1717 BIBLE STUDIES
Gospel Study
Gospel of Mark
“Your Word Is Truth” (John 17:17)
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Overview
Study: Gospel of Mark
Theme: Everyone’s Invited
A study of the Gospel of Mark introduces the reader to Jesus’ power and purpose. It highlights the forgiveness and redemption Jesus came to bring to a lost world, and it reminds us of the value true discipleship, practical faith, and servant leadership.
How To Use
- Each week has a lesson aim, lesson text, and supplemental text.
- Tabs indicate the week of each lesson.
- Each week features three sections: Study, Application, and Discovery.
- Use the Discovery questions to study, discuss, and apply the Scripture passages in a group or class.
Introduction
Author
Mark (also known as John Mark) was the son of a woman named Mary, who opened her home in Jerusalem as a place for followers of Christ to gather and pray (see Acts 12:12). Mark is also identified as the cousin of Barnabas (Mark 4:10). It was perhaps through this connection that Mark was invited to join Paul and Barnabas on Paul’s first missionary journey. For reasons unrecorded in Scripture, Mark left Paul and Barnabas in Perga (in Pamphylia) to return to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13). Later, Mark’s departure led to a rift between Paul and Barnabas as they planned another missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). Some 15 years later, though, Mark had proven himself to Paul and Paul requested Mark’s presence while imprisoned in Rome (2 Timothy 4:11).
Audience
Mark seems to have written primarily to a Gentile (non-Jewish) audience. His careful explanation of Jewish customs leads us to believe his primary audience may not have been familiar with them.
Date
It’s likely that Mark wrote his Gospel account of Jesus’ life and ministry between 50 and 65 AD.
Setting
Mark’s Gospel is set largely in the region of Palestine, and of the four Gospels, is the most chronological. Mark’s Gospel is also unique in that it’s focus primarily is on Jesus’ teachings and his actions.
Theme
Mark’s Gospel is the second of four canonical Gospels. In it, Mark recounts the ministry of Jesus from his baptism to his death and resurrection. Considering Mark’s Gentile audience, his Gospel focuses on Jesus’ identity as the promised Messiah and Son of God.
Why Study Galatians?
A study of the Gospel of Mark introduces the reader to Jesus’ power and purpose. It highlights the forgiveness and redemption Jesus came to bring to a lost world, and it reminds us of the value true discipleship, practical faith, and servant leadership.
Week One
LESSON AIM: Praise and pray to Jesus even if you feel “ordinary.”
STUDY: Gospel of Mark
THEME: Everyone’s Invited
LESSON TEXT: Mark 11:1-19
SUPPLEMENTAL: Isaiah 56:4-8; Micah 4:1-2; Zechariah 9:9; Matthew 21:1–9; Luke 19:29–38
STUDY
WEEK 1
The Ordinary Are Invited
by Mark Scott
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Tony Campolo wrote a book titled, The Kingdom of God Is a Party. The triumphal entry, celebrated on Palm Sunday, is one scene of that party. The closest thing to a New York City ticker tape parade that Jesus ever had was the triumphal entry into Jerusalem at the beginning of “Holy Week.” The religious elite and the priestly aristocracy were unwilling to embrace Jesus. But ordinary men, women, and children shouted their praise of Jesus’ identity. Nothing about Jesus’ ministry needed to be kept secret anymore. It was time for a metaphorical “showdown.” It was as if Jesus were saying, “Let the games begin.”
Mark devoted one-third of his Gospel to the Passion experience of Jesus, and the first event in that experience was the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus had come from Jericho where he dined with Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) and healed Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52). He ascended more than 3,000 feet in 17.5 miles and rested at Bethany in the home of friends Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.
Preparing
Mark 11:1-6
Bethphage and Bethany are two small villages on the southeast side of the Mount of Olives. Jesus would have followed the ridge of that mountain to the top of Olivet to see the city of Jerusalem. It is a beautiful sight to this day. In fulfillment of the prophecy, Jesus would need to prepare to ride a beast of burden into the city (Zechariah 9:9). Jesus sent two of his disciples to prepare for his ride.
Jesus may have made advance preparations, or this perhaps was a miracle of the human heart and occasion; whatever the case, the disciples went and secured the donkey just as Jesus had predicted. The text says this was a donkey on which no one had ever ridden. Riding such a beast would be a risk for most people, but not for the Creator of the universe who came to tame creation and was the pure Son of God (cf. John 19:41 for a similar statement about his tomb). The people who watched the two disciples untie the donkey essentially asked, “What gives?” The answer Jesus gave them was sufficient: “The Lord needs it.” With the donkey secured, everything was prepared.
Celebrating
Mark 11:7-11
Two crowds were involved in the triumphal entry—one coming out from Jerusalem to greet Jesus and one that was following Jesus; that second crowd was entering the city to celebrate Passover (verse 9 and John 12:13, 17). These “ordinary people” celebrated Jesus in three ways: they put their cloaks on the donkey and on the road for the donkey to tread upon, they cut branches from trees and waved them, and they shouted their praise of Jesus’ identity.
The shout was significant. Not only is it a chiasm (a rhetorical pattern; e.g., Hosanna, Blessed, Blessed, and Hosanna again), but it also echoed the language of Psalm 118:24-25. “Hosanna” means “God, save us.” The ordinary people might have been making the connection between God’s plan for salvation and Jesus. They surely were recognizing that Jesus was inaugurating the coming kingdom of his father David.
