1
GOSPEL BEGINNINGS
MARK 1:1–13

Do you have any friends who begin mystery novels at the back? Like endings, beginnings tell us a lot. In them writers set the context for what is to come and often drop hints which later prove to be important. The beginning of Mark’s Gospel is no exception. This study introduces several important themes which will be developed in the following chapters.
1. What stories, pictures or objects in your family link you to past generations?
What importance does this sense of history have for you?
2. Read Mark 1:1–13. What does verse 1 reveal about Mark’s own view of the events he is about to describe?
3. Verses 2 and 3 combine quotations from Malachi and Isaiah. What do these two quotations have in common?
In what context do they put the events Mark is about to describe?
4. Verses 2 and 3 suggest preparations being made for the coming of a king. Drawing together evidence from the whole passage, determine who is sending out his messenger (the “I” of v. 2).
Who does Mark suggest the coming king is?
Who is the messenger?
5. How does John’s ministry prepare the way for Jesus?
6. Malachi 4:5 describes this messenger as one having a ministry like that of the prophet Elijah. (For the account of Elijah’s ministry see 1 Kings 17—2 Kings 2.) In what ways does Mark emphasize the similarities between John and Elijah?
7. Malachi wrote more than 400 years before the coming of Jesus, and Isaiah wrote almost 400 years before Malachi. What difference does it make to you that the good news is so deeply rooted in history?
8. How did the crowd respond to John?
What does the crowd’s response suggest about their sense of need?
9. How does John emphasize the greatness of the one who will come after him (vv. 7–8)?
10. Despite his greatness Jesus came to John for baptism. What does this tell us about Jesus’ relationship to us?
11. How do the events surrounding Jesus’ baptism prepare him for his temptation in the desert?
12. Many of Mark’s readers in Rome were facing wild animals in the arena under the Neronian persecutions. How do you think they responded to Mark’s description of Jesus’ temptation (vv. 12–13)?
What encouragement do you find here for facing your own temptations?
13. How has Mark set the scene thus far for what’s to come?
14. Ask God to prepare you more fully for the coming of the king through the study of Mark’s Gospel.

2
FOUR PORTRAITS
MARK 1:14–39

We all live with authority—whether supervisors, professors, parents, police. And depending on how that authority is exercised, we feel either put upon, trapped, used, or we feel secure, free and useful.
In 1:1–13 Mark has told us that Jesus has come as king to fulfill the Old Testament longings for the Lord’s rule over all the earth. But what kind of king is he? Mark, it seems, knows that a picture is worth a thousand words. So, rather than offering an abstract character analysis, he paints four verbal portraits of Jesus in action.
1. Think of those who have authority over your life—parents, employer, teachers, the government. Is your response to their authority usually positive or negative? Explain why.
2. Read Mark 1:14–39 and see if you can discover what these four portraits have in common.
3. We often think of the gospel solely as a message about the forgiveness of sins. Yet Jesus began his ministry proclaiming a different kind of good news. What was his good news and what response did it call for (vv. 14-15)?
4. What different factors contributed to the ready response of Simon and Andrew, James and John to Jesus’ invitation (vv. 16–20)? (Don’t forget 1:1–13!)
How does Jesus’ command “follow me” summarize the essence of discipleship?
5. On the Sabbath Jesus goes to the synagogue (vv. 21–28). What happens while he is there and how do the people respond?
What might be some of the reasons that Jesus silences the demon about who he is?
6. What impression of Jesus do you get from the portrait of his visit to the home of Simon and Andrew (vv. 29–34)?
7. Thus far we have looked at three portraits of Jesus. What aspects of Jesus’ character do we see in them?
8. Which aspect of Jesus’ character is most prominent in these three incidents?
How has Mark emphasized this trait?
9. How do these accounts of Jesus’ activity relate to his announcement in verse 15?
10. How does Jesus exercise his authority differently from kings and dictators and other human authorities?
What practical differences can knowing this make in your own response to Jesus’ authority?
11. The quiet and solitude of verses 35–39 are quite a contrast from the previous events. What do these verses reveal about Jesus’ priorities?
What steps do you need to take to bring your priorities more closely in line with his?

