Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 2

Synoptic Gospels Bible Study Lesson 2 Questions

1.Who is considered the author of Mark? What relationship did he have with Jesus? What relationship did he have with the apostles? In a paragraph tell some of the things you know about Mark.

Although the Gospel of Mark does not name its author, it is the unanimous testimony of early church fathers that Mark was the author. He was an associate of the Apostle Peter, and evidently his spiritual son (1 Peter 5:13). From Peter he received first-hand information of the events and teachings of the Lord, and preserved the information in written form.

It is generally agreed that Mark is the John Mark of the New Testament (Acts 12:12). His mother was a wealthy and prominent Christian in the Jerusalem church, and probably the church met in her home. Mark joined Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but not on the second because of a strong disagreement between the two men (Acts 15:37-38). However, near the end of Paul’s life he called for Mark to be with him (2 Timothy 4:11).

Date of Writing: The Gospel of Mark was likely one of the first books written in the New Testament, probably in A.D. 57-59.

Whereas Matthew is written primarily to his fellow Jews, Mark’s gospel appears to be targeted to the Roman believers, particularly Gentiles. Mark wrote as a pastor to Christians who previously had heard and believed the Gospel (Romans 1:8). He desired that they have a biographical story of Jesus Christ as Servant of the Lord and Savior of the world in order to strengthen their faith in the face of severe persecution and to teach them what it meant to be His disciples.

This gospel is unique because it emphasizes Jesus’ actions more than His teaching. It is simply written, moving quickly from one episode in the life of Christ to another. It does not begin with a genealogy as in Matthew, because Gentiles would not be interested in His lineage. After the introduction of Jesus at His baptism, Jesus began His public ministry in Galilee and called the first four of His twelve disciples. What follows is the record of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

Mark’s account is not just a collection of stories, but a narrative written to reveal that Jesus is the Messiah, not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles as well. In a dynamic profession, the disciples, led by Peter, acknowledged their faith in Him (Mark 8:29-30), even though they failed to understand fully His Messiahship until after His resurrection.

As we follow His journeys through Galilee, the surrounding areas, and then to Judea, we realize what a rapid pace He set. He touched the lives of many people, but He left an indelible mark on His disciples. At the transfiguration (Mark 9:1-9), He gave three of them a preview of His future return in power and glory, and again it was revealed to them who He was.

However, in the days leading to His final trip to Jerusalem, we see them bewildered, fearful and doubting. At Jesus’ arrest, He stood alone after they fled. In the following hours of the mock trials, Jesus boldly proclaimed that He is the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One, and that He would be triumphant at His return (Mark 14:61-62). The climactic events surrounding the crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection were not witnessed by most of His disciples. But several faithful women did witness His passion. After the Sabbath, early in the morning of the first day of the week, they went to the tomb with burial spices. When they saw the stone had been rolled away, they entered the tomb. It was not the body of Jesus they saw, but an angel robed in white. The joyful message they received was, “He is risen!” Women were the first evangelists, as they spread the good news of His resurrection. This same message has been broadcast throughout the world in the following centuries down to us today.

Connections: Because Mark’s intended audience was the Gentiles, he does not quote as frequently from the Old Testament as Matthew, who was writing primarily to the Jews. He does not begin with a genealogy to link Jesus with the Jewish patriarchs, but begins instead with His baptism, the beginning of His earthly ministry. But even there, Mark quotes from an Old Testament prophecy regarding the messenger—John the Baptist—who would exhort the people to “prepare the way for the Lord” (Mark 1:3; Isaiah 40:3) as they awaited the coming of their Messiah.

Jesus does refer to the Old Testament in several passages in Mark. In Mark 7:6, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for their superficial worship of God with their lips while their hearts were far from Him and refers to their own prophet, Isaiah, to convict them of their hardheartedness (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus referred to another Old Testament prophecy which was to be fulfilled that very night as the disciples would be scattered like sheep without a shepherd when Jesus was arrested and put to death (Mark 14:27; Zechariah 13:7). He referred again to Isaiah when He cleansed the Temple of the money-changers (Mark 11:15-17; Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11) and to the Psalms when He explained that He was the chief Cornerstone of our faith and of the Church (Mark 12:10-11; Psalm 118:22-23).

