We are jumping into the Gospel of Mark as a church and it is our prayer that God will use this gospel to bring conviction to our confession and clarity to our confusion that often surrounds Jesus. May we faithfully align with Jesus’ invitation to follow Him in accomplishing His mission.
What comes to mind when you think about the book of Mark?
What is unique about this gospel in relation to the other three gospels?
Watch the Bible Project Video giving an overview of Mark:
Our desire is not to accumulate knowledge about the book of Mark, but to grow in our understanding and love for Jesus. What excites you as we jump into this study of Mark?
On Sunday, we talked about a couple of key things that give us a solid context for understanding Mark’s gospel.
Author: John Mark Date Written: 60s AD Original Audience: Romans Themes: Immediately and Authority
What was interesting and/or surprising for you about the context of Mark?
We pointed to three key questions in Mark’s gospel:
Who is Jesus? What did Jesus come to accomplish? How will people respond to Jesus?
Why are these questions so important for us today?
Read Mark 1:1-11. What do you learn about Jesus in these verses?
What is something that you learn or are surprised by in this text?
In the first 11 verses, we highlighted four testimonies to the identity of Jesus: Mark declares (1:1), the prophets testify (1:2-3), John prepares (1:4-8), and God Speaks (1:9-11)
What jumps out to you about these testimonies?
How could the first 11 verses of Mark help you explain to a non-Christian friend what you believe about Jesus and why?
Mark wants us to see that Jesus is the long-awaited king who was God, but this King came to prepare a way for us to come back to God. Jesus made it possible for us to share His identity as a son/daughter of God.
How does this encourage you today?
What would it look like for you to live in the truth that you are God’s child?
