Month: April 2020

Reading 1, Mark 10:1-24 

Mark 10  

Marriage and Divorce  

Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again. 

²The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him. 

³And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” 

⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” 

⁵And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this ^[cf]precept. ⁶But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ ⁷‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, ⁸and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” 

¹⁰In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. ¹¹So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her. ¹²And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 

1. Question: Where does adultery begin? 

Jesus Blesses Little Children 

¹³Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. ¹⁴But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. ¹⁵Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” ¹⁶And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. 

• Question: What do you think Jesus meant by saying, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.”  How do we receive the kingdom of God like a little child? 

Jesus Counsels the Rich Young Ruler 

¹⁷Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” 

¹⁸So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” 

²⁰And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” 

²¹Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” 

²²But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. 

With God All Things Are Possible 

²³Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” ²⁴And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is ^[cg]for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! ²⁵It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” 

²⁶And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” 

²⁷But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” 

• Question: Why did Jesus tell the rich young ruler to sell everything he had and follow Jesus? 

Reading 2, Mark 10:28-52 

²⁸Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” 

²⁹So Jesus answered and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or father or mother ^[ch]or wife or children or ^[ci]lands, for My sake and the good news’s, ³⁰who shall not receive a hundredfold now in this time—houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecutions—and in the age to come, eternal life. ³¹But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” 

Jesus a Third Time Foretells His Death and Resurrection 

³²Now they were on the road, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus was going before them; and they were amazed. And as they followed they were afraid. Then He took the twelve aside again and began to tell them the things that would happen to Him: ³³“Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and to the scribes; and they will condemn Him to death and deliver Him to the Gentiles; ³⁴and they will mock Him, and ^[cj]scourge Him, and spit on Him, and kill Him. And the third day He will rise again.” 

Greatness Through Serving

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to Him, saying, “Teacher, we want You to do for us whatever we ask.” 

³⁶And He said to them, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 

³⁷They said to Him, “Grant us that we may sit, one on Your right hand and the other on Your left, in Your glory.” 

³⁸But Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I drink, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with?” 

³⁹They said to Him, “We are able.” 

So Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink the cup that I drink, and with the baptism I am baptized with you will be baptized; ⁴⁰but to sit on My right hand and on My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared.” 

⁴¹And when the ten heard it, they began to be greatly displeased with James and John. ⁴²But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. ⁴³Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. ⁴⁴And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” 

• Question:  How do we keep proper perspective between serving the Lord and serving others (I.e., some “needy” people can wear you out at times)? 

Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus 

⁴⁶Now they came to Jericho. As He went out of Jericho with His disciples and a great multitude, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the road begging. ⁴⁷And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

⁴⁸Then many warned him to be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” 

⁴⁹So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be called. 

Then they called the blind man, saying to him, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” 

⁵⁰And throwing aside his garment, he rose and came to Jesus. 

⁵¹So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 

The blind man said to Him, ^[ck]“Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.” 

⁵²Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has ^[cl]made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road. 

• Question:  How did Bartimaeus demonstrate his faith that Jesus could and would heal him?  How essential was his faith that Jesus would heal him for him to receive his sight? 

Reading 3, Mark 11:1-24 

Mark 11  

The Triumphal Entry  

Now when they drew near Jerusalem, to ^[a]Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples; ²and He said to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and as soon as you have entered it you will find a colt tied, on which no one has sat. Loose it and bring it. ³And if anyone says to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say, ‘The Lord has need of it,’ and immediately he will send it here.” 

⁴So they went their way, and found ^[b]the colt tied by the door outside on the street, and they loosed it. ⁵But some of those who stood there said to them, “What are you doing, loosing the colt?” 

⁶And they spoke to them just as Jesus had commanded. So they let them go. ⁷Then they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their clothes on it, and He sat on it. ⁸And many spread their clothes on the road, and others cut down leafy branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹Then those who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 

“Hosanna! 
‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ 
¹⁰Blessed is the kingdom of our father David 
That comes ^[c]in the name of the Lord! 
Hosanna in the highest!” 

¹¹And Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple. So when He had looked around at all things, as the hour was already late, He went out to Bethany with the twelve. 

• Question: Why did Jesus give His disciples a word of knowledge regarding the donkey? 

The Fig Tree Withered 

¹²Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. ¹³And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. ¹⁴In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” 

And His disciples heard it. 

Jesus Cleanses the Temple 

¹⁵So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. ¹⁶And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. ¹⁷Then He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’? But you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’ ” 

¹⁸And the scribes and chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching. ¹⁹When evening had come, He went out of the city. 

