Mark: The Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ

Do you have a favorite movie or book that focused on the premise that there may be more to
life than meets the eye?
Read Mark 4:21-34
What jumps out to you?
What questions do you have about this passage?
These three parables follow the parable about the soils as Mark brings the topic of the Kingdom of God into focus.
When you think of the “kingdom of God” what comes to mind?
If the kingdom of God is like a lamp, what does that say about God’s desire for His kingdom to
be seen/found?
A good parent wouldn’t send their kids on a scavenger hunt where the kids would never
find the prize. In the same way, God desires for His kingdom to be found. How is this
encouraging to you?
In the second picture, Jesus points to a farmer who plants but doesn’t actually know how the
growth happens. How is it encouraging to see that God’s kingdom isn’t dependent on our
understanding everything or doing everything?
A single acorn is pretty insignificant, but when planted and fully grown it is a mighty oak, how
much more insignificant can the message of the gospel be in our world today when it has the
power to change everything?
How have you been challenged to trust the slow and hidden growth in your life and the
seeming lack of action on behalf of God?
How do you trust when there is more waiting than growth?
Jesus gives us the third picture by using a mustard seed to show us that the beginnings of His
kingdom will be drastically different from the future. How is this encouraging to you?
Read Matthew 19:23-30 and take note of how confused the disciples were about the workings
of Jesus’ kingdom. What is upside down about what Jesus says?
Jesus came to proclaim an upside-down kingdom, but in doing so He revealed that His kingdom
was actually right side up. What does it look like for you to trust that what seems upside down
is actually right side up?
Those who were most willing to accept the upside-down nature of God’s kingdom were those
with nothing to lose. What is something that you are afraid to lose by living according to God’s
kingdom?

Notice that God’s kingdom must be received it is not forced upon anyone, and for this
reason, it can easily be missed.
Two Questions to Consider:
Will I humbly submit to the King of the kingdom?
What am I seeking to control in my life that God is inviting me to hand over to him?
In these three pictures, we see that the light of the world came to us, the creator of all things became a tiny seed that would die and be buried so that we could have life, and the one who came into this world as a tiny baby will return as a conquering king. Let’s celebrate that God’s kingdom is here and God’s kingdom is now!

How was God speaking to you Sunday morning?

How are you encouraged by His Word?

This is a broad question… What do you think Jesus desires of our hearts and lives when it comes to hearing His Word?

PARABLES
READ Mark 4:10-12

What do you know about a parable?

Why do you think Jesus taught using parables?

What is Jesus communicating to His disciples in vs. 11-12? Is he the one keeping people from understanding His message? Or is there something deeper at play here?

Why does Jesus teach using this method?

HEARING
READ Mark 4:9

How did teaching in parables separate those with “heart ears” and those who the message went “in one ear and out the other”?

Why does Jesus say “Those who have ears to hear, let them hear” after some of His teachings?

Who is He talking to?

SOWER – SEED – SOIL
READ Mark 4:13-20

Take a minute to consider where you and I fit into this analogy… Who is the sower? What is the seed? What is the picture of the soil that we get?

Take some time to talk about each of the 4 soils: How would you describe the heart of this soil?

How do you picture this persons response to the Word of God?
The trampled, unresponsive soil

The rocky, shallow soil

The thorny, divided soil

The obedient, heart-hearing soil.

Now the really hard question… how is the soil of your heart receiving the seed of the Word of God today?

This week we jump ahead in our study of Mark to look at the story of Palm Sunday.
What comes to mind when you think of Palm Sunday?
Read Mark 11:1-1
What jumps out to you?
What questions do you have about this passage?
What would you have been thinking if you were one of the disciples Jesus asked to go get a colt from a nearby village?
Why was the fact that Jesus requested a “colt” significant?
How does Zechariah 9:9 speak to what Jesus fulfilled here?
What was significant about the colt being “unridden”?
How does it encourage you to see that things happened exactly how Jesus said they would happen?
How have you seen God’s promises come true in your life?
On Sunday we looked at 3 perspectives:
#1: The Crowd: The people looked at Jesus with honor, excitement, humility, and praise.
#2: The Disciples: The disciples looked on with wonder, expectation, and anxiety.
#3: Jesus: Jesus knew this is how it was supposed to be, but he also knew this wasn’t how it was going to be.
Which one do you relate to most today?
What is your perspective on what Jesus has come to do in your life today?
One week can change everything… what does Jesus want to change in your life this week as we
move toward Easter?
What do you need Jesus to save you from today?
Reminder: Don’t forget to download the EasterNow App for real-time reminders of what Jesus did as he journeyed toward the cross.

What’s your favorite sandwich? Why?
Mark is going to use the “sandwich” literary device 6 times in his gospel 3:20-35; 5:21–43; 6:7–31; 11:12–26; 14:1–11, 27–52
Read Mark 3:20-35
What did you learn about Jesus in this text? What questions do you have?
The power of Jesus was evident through His miracles, so the religious leaders decided to
challenge the source of His power. What does this reveal about their hearts and motives?
Have you ever been accused of the opposite of what you intended?
Jesus is God and is being accused of working with Satan. Why was Jesus so frustrated by this?
What does this text show us about the identity of Jesus?
How does it further affirm Mark’s desire for his readers to see Jesus as the Son of God?
What do we learn about the mission of Jesus? (Mark 3:27)
Read Isaiah 49:24-26 and 1 John 3:8
When we read Mark 3:28-30, it can sound confusing. What about these verses is encouraging and/or troubling to you?
The job of the Holy Spirit is to testify to the identity of Jesus, so to reject Jesus is to “blaspheme against the Holy Spirit”
The only unforgivable sin is the sin of rejecting Jesus, the only one who can give forgiveness.
Read Revelation 1:17-18 and 1 John 5:18
How does it encourage you to see that Jesus holds the keys and the evil one can’t touch you?
How do we see Jesus inviting us to join Him in pushing back evil and darkness in this passage?
Read Romans 12:21
Jesus showed us that sacrificial love was the only way to conquer death and give life. How does that help us understand how Jesus is inviting us to join Him in His work today?
What is an example of how you can overcome evil with good in your life?
Jesus reminds us that His true followers, His family, do two things: they sit at His feet and do the will of God.
What does it look like for you to do these two things this week?