Mark Manuscript 1-2 - Ministry Exchange (MX)

Mark 1:1-8 (Week 1) Study Notes and Questions

Key Theme

The Coming of the King

First line and prophesies

To get students used to the inductive method (and show them how many
insights they can extract if they observe deeply), it may be helpful to ask
them to list at least 12 facts from the first line. Some sample facts:

1. It is the beginning of the gospel 2. The gospel is about Jesus Christ 3. Jesus is Christ, Messiah 4. Jesus is the son of God, not a son of God 5. This story is good news 6. This sentence has no verb, it is a statement or title 7. God has a son 8. Jesus Christ is central 9. This is like an announcement (eg a birth announcement) 10. Jesus is male 11. The sentence has a subject – beginning 12. Jesus – the Jewish name means Emmanuel 13. Christ – Greek word meaning Messiah, Anointed God 14. Could be a thesis he wants to prove 15. Not son of Joseph, but of God 16. The beginning starts in the OT, not with Christ’s birth. It starts way back 17. First line in Genesis is “in the beginning” 18. The missing birth narrative creates mystery 19. Where is the end? Still going on… 20. Son has a capital “S” 21. He’s Jesus first, a humble man, not Christ Jesus 22. “Of”, not “about”

What is the first line like?

It’s like a title for the whole book.

When does the beginning begin?

. Starts with Isaiah, written 750 years before. . Malachi 3:1-5: Words of judgment, warning, great and terrible day of the Lord . Isaiah 40:3-5: Comfort, Lord will be revealed, get ready . Malachi 4:5-6: I will send Elijah before the terrible day

Who are the my, thy and I?

I & my: Father Thy: Jesus

What is the gospel?

Gospel meant “joyful tidings” to the Romans. Means that the Kingdom of God is at hand?

The Messenger & His Message

Physical context: Jerusalem is the highest point. The wilderness was from
2500 feet above sea-level to 500-600 feet below sea-level at the Dead Sea.
Nothing grows there, and it’s hot except at the Jordan. To travel to
Galilee, Jews went from Jerusalem to Jericho, then North to Galilee – avoiding Samaria due to racist attitudes. So John went out to a major
highway, a major trade route to conduct his baptisms. 750 years earlier,
God prophesied that those attitudes would exist so that people would be
passing through the wilderness. The desert was regarded by the Jews as a
gloomy place to terror, the abode of devils and unclean beasts.

Looking at the first lines, what do we know about the messenger?

. Sent by God . Preparing the way . Making paths straight . Voice crying out in the wilderness . Preaches about repentance, forgiveness of sins . Preaching in Judea

Why does Mark give us so much detail about John’s clothing?

2 Kings 1:8: Elijah wore camel’s hair and a leather girdle. Malachi 4:5-6: the last two verses of the OT, Elijah was to return before the great and terrible day of the Lord. Then 400 years of silence, and then John appeared.

How did John prepare the way for Jesus? What’s his message? What is the
purpose of baptism?

John preaches about sins, repentance, forgiveness. States that a mightier one is coming, one who is worthy, and something of the Holy Spirit is coming. There is no reference to baptism in the OT. But in the inter- testamental period, Gentiles were baptized and circumcized as a symbol of becoming Jewish. Some sects used baptism as a purification rite. So when John the Baptist invites the Jews to be baptized, he forces them to deal with their sin and their assumption that they’re already in the Kingdom. Telling them they have to do something about the sin in their lives.

How did the people respond?

They heard John’s cry to be baptized and forgiven. ALL of the country of Judea, ALL of the people of Jerusalem came to hear. Both country people and city people.

Application Questions

. How does one prepare for Jesus? What does this mean for us? What does repentance look like for us, now? . John’s lifestyle raises curiosity and expectations about Jesus. How might this apply to talking about Jesus today? . Mark 1:9-15 (Week 2) Study Notes and Questions

Have students read the whole of 1:1-15, but this study will focus on 1:9-
15.

Key Theme

The Coming of the King

Introduction Question
As students are reading, ask them to compare John and Jesus, and also the
people and Jesus.