Practical Application: Mark presents Jesus as the suffering Servant of God (Mark 10:45) and as the One who came to serve and sacrifice for us, in part to inspire us to do the same. We are to minister as He did, with the same greatness of humility and devotion to the service of others. Jesus exhorted us to remember that to be great in God’s kingdom, we must be the servant of all (Mark 10:44). Self-sacrifice should transcend our need for recognition or reward, just as Jesus was willing to be abased as He lay down His life for the sheep.
2.Read Acts 10:34-43. Many Bible scholars feel this is the basis design of the book of Mark and that Mark expounded on the sermons (teachings) of Peter. Out line the book of Mark and compare it to this sermon in Acts.
there is some evidence of Mark’s connection with Peter. The evidence is as follows.11

(1) John Mark had contact with Peter from no later than the mid-40s (cf. Acts 12:12). That the early church apparently frequented his mother’s house also indicates that Mark had been exposed to Peter’s teaching about Jesus of Nazareth. Not only this, but the Acts reference is so incidental that it implies that Peter and the early church had already spent some time at Mark’s residence. There is therefore the likelihood that the church met there from the mid-30s on.

(2) After joining Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey (Acts 13:4), Mark turned back to Jerusalem before the completion of the trip (13:13). He may have stayed in Jerusalem until the famous Council at Jerusalem met to decide the status of Gentile converts. He may then have gone with Barnabas and Paul to Antioch whence Barnabas took him along to return to Cyprus (Acts 15:37-39).12

(3) Acts is silent about the relation of Peter to Mark after this point, thought there is of course some likelihood that the two had continued contact, especially since both w The outline of Mark’s gospel corresponds to the Petrine kerygma recorded in Acts 10:36-41.13 The salient features are: (1) John the Baptist heralds the coming of the Messiah; (2) Jesus is baptized by John; (3) Jesus performs miracles, showing that his authority was from God; (4) he went to Jerusalem; (5) he was crucified; (6) he was raised from the dead on the third day. This suggests not only that Mark may have gotten the individual stories about Jesus from Peter, but that he also got a framework for the life and ministry of Jesus from Peter.

(3) Acts is silent about the relation of Peter to Mark after this point, thought there is of course some likelihood that the two had continued contact, especially since both were connected with both Antioch and Jerusalem. Besides this connection with Peter, there is some other internal evidence which may suggest Markan authorship. William L. Lane makes the interesting observation that Mark is called an “assistant” (uJphrevth" ) in Acts 13:5. “Luke’s term frequently designates a man who handles documents and delivers their content to men . . .”15 He mentions Acts 26:16 where Paul is appointed as a uJphrevth" and witness to the truth, and Luke 1:1-2 where “the evangelist links the servants [uJphrevth"] of the word with those who were the eyewitnesses and guarantors of apostolic tradition.” The connection of uJphrevth" with both Mark and Luke’s sources suggests that Mark’s Gospel may well have been one of those sources which Luke used to compile his gospel. In other words, Luke may be subtly indicating that John Mark wrote something about the life of Jesus and that Luke himself used this writing.1

outline of mark: The Gospel According to Mark has no story of Jesus’s birth. Instead, Mark’s story begins by describing Jesus’s adult life, introducing it with the words, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1). Mark tells of John the Baptist, who predicts the coming of a man more powerful than himself. After John baptizes Jesus with water, the Holy Spirit of God recognizes Jesus as his son, saying, “You are my Son, the Beloved” (1:11). Jesus goes to the wilderness, where Satan tests him for forty days, and Jesus emerges triumphant.