The Lesson of the Withered Fig Tree 

²⁰Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. ²¹And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” 

²²So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. ²³For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.²⁴Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 

• Question: Why do you think Jesus did the miracle of the fig tree?  What did Jesus teach them from this? 

Reading 4, Mark 11:25 – 12:17 

Forgiveness and Prayer 

²⁵“And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. ^26 [d]But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” 

Question: How does this compare with, 1 John 1:9, if we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 

Jesus’ Authority Questioned 

²⁷Then they came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders came to Him. ²⁸And they said to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority to do these things?” 

²⁹But Jesus answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: ³⁰The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men? Answer Me.” 

³¹And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘From men’ ”—they feared the people, for all counted John to have been a prophet indeed. ³³So they answered and said to Jesus, “We do not know.” 

And Jesus answered and said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” 
 

• Question: How did the way Jesus handled the request for evidence of authority for His actions tell you about Jesus’ approach in dealing with people that have hard hearts?

Mark 12  

The Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers  

Then He began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a place for the wine vat and built a tower. And he leased it to ^[e]vinedressers and went into a far country. ²Now at vintage-time he sent a servant to the vinedressers, that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the vinedressers. ³And they took him and beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴Again he sent them another servant, ^[f]and at him they threw stones, wounded him in the head, and sent him away shamefully treated. ⁵And again he sent another, and him they killed; and many others, beating some and killing some. ⁶Therefore still having one son, his beloved, he also sent him to them last, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ ⁷But those ^[g]vinedressers said among themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸So they took him and killed him and cast him out of the vineyard. 

⁹“Therefore what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰Have you not even read this Scripture: 

‘The stone which the builders rejected 
Has become the chief cornerstone. 
¹¹This was the Lord’s doing, 
And it is marvelous in our eyes’?” 

¹²And they sought to lay hands on Him, but feared the multitude, for they knew He had spoken the parable against them. So they left Him and went away. 

• Question: How do you think the parable of the wicked vinedressers related to the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders? 

The Pharisees Questioned: Is It Lawful to Pay Taxes to Caesar? 

¹³Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. ¹⁴When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and ^[h]care about no one; for You do not ^[i]regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? ¹⁵Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” 

But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” ¹⁶So they brought it. 

And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 

¹⁷And Jesus answered and said to them, ^[j]“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 

And they marveled at Him. 

10. Question: In what ways can we apply this truth to our lives today, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s”? 

Reading 5: Mark 12:11-44 

The Sadducees Questioned: What About the Resurrection? 

¹⁸Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: ¹⁹“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. ²⁰Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. ²¹And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. ²²So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. ²³Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.” 

²⁴Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore ^[k]mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? ²⁵For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. ²⁶But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? ²⁷He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly ^[l]mistaken.” 

The Scribes Questioned: Which Is the First Commandment of All?

²⁸Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, ^[m]perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the ^[n]first commandment of all?” 

²⁹Jesus answered him, “The ^[o]first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. ³⁰And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ^[p]This is the first commandment. ³¹And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 

³²So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. ³³And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, ^[q]with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 

³⁴Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” 

But after that no one dared question Him. 

11. Question:  How is the second commandment like the first commandment, and how is it different? Why do you think that later on Jesus said to His disciples, “34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:34-35? 

Jesus: How Can David Call His Descendant Lord? 
 

³⁵Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? ³⁶For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: 

‘The Lord said to my Lord, 
“Sit at My right hand, 
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’ 

³⁷Therefore David himself calls Him ‘Lord’; how is He then his Son?” 

And the common people heard Him gladly. 

Beware of the Scribes 

³⁸Then He said to them in His teaching, “Beware of the scribes, who desire to go around in long robes, love greetings in the marketplaces,³⁹the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts, ⁴⁰who devour widows’ houses, and ^[r]for a pretense make long prayers. These will receive greater condemnation.” 

12. Question: What stands out to you in this warning against the scribes? 

The Widow’s Two Mites 

⁴¹Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. ⁴²Then one poor widow came and threw in two ^[s]mites, which make a ^[t]quadrans. ⁴³So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; ⁴⁴for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood.” 

13. Question: What does this situation in the giving of the rich and the poor widow speak to you about the way God looks at things we do? 

Reading 1, Mark 7:1-23

Mark 7  

Defilement Comes from Within  

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. ²Now ^[ay]when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, ^[az]they found fault. ³For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ^[ba]in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. 

⁵Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” 

⁶He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 

‘This people honors Me with their lips, 
But their heart is far from Me. 
⁷And in vain they worship Me, 
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 

⁸For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—^[bb]the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 

⁹He said to them, “All too well you ^[bc]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹²then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.” 