Instead of becoming enamored with the celebration, this “unsettling Messiah” (as authors David Fleer and Dave Bland call Jesus in their book, Preaching Mark’s Unsettling Messiah) entered the city, entered the temple courts, looked around, and then just left. He allowed the crowds to celebrate him, but he played inspector.
Cleansing
Mark 11:12-19
Jesus probably stayed with his dear friends in Bethany following the events of Palm Sunday. On Monday morning he returned to the temple to teach. He may have left early in the morning since he was hungry. Breakfast back then was more like brunch. He saw a fig tree in leaf but not bearing fruit yet (since it was not the season for figs). Jesus was not angry with the tree but decided to use the leafy tree’s “false advertising” to teach the disciples a lesson. He cursed the fig tree and it withered (Matthew 21:19 said it withered “at once,” but Mark 11:20 said the disciples noticed its condition the next day). The fig tree was a symbol of the nation of Israel. It too was falsely advertising.
The cursing of the fig tree went hand in hand with the cleansing of the temple. Jesus was confronting official Judaism for their rejection of him, their hypocrisy, and their lack of inclusiveness of all peoples. Jesus witnessed what Nehemiah had said about God’s house being profaned and neglected (Nehemiah 13:15-22). It angered him, so he overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. This could be the second time that Jesus did this (John 2:13-22). This time he used the language of Isaiah 56:7 about his house being a house of prayer for all nations. He wanted the temple to be accessible for ordinary people. The religious elite were mad, the people were amazed, and the disciples tried to internalize it.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 1
Mud On Your Coat
by David Faust
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During a visit to Israel, our tour group met with two church leaders from Galilee—one in his 30s and an older man in his 60s. We listened intently while these two ministers described the difficulties they face as they try to spread the gospel in their unique corner of the world.
We wanted them to videotape a short message to share with friends in the United States, but the older man, Saleem, hesitated. “I don’t look presentable,” he objected. These men are tentmaking ministers who work other jobs to support their families.
“I spent the day leading 150 students on a long hike,” Saleem explained, “so my clothes are sweaty, and I have mud on my shoes.” Eventually he relented and allowed us to make the video. Before the meeting ended, our group prayed over these brothers in Christ, asking the Lord to strengthen them as they serve in the land where Jesus walked.
Afterward, a friend of mine who was part of our group said, “Dave, that’s how I want to live my life.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“At the end of my life,” he explained, “I don’t need to be all cleaned up and polished. I want to go out sweaty, with mud on my shoes, because I’ve been serving the Lord and serving others.”
Cloaks on the Road
In the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ triumphal entry, several details stir my curiosity. For example, Jesus chose to ride on a colt “which no one [had] ever ridden” (Mark 11:2). Most people couldn’t ride an unbroken animal, but this untamed colt responded to the hand and voice of the Creator and calmly obeyed the Prince of Peace.
And did you notice that people in the crowd “spread their cloaks on the road” (Mark 11:8)? We know the Lord was met with palm branches that day (John 12:13), but in this spontaneous parade, the excited crowd not only laid tree branches on the ground, they also carpeted the dirt road with their garments. Imagine doing that with your own sweater, jacket, or sport coat! Would you put your garment down in the mud so a donkey could walk over it?
Cheers, Tears, and Jeers
At first glance, Palm Sunday seems like a happy occasion. The crowd joyously welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem. But for the Lord, the triumphal entry was a time of tears. He wept over the city (Luke 19:41), and a few days later, a crowd jeered him and shouted, “Crucify him!” Viewed a different way, Palm Sunday reminds us that sometimes honoring Jesus means laying our garments on the ground—putting pride aside and getting down and dirty for the kingdom’s sake.
Serving the Lord isn’t always a fun parade. If you take the time to listen to someone who’s hurting . . . if you befriend unbelievers, share their pain, and try to answer their questions and relieve their doubts . . . if you sit with those who are sick or dying . . . if you devote your life to loving God and loving others—it may leave you sweaty and tired. But at the end of the day, you’ll know your efforts were worthwhile.
In the process of honoring Jesus, it’s OK if you get some mud on your coat.
Personal Challenge:
What has following Jesus cost you? How has it blessed you? What have you given up to honor Jesus? Have you ever had to “lay something on the ground” in the process of serving the Lord? What will you do this week to honor him?
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 1
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Since the last time we met, how have you seen God supply what you need as you have served him?
2. If you could be invited to attend any occasion in the present or from the past, what would it be, and why?
Ask two people to read aloud Mark 11:1-19, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize the passage.
3. How did ordinary people respond to Jesus at different points in this passage?
4. How did the religious leaders react to him?
5. Both the fig tree and the temple are symbolic of Israel. How does that help you understand Jesus’ actions?
6. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
7. What do you learn about people?
8. The fig tree presented a teaching moment for Jesus with his disciples. What is the difference between someone who merely has the appearance of a Christ follower and one who actually is a follower?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete this sentence: “This week, I will . . .”
10. This week, what will you lay down for Jesus to give honor and praise to him?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Mark 16:9-20. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Two
LESSON AIM: Take Jesus’ invitation to others, no matter what their background.