Jesus travels to Galilee, the northern region of Israel. He gathers his first disciples, Simon and Andrew, two Jewish brothers who are both fishermen. Jesus asks them to follow him, saying that he will show them how to fish for people rather than for fish. Simon and Andrew, as well as James and John, drop their nets and follow him. Jesus exhibits his authority in Galilee, where he cleanses a leper (1:40–45). Mark reports that Jesus heals a paralytic, Simon’s sick mother-in-law, and a man with a withered hand. The miracles cause the crowds that gather to watch Jesus to become bewildered, fearful, and antagonistic. The Pharisees and followers of Herod begin plotting to kill Jesus. Jesus stays focused on his ministry.

Jesus’s ministry attracts many followers. The miracle stories become increasingly longer and more elaborate, emphasizing the supernatural power of Jesus’s authority. Mark says that “even wind and sea obey him” (4:35–41). Simultaneously, Jesus becomes increasingly misunderstood and rejected, even by his own apostles. Jesus notes his disciples’ frequent misunderstandings of his message. Jesus’s power continues to reveal itself in his control over nature: he calms a storm, cures a man possessed by a demon, and revives a dead young girl. Despite his successes, however, he continues to be reviled in his own hometown of Nazareth.

The story of Jesus’s ministry reaches King Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee who beheaded John the Baptist. Jesus disperses the apostles, charging them with the responsibility to spread the Gospel and to heal the sick. When the apostles rejoin Jesus, they are once again swarmed with people eager to hear Jesus’s message. Through a miracle, Jesus divides five loaves of bread and two fish and feeds all 5,000 people. His disciples, however, seem not to understand the magnitude of his miracle: when he walks on water, they are shocked. The Pharisees, who are upset at Jesus’s abandonment of the traditional Jewish laws, question Jesus. He responds by pointing out that it is important to obey the spirit of the law rather than simply going through the technical actions that the law proscribes. Jesus preaches that human intention, not behavior, determines righteousness.

Jesus travels again through northern Palestine. He heals a deaf man and the child of a Gentile, and works a second miracle in which he multiplies a small amount of bread and fish to feed 4,000 people. His disciples, however, continue to misunderstand the significance of his actions. Peter, the foremost of the disciples, seems to be the only one who recognizes Jesus’s divine nature. Jesus begins to foresee his own crucifixion and resurrection. He continues to travel across Galilee, but shifts his emphasis to preaching rather than working miracles. He appears to some of his disciples to be transfigured, made brilliantly white. Jesus explains that John the Baptist served as his Elijah, predicting his arrival. He preaches against divorce and remarriage. He announces that young children, in their innocence, are models for righteous behavior, and that the rich will have great difficulty entering the kingdom of God. He teaches, despite the sacrifices necessary to enter the kingdom, it will be worth it: “Many who are first will be last, and the last, first” (10:31).

Finally, Jesus journeys to Jerusalem, where he drives the money changers from the temple and begins preaching his Gospel. He is well received by the common people but hated by the priests and the scribes. However, he successfully defends himself against the priests’ verbal attacks. He teaches that obedience to Caesar is important, that the dead will be resurrected, that loving one’s neighbor is the greatest commandment, and that the End of Days will soon come, bringing God’s retribution on the unjust and the return of the Son of man.

Eventually, Jesus allows himself to succumb to the conspiracy against him. At the Passover Seder, Jesus institutes the Christian sacrament of the Eucharist, telling his followers to eat and drink his symbolic body and blood. At the dinner, Jesus says that one of his disciples will betray him. The disciples are surprised, each asking, “Surely, not I?” (14:19). After dinner, Jesus goes to a garden called Gethsemane and prays while Peter, James, and John wait nearby. The three disciples fall asleep three times, though Jesus returns each time and asks them to stay awake with him as he prays. Jesus prays to God that, if possible, he might avoid his imminent suffering.