1. Question (1-13): How do we prevent living like the Pharisees, who honored God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him (verses 6 and 7)?  How do we prevent worshipping God in vain? 

What defiles a person 

¹⁴When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: ¹⁵There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. ¹⁶If^[bd] anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 

¹⁷When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. ¹⁸So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, ^[be]thus purifying all foods?”²⁰And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. ²¹For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, ²²thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. ²³All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” 

• Question (14-23): How can we continuously eliminate defilement that comes from the heart? 

Reading 2, Mark 7:24 – 8:12 

A Gentile Shows Her Faith 

²⁴From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre ^[bf]and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. ²⁵For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. ²⁶The woman was a ^[bg]Greek, a ^[bh]Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept ^[bi]asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. ²⁷But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.” 

²⁸And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs.” 

²⁹Then He said to her, “For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 

³⁰And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed. 

• Question (24-30): How do you see the demonstration of this woman’s faith in Jesus to heal her daughter? What does this speak to you personally? 

Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute 

³¹Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. ³²Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. ³³And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. ³⁴Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 

³⁵Immediately his ears were opened, and the ^[bj]impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. ³⁶Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it. ³⁷And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.” 

• Question (31-37): Compare the way they asked Jesus to heal the deaf man that also had a speech impediment and the way Jesus healed him.  Can you think of times when you have asked God for things and then told Him how to do it? 

Mark 8  

Feeding the Four Thousand  

In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, ²“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. ³And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.” 

⁴Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?” 

⁵He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” 

And they said, “Seven.” 

⁶So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude. ⁷They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them. ⁸So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments. ⁹Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, ¹⁰immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha. 

The Pharisees Seek a Sign 

¹¹Then the Pharisees came out and began to dispute with Him, seeking from Him a sign from heaven, testing Him. ¹²But He sighed deeply in His spirit, and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Assuredly, I say to you, no sign shall be given to this generation.” 

Reading 3, Mark 8:13-38 

Beware of the Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod 

¹³And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side. ¹⁴Now ^[bk]the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat. ¹⁵Then He charged them, saying, “Take heed, beware of the ^[bl]leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.” 

¹⁶And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have no bread.” 

¹⁷But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “Why do you reason because you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive nor understand? Is your heart ^[bm]still hardened? ¹⁸Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear? And do you not remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?” 

They said to Him, “Twelve.” 

²⁰“Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?” 

And they said, “Seven.” 

²¹So He said to them, “How is it you do not understand?” 

• Question (1-21): What does a hardness of heart look like and how can it impact us?  How do we eliminate hardness of heart in ourselves? 

A Blind Man Healed at Bethsaida 

²²Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. ²³So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. 

²⁴And he looked up and said, “I see men like trees, walking.” 

²⁵Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly. ²⁶Then He sent him away to his house, saying, ^[bn]“Neither go into the town, nor tell anyone in the town.” 

Peter Confesses Jesus as the Christ 

²⁷Now Jesus and His disciples went out to the towns of Caesarea Philippi; and on the road He asked His disciples, saying to them, “Who do men say that I am?” 

²⁸So they answered, “John the Baptist; but some say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” 

²⁹He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

Peter answered and said to Him, “You are the Christ.” 

³⁰Then He strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him. 

• Question (22-30): Why did Jesus, “strictly warned them that they should tell no one about Him.” 

Jesus Foretells His Death and Resurrection

³¹And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. ³²He spoke this word openly. Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. ³³But when He had turned around and looked at His disciples, He rebuked Peter, saying, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you are not ^[bo]mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.” 

Take Up the Cross and Follow Him 

³⁴When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. ³⁵For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the good news’s will save it. ³⁶For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? ³⁷Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man also will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.” 

• Question (31-38): In our present day where Jesus is not physically walking from town to town preaching and healing, how do we apply what Jesus said that, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”  See this statement in the context of verses 34-38. 

Reading 4, Mark 9:1-29 

Mark 9  

Jesus Transfigured on the Mount 

And He said to them, “Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God^[bp]present with power.” 

²Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. ⁴And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. ⁵Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah”— ⁶because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid. 

⁷And a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” ⁸Suddenly, when they had looked around, they saw no one anymore, but only Jesus with themselves. 

⁹Now as they came down from the mountain, He commanded them that they should tell no one the things they had seen, till the Son of Man had risen from the dead. ¹⁰So they kept this word to themselves, questioning what the rising from the dead meant. 

