wollongong baptist church | to know christ and to make him known€¦ · web view2017-02-05 ·...

Studies in Mark

WBC Term 1 2016

Object: To grasp the significance of Christ's passion

‘The Servant King’

Contributions by:

- Rod Bayley

- Joel Deacon

- Simon Lainson

- Mark Roberts

1‘The Servant King’ – Mark 10-16

Term 1, 2016

Object: To grasp the significance of Christ's passionDate of sermon

Title Purpose Passage Preacher

Jan 31 Greatness and the kingdom

To grasp true greatness involves selfless service

Mark 10:32-52 JD

Feb 7 The arrival of the King

To consider Christ's entry into Jerusalem and the clearing of the temple

Mk 11:1-26 MR

Feb 14 The King's authority

questioned

To understand the rejection of Jesus by the religious

leaders

Mk 11:27-12:12 RB

Feb 21 The King replies

To reflect on Christ's silencing of the religious

leaders

Mk 12:13-44 RB

Feb 28 The King prophesies

To understand Christ’s predictions regarding the

temple and his return

Mk 13:1-37 RB

Mar 6 The King is prepared

To reflect on the way Jesus is prepared for his death and prepares his disciples

for his death

Mk 14:1-26 JD

Mar 13 The King's betrayal

To grasp the way God fulfilled His plans through

the betrayal

Mk 14:27-52 JD

Mar 20 The King condemned

To consider Christ’s trial and Peter's failure

Mk 14:53-15:15 RB

Mar 25 The King dies

To reflect on Christ's crucifixion and its meaning

Mk 15:16-47 JD/SL/ RB

Mar 27 The King rises

To grasp Christ's victory over death

Mark 16:1-8(20) MR

Some commentaries on Mark:

Barnett, P. The Servant King: Reading Mark today Aquila Press, 1991 (Reading the Bible Today)Cole, R.A. Mark (Revised edition) IVP, 1989 (Tyndale)Edwards, J.R. The gospel according to Mark Eerdmans, 2002 (Pillar)

1 Mark 10:32-52______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Greatness and the KingdomPurpose: To grasp that true greatness involves selfless service

1.Read and discuss the following quote:

“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them.” Shakespeare

Read Mark 10:32-34

2.What is the context of Mark 10:32-34? Why are Jesus and the disciples on the way to Jerusalem, and why are the disciples astonished and the followers afraid?

3.In verses 33-34 Jesus predicts his suffering, death and resurrection for the third time in Mark’s gospel (8:31-33; 9:30-37). Why does Jesus pull his disciples aside three times to predict his death?

Read Mark 10:35-45‘’The Servant King”... Page 1.

4.James and John asked to sit beside Jesus, but Jesus replied that they didn’t know what they were asking for. What were James and John actually asking for, and how does the language of baptism and the cup relate? (Look at Isaiah 51:17-22, Mark 14:36, Ps 69:15 and Acts 12:2)

5.Why were the other ten disciples angry with James and John, and was their anger justified?

6.How would you summarise Jesus’ main message to the disciples in verses 41-44? Why did the disciples need to hear this message?

7.Looking at verse 45, what was Jesus’ mission? And what does he mean by “give his life as a ransom for many”?

Read Mark 10:46-52

‘’The Servant King”... Page 2.

8.There are multiple parallels between the story of Bartimaeus and the story of James and John, what are the parallels?

9.How is Bartimaeus a model disciple?

Think about it10. James and John were willing to sacrifice friends to gain glory and

ignorantly asked Jesus for something they didn’t want. How can we be similar to James and John?

11. Jesus served us at the cross to save us, and now we are saved by Jesus to serve like him. At church, at home and in the community, how can you serve like Jesus?


2 Mark 11:1-26______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The arrival of the KingPurpose: To consider Christ's entry into Jerusalem and the clearing of the temple

1. Have you ever met a celebrity, and if so, what was it like? Did the reality match up to your expectations?

Read Mark 11:1-11

2. Where has Jesus been located (geographically) prior to this in Mark’s gospel? Why is the shift in location at the beginning of chapter 11 so significant?

3. What are the expectations of the crowd as Jesus approaches Jerusalem? What should their expectations have been (see Malachi 3:1-4)?


4. Mark’s gospel has been asking the question, “Who is Jesus?” Those who encounter him either succeed or fail to recognise him as the Messiah who must suffer and die and rise again (3:11, 4:41, 5:6-7, 8:27-29, 14:61-64, 15:2). Does this crowd truly recognise who Jesus is?

Read Mark 11:12-26

5. In v15-17 what is wrong with the scene Jesus finds in the temple? How does it reflect the condition that the Jewish religion was in at the time?