STUDY: Gospel of Mark
THEME: Everyone’s Invited
LESSON TEXT: Mark 16:9-20
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:13-35; John 20:11-18, 24-29; Acts 1:9-11; 28:1-6
STUDY
WEEK 2
All Nations Are Invited
by Mark Scott
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Jesus gave five commission statements, and he is serious in them being fulfilled. In Matthew he said to “make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). In Mark he said to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (Mark 16:15). In Luke/Acts he said to announce “forgiveness. . . to all nations” and take the witness to the “ends of the earth” (Luke 24:47; Acts 1:8). In John he sent his disciples into the world as the Father had sent him (John 20:21). Even the “barbarous people” of Malta were to receive the gospel (Acts 28:2, King James Version). On Easter Sunday, the church needs to remember that it has the best of the good news to share. The church dares not be stingy with it.
Intellectual honesty demands accurate work with this famous passage. The original documents that became our New Testament were produced by hand and subsequently were hand copied. God ensured that the message he wanted the church to have was preserved by inspiration. But that does not mean no differences existed in those ancient copies. Sometimes scribes or others in the early church added true stories from the ministry of Jesus that the original author did not write into some of the manuscripts (e.g., John 7:53—8:11). The textual support (i.e., the science of comparing manuscripts to determine their accuracy) of our lesson text is stronger than in some other passages (as the one mentioned above), but still it is weak.
Bruce Metzger observed that this passage has six textual variants within it. He states, “Thus, on the basis of good external evidence and strong internal considerations it appears that the earliest ascertainable form of the Gospel of Mark ended with 16:8” (A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, 126).
Multiple Appearances
Mark 16:9-14
One of the many evidences of the resurrection of Jesus is the independent and corporate eyewitness testimonies of people who saw Jesus alive. While the Gospel writers seemed to have made little attempt to harmonize their works (which gave them even greater authenticity), there existed between them a collaboration of the truth of the resurrection.
Mark mentioned that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene on the morning of the resurrection. John’s testimony said the same (John 20:1-2, 11-18). Her testimony was not believed even though Peter and John ran to the tomb and saw that Jesus was not in it (John 20:3-9). Mark also recorded that Jesus appeared to two others as they were walking in the country. Luke’s testimony said the same (Luke 24:13-35). This testimony was likewise not believed. Mark said that Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating. John’s testimony said the same (John 20:19-29). Once again, refusal and hardness of heart kept the disciples from belief. This fit with Mark’s theme of no one really “getting Jesus.”
Nuanced Commission
Mark 16:15-18
Each of the five commission statements from Jesus are nuanced in the thematic direction of the individual Gospel writers. This is true of Mark’s Gospel. Mark is the only Gospel to mention miraculous signs as part of the missionary enterprise of the church. That fits with the fact that 31 percent of Mark’s Gospel centers on miracles.
Jesus commanded the disciples to “go into all the world [kosmos] and preach the gospel to all creation.” It is a global commission statement that concerns all peoples. Those who believe this gospel (Mark 1:14-15) and follow that belief in baptism will be saved. Obviously since the Bible teaches believer’s baptism, if belief is not embraced, then no belief/ baptism equals condemnation.
Five miracles attended the earliest disciples (vv. 17-18); with one exception, all occur in Acts. The disciples would drive out demons—similar to the seven that the Lord cast out of Mary Magdalene. They would speak in tongues (Acts 2; 10; 19). They would pick up snakes and not be harmed (Acts 28). They would drink poison and not be hurt (no record of this). They would heal people (Mark 6:13; Acts 3; 8; 9; 13; 14; 20; 28).
One Ascension
Mark 16:19-20
The ascension of Christ is an important doctrine in the New Testament, especially for Luke and the writer of Hebrews (Luke 24; Acts 1; Hebrews 1; 2; 4; 9; 10). But Mark also mentioned it. Jesus was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. In obedience to Jesus, the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the miracles gave evidence of the truth of their message. All the nations are invited to the Easter message and to the risen Christ.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 2
But Some Doubted
by David Faust
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I Here’s an interesting detail about Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. All four Gospels mention there were doubters after Jesus rose from the dead.
Don’t misunderstand. We call these books Gospels precisely because they confidently announce the good news that Christ died and came back to life again. All four Gospels present Jesus’ death and resurrection as historical facts, confirmed by multiple eyewitnesses. And the Lord’s post-resurrection appearances weren’t fleeting glimpses but in some cases involved prolonged conversations and meals eaten with others. The reality of Jesus’ resurrection was confirmed by “many convincing proofs that he was alive” (Acts 1:3).
But despite all the evidence, some individuals were difficult to convince.
Doubters Among the Disciples
John recounts the story of the famous skeptic Jesus told, “Stop doubting and believe” (John 20:27), but Thomas wasn’t the only person who found the resurrection hard to accept. According to Luke, when the apostles first heard about the empty tomb, they “did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense” (Luke 24:11); and later, when the Lord showed them his hands and feet, “they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement” (v. 41). Mark’s Gospel says the Lord “rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen” (Mark 16:14).
And Matthew’s account says, “When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted” (Matthew 28:17). Are you surprised to find that verse tucked in right before the Great Commission where Jesus says to make disciples of all nations and baptize them? It’s a little unsettling to find doubters mixed with worshipers at this climactic point in Jesus’ ministry.
Why did they doubt? Jesus predicted his own resurrection multiple times (for example, in Matthew 16:21; 17:23), but when this grandaddy of all miracles happened, was it more than his followers’ minds could handle? Were they confused by the rumor circulating among the Jews that Jesus’ body was stolen from the tomb (Matthew 28:12-15)? Did life after death simply seem too good to be true?