¹¹And they asked Him, saying, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 

¹²Then He answered and told them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming first and restores all things. And how is it written concerning the Son of Man, that He must suffer many things and be treated with contempt? ¹³But I say to you that Elijah has also come, and they did to him whatever they wished, as it is written of him.” 

• Question (1-13): What connection do you see between verse 1 and 2-4? 

A Boy Is Delivered and Healed 

¹⁴And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them. ¹⁵Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him. ¹⁶And He asked the scribes, “What are you discussing with them?” 

¹⁷Then one of the crowd answered and said, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. ¹⁸And wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.” 

¹⁹He answered him and said, “O faithless^[bq] generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I ^[br]bear with you? Bring him to Me.”²⁰Then they brought him to Him. And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth. 

²¹So He asked his father, “How long has this been happening to him?” 

And he said, “From childhood. ²²And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.” 

²³Jesus said to him, “If^[bs] you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” 

²⁴Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” 

²⁵When Jesus saw that the people came running together, He rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to it, “Deaf and dumb spirit, I command you, come out of him and enter him no more!” ²⁶Then the spirit cried out, convulsed him greatly, and came out of him. And he became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose. 

²⁸And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” 

²⁹So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer^[bt]and fasting.” 

• Question (14-29): What do you get out of Jesus saying this type of demon can only come out by prayer and fasting? 

Reading 5, Mark 10:30-50 

Jesus Again foretells His Death and Resurrection 

³⁰Then they departed from there and passed through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know it. ³¹For He taught His disciples and said to them, “The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him. And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.” ³²But they did not understand this saying, and were afraid to ask Him. 

Who Is the Greatest? 

³³Then He came to Capernaum. And when He was in the house He asked them, “What was it you ^[bu]disputed among yourselves on the road?” ³⁴But they kept silent, for on the road they had disputed among themselves who would be the greatest. ³⁵And He sat down, called the twelve, and said to them, “If anyone desires to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all.” ³⁶Then He took a little child and set him in the midst of them. And when He had taken him in His arms, He said to them, ³⁷“Whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me, receives not Me but Him who sent Me.” 

10. Question (30-37): What can you apply in your life Jesus’ teaching about who would be greatest? 

Jesus Forbids Sectarianism 

³⁸Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.” 

³⁹But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me. ⁴⁰For he who is not against ^[bv]us is on ^[bw]our side. ⁴¹For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. 

11. Question (38-41): How do you think verse 41 is connected to verses 38-40? 

Jesus Warns of Offenses 

⁴²“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me ^[bx]to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea. ⁴³If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life ^[by]maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to ^[bz]hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched— ^44 [ca]where 

‘Their worm does not die 
And the fire is not quenched.’ 

⁴⁵And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into ^[cb]hell,^[cc]into the fire that shall never be quenched— ⁴⁶where 

‘Their worm does not die 
And the fire is not quenched.’ 

⁴⁷And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into ^[cd]hell fire— ⁴⁸where 

‘Their worm does not die 
And the fire is not quenched.’ 

12. Question (42-48): What do you think Jesus was teaching about in verses 42- 47, and why? 

Tasteless Salt Is Worthless

⁴⁹“For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and^[ce] every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. ⁵⁰Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it? Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.” 

13. Question (49-50): What do you think Jesus means by, “Have salt in yourselves”? 

Reading 1, Mark 4: 1-25 

Mark 4  

The Parable of the Sower 

And again He began to teach by the sea. And a great multitude was gathered to Him, so that He got into a boat and sat in it on the sea; and the whole multitude was on the land facing the sea. ²Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: 

³“Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. ⁴And it happened, as he sowed, that some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds ^[y]of the air came and devoured it. ⁵Some fell on stony ground, where it did not have much earth; and immediately it sprang up because it had no depth of earth. ⁶But when the sun was up it was scorched, and because it had no root it withered away. ⁷And some seed fell among thorns; and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no ^[z]crop. ⁸But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop that sprang up, increased and produced: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 

⁹And He said ^[aa]to them, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” 

The Purpose of Parables 

¹⁰But when He was alone, those around Him with the twelve asked Him about the parable. ¹¹And He said to them, “To you it has been given to know the ^[ab]mystery of the kingdom of God; but to those who are outside, all things come in parables, ¹²so that 

‘Seeing they may see and not perceive, 
And hearing they may hear and not understand; 
Lest they should turn, 
And their sins be forgiven them.’ ” 

The Parable of the Sower Explained 

¹³And He said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? ¹⁴The sower sows the word. ¹⁵And these are the ones by the wayside where the word is sown. When they hear, Satan comes immediately and takes away the word that was sown in their hearts. ¹⁶These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness;¹⁷and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. ¹⁸Now these are the ones sown among thorns; they are the ones who hear the word, ¹⁹and the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things entering in choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful. ²⁰But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, ^[ac]accept it, and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred.” 