6. The temple-clearing incident is bracketed by two encounters with a fig tree (v12-14, 20-21). These encounters act like a lens through which to look and understand the temple-clearing incident.

What is the reason for the tree being cursed by Jesus, and how does this correspond to the sad reality of the temple?

Think about it

7. How should we respond to this warning against fruitlessness (see also John 15:16-17, Matthew 3:7-10)?

Mark 11:12-26


8. Jesus reveals that God’s plan was for his temple to be a centre of worship for all nations, not just Jews (v17). How is this plan achieved in Jesus’ death and resurrection (Mark 15:37-38, Hebrews 10:19-22)?

Think about it

9. When this new system of worship replaces the old, what will true worshippers be like (v22-25, cf. John 4:19-24)?

10. “In this passage we see that before the Messiah comes to rescue, he comes to judge.” In what way is this true today, and how should we then approach Jesus, our Saviour and Judge?


13 Mark 11:27-12:12______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King's authority questionedPurpose: To understand the rejection of Jesus by the religious leaders

1. Share a situation where you faced questioning or rejection from those in authority, and explain how you responded?

Read Mark 11:27-33

2. Who are the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders?

3. What was their initial question to Jesus, and what prior events are they referring to?


4. Jesus answers their question with a question of his own, as he often does. Why does his question place them in a difficult situation?

5. How do the religious leaders eventually respond, and how does Jesus reply to them in return?

Read Mark 12:1-12

6. What is a parable, and why does Jesus use one here?

7. Who do the main characters in Christ's parable represent?

8. Where is Christ's quote from in verses 10 and 11, and how does it support the point of his parable?‘’The Servant King”... Page 8.

Think about it

9. How does Christ's teaching continue to challenge those in authority today, whether secular or religious leaders?

10. In what ways can Christians fail to recognise Christ's authority over their lives today, and how can we grow in our desire to live with Jesus as Lord over every area of our lives?


4 Mark 12:13-44

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King repliesPurpose: To reflect on Christ's silencing of the religious leaders

1. How important is it for the leaders of God’s people to know and teach the truth of God’s Word? What damage can it do when leaders fail to live with integrity and submit themselves to God’s Word?

Read Mark 12:13-17

2. How do the questions in v14-15 put Jesus in a tricky situation? What is at stake with Jesus’ choice of answer?

Think about it3. Jesus’ answer helps us navigate our allegiance or opposition to human government. Are there issues in our society today where the principle of “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s” should determine our behaviour? (cf. Rom.13:1-7)

Read Mark 12:18-27


4. How does Jesus’ reply in v24-27 both prove the reality of the resurrection, and demonstrate the absurdity of the Sadducees question?

Think about it5. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and therefore focused entirely on this life. Christians however should eagerly long “to attain to the resurrection from the dead” (Philippians 3:11). What difference should thinking about our future hope make to our present lives? (see Titus 2:11-14)

Read Mark 12:28-34

6. “Christianity is all about love.” True or false?

Think about it7. Based on verse 34, how would you answer someone who claimed that they were accepted in God’s sight because they lived by a “Christian moral ethic”?

Read Mark 12:35-37


8. What is Jesus’ point in v35-37? Why might he need to establish this aspect of his identity to the Jewish audience? (see Mark 11:9-10)

Read Mark 12:38-44

9. What is revealed about the attitudes and priorities of the religious leaders? Why is this an especially grievous sin that they have committed?

Think about it

10. All of these episodes, when taken together, demonstrate that the old covenant system of worshipping God (represented by its custodians, these religious leaders) was corrupted beyond the point of repair. Jesus however will inaugurate a new and better covenant marked by truth and love (Jeremiah 31:31-34), of which we are ministers and custodians (2 Corinthians 3:6). In what ways might we be in danger of being bad custodians of this new covenant? (see Matthew 25:14-30)


155 Mark 13:1-37______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King prophesiesPurpose: To understand Christ's predictions regarding the temple and his return

1. How should we read apocalyptic literature like Daniel 7-12, Revelation, and Mark 13? Why is there a need for increased humility as we come to interpret such passages with vivid images of the end times?

Read Mark 13:1-4

2. What causes Jesus to comment on the future of the temple in Jerusalem, and why would his statement have come as a shock to the disciples (v1-2)?