Gentleness and Respect
Still today, when we gather on Easter to celebrate the resurrection, doubters mingle with the worshipers. Bright-colored spring clothes can’t cover up the darkness many of our neighbors carry in their hearts. Some never think much about faith, while others ask serious questions about God, but haven’t found satisfying answers. Life has treated them harshly, so they wonder if God is harsh. Or they have found the Bible difficult to understand, so they have given up reading it.
Some people show up at an Easter service to fulfill an obligation or continue a family tradition, but they don’t agree with the preacher’s words. Yet, they come and listen to our sermons and songs. These doubters mixed with the worshipers are harassed and hurting—sheep without a shepherd who need the gospel more than they realize.
Easter provides a unique opportunity for us to “be merciful to those who doubt” (Jude 22) and explain the reasons for our hope “with gentleness and respect” (1 Peter 3:15). Every day, we rub shoulders with precious souls God designed to be worshipers, but who wrestle with doubt, discouragement, and defeat. For their sake, may our faith be authentic and our lives magnetic, overflowing with resurrection hope.
Personal Challenge:
This week, reach out to a friend, neighbor, co-worker, or classmate who doesn’t go to church. Ask them to have lunch or coffee with you or invite them to join you for services at your church.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 2
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Over the past week, what have you laid down for Jesus to give honor and praise to him?
2. How did your family celebrate Resurrection Sunday (Easter) when you were a child?
- What was most special about it?
Ask two people to read aloud Mark 16:9-20, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to summarize the passage as if telling it to a middle schooler
3. What stands out to you most in this brief summary of Jesus’ resurrection, Great Commission, and ascension?
4. What do Jesus’ multiple appearances (three in this passage) tell you about Jesus’ resurrection?
5. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
- What do you learn about yourself?
6. Both Mary Magdalene and the two disciples “walking in the country” (v. 12) saw the resurrected Jesus and then reported that to Jesus’ other disciples. How do you account for the fact that the other disciples did not believe these witnesses at first?
7. Imagine you are talking with a family member, friend, or co-worker who is skeptical that Jesus rose from the dead. How would you use this or other Bible passages to share your belief in his resurrection?
8. Jesus gave a direct command (v. 15). How will you obey it this week?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What do you need most from God as you go into the world and preach the good news?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Mark 2:1-17. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Three
LESSON AIM: Respond to the call for repentance and forgiveness.
STUDY: Gospel of Mark
THEME: Everyone’s Invited
LESSON TEXT: Mark 2:1-17
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Psalm 51; Mark 1:1-8; Romans 5:8
STUDY
WEEK 3
Sinners Are Invited
by Mark Scott
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Years ago, an evangelist was preparing to hold a revival in a relatively small town. He wrote the ministers in the town and asked if they would send him the names of people they knew who needed to accept Christ. The ministers sent the evangelist a copy of their town’s phone book. The bad news is that everyone is a sinner (Romans 3:23). The good news is that all sinners are invited to the kingdom of God.
The lesson text contains the miracle of Jesus healing a paralytic and the call of Levi (aka Matthew) to be a disciple. Maybe John Mark viewed Levi’s call from tax collector to disciple to be a miracle of sorts. Mark placed several miracles side by side. The first is the cleansing of the leper (1:40-45). The second is the cleansing from sin and healing of the paralytic (2:1-12).
Removing Barriers for Sinners
Mark 2:1-4
During one of his first tours around Galilee, Jesus again entered Capernaum. Word traveled quickly that Jesus had come to town. The large numbers of people packed the house (Peter’s house?). Jesus spoke the “logos”—or gospel—to them (see Mark 1:14-15).
Four men brought a paralyzed man to Jesus. These men were willing to tear up a roof to get their friend to Jesus, and their faith was strong—which Jesus observed. The word on the street was that Jesus was a worker of wonders (see Mark 1:32-34, 39). The men dug through the tiles (Luke 5:19) and removed any barrier for their friend.
Forgiving Sinners
Mark 2:5-12
Jesus was taken by the four friends’ faith. Then he made a stunning declaration, “Son, your sins are forgiven [sent away or canceled].” This declaration was announced with no regard for what had occurred earlier (sacrifices) or what would occur later (the cross). These things do not matter to Jesus, for he is the embodiment of the New Covenant. So, by the power of his person, he declared the man forgiven.
This declaration immediately became a huge theological problem for the teachers of the law. To forgive sins was a privilege possessed only by God. So, by thinking, “Who can forgive sins but God alone?” they were making Jesus’ point. Jesus is God—in flesh. Jesus knew (the word for epistemology) what they were thinking. He anticipated their objection.
The Master Teacher asked them, “Which is easier?” It was not a question of word count or pronunciation. Neither performing a miracle nor declaring forgiveness is easy, but God can do both. While not every miracle of Jesus has an apologetic purpose, this miracle did. Jesus, as God’s Son, had the ability to forgive sins, and he proved it by raising the paralyzed man—a messianic sign to be sure (Isaiah 35:6). Everyone was amazed and praised God when the paralyzed man took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. Jesus had begun to save the world even prior to the cross. The miracle was a brief preview into full future redemption for the entire universe.
Eating with Sinners
Mark 2:13-17
The Synoptic Gospels all place the call of Matthew following the healing of the paralytic. So, perhaps it was not too long after Jesus raised the paralytic that he walked by Matthew’s tax booth in Capernaum and said, “Follow me.” Levi son of Alphaeus is almost certainly Matthew (although David Garland builds a case for it being someone else in The NIV Applicational Commentary). Matthew did leave his tax booth, but, as one person put it, he remembered to take his pen.