1. Question (1-20): What was the purpose of planting seeds in the parable?  What do the seeds and the soil represent? What is required of us to bear the fruit of the kingdom of God, and what does that mean? 

Light Under a Basket 

²¹Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under a bed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand? ²²For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light. ²³If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 

²⁴Then He said to them, “Take heed what you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you; and to you who hear, more will be given. ²⁵For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.” 

2. Question (21-25): What important principle stands out to you in verse 24?  What do you think verse 25 is taking about? 

Reading 2, Mark 4:26 

The Parable of the Growing Seed 

²⁶And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should ^[ad]scatter seed on the ground, ²⁷and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. ²⁸For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. ²⁹But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.” 

3. Question (26-29):  What do you think this parable tells us about the kingdom of God? 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed 

³⁰Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what parable shall we picture it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown on the ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; ³²but when it is sown, it grows up and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so that the birds of the air may nest under its shade.” 

Jesus’ Use of Parables 

³³And with many such parables He spoke the word to them as they were able to hear it. ³⁴But without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples. 

Wind and Wave Obey Jesus 

³⁵On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” ³⁶Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. ³⁷And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. ³⁸But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 

³⁹Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace,^[ae]be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How^[af] is it that you have no faith?”⁴¹And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” 

4. Question (30-41):  How do you think this would have gone differently if they had faith? 

A Demon-Possessed Man Healed 

Mark 5  

Then they came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the ^[ag]Gadarenes. ²And when He had come out of the boat, immediately there met Him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, ³who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no one could bind ^[ah]him, not even with chains, ⁴because he had often been bound with shackles and chains. And the chains had been pulled apart by him, and the shackles broken in pieces; neither could anyone tame him. ⁵And always, night and day, he was in the mountains and in the tombs, crying out and cutting himself with stones. 

⁶When he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and worshiped Him. ⁷And he cried out with a loud voice and said, “What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore^[ai] You by God that You do not torment me.” 

⁸For He said to him, “Come out of the man, unclean spirit!” ⁹Then He asked him, “What is your name?” 

And he answered, saying, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” ¹⁰Also he begged Him earnestly that He would not send them out of the country. 

¹¹Now a large herd of swine was feeding there near the mountains. ¹²So all the demons begged Him, saying, “Send us to the swine, that we may enter them.” ¹³And ^[aj]at once Jesus gave them permission. Then the unclean spirits went out and entered the swine (there were about two thousand); and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the sea, and drowned in the sea. 

¹⁴So those who fed the swine fled, and they told it in the city and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that had happened. ¹⁵Then they came to Jesus, and saw the one who had been demon-possessed and had the legion, sitting and clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. ¹⁶And those who saw it told them how it happened to him who had been demon-possessed, and about the swine. ¹⁷Then they began to plead with Him to depart from their region. 

¹⁸And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. ¹⁹However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” ²⁰And he departed and began to proclaim in ^[ak]Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled. 

5. Question (1-20):  What was this man’s testimony to his friends once Jesus set him free? 

Reading 3 

A Girl Restored to Life and a Woman Healed 

²¹Now when Jesus had crossed over again by boat to the other side, a great multitude gathered to Him; and He was by the sea. ²²And behold, one of the rulers of the synagogue came, Jairus by name. And when he saw Him, he fell at His feet ²³and begged Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter lies at the point of death. Come and lay Your hands on her, that she may be healed, and she will live.” ²⁴So Jesus went with him, and a great multitude followed Him and thronged Him. 

6. Question (21-24): What was the evidence that Jairus had faith that Jesus would heal his daughter who was at the point of death? 

²⁵Now a certain woman had a flow of blood for twelve years, ²⁶and had suffered many things from many physicians. She had spent all that she had and was no better, but rather grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came behind Him in the crowd and touched His garment. ²⁸For she said, “If only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well.” 

7. Question (25-28): What was the evidence of this woman’s faith that Jesus would heal her? 

²⁹Immediately the fountain of her blood was dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of the ^[al]affliction. ³⁰And Jesus, immediately knowing in Himself that power had gone out of Him, turned around in the crowd and said, “Who touched My clothes?” 