Jesus is leaving the garden with Peter, James, and John when Judas Iscariot, one of the apostles, arrives with the city’s chief priests and a crowd carrying swords and clubs. Judas kisses Jesus, indicating to the priests Jesus’s identity. The priests arrest Jesus and take him to the court of the high priest. There, Jesus publicly claims that he is “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One,” and the Jews deliver him to Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor, who agrees to crucify him (14:61). On the cross, Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (15:34). He dies and is buried by Joseph of Arimathea, a righteous Jew. When Mary Magdalene and other women come to Jesus’s grave on the third day after the crucifixion, however, they find it empty. A young man tells them that Jesus has risen from the grave. Jesus then appears in resurrected form to Mary, Mary Magdalene, and the apostles.

3.Mark contains no genealogy or account of Christ's birth. What do some of the commentaries say about this fact?

As the promised "Branch", it was prophesied that the Christ would demonstrate four unique characteristics:  He would be a King, a Servant, a Man, and the Son of God.  The four gospels were written to show how Jesus Christ fulfilled these old testament prophecies.
   The gospel of Mark portrays Christ as a Servant.  A Servant does not gain his status by genealogy or birthright and therefore Mark contains no record of the birth or genealogy of Jesus Christ.
   The gospel of John portrays Christ as the Son of God.  As God's only begotten son Jesus Christ needs no human genealogy and once again no record of his birth is required. In a society built upon paternal genealogy, Jesus Christ needed credentials through his (as was supposed by society) father Joseph as well as the credentials of his mother.  Joseph assumed the responsibility for Jesus as his son and it was Joseph's line that gave him full legal standing in the House of David.  The genealogy in Luke is not a kingly genealogy or royal lineage.  Luke traces Jesus Christ's line through Nathan (who was not a king) the son of David rather than through Solomon.  The two genealogies are identical from Abraham to David but not from David to Mary and Joseph.

   Jesus Christ was the offspring of Mary and God.  Thus he was born with no sinful nature in him (as the life of the flesh which was corrupted by sin is passed from father to son by the seed of the father), yet he was totally a man.  He had to grow and mature and learn to walk with God just as any other man.  He had to learn of his mission to redeem man and he had to fulfill all the genetic requirements of the promised seed of the woman.  He had to be a descendent of Adam, Abraham, and David.  He was and is God's plan for the redemption of man.  He is the only begotten son of God.

4.What do you consider is the theme and theme verse of Mark? Why?

My theme verse of Mark I consider is Mark 10:45 : For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

Mark presents Jesus as the suffering Servant of God (Mark 10:45) and as the One who came to serve and sacrifice for us, in part to inspire us to do the same. We are to minister as He did, with the same greatness of humility and devotion to the service of others. Jesus exhorted us to remember that to be great in God’s kingdom, we must be the servant of all (Mark 10:44). Self-sacrifice should transcend our need for recognition or reward, just as Jesus was willing to be abased as He lay down His life for the sheep.

5.What is the significance of the phrase "son of man"?

Jesus is referred to as the “Son of Man” 88 times in the New Testament. A first meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is as a reference to the prophecy of Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” The description “Son of Man” was a Messianic title. Jesus is the One who was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. When Jesus used this phrase, He was assigning the Son of Man prophecy to Himself. The Jews of that era would have been intimately familiar with the phrase and to whom it referred. Jesus was proclaiming Himself as the Messiah.

A second meaning of the phrase “Son of Man” is that Jesus was truly a human being. God called the prophet Ezekiel “son of man” 93 times. God was simply calling Ezekiel a human being. A son of a man is a man. Jesus was fully God (John 1:1), but He was also a human being (John 1:14). First John 4:2 tells us, “This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God.” Yes, Jesus was the Son of God—He was in His essence God. Yes, Jesus was also the Son of Man—He was in His essence a human being. In summary, the phrase “Son of Man” indicates that Jesus is the Messiah and that He is truly a human being.