Matthew had sold out to Rome; now he sold out to Jesus. And he did the only thing he knew to do—celebrate. He threw a party to introduce his friends to Jesus (Luke says that it was a “great banquet,” Luke 5:29). The criticism about whom Jesus ate with did not take long to surface. The Pharisees accused Jesus of eating with traitors (that is, tax collectors) and sinners. They knew, and Jesus knew, that to eat with someone meant several things—not the least of which was acceptance. Tax collectors and sinners are mentioned three times in the text, and Mark recorded, “There were many who followed him.”
Jesus justified himself by taking the role of a doctor. Only the sick need a doctor (a common secular proverb of Jesus’ day). The sad reality is that the supposed righteous were sinners just like the tax collectors and sinners—and all are invited.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 3
The Messiness of Ministry
by David Faust
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Do you ever shake your head and sigh, “Why is this world such a mess?” Do you wish everyone would just get their act together and do what they’re supposed to do?
Moses complained about leading the rebellious Hebrews through the wilderness. Elijah wallowed in self-pity and wondered if he was the only one left who cared about God. Paul expressed frustration with the Corinthians’ immaturity, immorality, and divisiveness. Jesus’ adversaries made him angry and “deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5).
Life would be easier if everyone was mature, wise, and gracious. But people aren’t that way, and serving God isn’t easy.
It’s no surprise when firefighters smell like smoke. Emergency room doctors get blood on their scrubs. Shepherds get manure on their sandals. Parents of newborn babies change a lot of diapers. If you expect to stay neat and tidy while serving God, you are in for a big surprise. Ministry is messy.
The Messiah Amid the Mess
Jesus didn’t shy away from messy situations. He got his hands muddy to help a blind man. His feet got wet from a tearful woman who used her long hair as a towel; and another woman messily anointed his feet with expensive perfume. Most people avoided tax collectors, but Jesus went out of his way to socialize with them. He touched “untouchable” lepers and fed hungry listeners who walked away when they found his message hard to accept.
Jesus faced criticism, skepticism, and false accusations. His disciples engaged in petty squabbles, and enthusiastic but misguided fans wanted to make him king but didn’t realize what it meant to make him Lord. His teaching was interrupted by sick people demanding miracles, eager children seeking attention, curious questioners looking for answers, and hateful enemies trying to discredit or destroy him. He took time to help a scary, ghoulish fellow who was possessed by demons and lived in a cemetery—and restored him to health and freedom.
One day when Jesus was teaching in a crowded house, things got messy when four men tore a hole in the roof. The men used ropes to lower their paralyzed friend on a mat down into the room. Jesus’ teaching was disrupted, the crowd got dirt on their heads, and the homeowner suddenly had an unplanned skylight in his roof. But Jesus used this messy situation to demonstrate his divine authority to heal and forgive.
Our Messes
I pray for opportunities to interact with seekers and unbelievers, and the Lord answers by bringing me into messy situations. I visit a grumpy non-Christian in his 80s who swears a lot and complains about living in rehab. I meet with a 21-year-old man whose body, mind, and relationships have been damaged by poor choices and drug abuse. A middle-aged divorcé claims he’s not a believer, but he asks good questions and attends a small group that meets in my house.
I wish the world weren’t such a mess, but I’m glad the Messiah is willing to make himself at home in unpleasant situations, no matter who made the messes. Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick” (Mark 2:17). In this world of sin and sorrow, we get to be spiritual EMTs, bringing fellow sufferers to the Great Physician.
Personal Challenge:
Pray for opportunities to interact with seekers and unbelievers. Ask the Lord for wisdom and strength to deal with messy situations so you can be an ambassador of his grace and truth.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 3
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Did you “preach the gospel” or talk to someone about Jesus and his resurrection over the past week? If so, how did that go?
2. What would you expect to happen today if you held a party, invited both Christian and non-Christian friends, and Jesus showed up?
Ask two people to read aloud Mark 2:1-17, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. Discuss each group of people, below, separately. How would you describe the people in each group and what they did?
- Jesus and his disciples
- The four men and the paralytic man
- Teachers of the law
- Levi and his friends
4. The teachers asked, “Why does this fellow talk like that? . . . Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Using Jesus’ response as a guide, how would you answer that same question if someone asked the question about Jesus today?
5. If someone asked you, “Why did Jesus hang out and eat with traitors and sinners?” how would you answer in your own words?
6. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
- What do you learn about forgiveness for sins and repentance?
7. What do you learn about yourself?
8. In what specific way will you make it a point this week to hang out with (and perhaps eat with) one or more people who are still far away from God?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What do you need most from God to love people who are far from God? More compassion or empathy? Boldness? More margin in your time? Something else?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Mark 7:24-37. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Four
LESSON AIM: Follow Jesus’ example by helping those who are hurting.
STUDY: Gospel of Mark
THEME: Everyone’s Invited
LESSON TEXT: Mark 7:24-37
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Isaiah 55:1-5; 58:6-7; Matthew 9:35-38; 25:31-40
STUDY
WEEK 4
The Hurting Are Invited
by Mark Scott
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John Baker wrote a book titled, Life’s Healing Choices (2007). He asserted that all people struggle with hurts, hang-ups, and habits. Baker worked on staff with Rick Warren at Saddleback Church in California. Warren, the now-retired senior pastor of Saddleback, said that 70 percent of people who came to Christ at Saddleback did so through the Celebrate Recovery program run by John Baker. Spoiler alert—there are scores of hurting people in this world.