3
A LEPER, A PARALYTIC AND A TAX COLLECTOR
MARK 1:40—2:17

Unclean! Unclean!” the man shouted, and everyone scattered to avoid contact with the leper—everyone except Jesus.
The religious wisdom of the day demanded that a holy man keep away from the common people, the “sinners.” So Jesus was bound to encounter resistance as he openly welcomed them. This passage focuses on Christ’s compassion toward those we normally avoid.
1. What type of person in our society would you feel most uncomfortable associating with? Explain why.
2. Read Mark 1:40—2:17. Notice how the pace slows down, and see if you can spot the main cause of the resistance Jesus faces.
3. Leviticus 13:45–46 states that a leper “must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.” How then would this disease have affected the man psychologically, religiously and socially?
4. What risks did the leper take in coming to Jesus (1:40–45)?
What risks did Jesus take in responding to him as he did?
5. How does Jesus respond to the man’s total need?
6. Imagine that you are the paralytic being lowered before Jesus (2:1–12). How do you feel, especially when Jesus announces, “Son, your sins are forgiven”?
How do you feel after you have been healed?
7. In what ways does Jesus’ healing of the paralytic answer the questions raised in the minds of the teachers of the law?
8. The paralytic’s friends provide a model of caring. What are some practical ways we can follow their example?
9. Contrast the Pharisees’ attitude toward tax collectors and “sinners” with that of Jesus.
10. In his reply to the Pharisees’ complaint, Jesus specifically likens himself to a doctor. How has he acted as a doctor throughout this passage?
11. How is sin like illness, especially leprosy and paralysis?
12. Jesus came announcing the kingdom and calling people to follow him. What change would need to take place in these Pharisees before they could answer Jesus’ call?
13. Who do you consider to be some of the “unlovely” or “unreachable” for God’s kingdom?
What steps can you take to bring your thinking and actions toward them into line with those of Jesus?

4
CONFLICT IN GALILEE
MARK 2:18—3:35

“A truly religious person wouldn’t do such a thing!”
“Religion is fine, but you’re becoming a fanatic!”
Such accusations are commonly leveled at Christians. They are difficult to bear under any circumstances. But when they come from family and friends, the pain is even greater.
In the last study we saw the beginning of opposition to Jesus and his ministry. Now that opposition gains momentum, from the Pharisees and even Jesus’ own family. This passage looks at some of the pressures and privileges of following Jesus.
1. The Bible promises that every follower of Jesus will eventually face persecution. What types of opposition have you encountered as a Christian?
2. Read Mark 2:18—3:35. On what grounds are Jesus and his disciples criticized in 2:18—3:6?
3. In verses 19–22, how does Jesus explain his disciples’ failure to fast?
4. How are Jesus’ and the Pharisees’ attitudes toward the Sabbath different?
5. How do Jesus’ comments in verses 27–28 rebuke both too rigid and too lax a view of the Sabbath?
6. What is ironic about the Pharisees’ reaction to Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath (3:1–6)?
7. The Pharisees objected to what Jesus and his disciples did and failed to do. What objections might people today have toward what we do or fail to do as Christians?
How can Jesus’ responses to opposition be a model for our own responses?
8. While the Pharisees and the Herodians are plotting to kill Jesus, how are the common people responding to him (3:7–12)?
9. Explain how Jesus’ plans for the twelve apostles (3:14–15) fit in with his original call to the four fishermen in Galilee (1:17).
10. What charge do the teachers of the law bring against Jesus in 3:20–30?
How does Jesus refute it?
11. Mark indicates that Jesus gave the teachers of the law this warning about blaspheming against the Holy Spirit because they were saying he had an evil or unclean spirit. By charging Jesus with having an evil spirit, how were they approaching the brink of total and unforgivable blindness to the truth?
12. Jesus’ mother and brothers come for him because they think he is out of his mind (3:21, 31–32). How do you think this made Jesus feel?
13. When we are opposed or rejected by those who are closest to us, what comfort can we receive from Jesus’ words in verses 33–35?
14. If we learn to see ourselves as part of God’s family, rather than merely his slaves or subjects, how might that transform our attitude toward his commandments?

5
KINGDOM PARABLES
MARK 4:1–34

Some stories wear their points on their sleeves, as it were. Others, to borrow from P. G. Wodehouse’s definition of a parable, keep something up their sleeves “which suddenly pops up and knocks you flat.” Among Jesus’ stories we find a variety—from those that are easy to understand to those that are so difficult they invite our thought and reflection again and again. The stories in this passage contain vital information about God’s kingdom and its subjects—for those who have ears to hear!
1. Mark Twain once said, “It’s not the parts of the Bible I don’t understand that bother me, but the parts I do understand!” How does your attitude compare with his?
2. Read Mark 4:1–34, watching especially for words and phrases that are repeated in verses 1–25. What idea or ideas seem to dominate these verses?
3. Jesus explains the parable of the sower, or the parable of the soils (vv. 3–8), in verses 14–20. Put this explanation in your own words, describing from your own experience examples of each kind of soil-seed combination.
4. Verses 11–12 have long bothered many readers. The problem is that it looks like Jesus is saying that he tells parables to keep people from seeking forgiveness. From the context, which seems more likely—that verse 12 expresses the reason that Jesus speaks in parables or simply what happens when he does? Explain your answer.
5. To whom does Jesus explain the parable of the soils (vv. 10–12)?
What did they do to get an explanation that the others did not?
6. What does a willingness to ask indicate about a willingness to hear?
On what grounds then are people included or excluded from the secret of the kingdom?
7. What is the secret of the kingdom?
8. How does the response Jesus gets from telling the parable of the sower illustrate the point he is making?
9. What kind of soil are you?
What can you do to become the kind of soil Jesus is looking for?
10. The farmer was not being foolish in sowing the seed where he did. He was following the standard practice of the day—sowing then plowing. Only as time passed did each kind of soil reveal itself for what it was. What encouragement does this give you to “sow widely” as you share the good news of the kingdom with others?
11. How do verses 21–25 help explain verses 11–12?
12. What insights into kingdom growth do the parables of the growing seed and the mustard seed give us (vv. 26–34)?
13. In this passage we see Jesus both spreading the message of the kingdom and teaching about how the kingdom grows. What lessons can we learn about evangelism both from his example and from his teaching?