8. Question (29-30): Why do you think Jesus asked, “Who touched My clothes?” 

³¹But His disciples said to Him, “You see the multitude thronging You, and You say, ‘Who touched Me?’ ” 

³²And He looked around to see her who had done this thing. ³³But the woman, fearing and trembling, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell down before Him and told Him the whole truth. ³⁴And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction.” 

³⁵While He was still speaking, some came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house who said, “Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the Teacher any further?” 

³⁶As soon as Jesus heard the word that was spoken, He said to the ruler of the synagogue, “Do not be afraid; only believe.” ³⁷And He permitted no one to follow Him except Peter, James, and John the brother of James. ³⁸Then He came to the house of the ruler of the synagogue, and saw ^[am]a tumult and those who wept and wailed loudly. ³⁹When He came in, He said to them, “Why make this commotion and weep? The child is not dead, but sleeping.” 

⁴⁰And they ridiculed Him. But when He had put them all outside, He took the father and the mother of the child, and those who were with Him, and entered where the child was lying. ⁴¹Then He took the child by the hand, and said to her, “Talitha, cumi,” which is translated, “Little girl, I say to you, arise.” ⁴²Immediately the girl arose and walked, for she was twelve years of age. And they were overcome with great amazement. ⁴³But He commanded them strictly that no one should know it, and said that something should be given her to eat. 

9. Question (31-43): Why do you think Jesus put out the unbelieving people before healing the little girl? 

Reading 4 

Mark 6  

Jesus Rejected at Nazareth 

Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. ²And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! ³Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him. 

⁴But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” ⁵Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. ⁶And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching. 

10. Question (1-6): Why do you think that because of their unbelief “He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them”? What can we learn from this? 

Sending Out the Twelve 

⁷And He called the twelve to Himself, and began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits. ⁸He commanded them to take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bag, no bread, no copper in their money belts— ⁹but to wear sandals, and not to put on two tunics. 

¹⁰Also He said to them, “In whatever place you enter a house, stay there till you depart from that place. ¹¹And ^[an]whoever will not receive you nor hear you, when you depart from there, shake off the dust under your feet as a testimony against them. ^[ao]Assuredly, I say to you, it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city!” 

¹²So they went out and preached that people should repent. ¹³And they cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them. 

11. Question (7-13): Why did Jesus send out the 12, why do you think Christ limited what they could take on their journey, and why cast out demons and heal the sick?  

John the Baptist Beheaded 

¹⁴Now King Herod heard of Him, for His name had become well known. And he said, “John the Baptist is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him.” 

¹⁵Others said, “It is Elijah.” 

And others said, “It is ^[ap]the Prophet, or like one of the prophets.” 

¹⁶But when Herod heard, he said, “This is John, whom I beheaded; he has been raised from the dead!” ¹⁷For Herod himself had sent and laid hold of John, and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife; for he had married her. ¹⁸Because John had said to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 

¹⁹Therefore Herodias ^[aq]held it against him and wanted to kill him, but she could not; ²⁰for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man, and he protected him. And when he heard him, he ^[ar]did many things, and heard him gladly. 

²¹Then an opportune day came when Herod on his birthday gave a feast for his nobles, the high officers, and the chief men of Galilee. ²²And when Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, and pleased Herod and those who sat with him, the king said to the girl, “Ask me whatever you want, and I will give it to you.” ²³He also swore to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half my kingdom.” 

²⁴So she went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask?” 

And she said, “The head of John the Baptist!” 

²⁵Immediately she came in with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 

²⁶And the king was exceedingly sorry; yet, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷Immediately the king sent an executioner and commanded his head to be brought. And he went and beheaded him in prison, ²⁸brought his head on a platter, and gave it to the girl; and the girl gave it to her mother. ²⁹When his disciples heard of it, they came and took away his corpse and laid it in a tomb. 

12. Question (14-29): Why do bad things happen to “good” people? What is the difference between saying “God is in control” and saying “God is Lord of heaven and earth”?  Which of these does the bible teach?  A short article on this if you are interested:

   https://www.redletterchristians.org/mean-say-god-is-in-control/ 

Reading 5 

Feeding the Five Thousand 

³⁰Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. ³¹And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. ³²So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 

³³But ^[as]the multitudes saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. ³⁴And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. ³⁵When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. ³⁶Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves ^[at]bread; for they have nothing to eat.” 

³⁷But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” 

And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” 

³⁸But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” 

And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 

³⁹Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. ⁴¹And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. ⁴²So they all ate and were filled. ⁴³And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. ⁴⁴Now those who had eaten the loaves were ^[au]about five thousand men. 

