close attention to Mark and look for the answer as found in Scripture. Mark gives us a big pointer here when he gives us Jesus’ first words recorded by Mark. 

The Kingdom of God is the “reign” of God. It is the past, present, and future all at the same time. His kingdom has been stained by sin due to Adam, Eve and the rest of us in their line….and the Messiah now is ushering in the advancement of His Kingdom. Because of this, there is no other appropriate action than to “repent and believe”. If Jesus really speaks, God in living form, then there is no other response. Mark is urgent in showing this message to be true.

- What does Jesus show us about the Kingdom of God in the calling of these men? 

How does Jesus call these men?

Who does Jesus call?

What does Jesus ask as He calls (there are 2 major things He asks of them)? What are the implications for us?

“Come follow me” (vs. 1:17) is not an offer nor an invitation. It is a command that can either be obeyed or rejected. They can respond or ignore it. Take time to pray, or write out a prayer and ask God to help you respond to Him. 

Mark 1:1-8

Reflection questions For Saturday's message from God's word.

Mark 1:1-8

Mark is a quick, practical, hands-on book. Written to a highly Roman and Gentile people, Mark jumps right into the ministry of Jesus. He intentionally starts off his Gospel by referencing the Old Testament, and the fulfillment of a real prophecy. Jesus is more than a messenger of the good news, He is the good news ~ and Christ is calling us to both acknowledge a historical event and have a personal relationship with Him. 

1)What was the role of John the Baptist and how is he described?

2)Read Isaiah 52 & 53. How does this prophecy portray the coming Messiah?

3)Why does Mark use the connection to Isaiah to start his “Gospel”?

4)When have your expectations clouded your vision of the reality of who God truly is? 

• Who do you expect Jesus to be? 

• How do you expect Him to act? 

• How does He act differently than you expect?

“A major part of Jewish worship and ceremony was the various ablutions and washings that had to occur constantly. They represented the need for being holy and cleansed from sin in order to stand before a holy God. Ordinarily, this meant washing one’s hands before going in tothe temple, and so on. Only Gentile converts who wanted to be part of Israel’s worship had to be baptized thoroughly (by effusion or immersion) as part of the ceremonial rites that made one “clean” and fit for the presence of God. Jews were never baptized because they were already considered “clean.” But John’s ministry was very startling. It called everyone to be baptized. It signified, first, that your pedigree and moralrecord did not matter. Everyone was going to have to be saved by grace to enter this kingdom. Secondly, it signaled the need for complete newness — a new people of God would need to be formed, and a new covenant with God would have to be made.” -Tim Keller, Study on Mark