The setting changes to the Mount of Olives in verse 3, where Jesus addresses an inner circle of his disciples. For the Jews, the end of the temple meant the end of the age, and so their second question assumes that there will be signs before the end. With hindsight, we know that there is at least a two thousand year gap between the end of the temple (AD70) and the end of the age. As many commentators have suggested, one way to divide the passage is to see Jesus as answering the first question about the end of the temple in verses 5 to 23, and then addressing signs of the


end in verses 24 to 37, which will culminate in his return. However, the division is not entirely clear and there are statements that could fit both.Read Mark 13:5-23

3. What will happen to the disciples before the temple is destroyed?

4. One specific sign that is presented as catalyst to the end of the temple is 'the abomination that causes desolation.' The background for this ‘abomination’ is Daniel’s prophecy of the ‘seventy sevens’ (Dan.9:27; 11:31; 12:11). The reference in Daniel is thought to have been fulfilled in the Greek era, when a pagan altar to Zeus was erected by Antiochus Epiphanes in the temple court (1 Macc.1:54). But it seems that another ‘abomination’ was to occur. Whatever the sacrilegious event was, when was it to occur according to Luke's parallel account (Lk.21:20)?

5. What is Christ's instruction for believers when they see the abomination in the temple, and how is his pastoral care clear in the concerns he raises?


Read Mark 13:24-37

6. There is a change in time references from verse 23 to 24, which indicates that what Jesus speaks about from verse 24 is after the distressing days of the temple's destruction. What signs will mark the end of the age (v24-27)?

7. What information are we given by Jesus, in terms of timing of the end of the world (v32)?

8. How does he call his followers to live in light of the end (v33-37)?


Think about it

9. What did the temple represent, and why was it's destruction not the end of the world with the coming of Jesus (Mark 11:17; 15:29-30, 38; cf. John 4:19-24)?

10. How should believers live in light of the coming return of Jesus (2 Peter 3:11-18)?


6 Mark 14:1-26______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King is preparedPurpose: To reflect on the way Jesus is prepared for his death and prepares his disciples for his death

1. In pairs discuss: “What things in life have you sacrificed to be a Christian?”

Read Mark 14:1-11 & Exodus 12:1-17

2. What were the Passover Festival and the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and why were the two celebrated at the same time?

3. Why did Jesus defend this woman who broke social boundaries and bottles of perfume, while others rebuked her?

4. In this passage both the woman and Judas prepare for Jesus’ death. How else is this woman contrasted with Judas?

5. This woman was preparing Jesus for his burial by anointing him, ‘’The Servant King”... Page 17.

however normally bodies were anointed after death. What do theses verses teach us about Jesus? (Mark 16:1)

6. How does the woman’s actions foreshadow Jesus work at the cross? (c.f Mark 14:24)

Read Mark 14:12-26

7. How does Jesus fulfill the Passover? What does Jesus mean when he says “this is my body?” and “this is my blood of the covenant?” (c.f John 10:9, Exodus 24:6).

8. Covenant is a key theme in the Scriptures, how is the new covenant initiated by Jesus’ blood different to the old covenant? (Hebrews 8)

9. How can God plan Jesus’ betrayal, and yet hold Judas responsible?

Think about it


10. The Passover was an annual feast celebrated by the Jews to remember God’s redemption in Egypt, and communion is a Christian sacrament to remember God’s redemption in Jesus. Do we celebrate communion as seriously and joyfully as the Jews celebrated Passover? Why or why not?

11. In this passage Judas sacrifices Jesus for wealth, the woman sacrifices wealth for Jesus, and Jesus sacrifices his life for many. In pairs ask the following two questions:

a. How much (time, money, energy, emotions) are you willing to sacrifice in response to Jesus' sacrifice?

b. What worldly things can tempt you to sacrifice Jesus?


7 Mark 14:27-52______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King’s betrayal Purpose: To grasp the way God fulfilled His plans through the betrayal

1. Discuss the following question: “What do you like about prayer?”

Read Mark 14:27-31

2. Throughout the gospel of Mark what has been the disciple’s main mistake? (cf. 9:34, 10:37, 10:41)

3. With this context in mind what is Jesus teaching his disciples in this passage, and how does quoting Zechariah 13:7 aid his message?

4. What does Jesus mean by 'fall away'? (cf. 4:17) How does this ‘’The Servant King”... Page 20.

passage give hope to the disciples?

Read Mark 14:31-42

5. What can we learn from Jesus’ prayer life, Jesus’ request for prayer, and the disciple’s lack of prayer?

6. What does Jesus’ distress reveal to us about the nature of the cross and the greatness of Jesus’ sacrifice?

Read Mark 14:43-51 & Isaiah 53:7–12

7. In Mark 14:27-31 the disciples confidently asserted that they wouldn’t desert Jesus, in Mark 14:31-42 the disciples failure to pray for Jesus, and in this passage they deserted Jesus as he predicted. What can we learn from the disciple’s mistakes?

8. In this passage Jesus is brutally betrayed, unjustly arrested and devastatingly deserted. How do you feel when you read this passage? God grieves in a similar way when we betray and desert Him, so how


can this reality motivate you to grow in holiness?