6.Explain Mark 10:45 in relationship to the three time Jesus told His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem. (Mark 8: 31, 9;31, and 10::33)

Mark 10:45 succinctly summarizes the purpose behind  the Perfect and Suffering Servant:  “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”

According to John Gill commentary For even the son of man
That is, Christ himself; a name by which he frequently goes both in the Old and New Testament to the arguments before produced, Christ adds his own example, to teach his disciples humility and lowliness of mind and to check their ambitious views and desires:

came not to be ministered unto:
not but that he was ministered unto even by the angels of God; who ministered to him in the wilderness, after he had been tempted by Satan; and he was also ministered unto by some women out of their substance; but these show the low estate he was in to stand in need of such ministrations: here the sense is that he did not appear as an earthly prince, with a fine equipage, a large retinue and attendance,

but to minister;
to be a servant, as he is in his mediatorial office and capacity: he was sent, and came as the servant of the Lord; and he ministered, in his prophetic office, the Gospel unto men; and went about in the form of a servant, doing good, ministering medicine both to the souls end bodies of men: but the great work he came about, was the work of man's redemption; which he willingly and cheerfully undertook, diligently and faithfully prosecuted, and has completely finished; to which respect is had in the next clause:

and to give his life a ransom for many;
even for all the elect of God, to redeem them from sin, Satan, and the law; and secure them from the wrath of God, and eternal death; and this he has done, by laying down his life as the ransom price for them

7.Read Mark 2:1-12. What do you consider the purpose of this story and why?

But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins he said to the paralyticI say to you, stand up, take your mat and go to your home. And he stood up, and immediately took the mat and went out before all of them; so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!Mark 2:10-12)

Actually, there are two important things take place at the end of this passage. First, the paralyzed man is the only person who sent out by Jesus. Why can’t he stay and listen to Jesus “teach the word (2:2)?” The second is that the crowd erupts with inspiration and excitement, “We have never seen anything like this!”

The paralytic, who is, as far as we can tell from this passage, the only one who has, quite literally, had a life-changing encounter with Christ, is not permitted to stay inside the safety of the walls of this house. He is sent out like a missionary. What this tells us, this is seen throughout the Gospel accounts, and especially in The Book of Acts, is that as one encounters the new “moment,” as NT Wright calls it, Christ inaugurates through his proclamation and performance, a new sense of urgency and meaning is given to life. After meeting the incarnation of God, one is radically transformed into a kingdom agent. There is, with every encounter of Christ, a missionary impulse birthed in the soul of the new creation. One must go and witness to this event. And certainly, a paralyzed man –now freed and undoubtedly shouting and dancing down the streets — is nothing less than a kingdom witness.

No wonder this passage ends with the crowds, who though confused had a moment of clarity, and said, “We have never seen anything like this!” Something new was truly underway. The crowd can’t help but see that this is a new moment taking place before them. This statement, their recognition that God is up to something new, is in stark contrast to the attitude the scribes display. One is worried about blasphemy, the codes behind forgiveness and healing, and protecting the institution. The other, our “confused majority” (the translation for Mark’s “crowd”) are open to the new possibilities of Jesus’ kingdom. The roof was coming down, and Jesus was ushering in a kingdom full of misfits.

I saw two powerful messages.

The First Message
First, there is a profound statement about the divinity of Christ in this passage. Jesus set up an either/or logical construct and proves to those present that he is God.

Rather than healing first and forgiving second (like the woman in Mark 5:25-34), Jesus first pronounces forgiveness for the lame man.

However, as we all know, and as the people of that day knew, only God can forgive sins. So, some teachers of the law, understandably, questioned in their hearts what gave him the right to say that he had forgiven this man of his sins.

I believe that Jesus was helping them understand and that he was not simply chiding them when he asked them the profound question: "Which is easier: to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, take your mat and walk'?"

The answer to that question sets up the visual revelation that all of them were about to experience that day.

The answer is that both are equally easy for God.

But, both are equally hard (impossible) for a mere man. I should add that one is as hard as the other if both are to be realities. After all, anyone can say the words, "Your sins are forgiven." Jesus was asking the people, which is easier: to actually forgive sins or to actually heal this man so that he can get up, take his mat and walk. (For those of you who deal in this: I did not check the mood of the verb; if this is in the subjunctive, I may have to revisit it.)