6
DESPERATE STRAITS
MARK 4:35—6:6

Don’t be afraid; just believe.” These words may ring rather hollow when we, and not someone else, face a fearful or life-threatening situation. Yet in the face of real danger we discover just how much faith we have.
In this study we find a number of different people in desperate straits. Their experiences with Jesus can help us to trust him with the fearful areas of our own lives.
1. Fear can be a very powerful emotion. What kinds of fear keep you from doing some things you think you should?
2. Read Mark 4:35—5:20. In the first incident the disciples are quite naturally afraid of the storm and disturbed that Jesus seems not to be concerned about their drowning. Once Jesus calms the storm, however, they are still terrified. How does their fear after the storm differ from their previous fears?
3. Who all in the next incident are afraid and why (5:1–20)?
4. How do these fears compare with those in the previous incident?
5. Many people find it hard to understand why Jesus allowed the demons to destroy the pigs. It could have been to prevent a violent exit from the man or to show him visibly that he was now free. Even if we can’t pin down exactly why Jesus allowed this, what does the fate of the pigs show about what the demons were trying to do to the man?
What does this show about the value Jesus places on the man?
6. At the end of this incident Jesus seems to reverse strategy. For the first time he tells someone to go and tell others about his healing. How is this man different from the others? (See 1:21-26; 1:40–45; 3:7–12.)
7. Read Mark 5:21—6:6. In 5:21–43 two stories are woven together—that of Jairus’s daughter and the woman with a hemorrhage. What sorts of fears are involved in these two incidents?
8. The word fear doesn’t appear in the account of Jesus’ return to his hometown, yet a kind of fear is evident here as well. What are the people afraid of?
9. Which of the different kinds of fear that have been described in these incidents might we label as good fears and which as bad?
10. What are the relationships between fear and faith in each of these incidents?
11. What keeps you from turning your fears into faith?
12. Study two (Mark 1:14–39) emphasized Jesus’ authority over a similar army of life’s experiences. What new dimensions of Jesus’ authority are shown here?
How can this authority calm your fears and strengthen your faith?
13. Thinking back to the parable of the sower, what kinds of soil can you find in this passage?

7
UNDERSTANDING THE LOAVES
MARK 6:6–52

Burnout is all too common an experience among Christians today. One of its most disastrous consequences is a hardened heart that keeps us from being refreshed by our Lord. In this study we see the disciples suffering from burnout and catch a vision of how Jesus can help us to counteract its effects. The passage we are focusing on is especially rich in Old Testament allusions. See if you can spot some of these allusions.
1. Do you ever feel that your Bible study is boring, your prayers are pathetic, your ministry is miserable and your spiritual life is lifeless? Explain.
2. Read Mark 6:6–52. What do Jesus’ instructions to the Twelve tell us about the kind of ministry they were to have (vv. 6–13)?
3. What kind of man was Herod (vv. 14–29)?
4. In terms of the parable of the sower, what kind of soil was he?
5. This flashback to the execution of John the Baptist interrupts the account of Jesus’ sending out the Twelve to preach and heal. Why do you suppose Mark recounts it here?
6. What differences are there between Jesus’ approach to the crowd and that of his disciples (vv. 30–44)?
7. When has tiredness blunted your desire to care for others?
8. Jesus and Herod, the two kings in this passage, both serve banquets. Compare the two.
9. Imagine yourself as one of the disciples in the boat (vv. 45–52). How would you respond to seeing Jesus walking on the water?
10. What should the disciples have understood about the loaves (v. 52)?
11. Mark tells us that the disciples failed to understand the loaves because their hearts were hardened. What all seems to have led to this hardness of heart?
12. Recognizing the contributing factors, what steps can we take to counteract burnout and hardened hearts