Chapters 6–7 make the transition between the “boat” stories and “bread” stories in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus fed the 5,000 in the wilderness with a very simple meal of fish and “bread” (in contrast to Herod’s lush birthday bash). The Pharisees criticized Jesus for eating “bread” with unwashed hands. So, Jesus retreated to the far northern country to gain some margin in his life. While there, he encountered a desperate mother, and “bread” was the metaphor that carried the conversation along.
Hurt By Demons
Mark 7:24-30
The people of Tyre were old enemies of the Israelites. For Jesus to go to that area and encounter people was risky. He was trying to get away and have some “R and R” with the disciples. He did not want anyone to know his comings and goings. But “he could not be hid” (v. 24, King James Version). A driven mother learned that Jesus had come to the area. She came, fell at his feet, and asked for help for her little daughter who was demonized (Mark’s rather consistent way of writing about this was to say someone had an “unclean” or “impure spirit”). The woman went unnamed, but her ethnicity (Greek) and nationality (Syrian Phoenicia) were mentioned—probably to highlight the difference between her and Jesus. She begged Jesus for help.
Jesus spoke to her (although he was silent with her at first—Matthew 15:23) in highly figurative language. This might have ensured a private conversation even though the disciples overheard it. The figures of speech used in their dialogue: children = Israelites; bread = the gospel or spiritual nourishment from God; dogs = pagans, Gentiles, unbelievers. Calling someone a dog is hardly a compliment (even if Jesus did use a diminutive form of the word; e.g., puppy). But I imagine Jesus winking at her when he said these things, perhaps intending to draw her out.
Jesus’ strategy worked, for she was not put off. She realized her place, but she refused to give up. She reminded the Lord that little puppies eat the crumbs that fall from the table. She essentially was saying, “I’ll take whatever help you can give me—even a crumb.” Ralph Martin called this event, “The Day that Jesus Met His Match.” Jesus must have followed his wink with a smile when he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” She had the faith to take Jesus at his word and went home. She found her daughter on the bed (sleeping peacefully?), and the demon gone. Demons know only how to hurt, but Jesus invited the hurting to himself.
Hurt by Disability
Mark 7:31-37
A world not yet fully redeemed has demons and people with disabilities in it. Jesus left the area of Tyre and went north through Sidon before heading back east and south. Jesus had not been in the region of the Decapolis on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee since his encounter with the Gadarene demoniac from the cemetery (Mark 5:1-20). After casting out the demons named Legion from the man, the townspeople begged Jesus to leave. Now they brought to him a man with more than one disability. Why this 180-degree change in the people of that region? The cured man did what Jesus told him to do (Mark 5:19-20).
The disabled man had two problems—he was deaf and therefore mostly mute. (After all, we learn to speak by listening.) Jesus had no interest in hoopla, so he took him aside, away from the crowd. Jesus entered his world of silence with sign language. Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears and touched his tongue (the places of his disabilities) to sign what he intended to do. Jesus looked into heaven (to acknowledge from where the healing would come). He gave a deep sigh (Empathy? Frustration? Tongue speaking? See Scot McKnight’s book, Open to the Spirit), and then spoke the Aramaic word for “open.” The man’s ears and tongue were healed.
Jesus told the man not to tell, but the man did anyway. Everyone was amazed and exclaimed that Jesus did everything with excellence! Demons and disabilities are no challenge to Jesus when he invites the hurting to himself.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 4
When Things Don’t Go Your Way
by David Faust
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Most of us like to be in control. You probably have a certain way you like your coffee and a preference about the thermostat’s temperature setting. Unfortunately, control issues can cause big problems. Husbands and wives engage in power struggles. Bosses and middle managers disagree about business decisions. Politicians wrestle for control in Congress. Elders and staff members don’t always agree.
How do you respond when things don’t go your way? You can’t control the weather, but you can carry an umbrella if it looks like rain. You can’t control how others drive, but you can keep your car in good repair and drive defensively. Parents rule the roost when our kids are young, but when they become adolescents and adults, we must give up the reins and exchange outright control for subtler techniques like influence and persuasion.
Christ is the greatest leader ever to walk the earth, and the Gospels portray him leading not by coercion or force, but by the persuasive power of truth and love. Because the Creator endowed human beings with the ability to choose, he knows what it’s like to be disappointed by the actions and reactions of others. Jesus described himself as having protective instincts, like a mother hen that wants to gather her chicks under her wings, but sadly, some choose not to accept his help (Matthew 23:37; John 1:11). He possesses “all authority in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), but sometimes people do the opposite of what he wants.
Presence That Couldn’t Be Concealed
On one occasion, Jesus “entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret” (Mark 7:24). At this point in his ministry, Jesus wanted privacy, not publicity; but his presence couldn’t be hidden. Most of us have times we don’t want to be “on”—when we prefer to be alone and don’t want to be bothered. Yet, duty calls. Friends and family track us down.
It’s wise to have boundaries. Jesus often went off by himself, withdrawing to “lonely places” where he could pray (Luke 5:16). But it seems Jesus used those quiet times not merely to isolate himself, but to refresh himself for ministry. When he was “on,” the Lord was available, adaptable, and interruptible—even willing to assist a woman from a foreign region whose daughter was in desperate need (Mark 7:25-30). Jesus’ dynamic presence couldn’t be hidden.