This was not mere semantics. This was real-world, in real-time. So, the question remains. Which is easier, to forgive sins or to heal the lame man with just your spoken word?

But, these people had to see something outward (the healing of the lame man) which pointed to the reality that they could not see (the forgiveness of sins). So, Jesus healed the man, and in so doing he did what no mere man could do, and in so doing he proved that he was no mere man, but God Himself.

The ending passage is a fitting close to this part of our meditation.

This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, "We have never seen anything like this!"

The Second Message
The men who carried the lame man to Christ is the focus of message two . . . I call these men rope handlers. I should point out that my thoughts on this second message have been influenced by John Garlock, one of my former professors. I once heard him preach a sermon based upon this passage and the title of his sermon was, as I remember, Rope Handlers. However, I heard that sermon more than two decades ago, and so while I remember the generalities of his sermon, this material below is not his sermon point for point.

These four men carried the lame man to Christ, and they met with obstacles.

As I see it, they had to possess certain qualities as individuals and as a group (of four) to accomplish their task.

In no particular order these qualities are (perhaps you can think of more):

1. Agreement - It seems obvious that if people are going to work together to bring others to Christ, they must be in general agreement as to how best accomplish this goal.

2 Common Cause - These four men had a common goal: get their buddy to Jesus. The sad thing is that many people "in ministry" do not have this common goal. Too often, some people's goals are far more self-serving.

3. Coordination - These four men carried their friend on a pallet to where Jesus was. We are not told how far they carried him, but no matter the distance, they had to coordinate together the logistics.

4. Determination - When they arrived, there wasn't even anymore standing room. It appears that these people were standing shoulder to shoulder. Too often, Christians give up and think that there is no way to get their loved one to Christ. But, these four men were determined.

5. Creativity - So, in their agreement for a common cause, they coordinated their efforts with determination to achieve their objectives and when faced with an obstacle that might have stopped most people, these four men became creative: "they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on." Now, some people might say that they were destructive and not creative. After all, didn't they just tear apart some man's roof? I think that for people to come to this conclusion is to miss a very important aspect of these four men.

6. Responsibility - These men took upon themselves the responsibility of bring their friend to Christ at all costs. How much time and energy do we expend to bring our loved ones to Christ? I have met Christians who act as though it is simply inconvenient for them to love their families and friends into the Kingdom of God. Though the passage does not tell us, I am of the conviction that these men were in agreement to tear open the roof, but also that they would repair the roof. I cannot imagine these men who are so compassionate toward their friend and so responsible so as to carry him there and make sure that he is brought to Christ that they are now going to simply walk away from the damage that they caused. I personally believe that they repaired the roof. Who knows, perhaps the formerly lame man helped them! And, don't forget, their were lots of people there. Maybe the four men coordinated the activities of some of the people there and they all pitched in to help repair the roof. In any case, I do not believe that these four very responsible caring men simply left the home owner with a gaping hole in his roof. In fact, the roof may have been better than before.

7. Risk - Note how far these men were willing to go to help their friend. They were willing to climb up on a roof and risk being hurt themselves. They were also willing to risk the wrath of the home owner. How much risk are you willing to take to bring someone to Christ?

8. Anonymity - Did you notice that these men are never identified? What a refreshing change from so many people today who "need to be seen." One of the things in our society that is particularly nauseating is Hollywood's constant "Awards Shows." Someone in the news recently said that there is--on average--one of these "Pat Me on the Back" award shows every three weeks. But, these four Rope Handlers are anonymous. Are we willing to do the will of God and bring others to Christ and be responsible for our actions and remain anonymous after our achievements? Like one of my professors used to say, "Just remember, it is God who keeps the books."
8.How does Isaiah 53 relate to the theme of the book of Mark?