13. Question (30-44):  Why do you think Jesus told the disciples “You give them something to eat” knowing they were unable to do this by the natural man?  How might this relate to your everyday life? 

Jesus Walks on the Sea 

⁴⁵Immediately He ^[av]made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, to Bethsaida, while He sent the multitude away. ⁴⁶And when He had sent them away, He departed to the mountain to pray. ⁴⁷Now when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land. ⁴⁸Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. ⁴⁹And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; ⁵⁰for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, “Be^[aw] of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” ⁵¹Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. ⁵²For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. 

14. Question (45-52):  1) Why do you think it says when Jesus had walked on the water and climbed into the boat followed by the wind stopping that, “they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened” and 2) what do you think might be i the significance of this for us? 

Many Touch Him and Are Made Well 

⁵³When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. ⁵⁴And when they came out of the boat, immediately ^[ax]the people recognized Him, ⁵⁵ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. ⁵⁶Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well. 

15. Question (53-56): Did Jesus teach that if people would touch the hem of His garment that they would be made well?  Why do you think it happened that when people did touch the hem of His garment they were healed? How might this apply to you? 

Reading 1, Mark 1:1-20 

John the Baptist Prepares the Way 

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. ²As it is written in ^[a]the Prophets: 

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, 
Who will prepare Your way before You.” 
³“The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 
‘Prepare the way of the Lord; 
Make His paths straight.’ ” 

⁴John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance ^[b]for the remission of sins. ⁵Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 

1. Question: What are some sins you think are a barriers to people receiving Christ as Lord and savior? 

⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. ⁸I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 

John Baptizes Jesus 

⁹It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And immediately, coming up ^[c]from the water, He saw the heavens ^[d]parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. ¹¹Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” 

2. Question:  How do you think Jesus pleased His Father up to this point in time, before He began His ministry? 

Satan Tempts Jesus 

¹²Immediately the Spirit ^[e]drove Him into the wilderness. ¹³And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

3. Question: Why was it necessary that Jesus was tempted (Hebrews 4:14-16)? 

Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry 

¹⁴Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the good news ^[f]of the kingdom of God, ¹⁵and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God ^[g]is at hand. Repent, and believe in the good news.” 

4. Question: Based on what you have read in the Gospels so far, what do you recall were some of the things Jesus told them to repent of, and believe in, as part of the good news of the kingdom/rule of God? 

Four Fishermen Called as Disciples 

¹⁶And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. ¹⁷Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” ¹⁸They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 

¹⁹When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. ²⁰And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him. 

Reading 2, Mark 1:21-4 

Jesus Casts Out an Unclean Spirit 

²¹Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. ²²And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. 

²³Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ²⁴saying, “Let us alone! What have we to do with You, Jesus of Nazareth? Did You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” 

²⁵But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ^[h]“Be quiet, and come out of him!”²⁶And when the unclean spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. ²⁷Then they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ^[i]“What is this? What new ^[j]doctrine is this? For with authority He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.” ²⁸And immediately His fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee. 

Peter’s Mother-in-Law Healed 

²⁹Now as soon as they had come out of the synagogue, they entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. ³⁰But Simon’s wife’s mother lay sick with a fever, and they told Him about her at once. ³¹So He came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the fever left her. And she served them. 

Many Healed After Sabbath Sunset 

³²At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. ³³And the whole city was gathered together at the door. ³⁴Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. 

 Preaching in Galilee 

³⁵Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a ^[k]solitary place; and there He prayed. ³⁶And Simon and those who were with Him searched for Him. ³⁷When they found Him, they said to Him, “Everyone is looking for You.” 

³⁸But He said to them, “Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.” 

³⁹And He was preaching in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and casting out demons. 

Jesus Cleanses a Leper 

⁴⁰Now a leper came to Him, imploring Him, kneeling down to Him and saying to Him, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” 

⁴¹Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” ⁴²As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed. 

5. Question: Does anything stand out to you in these healings by Jesus?

⁴³And He strictly warned him and sent him away at once, ⁴⁴and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing those things which Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 

⁴⁵However, he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the matter, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter the city, but was outside in deserted places; and they came to Him from every direction. 

6. Question: Why do you think Jesus told demons to not say who He was and for people to not tell everyone about being healed by Jesus? 

Reading 3, Mark 2:1-17 

Mark 2  

Jesus Forgives and Heals a Paralytic 

And again He entered Capernaum after some days, and it was heard that He was in the house. ^2 [l]Immediately many gathered together, so that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door. And He preached the word to them. ³Then they came to Him, bringing a paralytic who was carried by four men. ⁴And when they could not come near Him because of the crowd, they uncovered the roof where He was. So when they had broken through, they let down the bed on which the paralytic was lying. 