8
VIOLATING TRADITION
MARK 6:53—7:37

All of us are influenced by traditions of one sort or another—even those of us who by tradition don’t put much stock in them! But at what point do traditions lose their value or even become counterproductive? When do religious practices become a substitute for really obeying God?
In this study Jesus has some rather harsh words for the Pharisees and the traditions they choose to observe. See if you can discover the reason for his anger.
1. What religious traditions influence your life?
Is that influence good or bad? Explain.
2. Read Mark 6:53—7:37. At the end of chapter 6 we see that as Jesus moves through the marketplace he goes about healing the sick. What by contrast happens to the Pharisees as they travel through the marketplace (7:1–4)?
3. What specific complaints does Jesus raise against the Pharisees’ approach to tradition (vv. 6–13)?
4. What sorts of traditions do we observe today that get in the way of really honoring God?
5. How does Jesus’ view of becoming “unclean” differ from that of the Pharisees (vv. 14–23)?
6. In what ways do we sometimes emphasize appearance over internal reality?
7. Many of the traditions of the elders were embellishments on the Old Testament ceremonial law. Thus the observance of the law and the traditions served to distinguish Jews from Gentiles. How does Jesus’ standard of uncleanness cut across the Jew-Gentile distinctions?
8. Jesus responds to the Syrophoenician woman’s request with a miniparable about children, bread and dogs (vv. 24–27). What is he actually saying?
9. What evidence is there that the woman has understood Jesus’ point (vv. 28–30)?
10. The healing of the deaf man takes place in the Decapolis where Jesus has exorcised the demons from the Gerasene man at the tombs (5:1–20). How do the events here demonstrate that man’s success in telling about what Jesus had done for him (vv. 31–37)?
11. What practical purposes do you think were served by Jesus’ putting his fingers into the deaf man’s ears and touching his tongue?
12. Throughout Mark’s Gospel physical ailments are seen to have spiritual counterparts. The deaf man in this account is obviously someone who quite literally has ears but is unable to hear or speak properly. In this chapter and the previous one, what different people exhibit symptoms of spiritual deafness?
How does their deafness affect the kinds of things they say?
13. Now, as then, those who are spiritually deaf—whether through hardness of heart or through substituting traditions for true obedience—can be healed by Jesus. Pray for yourself and others who need Jesus’ healing touch.

9
WHO DO YOU SAY I AM?
MARK 8:1— 9:1

Who do you say I am?” The whole Gospel of Mark so far has been supplying evidence for answering this question. It’s a question Jesus asks each of us, and the answer we give ultimately determines our destiny. But our answer involves more than what we say with our lips. Our real answer is to be found in the way we live our lives.
C. S. Lewis made famous a set of contemporary alternative responses to Jesus’ question—legend, liar, lunatic or Lord? What is your response?
1. Read Mark 8:1—9:1. Why do you suppose the disciples, having witnessed the feeding of the 5,000, have such a hard time believing Jesus can supply the needs of 4,000 here (8:1–13)?
2. When have you acted similarly, not expecting God to work just after he has met a need in your life?
3. What details in Mark’s account stress the adequacy of Jesus’ ability to meet the people’s needs?
4. In verse 12 Jesus says he will give no sign to this generation. What do you think he means in light of the many miraculous signs and healings he has already performed, not to mention his coming death and resurrection?
5. What is the yeast of the Pharisees and Herod (v. 15)? (For clues, look back to 6:14–29 and 7:1–23.)
6. What do the disciples fail to understand in verses 14–21 and why?
7. What unusual thing happens while Jesus is curing the blind man (vv. 22–26)?
8. In response to Jesus’ question of who people are saying he is, the disciples tell him John the Baptist, Elijah or one of the prophets (vv. 27–30). Why would people think Jesus was any one of these?
9. What different answers do people today give regarding who Jesus is?
10. Right after Peter acknowledges Jesus to be the Christ, Jesus begins to explain what must happen to him. Why do you suppose Peter reacts so strongly to what Jesus has said?
11. Why does Jesus respond to Peter so harshly?
12. How is Peter like the blind man in verses 22–26?
13. What does Jesus say it means to acknowledge him as the Christ and to follow him?
14. Is your life characterized more by seeking to lose your life or to save it? Explain.
15. Ask Jesus to help you to see more clearly those areas where you are not yet following him.

10
REVIEW
MARK 1—8

The truth about Jesus has progressively unfolded in Mark 1—8. With Peter’s confession in 8:29 we reach not only the midpoint but also a key turning point in Mark’s Gospel. For this reason it is especially useful to review some of the key themes developed thus far.
1. What are some of the things Mark has most emphasized about Jesus?
2. What key things have been revealed about his kingdom?
3. Go back through each study so far and retitle it to show how it fits in with the kingdom theme. For example, study one could be titled “The Coming of the Promised King.”
4. How can we make the message of the king and his kingdom a more vital part of our proclaiming the good news?
5. What have we observed about Jesus as a communicator of the gospel?
6. How can this improve the way we communicate the gospel?
7. Throughout the early chapters of Mark, Jesus seems cautious about revealing his identity too quickly. Why do you think this is so?
8. In the parable of the sower we first confront the problem of hearing. Jesus talks about the failure of the path, the rocky soil and the thorn-infested soil to produce fruit. As we move on we begin to see that even the disciples have difficulty hearing and seeing because their hearts are hardened. How is this problem—the hardened heart, the blind eyes and the deaf ears—to be solved?
9. What are some areas where you have begun to see more clearly and to hear with a more responsive heart?