In Isaiah 53 we see the Servant-Lamb as the One who justifies.
The Servant-Lamb in Isaiah 53:

1. Bears our sin as a substitutionary atonement,
2. Receives the punishment due to us on account of our sin,
3. Acts voluntarily as a sacrifice for us,
4. Performs the cleansing and justifying roles of a priest, and
5. Is finally exalted and vindicated by God in resurrection from the dead. Who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world?

Mark 10:45: In the same way, the Son of Man did not come for other people to serve him. But the Son of Man came to serve other people. The Son of Man came to give his life to save many people." Here is the heart of our Hero given in one simple statement. We are to serve and sacrifice for others. It is our legacy. It is our life. It is our Lord's example. We were bought and brought to freedom by the ransom price he paid. We are now called to follow his example and live his life in our world.

9.Read Mark 12:1-12. What is your interpretation of this parable?

Mark 12:1-12 :1 And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 2 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, `They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, `This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: `The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner; 11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?" 12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away.

What does Jesus' parable about an absentee landlord and his tenants say to us?  The hills of Galilee were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite normal for the owners to let out their estates to tenants.  Many did it for the sole purpose of collecting rent.  Why did Jesus' story about wicked tenants cause offense to the scribes and Pharisees?  It contained both a prophetic message and a warning.  Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7).  Jesus' listeners would likely understand this parable as referring to God's dealing with a stubborn and rebellious people.  This parable speaks to us today as well.  It richly conveys some important truths about God and the way he deals with his people.  First, it tells us of God's generosity and trust. The vineyard is well equipped with everything the tenants need.  The owner went away and left the vineyard in the hands of the tenants.  God, likewise trusts us enough to give us freedom to run life as we choose.  This parable also tells us of God's patience and justice.  Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants their debts.  But while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, his judgment and justice prevail in the end.  Jesus foretold both his death and his ultimate triumph.  He knew he would be rejected and be killed, but he also knew that would not be the end.  After rejection would come glory — the glory of resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. How do we share in this glory?  By submitting to Jesus' kingly rule in our lives.  Jesus promises that we will bear much fruit (certainly the fruit of peace, righteousness, and joy, and much more besides) if we abide in him (see John 15:1-11).  The Lord also entrusts his gifts to each of us and he gives us work to do in his vineyard — the body of Christ.  He promises that our labor will not be in vain if we persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Cor. 15:58).  We can expect trials and even persecution.  But in the end we will see triumph.  Do you labor for the Lord with joyful hope and with confidence in his triumph?

10.How much of Mark is contained in the other Gospels? In your research approximately how much of Mark is focused on Jesus' miracles and how much on His last week before His crucifixion?

The Mark-Matthew material, shared between Mark and Matthew, includes the story of the death of John the Baptist, several miracles (including one of the two occurrences of feeding the multitude), the expanded version of the ban on divorce (Mt. 19:1-8), and the depiction of the death of Jesus (Mk. 15:34-41).
The Mark-Luke material is limited to a single incident in Capernaum involving exorcism (Mk. 1:21-28).
The material unique to Mark consists of some 40 verses, including, among others, Mark 3:20-21, the parable of the seed and the harvest (Mk. 4:26-29), two miracles (Mk. 7:31-37 and Mk. 8:22-26), two fragments without obvious meaning at Mk. 9:49 and Mk. 14:51-52, and the verse at Mk. 16:8 which states that the women who discovered the empty tomb did not say anything about it to anyone
In Mark, the miracles seem to be divided into two groups of five. The first miracle is related to the sea, the second is an exorcism, the third and fourth are healings, and the fifth miracle is feeding of masses.

1. Stilling the Storm (4:35-42)
2. The Gerasene Demonic (5:1-20)
3. Jairus’s Daughter (5:21-23, 35-43)
4. The Woman with a Hemorrhage (5:25-34)
5. Feeding the 5000 (6:34-44, 53)

1. Walking on the Sea (6:45-51)
2. Blind Man at Bethsaida (8:22-26)
3. The Syrophoenecian Woman (7:24B-30)
4. The Deaf Mute (7:32-37)
5. Feeding the 4000 (8:1-10)

It also interesting to note that the Gospel of Mark is divided by two narrative of John the Baptist: the first half, with recounts a Galilean ministry, starts with Jesus’ baptism by John. The second half, with focus on event in Jerusalem, starts with a claim that John the Baptist has  risen from the dead.

