Mark

Intro

Scripture

Questions

LESSON TWO

Although Matthew precedes the Gospel of Mark in the New Testament, Mark is considered the first of the four Gospels to be written. Possibly written and published in Rome between A.D. 60 and 70, Mark addressed his book to the Roman Christians. Romans were a practical people and did not care about Jewish history and beliefs. The Romans loved action. So Mark writes a brief Gospel full of Jesus’ miracles and deeds, not his sermons. While Matthew described Jesus as a King, Mark tells of his servanthood. Therefore, Mark approaches his Gospel differently. Mark shows how Jesus first directed his public ministry to the Jews, but when their leaders opposed him, he also went to the Gentile world. However, both Matthew and Mark record the Great Commission of our Lord to go into all the world and preach the gospel. Although Mark’s Gospel is the shortest, it is brimming with the love Jesus showed for others and the mission he came to complete.

Lesson Objective: To show the servanthood of Christ and how he cared deeply for people

Handbook for Christian Maturity written by Bill Bright © 2003, 2009, 2016 Bright Media Foundation. All rights reserved. Previously©1965- 2003 Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. Bright Media Foundation® is a registered trademark of Bright Media Foundation, Inc. Campus Crusade for Christ International® and Cru® are registered trademarks of Campus Crusade for Christ, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, except in the case of brief quotations printed in articles or reviews, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Bible Study

BIBLE STUDY

Read Mark 14–16

Before you consider the many verses below, be sure to read the Bible passages listed above.

If you click on the verses in the study below you can see the entire verse! If you are not on-the-go, consider opening a physical Bible and looking up the passages.

Jesus’ Ministry

Read Mark 10:45. State Mark’s objective for writing his Gospel.
Read Mark 1:20 and Mark 3:13–35. How did Jesus choose his followers?
What do these passages say about the qualifications Jesus expects in his disciples?
In Mark 1:21–28, how was Jesus described as a teacher?
One of the most striking ways in which the Gospel of Mark differs from Matthew is that it places greater emphasis on what Jesus did than what he said.
What were some of the things Jesus did that caused the religious leaders of his day to be so angry with him (Mark 2:1–3:6)?

Miracles of Jesus

Note the four miracles of Jesus, performed in Mark 4–5:43.
List one characteristic of Jesus in each incident.
Mark 4:35–41
Mark 5:1–20
Mark 5:21–23, 35–43
Mark 5:25–34
What one thing hinders Jesus from exercising his power and control in the lives of men (Mark 6:1–6)?

Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

Compare Matthew’s and Mark’s accounts of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Matthew 26–28; Mark 14–16). What differences do you find?
How does having two accounts help you better understand Christ’s sacrifice for you?
Describe how Christ the servant is exalted (Mark 16:1–20).
How does Jesus combine the qualities of both a king and a servant?

Application

LIFE APPLICATION

Questions

Can you recognize the servanthood of Christ and how he cared deeply for people?
List several ways Jesus’ example as servant has inspired you to serve others.
How can you put these ideas into practice this week?
To what degree does unbelief hinder Christ from exercising his power and control in your life?
How can you best exalt Jesus through your life (Mark 16:15, 20)?
What are you doing now to implement this?
How could you increase your efforts in this area?

Memory Verse: “and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:44, 45 NLT)