11
SUFFERING AND GLORY
MARK 9:2–32

In a famous short story, the main character is given the choice of opening one of two doors. Behind one is a beautiful maiden; behind the other, a ferocious tiger. It is easy to identify with the hero of the story, hoping for joy rather than suffering, pleasure rather than pain. But what if we cannot have one without the other?
This passage examines the relationship between suffering and glory, human weakness and divine power.
1. Read Mark 9:2–32. The transfiguration occurs six days after Jesus’ statement, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power” (9:1). What connection do you see between the transfiguration and Jesus’ promise?
2. What is the significance of the presence of Elijah and Moses with Jesus on the mount?
3. In this account God’s voice is heard for a second time in Mark’s Gospel, the first being in 1:11. What purposes are accomplished by God’s affirmation here?
4. The statement in verse 7, “Listen to him!” probably alludes to Deuteronomy 18:14–22. Explain how we can listen to Jesus today.
5. To what events is Jesus referring when he says, “Elijah has come and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him” (v. 13)?
6. Elijah’s return was expected to immediately precede the inauguration of the glorious messianic kingdom (Mal 4:5). Yet how is what happened to him (v. 13) a pattern for what must also happen to Jesus (vv. 9, 12) and to us?
7. Jesus descends the mountain and returns to his other disciples only to find them in hot debate with the teachers of the law over their failure to exorcise a young boy robbed of speech (vv. 14–18). Why do you suppose Jesus is so harsh in verse 19?
8. Think back to the leper in chapter 1. How is the father’s request in verse 22 similar to and yet different from the leper’s request in 1:40?
9. Which do you straggle with more—believing that Jesus can or that he wants to answer your prayers? Explain.
10. How can the dialog between Jesus and the man encourage you when your faith is weak?
11. At the end of this account, Jesus again tells his disciples about his death and resurrection (vv. 30–32). Why do you suppose the disciples failed to understand what he meant?
12. What details in the account of the boy’s healing parallel those in Jesus’ prediction of his coming suffering and victory?
13. How can this passage encourage us in the midst of pain and suffering?

12
THE FIRST AND THE LAST
MARK 9:33–50

All of us, I imagine, straggle with the question of status and identity within a group. Where do I fit? How important am I to this group? Who is on our side? Who isn’t? In this study we find out how Jesus turns conventional wisdom about status and group identity on its ear.
1. How would you define success?
Would you say you’ve achieved it?
2. Read Mark 9:33–50. In verses 33–37, what is Jesus trying to get across to the disciples?
3. Thinking back through all the Gospel of Mark to this point, how have we seen this principle of the first and the last in action?
4. Why is a child so appropriate an illustration for Jesus’ point?
5. What attitudes that we all share motivate John’s remarks in verse 38?
6. What perspective governs Jesus’ response to John in verses 39–41 ?
7. What further rebuke to John is given in verses 42–50?
8. How are Jesus’ attitudes about greatness and personal worth radically different from attitudes we often adopt from society?
9. Christian history has known some individuals to take Jesus’ words in verses 43–47 quite literally. Why is cutting off a hand or foot or plucking out an eye not radical enough a way to deal with sin?
10. Verse 49 is somewhat of a mixed metaphor, but fire has been used as an image in verses 42–48. Taking a cue from 42–48, what do you think it means to be “salted with fire”?
11. If salt is connected with fire as an image of judgment, what do you think having salt in yourself might mean?
How would that contribute to peace?
12. What individuals or groups are we tempted to silence because they are not one of us?
13. Does this mean we shouldn’t oppose anyone, or does Jesus give limits?
14. What attitudes and actions does this passage suggest should govern our relationships with rival individuals or groups who act in Jesus’ name?

13
DIVORCE, CHILDREN AND ETERNAL LIFE
MARK 10:1–31

For many of us preachin’ becomes meddlin’ when it impinges on how we live. But Jesus and the New Testament, like the Old Testament before them, never allow religion to be divorced from family life and social relationships. This passage exposes some of the ways the gospel ought to transform some of these areas of our life.
1. What do you think of divorce?
2. Read Mark 10:1–31. What differences in approach to the question of divorce seem evident between Jesus and the Pharisees?
3. On the basis of verses 6–9, some Christian churches have refused to recognize divorce even when a couple has obtained a civil dissolution of their marriage. Do you think this is the intent of Jesus’ statement?
Why or why not?
4. In a culture which granted far more freedom to men than to women, what significant further statements on divorce does Jesus make in verses 11–12?
5. In verses 13–16 we find that Jesus has used a child or children for the second time to illustrate a spiritual principle. What does it mean to receive the kingdom like a little child?
6. What kind of answer does the rich man expect from Jesus in response to his question (v. 17)?
7. What kind of answer does Jesus actually give him (vv. 18–21)?
8. Why is it so hard for the rich to enter the kingdom (vv. 22–27)?
9. What obstacles were or are hardest for you to overcome in entering the kingdom?
What evidence has there been of God’s help in your overcoming these obstacles?
10. How have the Pharisees (vv. 2–9) and the rich man (vv. 17–25) failed to receive the kingdom like a child (v. 15)?
11. In what areas of your life do you most need to express more childlike faith in God?
12. What does Peter seem to be getting at by his comments in verse 28?
13. How does Jesus reassure Peter?
14. What somber note does Jesus strike in the midst of his reassurance?
15. How have you experienced the truth of Jesus’ words here?