Think about it

9. What can we learn from Jesus as he endures suffering and thinks about future suffering?

10. Judas was a hypocrite who showed affection to Jesus while simultaneously betraying Jesus with his actions. His affections and actions were out of sync. In pairs discuss how each of you are going in your affection and actions for Jesus.


188 Mark 14:53-15:15______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King condemnedPurpose: To consider Christ’s trial and Peter’s failure

1. Have you ever been falsely accused or observed someone being falsely accused of something? If so, share the situation with the group.

Read Mark 14:53-652. Why was the high priest, the chief priests, the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin assembled for this meeting in the middle of the night?

3. What was the problem with the evidence being brought forward from the many witnesses arranged to attend this trial at night, and how does the high priest overcome this problem?


4. When Jesus finally answers, why is his statement considered blasphemous (cf. Daniel 7:13-14)?

Read Mark 14:66-725. Peter is questioned three times and each time he denies being a follower of Jesus. Why does he deny Christ, and how is his third denial the strongest?

6. Why is his failure so devastating, given Peter's role within the disciples, and his previous statement (Mark 14:27-31)?

Read Mark 15:1-15‘’The Servant King”... Page 24.

7. When Jesus was taken to Pilate in the morning, what was the plan of the religious leaders?

8. Why does Pilate offer to release Jesus instead of Barabbas, and how is his plan foiled by the chief priests?

Think about it

9. In what way are we just like Barabbas, and how does Christ exchanging places with him point us to the atonement at the Cross?

10. Why is Jesus not a victim, despite the kangaroo court and the groundless condemnation, and what does this teach us about God's plans (Acts 2:22-24)?


99 Mark 15:16-47______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The King DiesPurpose: To reflect and its meaning

1. Discuss what people might have been expecting from the awaited Messiah? (cf. Luke 24:13-21)

Read Mark 15:16-32

2. How is the kingship of Jesus 'acknowledged' by the soldiers?

3. Re-read verses 29-30. People called on Jesus to come down from the cross and save himself. The religious leaders say that Jesus can save others, but that he can’t save himself. Why does Jesus choose not save himself?


4. Some people argue that Jesus' death on the cross is evidence that he is not the Son of God. Read Mark 8:29-34. How can we refute this argument and what does it mean that Jesus is the Christ?

Read Mark 15:33-39

5. Why was Jesus forsaken by God (v34)?

6. What is the significance of the temple curtain being torn into two, from top to bottom (v38)?

7. Re-read verse 39. What is significant about the centurion compared with the religious leaders in verse 31-32?

Read Mark 15:40-47


8. What evidence is there that Jesus truly died?

Think about it

9. If the second half of Mark's gospel answers the question 'Who is this man?' which is repeated in the first half, what is the answer given in this passage? What are the various responses to Christ in this passage, and how are they reflected in today's society?

10. What confidence can we have in our Lord because of the cross, and how should that affect our prayer life? (cf. Hebrews 4:14-16)


10 Mark 16:1-8

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The King risesPurpose: To grasp Christ's victory over death

1. Have you ever heard news that seemed too unrealistic to believe? How did you react?

Read Mark 16:1-8

2. In verses 1 to 3, what did the women expect to find at the tomb? Does their lack of preparation add or remove credibility to this historical account?

3. What does the angelic figure want the women to do with this news of Jesus’ resurrection? What is supposed to happen after they complete that task?

4. Even though the women initially “said nothing to anyone” (v8), how can we be sure that they delivered the angel’s message?


Think about it

5. “God does not disclose the Resurrection fact except to enlist people in a task.” What does knowing the reality of Jesus’ victory over death mean that we must now do? (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-20)

6. In what contexts do you find it hardest to speak about Jesus’ death and resurrection? What steps can you take this year to grow in confidence as an ambassador for Christ?

Mark 16:1-8

7. Mark’s gospel ends quite abruptly with the fear and awe of the women in v8. How is this (part of) an appropriate response to the message of the gospel?

8. Mark’s account seems not to be interested in the how of the resurrection, but rather the what. Why would Mark want to emphasise the reality of these events to his original readers?


Note: v9-20 are widely considered to be a later addition to Mark’s gospel, made up of details taken from the other gospels or the book of Acts, with a few additions from early church traditions as well. They cannot be said to be part of the Scriptures, but they are an honest attempt to ‘complete’ the story of Jesus.

Think about it

9. Mark’s gospel was written to record how the gospel message began (Mark 1:1), and as such we shouldn’t be surprised that the full meaning of the resurrection is not spelled out for us here. What light do these other passages shed on the meaning and significance of Jesus’ resurrection?

Romans 1:4

Romans 6:9

Romans 8:34

1 Corinthians 15:17

1 Corinthians 15:20-22

1 Thessalonians 4:14

10. Which implication is most precious to you? Why?


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