⁵When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” 

⁶And some of the scribes were sitting there and reasoning in their hearts, ⁷“Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 

⁸But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, “Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? ⁹Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Arise, take up your bed and walk’? ¹⁰But that you may know that the Son of Man has ^[m]power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the paralytic, ¹¹“I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.” ¹²Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” 

7. Question: What do you think it means, “when Jesus saw their faith?” (See also James 2:14-17)?  Why do you also think Jesus first said, “sins are forgiven you” when he healed the paralytic? 

Matthew the Tax Collector 

¹³Then He went out again by the sea; and all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. ¹⁴As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So he arose and followed Him. 

¹⁵Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi’s house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. ¹⁶And when the scribes ^[n]and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, “How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?” 

¹⁷When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, ^[o]to repentance.” 

8. Question: In the context of these verses, what do you think Jesus meant by, “I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, ^[o]to repentance”(see also Matthew 5: 3) 

 
Reading 4, Mark 2: 18-3:13 

Jesus Is Questioned About Fasting 

¹⁸The disciples of John and of the Pharisees were fasting. Then they came and said to Him, “Why do the disciples of John and of the Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?” 

¹⁹And Jesus said to them, “Can the ^[p]friends of the bridegroom fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them they cannot fast. ²⁰But the days will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days. ²¹No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment; or else the new piece pulls away from the old, and the tear is made worse. ²²And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins.” 

Question:  What do you think the parable of the new wine and new wineskins is about?  See also John 3:3-8. 

Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath 

²³Now it happened that He went through the grain fields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. ²⁴And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 

²⁵But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: ²⁶how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?” 

²⁷And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. ²⁸Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” 

Question: What evidence do you see of the religious spirit at work in verses 23-26?  What was the spirit of the law regarding the Sabbath, or why was the sabbath made (see also Exodus 20:8-11)?  What was Jesus saying about Himself in verse 28? 

Healing on the Sabbath 

Mark 3  

And He entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a withered hand. ²So they watched Him closely, whether He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might ^[q]accuse Him. ³And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ^[r]“Step forward.” ⁴Then He said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored ^[s]as whole as the other. ⁶Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him. 

9. Question: What opposites do you see at work here in verses 1-6? 

A Great Multitude Follows Jesus 

⁷But Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the sea. And a great multitude from Galilee followed Him, and from Judea ⁸and Jerusalem and Idumea and beyond the Jordan; and those from Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they heard how many things He was doing, came to Him. ⁹So He told His disciples that a small boat should be kept ready for Him because of the multitude, lest they should crush Him. ¹⁰For He healed many, so that as many as had afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him. ¹¹And the unclean spirits, whenever they saw Him, fell down before Him and cried out, saying, “You are the Son of God.” ¹²But He sternly warned them that they should not make Him known. 

Reading 5, Mark 3:13-35 

The Twelve Apostles 

¹³And He went up on the mountain and called to Him those He Himself wanted. And they came to Him. ¹⁴Then He appointed twelve, ^[t]that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, ¹⁵and to have ^[u]power ^[v]to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons: ^16 [w]Simon, to whom He gave the name Peter; ¹⁷James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James, to whom He gave the name Boanerges, that is, “Sons of Thunder”; ¹⁸Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Cananite; ¹⁹and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed Him. And they went into a house. 

A House Divided Cannot Stand 

²⁰Then the multitude came together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread. ²¹But when His own people heard about this, they went out to lay hold of Him, for they said, “He is out of His mind.” 

²²And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem said, “He has Beelzebub,” and, “By the ruler of the demons He casts out demons.” 

²³So He called them to Himself and said to them in parables: “How can Satan cast out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶And if Satan has risen up against himself, and is divided, he cannot stand, but has an end. ²⁷No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house. 

²⁸“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; ²⁹but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation”— ³⁰because they said, “He has an unclean spirit.” 

10. Question: Based on what you find here in Jesus’ words and dialogue with those accusing Jesus of casting out demons by the ruler of demons, what is the sin that is not forgiven? 

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers Send for Him 

³¹Then His brothers and His mother came, and standing outside they sent to Him, calling Him. ³²And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, “Look, Your mother and Your brothers ^[x]are outside seeking You.” 

³³But He answered them, saying, “Who is My mother, or My brothers?”³⁴And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, “Here are My mother and My brothers! ³⁵For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.” 

11. Question: Why do you think Jesus taught that, “whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.”(See also John 3:5-6)?