14
BLINDNESS AND SIGHT
MARK 10:32–52

The blind sometimes have uncanny “sight,” and the deaf sometimes “hear” what others miss. Spiritual insight and alertness arise from the heart rather than from status or position. In this passage Mark seems to delight in the irony of a blind man who perceives what the sighted cannot see.
1. What do you think are some of the privileges and responsibilities of a leader?
2. Read Mark 10:32–52. In verses 32–34, Jesus predicts his death for a third time. Compare this prediction with the previous two (8:31; 9:31).
3. Given what Jesus has just said, what is ironic about James and John’s request (vv. 35-37)?
4. What seems to motivate James and John’s request?
Why do you think they go about asking the way they do?
5. What does Jesus mean by the cup he is to drink and the baptism he is to be baptized with (vv. 38–39)?
6. When the other ten apostles hear about this status request, they become indignant. In response, what principle does Jesus bring out again (see 9:35 and 10:31)?
7. What new motivation for service is found in verse 45?
8. How can your life better conform to Jesus’ view of greatness? (Consider what motivates your actions as well as what you do.)
9. From the brief account in verses 46–52, what kind of man does Bartimaeus seem to be?
10. Why do you suppose Jesus asked Bartimaeus what he wanted him to do for him?
11. Once Jesus heals him, Bartimaeus sets out to follow Jesus along the road. What road is Jesus on (10:33–34; 11:1)?
12. What might it mean for Bartimaeus to be on this road (10:32–34)?
13. What has Bartimaeus seen that the disciples have not?
14. Jesus is indeed on the road to glory, but that road will not bypass Jerusalem. Self-sacrifice and service mark the way. What are some present opportunities for you to follow him?
What may be some of the costs?

15
PALM SUNDAY
MARK 11:1–25

The trouble with righteous anger is that it is so much easier to be angry than righteous. But it is possible to be both, as Jesus well illustrates in this passage. He also suggests that even righteous anger must be joined with prayer and forgiveness. This passage provides an example of how our emotions and attitudes can work toward God’s purposes instead of against them.
1. How would you define righteous anger?
Why do we so seldom express it?
2. Read Mark 11:1–25. What progression of moods do you see in this passage?
3. What significant event is taking place in verses 1–11 ?
4. In what ways is the significance of Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem reinforced?
5. Why is Jesus so angry with what is taking place in the temple (vv. 15–17)?
6. Are there similar activities or attitudes in your church or fellowship which get in the way of God’s purposes?
What can you do to help eliminate them?
7. Why do you suppose Mark has sandwiched this account of Jesus’ clearing out of the temple within that of the cursing of the fig tree?
What kind of fruit was Jesus looking for in Israel?
8. Many people believe they will escape the judgment of God simply because they are religious. How can this passage serve as a warning to them and to us?
9. What does Jesus teach us about prayer in verses 23–25?
10. Jesus may have had a more specific meaning in verse 23. As he spoke these words the Mount of Olives would have been in view. Zechariah prophesied that the Lord will one day return to the Mount of Olives to judge his enemies and to establish his kingdom. As his feet touch the Mount, it will move out of the way. If praying to move mountains is praying for the day of God’s judgment, why is it important to pray with the attitude Jesus describes in verse 25?
11. Thinking back to your response to question 6, are there any people you need to forgive as well as to rebuke?
Is there anything else you need to do to be reconciled to this person or persons?
If so, how and when will you do it?
12. Respond to this passage in prayer, praising the King of peace and asking that his kingdom might be established.

16
TEMPTING QUESTIONS
MARK 11:27—12:27

Some people ask questions because they want to know the answers. Others take malicious delight in posing unanswerable questions or in trying to trip up an opponent. Jesus often asked questions to get his hearers to think deeply for themselves. Learning to look behind questions to motives and learning to pose effective questions can help us all to be better evangelists and servants. As you read Mark 11:27—12:27, look for the motives behind the questions that are asked.
1. In verse 27 the chief priests, the elders and the teachers of the law come asking a seemingly straightforward question about Jesus’ authority. What does Jesus’ reply and the subsequent discussion reveal about their motives?
2. Why doesn’t Jesus answer them?
3. Are there times when we shouldn’t answer questioners? Explain.
4. The parable of the tenants is rich in meaning, especially in light of its allusion to Isaiah’s Song of the Vineyard (Is 5:1–7). If the tenants are Israel and its religious leaders, who are the owner, the servants and the son?
5. How are these religious leaders about to fulfill the scripture Jesus cites in verses 10–11?
6. A common enemy can often draw together people who are not otherwise on good terms. In verses 13–17 we find Herodians (supporters of the puppet monarchy) and the Pharisees (ardent nationalists and opponents of Roman rule) joining forces. How does the question they pose to Jesus reflect their conflicting interests?
7. Jesus not only avoids their trap by his answer, he also succeeds in establishing an important principle. What sons of things are rightfully Caesar’s (the government’s) and what are God’s?
8. The Sadducees differed from their Jewish contemporaries because they rejected the idea of resurrection. What motives lie behind their question to Jesus (vv. 18–23)?
9. How do the Sadducees display ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God?
10. How are you experiencing the truth of the Scriptures and the power of God?
11. How can we get to know the Scriptures and the power of God better?
12. How is Jesus’ response from Scripture particularly appropriate for the Sadducees who accepted only the authority of the Pentateuch?
13. As we seek to share the good news of Christ and his kingdom, we will meet people with a wide variety of questions and motives. What can we learn about answering and asking questions from this passage?