Good News That Couldn’t Be Silenced
Soon afterward, Jesus healed a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and the witnesses of this great miracle were amazed. “Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it” (Mark 7:36). Again, Jesus didn’t get his way. It’s understandable why people were excited, but it’s stunning that they disobeyed his direct command. Ironically, in this case Jesus said not to tell anyone about the miracle, and they kept talking about it anyway. In the Great Commission, Jesus said we should share the good news with everyone, and we tend to keep the message to ourselves!
In a culture obsessed with personal empowerment, the Lord offers a unique alternative to control. It’s called “surrender.” By saying, “Follow me,” he invites us to slide away from the steering wheel and let him drive.
Personal Challenge:
Discuss this question in your small group or with a trusted friend: “In my life right now, what am I trying to control that I need to surrender to the Lord?”
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 4
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Did you get together with anyone who is far from God to just hang out or share a meal? If so, how did that go?
2. When have you been overwhelmed with amazement? Please describe it.
Ask two people to read aloud Mark 7:24-37, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions. Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. What stands out to you most in this passage?
4. Jesus used what Mark Scott calls “highly figurative language” with the mother whose daughter was possessed by a demon. “Children = Israelites; bread = the gospel or spiritual nourishment from God; dogs = pagans, Gentiles, unbelievers.” How does that help you understand what he was saying to her?
5. Scott also suggests that the woman’s reply to Jesus essentially was, “I’ll take whatever help you can give me—even a crumb.” How would you describe her faith?
6. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?
7. What do you learn about yourself?
8. Referring to verse 36, David Faust says, “Ironically, in this case Jesus said not to tell anyone about the miracle, and they kept talking about it anyway. In the Great Commission, Jesus said we should share the good news with everyone, and we tend to keep the message to ourselves!” With whom will you keep talking about what Jesus has done in your life?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. In your life right now, what do you most need to surrender to the Lord?
For Next Week: Read and reflect on Mark 14:1-9. You can also read next week’s supplemental texts and the Study and Application sections as part of your personal study.
Week Five
LESSON AIM: Express your gratitude for your relationship with Jesus through extravagant worship.
STUDY: Gospel of Mark
THEME: Everyone’s Invited
LESSON TEXT: Mark 14:1-9
SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT: Matthew 26:2-15; John 12:1-8; Revelation 19:6-9; Matthew 22:1-14
STUDY
WEEK 5
You Are Invited
by Mark Scott
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Can the worship of God ever get too extravagant? At first pass the answer is probably no. God deserves all creatures in heaven and earth ascribing to him his supreme worth. But in every church board meeting there is some “practical person” who wants to know, “How much will this cost?” That is not a bad question—the disciples essentially asked that question in our lesson text—it is just not a good first question. God invites all of creation to worship him. How extravagant should that worship be?
The Passion Week of Jesus began in Mark 11. But the Passion event began in Mark 14. Jesus’ march up Calvary was only hours away.
Extravagant Worship Rejected
Mark 14:1-2
The Passover lamb was killed on the 14th day of Nisan. That began a weeklong festival known as the Festival of Unleavened Bread. The text says this date and festival were only two days away, so Judas would have made plans with the Sanhedrin to betray Jesus somewhere in the middle of Passion Week (Mark 14:9-10).
The chief priests (notice the plural, which probably means that Annas still had some clout with his son-in-law, Caiaphas—John 18:13), who were Sadducean, and the teachers of the law, who were Pharisaic, were scheming to arrest Jesus secretly and kill him. The Gospel writers spared no words in telling the motives of the Jewish leaders. Their true colors were shown when they gave some restraint to their plans lest there be a riot among the people (cf. John 11:47-53). In rejecting Jesus, the religious leaders were rejecting his invitation.
Extravagant Worship Displayed
Mark 14:3
In contrast to the Jewish leaders, Mary displayed extravagant worship toward Jesus (John 12:3). Part of it, no doubt, was her gratitude for Jesus having raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:1-44). Mary is unnamed in Matthew and Mark, and the event is not recorded in Luke, though some think that the penitent woman of Luke 7 is this woman. There are some similarities in these anointings, but the differences outweigh the similarities. Mary lived in Bethany, and the penitent woman probably lived in Galilee.
Jesus was reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper. Simon might have been married to Mary or Martha or he might have been a leper Jesus had formerly cleansed. Without fanfare, Mary entered the room where the men were eating; she had with her an alabaster jar (vessel) of very expensive perfume. This perfume was spikenard, which originally came from India. Spikenard was extracted from small, thin straws (plants); it was very expensive—maybe representing Mary’s life savings. She broke the jar (probably snapped it at its neck), which meant it could not be used again, and anointed Jesus’ head and feet (John 12:3). It was extravagant in every way.
Extravagant Worship Questioned
Mark 14:4-5
Mary’s act of devotion not only was questioned, it also was criticized. The disciples thought she had gone “overboard.” The negative chorus, led by Judas (John 12:4), believed what Mary had done was wasteful. They tallied the loss in their heads and told one another the perfume could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. At the least, their reaction indicated Jesus had taught them to care for the poor (Luke 12:33-34).
On the surface, smug self-righteousness can sound pious and spiritual. But in the end, it simply shows a shrunken heart. The disciples rebuked her harshly. The word for “rebuke” has some heat in it. They were angrily indignant toward Mary. But Jesus quickly came to her defense.
Extravagant Worship Defended
Mark 14:6-9
Jesus criticized the disciples, commended Mary, and went on to teach about true kingdom values. The Greek word translated as “leave her alone” is the word normally used for forgiveness (as in letting go). “Mary did a beautiful thing to me.” First, Mary chose “what is better” (Luke 10:42), and then she did this beautiful thing.