John vs. Jesus:

JOHN	JESUS
Messenger	Funny clothes and	Son of God	Normal clothes and
diet	diet
Baptizer	With water	Baptized	With the Holy Spirit
Herald	Unworthy	King	Mighty
Requires	Offers the gospel
repentance
Speaks to Judea	God speaks, Jesus
speaks to Galilee
Appeared in	Driven to wilderness
wilderness

[Note that even Jewish slaves were excused from the lowly task of untying
sandals. Yet John says that he’s unworthy to do this for Jesus. ]

The people vs. Jesus:

PEOPLE	JESUS
Baptized	Baptized
Came to John	Came to John
Confessed their	No confession
sins
Repented of	No repentance
sins
Forgiven of	No sins
sins	forgiven

What do we learn about Jesus?

. Jesus is the “Son of God”: related to God, part of God, shows that God is at work . Savior from sin . Christ: the anointed spokesman for God . Lord . Mightier than John . Worthy . Humble: John baptizes him . No sin mentioned . No repentance . Beloved son of a voice from Heaven . Powerful mighty voice is pleased with him . Holy Spirit comes down . Preaches Gospel of God

What do we notice at Jesus’ baptism?

Why did he need to be baptized? He didn’t repent and God was still pleased. So God confessed Jesus’ sinlessness. Baptism like a coronation of Jesus – see Psalm 2:6-7, a coronation psalm. God declares the sonship and coronation of the ruler of the people of Israel. Jesus is being crowned and instituted as God’s king and the king of the Kingdom of God. When Jesus is baptized, God speaks and his Spirit descends (see Isa 64:1-4: “O that thou would rend the heavens and come down”, and Isa 42:1-4: “I have put my spirit on him”). The trinity is there. Mirror between the descending (the going down of the Holy Spirit) and the ascending (Jesus going up from the water). When Jesus walked into the Jordan, he was Jesus of Nazareth. When he emerges from the water, he is the crowned king of the Kingdom of God. Notice the parallel between John and Elijah – Elijah was called upon to anoint 2 kings and Elisha in the wilderness (1 Kings 19:4, 12, 13- 16). John anoints Jesus as a king and prophet. Elijah leaves to make way for Elisha, and John leaves to make way for Jesus.

Jesus in the wilderness.

Background: Other mentions of 40 days in the wilderness: Moses on Mt Sinai, Elijah wandering in the wilderness to Mt Horeb. Israelites were in the desert 40 years. Sense of preparation (eg for Moses to receive law and for Israelites to enter promised land).

What happens to Jesus in the wilderness?

He is tempted – willing to face Satan and be alone with wild beasts. Galilee: see Isaiah 9:1: Galilee of the Gentiles to be honored.

What is the gospel? What is the Kingdom of God?

The story is about Jesus (John is arrested). Jesus is preaching that time is fulfilled, the moment we’ve all been waiting for. He’s looking for people to repent and believe in the gospel. The Kingdom of God is ready, it is now. A kingdom implies that there is a king plus subjects and a realm. So if the Kingdom of God is at hand, God’s king must be at hand (ie Jesus). So the good news is that God’s king is here – no more waiting. John was preaching about the king to come (Jesus), but Jesus was preaching about himself. People say that Jesus was a great teacher, he preached great principles. But ultimately, Jesus preached himself, not a system of ethics.

What facts do we learn about the gospel?

. At least 750 years old . About someone: the Lord, the King . Involves repentance from sin, needs to be washed, confessed, forgiven . Involves belief . Repentance is needed . About the Kingdom of God being at hand . The Holy Spirit is involved . Jesus is mightier than John . God has a plan . Satan is the enemy . The OT prophesy is fulfilled . Preached by Jesus

Application Questions

. If you were one of the Christians in Rome, what would these words mean to you? Jesus also faced persecution and wild beasts . What is the proper response to the message of the gospel? Repent and believe . What are your responses to Jesus, so far? . Who is the central figure of the Kingdom of God? Jesus . What does this say in today’s pluralistic, relativistic society? . Is there an area of our lives where we don’t believe that Jesus’ kingship is good news?

Mark 1:16-39 (Week 3) Study Notes and Questions

Key Theme

The theme of 1:16-34 is authority. We see that Jesus has authority over
evil spirits (how did they know Jesus?) and over illness (what do we learn
about Peter here? He’s married!). Examine Jesus’ authority as seen in
people’s responses. (It might be helpful here to use a flip chart with a
column headed “Authority” on the left and one headed “Responses” on the
right).

