Relevance for ChristiansThe gospels are stories about a

wandering Jewish rural teacher and prophet, written at a time when people didn’t

have science. They were probably changed in some

ways during oral transmission, or by the writers themselves, who wanted to help others

Christians believe in their new faith.

How relevant is any of that to us, in the 21st century??

How relevant is Mark’s gospel today..How relevant today are the themes in Mark’s gospel ?

1. Research and describe ONE example of someone who could have found help in Mark’s gospel when they were persecuted

• James Mawdsley • Oscar Romero • The story of a persecuted Christian in the Middle East today

(Pakistan, Syria, Egypt)

2. Mark’s gospel tells us about who Jesus is. Does knowing this matter?• Why did your example person need to know about Jesus from Mark’s gospel, in

order to go through what they did?“The Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”

– Jesus is God’s messiah, the chosen one– He is God among us, yet fully human, sharing our pain– He has power over sin, evil and death– He has the truth of God’s teaching

3. Mark’s gospel teaches us about discipleship & “the way of the cross”. Why is this relevant today?

• Use your example to describe how their actions showed “discipleship” - how they followed the way of the cross (in humility, rejection and suffering obedience to what they saw was God’s truth)

4. Mark’s gospel gives hope for the persecuted• Explain how Mark’s gospel could have given this person hope in their difficulty.

(calming of storm, disciples abandoned Jesus, Jesus’ mocked, Jesus resurrected)

5. Conclude by discussing whether overall, Mark’s gospel is relevant for 21st century Christians. Discuss which parts of Mark’s gospel might be the most relevant and why.

To research and present an example of a Christian for whom Mark’s gospel is relevant today

To evaluate how relevant Mark’s gospel is in their lives