Caring for the poor is a central mark of the gospel (Luke 4:18). When Jesus said the poor you will always have with you, he was not offering an excuse for never caring for them. Jesus’ time on earth was limited. Mary acted decisively. In fact, Jesus likened what she did to burial customs of the day (John 19:39-40). Mary likely did think in those terms, but worship takes us beyond understanding in the present. Worship of Christ connects us with the real world above us (Revelation 4–5). Jesus defended Mary’s extravagant worship of him by saying that what she did would be told in her memory. Our lesson text is evidence of that.
Mark Scott serves as preaching minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin, Mo. For 35 years, until 2021, he served as professor of preaching and New Testament with Ozark Christian College in Joplin.
APPLICATION
WEEK 5
Give The Lord Your MVP
by David Faust
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To sports fans, MVP means Most Valuable Player. Football’s Peyton Manning holds the NFL record with five MVP awards. Basketball’s Bill Russell and Michael Jordan each won five MVPs, while Kareem Abdul-Jabbar won the award six times. Baseball’s Barry Bonds won seven MVPs, but the legendary Babe Ruth won it only once—in 1923, when he hit .393 with 41 homers and 130 runs batted in. (In the 1920s, professional baseball players were allowed to win the MVP title only once.) Hockey great Wayne Gretzky holds the record for the most MVPs. He won the NHL’s Hart Trophy nine times in the 10-year span from 1980 through 1989.
With a little twist, what if those letters stood for Most Valuable Possession? What do you consider your MVP? Is it your car? Your house? Your bank account or retirement savings? Is it an heirloom, like a cherished piece of furniture passed down by a relative?
Worship . . . or Waste?
Would you give your Most Valuable Possession to the Lord? That’s what Mary did for Jesus. She “came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard” (Mark 14:3). That perfume wasn’t Chanel No. 5; it was more like Chanel No. 20—the really good stuff. Nard comes from plants in the Himalayas, so this rare perfume had been imported all the way from India. Even the packaging was pricey. Alabaster looks like onyx or marble, but it’s soft enough to be carved into a jar or vase.
In those days, a generous host might sprinkle a drop or two of perfume on an honored guest. But Mary broke the whole jar and emptied the perfume onto Jesus’ head, wiping his feet with her hair and filling the house with the fragrance (John 12:3). It was the gift of a lifetime, worth about a year’s wages—an extravagant outpouring of love.
Not surprisingly, some bystanders considered Mary’s act wasteful. Whenever you go all out for the Lord, you will be misunderstood and criticized. A high school guidance counselor warned me not to waste my time by going to Bible college, but I’m glad I ignored his advice. Professor Lewis Foster earned graduate degrees from Harvard and Yale, but no one who studied under him would say he wasted his career by teaching in a Christian seminary.
Do you know what is truly a waste? Hanging onto a bottle of perfume when you have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something incredible for Jesus! It’s a waste to withhold your talent instead of using it for the Lord, squandering your Father’s inheritance instead of investing it in his kingdom.
A Beautiful Thing
Jesus didn’t criticize Mary. He defended her. “She has done a beautiful thing to me,” he said (Mark 14:6). “To me.” That’s what made her generosity beautiful. To honor Jesus, Mary poured out her MVP—her Most Valuable Possession. “She did what she could,” Jesus said (v. 8). God doesn’t demand what we cannot do, but he takes whatever we offer him in faith and multiplies it a hundredfold.
Sometimes love makes us do things that appear extravagant and unconventional—so lavish that others might consider them reckless. But since Christ “poured out his life unto death” for our sake (Isaiah 53:12), doesn’t it make sense to give him our best?
Personal Challenge:
Do something extravagant to honor the Lord. Give away something you value or make an extravagant, sacrificial, larger-than-usual donation to a ministry or mission.
David Faust serves as senior associate minister with East 91st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis.
DISCOVERY
WEEK 5
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSION
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1. Over the last week, with whom did you talk about what Jesus has done in your life?
2. What would you consider your most valuable possession?
Ask two people to read aloud Mark 14:1-9, one after the other, preferably from different Bible versions (one of which could be a paraphrase such as The Message). Then ask a third person to briefly summarize these verses.
3. What contrasts do you see between the religious leaders (chief priests and teachers of the law), the woman (Mary, John 12:3) who poured her perfume on Jesus, and the others who were gathered (vv. 4-5)?
4. This passage focuses on four individuals and groups: the religious leaders (vv. 1-2), the woman (v. 3), the others who were present (vv. 4-5), and Jesus (vv. 6-9). For each group, discuss these two questions:
- What do you think they were thinking or feeling as this event happened?
- How would you describe their motive for their actions and/or words?
5. What do you learn about Jesus from this passage? What does he value?
6. What do you learn about people?
7. Jesus said about the woman, “She did what she could.” What gift, ability, interest, passion, or resource do you have that you can use to do what you can for Jesus and his kingdom?
8. What “beautiful thing”—an extravagant, lavish act of worship—will you do for Jesus this week?
9. Based on our study and discussion, complete the sentence: “I will . . .”
10. What words can you use to express your gratitude to Jesus for your relationship with him?
For Next Week: This week’s lesson bring this unit of study to a conclusion. Look for additional “1717: Your Word Is Truth” studies, for use with your Sunday School classes, small groups, or personal studies, at ChristianStandard.com.