Jesus has authority to…	Responses
Call men to himself	Followed immediately
Over jobs
Over family
Teach at center of religion	Astonished, questioned, perplexed
Cast out unclean spirit	Unclean spirit knew him, came out.
People were amazed, questioned new
teaching
Heal mother in law’s fever	Fever left her, she served him
Cast out demons, heal sick	People came
Submit self to Father’s	Don’t understand
authority
Move with His plan

Jesus uses his authority to express compassion and set men free. Contrast
this with the unclean spirit.

Fishers of Men

What does it mean to be fishers of men?

. Habakkuk 1:14-17: wicked one, catches men like fish . Jeremiah 16:16-17: God sends fishermen . Amos 4:2-3: taken away with fish hooks All of these OT prophesies have to do with judgment.

Describe Jesus calling the disciples.

What did Jesus say to Andrew and Simon? What did they do? Left and followed. What did James and John do when Jesus called them? Left and followed. Why was there such an immediate response to Jesus’ call? John the Baptist had prepared the way. What other pair of verbs have we seen that are like “leave and follow”? “Repent and believe”. What did it mean for Peter, Andrew, James & John to become subjects of the king? Repent and believe, leave their nets and family and follow Jesus.

Thinking about repentance:

What did Peter & Andrew repent of? Who were they? Fishermen. How does Mark describe James & John? Sons of Zebedee. What had to happen for them? An identity change, repentance.
Mark tells us more about what repentance looks like – it involves a
leaving, turning from security, from what defines us. Belief in the gospel
= following Jesus = taking hold of a new definition, a new reality, a new
security.
From the first study, we know that Jesus is the king. Here Mark tells us
what kind of a king he is. Jesus is a king with all kinds of authority.
The first study told us that we need to repent and believe. Here Mark
tells us more about what repentance and belief is going to look like:
leaving and following.
Note the parallels between the disciples’ fishing activities and Jesus’
activities (Peter & Andrew: casting, James & John: mending, Jesus: first
preaching (casting) then healing (mending)).

Small Steps

What did it actually mean for the disciples to follow Jesus?

They left their nets and their family, but then just walked into their hometown into their synagogue on the sabbath, something that was normal. In fact, while there is great symbolic meaning to what Mark notes that they left, at the time, they perhaps just thought that they were leaving work a little earlier before the sabbath to make it to the synagogue on time with Jesus.

What were the small steps the disciples took over the course of the
sabbath, and what did they see with each small step?

Small Step	What they saw
Back to hometown and into	Jesus teaching with authority,
synagogue	healing of demon possessed man
Back to Peter’s house	Healing of Peter’s
mother-in-law
On street of Peter’s home	Healings and casting out of
demons of all the people in the
town
Out to a lonely place the	Jesus gives command to go to
next morning	other towns

Every small step they disciples took, Jesus did something amazing. By the
time they needed to take the bigger step of going out to other towns, they
had seen enough that they probably couldn’t wait!

Holy Spirit vs Unclean Spirit

How does the unclean spirit contrast with the first page of Mark?

The first page has the Holy Spirit right away – this one has the unclean spirit. This is not surprising because Jesus is drawn into the wilderness to confront Satan. That is Jesus’ role here on earth.

Why does Jesus rebuke the spirit and order it to be silent?

He wants to deliver his own message – issue of credibility. Demon possession is a common reality. A person who proclaimed the name of another person was thought to have power over them, so the demons were attempting to have power over Jesus. Jesus refused to let them.

Healings in Capernaum

Think of the time span – a very long day. Jesus has basically had a 40 day
retreat, then one very full day of ministry.

Jesus and Rest

How did Jesus cope with pressure and a busy day? He got up early to pray.
How do I tend to cope with a busy day?
Why does Peter come looking for him (literally hunted him down)? What is
Peter thinking?

He’s got all the sick lined up, wants Jesus to get to work. When Jesus first called Peter, he asked him to follow. But now Peter is trying to lead Jesus, continue to do great works of power. He wants Jesus to continue performing and grab the spotlight. Jesus’ response shows Peter again that the “following” is meant to be literal. Jesus’ response also indicates that he is concerned with preaching the word, not being a spectacle. He wants to submit to the Father. Jesus’ priorities are straight because he has been praying. Peter wants to stay put in Capernaum, and Jesus wants to move on. He is not static, and he expects his followers to move with him.

How likely would it be for us, having spent 40 days in retreat and then one
very full day of ministry, to get up early the next morning to have an
extended quiet time? Wouldn’t we be tempted to coast, or at least sleep in?