17
AN END TO QUESTIONS
MARK 12:28–44

People are motivated by many things—ambition, money, power, recognition, the desire to please God. What motivates your daily life and future plans?
In this passage Jesus encounters or comments on a variety of people whose lives are governed by different goals. In so doing he exposes our own motivations to his searching glance.
1. Read Mark 12:28–44. Like the chief priests, elders, Pharisees and Sadducees of 11:27—12:27, another teacher of the law comes to Jesus with a pointed question (v. 28). What evidence is there that he is not out to trap Jesus?
2. Though Jesus is only asked for one commandment (Deut 6:4-5), in good rabbinic fashion he responds by adding a second to his reply (Lev 19:18). What relationship does this second commandment bear to the first?
3. The teacher not only endorses Jesus’ answer, he takes it a step further. What are some contemporary examples of burnt offerings and sacrifices?
4. If you were to evaluate your daily activities on the basis of love for God and neighbor, how would you fare? Explain.
5. What steps can you take to make the love of God and love of neighbor a higher priority in your life?
6. How has Jesus succeeded in silencing his questioners? (Look back over 11:27—12:34 to answer this.)
7. To a Jew in Jesus’ day a descendant was always inferior to an ancestor. A son might call his father or grandfather “lord” but never vice versa. How can Christ be both David’s Lord and his descendant?
8. What does it mean for us to call Jesus “Lord”?
9. What warning to us is present in Jesus’ cautions about the teachers of the law (vv. 38–40)?
10. In contrast to the teachers of the law and the rich, what motivates the widow’s religious behavior?
11. How does she fulfill the great commandment?
12. What implications does this example have for our giving to the Lord’s work?
13. Read Malachi 3:1–5. In what ways has Jesus been fulfilling this prophecy in chapters 11—12 of Mark’s Gospel?

18
KEEP WATCH
MARK 13:1–37

Waiting for Christmas can keep some children excited and on their best behavior for weeks. But what if Christmas never came? To many of us the Second Coming may seem like a Christmas that never comes. In this passage, Jesus answers some questions about the future, both near and far off, but above all he encourages an attitude we all need to develop.
1. Why do you think so many of us have such a fascination with the future?
2. Read Mark 13:1–37. From the context what are Peter, James, John and Andrew asking about in verse 4?
3. Jesus doesn’t seem to answer their question directly, at least not at first. What is he concerned about?
4. How would Jesus’ warnings and encouragements (vv. 5–13) have helped the disciples in the early years of the church?
5. What relevance do these warnings and encouragements have for us today?
6. Christians have sometimes disagreed about how to interpret Jesus’ words in verses 14–23. Some think Jesus is talking about the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 and the events leading up to that. Others think these events are still future. Perhaps both views are correct. What evidence is there to support each view?
7. What does Jesus say about God’s work in the midst of all this turmoil?
8. How is the distress described in verses 24–27 different from that described in verses 5–23?
9. How would verses 26–27 encourage those who have experienced the distress preceding Jesus’ return?
10. Six times Jesus warns his disciples to “watch, be on guard” (vv. 5, 9, 23, 33, 35, 37). Why?
11. Many people throughout the ages have tried to make precise predictions about the return of Jesus. How does watching as Jesus urges differ from making such predictions?
12. In what practical ways can we be alert for Jesus’ return?