Jesus has stood trial before Pilate who has found Jesus innocent of the charges against Him. In fact, Pilate has found no wrong that Jesus has committed. But the Jewish leaders have stirred up the crowd into a frenzy so that Pilate feels he must hand Jesus over to be crucified to prevent an uproar. Mark 15:20 tells us that once they had finished mocking Jesus, they stripped Jesus of the purple robe, tearing open the flesh recently wounded from the flogging, put His own clothes on Him and led Him out to be crucified. This is where we pick up the scene in verse 12 of Mark 15.

The Crucifixion (Mark 15:23 -32)

Wine mixed with myrrh

Once they arrive at the skull, Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh. Wine mixed with myrrh was a first century drug to deaden the pain of driving the nails through the wrists and through the feet. Jesus refuses the wine mixed with myrrh. We assume the reason was that He was ready to experience the full pain and suffering of the crucifixion. No one can argue that He did not feel what was happening to Him, or that He was out of His mind on the cross because He had drunk wine mixed with myrrh. Jesus felt every ounce of the suffering and pain of the cross.

Amazingly, none of the gospel writers record the details of the crucifixion. Everyone in the first century fully understood the horror of the crucifixion such that these four words were enough: “then they crucified Him.” These four words sum up the humiliation of being stripped naked for crucifixion. These four words sum up the agony as the hands were placed on the crossbeam and driven into the wood by large iron nails. These four words describe Jesus being lifted up on that cross and being put into place, on public display outside the city walls, in the place of the skull. Casting lots for clothing

In verse 24 we read that the soldiers divided up Jesus’ clothes and cast lots for them to decide what each would get. This was the accepted right of the executioner’s squad to claim the minor possessions of the victim. This event was also the fulfillment of a prophecy spoken 1000 years before. David said, “For dogs have surrounded Me; the assembly of the wicked has enclosed Me. They pierced My hands and My feet; I can count all My bones. They look and stare at Me. They divide My garments among them, and for My clothing they cast lots” (Psalm 22:16 -18).

The Death of Jesus (Mark 15:33 -41)

Darkness over the whole land

In verse 33 we see that it was noon. There were at least three or four miracles that took place during the crucifixion and death of Jesus. Mark records two of these miracles, and we will spend our time this morning considering only these two. The first miracle is the darkness coming over the land at noontime and lasting for three hours. While most versions say that this happened over the land, there is reason to believe that it happened over the earth. The Greek word ge can refer to earth or land. The word is used 189 to refer to the world or the earth and is used 62 times to speak of land, ground, or country. However, it seems that when the word refers to land, the context is very obvious. For example, it is used in statements like “the land of Sodom and Gomorrah ,” “the land of Zebulun ,” “the land of Israel ,” and so forth. However, when the word ge is alone, it is translated “earth.” Therefore, it is reasonable for us to understand that the darkness was over the whole earth. Tertullian says that it was a well-observed phenomenon, because he tells the heathen nations to look in their annals of history to see the record of this darkness.

Of course, this is an amazing miracle that has been explained away by unbelievers through natural means. The most common explanation is that this was simply an eclipse. However, there is no eclipse that causes this much darkness. There is no eclipse that lasts for three hours. Further, it was the time of the Passover when it was a full moon, meaning there could not be a solar eclipse. This darkness over the earth was a supernatural act of God. No other explanation can be given for it. What a powerful event that would surely have made people stop and take notice! Imagine what you would think if in a few moments instead of seeing light from twelve to three in the afternoon, it was totally dark. This is simply another proof that hanging on the cross is Jesus, the Son of God.