Wouldn’t we be tempted to take the easy crowd that had gathered rather
than doing the hard work of heading to other towns? Jesus knew his purpose, his priorities. He wasn’t taking orders, or even suggestions, from Peter (or conventional wisdom). He was getting his leading from his time with his Father.

Where do we see Jesus moving about?

. Everyday places, work, home, streets, towns, worship . By the sea of Galilee, at a fishing place . In Capernaum . On the Sabbath in synagogue . All the surrounding region of Galilee . Simon Peter’s home . At the front door/ on the street . Lonely place . Throughout all Galilee

Application Questions

. Which areas in our lives need Jesus’ authority? . What defines us? . What are our nets? . Discuss the difference between “being a Christian” (static, passive, some are in and some are out) vs “following Jesus” (dynamic, active, focus on moving towards or away from Jesus).

Mark 1:40-2:12 (Week 4) Study Notes and Questions

Key Theme

The citizens of God’s Kingdom (maybe not who you’d expect…).

In this section, we start a series of stories called pericopes.

What do you see that is new in this section, that you haven’t seen before?

Forgiveness, faith, Son of Man, questioning. Up to now, we have seen astonishment, confrontation, disobedience and sin.

Stylistically, what’s different?

Up to now, Mark has been very fast-paced, with lots of information covered in little space. Now we have lots more detail and focus on individual events.

The Leper Cries Out For Help
This story takes place in Galilee – gentile country.

How does the leper approach Jesus? What is he not sure of? What does he
ask?

He has faith, is humble yet bold. He knows Jesus is able to heal him, but is not sure if He’s willing. He asks to be made clean, thinking that he’s asking for physical cleansing. Why should he be unsure that Jesus will heal him? Because Jesus is a holy man – he probably feels that he isn’t worthy. Treatment by his family and friends had probably reinforced his sense of unworthiness.

What is leprosy? Why the incubation period?

The leper is an outcast, untouchable junk, can’t worship in the temple, separated from society, sometimes had to wear bells to warn others. See Leviticus 13:45-46: “The person with an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out “Unclean! Unclean!”. As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp”. Basically, lepers were looked upon as though they were dead, others would become unclean by touching them. Why did God command isolation of lepers? Because the disease is very contagious and would quickly have swept throughout the camp. This leper has probably been rejected by everyone who knows him, and denied any human touch. He risks further rejection by coming to Jesus.

How does Jesus respond?

Jesus has great compassion for the man and touches him. Jesus was willing to become unclean to care for the man, identify with him and show physical care for him.

On what levels does Jesus minister to this man?

Physical: healing, spoken word Emotional: touched him Social: public, proof to the people Spiritual: commands him to show himself to priest so he can re-enter temple life

Jesus’ Warning: Go at once, say nothing
Very few people were healed of leprosy in the Old Testament – only Miriam
(healed by God: Numbers 12) and Naaman (healed by God through Elisha’s
command: 2 Kings 5).

Jesus commands the man to visit a priest. There were synagogues (with
rabbis) in Galilee, but to get to a priest, the man would have to go to
Judea, which was 40-50 miles away.

What’s the result of the man going to Judea?

By going to Judea, he will make the healing and Jesus’ work public, and links Jesus to God (only God heals leprosy). Shows that Jesus is upholding Mosiac law – not abolishing uncleanness, but instead healing. The leper’s journey would bring the debate to the religious centers of Israel.

How does Jesus break and uphold the law at the same time?

By touching the leper, he broke the law. But by telling him to re- enter the community and worship, he upholds the law. See also Leviticus 14:1-32 – the process by which a leper becomes clean in accordance with the law.

Jesus’ goal:

. to restore the man to society . to restore him to worship . to obey the law . to give evidence to priests in Jerusalem – provides much more validation than a mere rumor emerging from Galilee.

The Leper’s Response
What does the leper do after his healing?

He disobeys Jesus—goes and talks freely and spreads the news.

What is the result?

Jesus is hindered – he can no longer go into towns because of the crowds, but must instead stay in the countryside. Jesus had to change his whole strategy of ministry.

Why is it significant that Jesus couldn’t go into towns? What happens if 4-
5 thousand people go to a small town of 1,000?

The town will be trashed, the authorities will be angry.

What happens to Jesus?

He becomes a celebrity and a spokesman rather than have personal contact with individuals.

This is an act of disobedience. Paradoxically, Jesus has more authority
over demons than over the responses of men.

The Paralytic
Describe the scenario.

They are in Capernaum, in a home. There are so many people, there is no room even at the door. Four men bring a paralytic, tear apart the mud room and lower the paralytic down.

Some background on the words used:

. Heart: OT: leb, inner man, seat of desire, inclination or will. Seat of emotions, wisdom, knowledge and as synonym of mind, seat of conscience and moral character. Seat of rebellion or pride. NT: kardia: entire mental and moral activity, both the rational and emotional elements, used figuratively for the hidden springs of a person’s life. . Forgive: aphiemi: to send forth, send away, remit or forgive debts or sins. Remission of punishment due to sins, divine deliverance of sinner from penalty. . Faith: pistis: firm persuasion, a conviction based upon hearing. Where used in NT always about faith in God or Christ or things spiritual: (1) a firm conviction; (2) a personal surrender to him; (3) a conduct inspired by such surrender.

What was Jesus doing in all this? What was he preaching?

Jesus was preaching the word – the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, the gospel of God (see 1:4).

What were the paralytic and friends expecting? How might they have
responded when Jesus said his sins were forgiven?

Expecting physical healing. Likely response to the sin statement: “What??? We didn’t come here for this”.

Why do the scribes show up? What’s wrong with their rhetorical questions?

They’re checking Jesus out. They ought to be there asking the right questions, as protectors of the law. Only God has authority to forgive sins.

Which is easier to do – heal a paralytic or forgive sins?

Pronouncing forgiveness of sins is easier to say, harder to actually do. Healing the man physically is harder to say, easier to do. But both are impossible in a human sense – see Deut. 18:17-22 – a prophet will be proved by whether what they say comes to fruition.

Why does Jesus heal? What does he heal?

That you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins: “In order that you may know that I can do what is harder to do, I will say what is harder to say”. Jesus heals with his words – again, his words have authority.

What do the scribes need to ask now?

The scribes now know that Jesus is claiming to be God. Jesus knew what the scribes were thinking because he can see the unseen – faith, questioning in hearts.

What is the scribes’ logic about Jesus’ “blasphemy”?

They know that only God can forgive sins, and they’re assuming that Jesus isn’t God. Therefore he’s a blasphemer.

What is the alternative way of looking at it – Jesus’ way of looking at it?

God alone can forgive sins, I (Jesus) have authority to forgive sins, therefore I am God. Jesus calls himself the Son of Man, which is his favorite title for himself. See Daniel 7:13-14: Daniel’s vision revealed one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven, led into the presence of the Ancient of Days, given authority, glory and sovereign power over all peoples and nations. His was an everlasting dominion that would never pass away and a kingdom that would never be destroyed.

What was needed on the part of the paralytic?

Obedience – Jesus told him to rise, take his pallet and go home. He
did.

How do the people respond to the healing?

They are amazed and give glory to God. They never saw anything like this – healing and the forgiveness of sins. Sickness and sin were intertwined in this culture. Jesus began to separate sin and sickness.

What more do we learn about Jesus from this study?

He has authority to forgive sins, he is God, he is compassionate. He can see the unseen, he knows the human heart and has insight into human needs. In society, the leper was outcast, the paralytic was forgotten and invisible, poor and needy. Jesus says that he’s come to meet the needs of outcasts.

Who are the citizens of God’s kingdom in these stories? (Poor, needy,
outcasts). What are the images of God’s people in our day? (Nice people,
people like us). The good news is that the citizens of God’s kingdom are
outcasts. But we’re often like the Pharisees, wanting to keep the messy
people away. Who are the people who know they’re needy? The unlovely
people around us. How do we tend to view needy people? Uncomfortable,
difficult.

Application Questions

. How is faith demonstrated in Mark so far? Action: both the leper and the paralytic came to Jesus in difficult circumstances, paralytic stood up. What act of faith is Jesus calling us to? . How are Jesus’ commands to us part of the way he’s healing us (like the leper)? . How is Jesus healing our unseen parts (like the paralytic’s sin)? . Don’t let the crowds get in the way of receiving healing from Jesus. What are the crowds in our lives? eg. desires, other people, distractions, ambitions . The four men bring a needy person to Jesus to be healed – do we have enough faith to do this?
The gospel gives us authority to forgive sins and seek sinners for the
kingdom. Do we do this?