19
THE BETRAYER APPROACHES
MARK 14:1–42

If you’ve ever caught yourself yawning at a critical moment or felt spiritually asleep when the Lord was calling you to a task, you’ll have little difficulty in empathizing with the disciples in this account. We enter clearly now into the last few days of Jesus’ earthly ministry. The mood is somber as more and more people begin to fail and desert him. Try to empathize with Jesus as you read Mark 14:1–42.
1. Read Mark 14:1–42. What different motives are present in the conflict that arises at the home of Simon the Leper?
2. What legitimate concerns do the objectors raise?
How might Jesus’ own teaching have prompted their response?
3. The woman’s act is in one sense an act of worship. What light, if any, does this incident shed on the competing claims for beauty in worship and concern for the poor?
4. During the Passover feast Jesus tells the Twelve that one of them will betray him. What do you think they were feeling as they responded to his announcement (v. 19)?
5. Few words have spawned as much debate regarding their meaning as those Jesus spoke in verses 22–24. Regardless of how literally we take them, what are the bread and cup of the Lord’s Supper to symbolize for us?
6. In verse 27 Jesus predicts that his disciples will desert him under pressure. How do you empathize or fail to empathize with Peter’s assertions in verses 29–31?
7. Many people question whether the only way to God is through Jesus and his death on the cross. Edith Schaeffer has suggested that this is the question Jesus himself wrestled with in Gethsemane (vv. 35–36). What conclusion did he reach?
How might this passage help those who struggle with the question of whether Jesus is the only way to God?
8. In verse 34 and again in verse 38, Jesus encourages the disciples to watch and pray so that they not fall into temptation. What particular temptations were they about to face?
How might prayer have changed the outcome?
9. How can these same exhortations make the difference in your own life between resisting or falling into temptation?
10. Have you ever felt like the disciples must have felt in verse 40? Explain.
11. What consolation and encouragement can you draw from the disciples’ experience?

20
BETRAYED!
MARK 14:43–72

The persecution of enemies is one thing, the abandonment of friends another. In this study we find Jesus not only betrayed by one of his disciples but abandoned by all the others and ruefully denied by one of his closest friends. All this added to the cruel and unlawful treatment by the Sanhedrin. This account reveals how intense pressures can test the quality of our discipleship.
1. What does being loyal to a friend mean to you?
2. Read Mark 14:43–72. Several of the main characters in this passage act with mixed motives. What mixed motives may have inspired Judas’s words and action of betrayal (vv. 43–45)?
3. How does Jesus respond to his betrayal?
4. The unnamed young man seems symbolic of all Jesus’ followers. How does his predicament reflect Jesus’ warnings about the cost of discipleship (8:34–38)?
5. What aspects of Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin does Mark emphasize?
6. Up until this point Jesus has regularly disguised his identity, but in verse 62 he openly confesses his identity as the Christ. Why do you think he does this now?
7. On what charge is Jesus finally condemned?
8. How is this charge both justifiable and unjustifiable?
9. How is Jesus, in contrast to his disciples, an example of the kind of discipleship he desires in us (vv. 55–65)?
10. What mix of motives brings Peter into the high priest’s courtyard yet keeps him from acknowledging his relationship to Jesus (vv. 66–72)?
11. How are your motives mixed in following Jesus?
12. How is Judas’s betrayal of Jesus different from Peter’s?
13. In what circumstances are you most tempted to be ashamed of Jesus or to deny him?
14. What warnings and encouragement can you draw from Peter’s experience?

21
VICTORY SNATCHED FROM DEFEAT
MARK 15:1— 16:8

True greatness, Jesus taught, is found in being a servant: “Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Recorded here is the vivid testimony to Jesus’ greatness and glory. As you read 15:1—16:8, look for incentives to imitate his gospel-sharing servant life.
1. What kind of man is Pilate (vv. 1–15)?
2. What evidence is there that he wants to do what is right?
3. What keeps him from doing what is right?
4. How can we keep from succumbing to the same temptation?
5. In what sense is Barrabas a stand-in for every believer?
6. The wine mixed with myrrh offered to Jesus would have had a narcotic effect. Why does Jesus refuse it? (See 10:38; 14:25, 36.)
7. What ironies are present in the charges and jeers directed toward Jesus on the cross (vv. 25–32)?
8. In verse 34 Jesus quotes the first verse of Psalm 22. What other aspects of this psalm is Jesus experiencing?
9. In what ways is the centurion’s confession a climax to the whole of Mark’s, Gospel? (Compare 15:38–39 with 1:1, 10–11; 8:28–30.)
10. Why do you think it was Joseph and the women who had followed Jesus, and not the eleven, who were present when Jesus died and his body needed a tomb?
11. Why is it significant that Peter is mentioned by name in verse 7?
12. What reassurance can we draw from the Lord’s evident forgiveness of Peter (see 3:28)?
13. The earliest and best manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel end at verse 8. Nearly all scholars agree that if Mark did not end his work here, we have lost what he wrote (vv. 9–20 were clearly written by someone else). While some still hold that the original ending has been lost, a growing number of scholars believe Mark intended to end with verse 8 as it is. How is verse 8 an appropriate ending to the gospel story?
14. How can this passage reinforce our commitment to sharing the good news of Christ with others?

22
REVIEW
MARK 9—16

Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed,’ and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
New light brings new responsibility. Now that you have concluded your study of Mark, how will your life be different? This final study reviews some of the central themes of Mark’s Gospel and reminds us of how they are to affect our lives.
1. What have you learned about Mark as a writer and an evangelist?
2. How has your understanding of the gospel and the kingdom been enriched?
3. The disciples’ performance in this half of Mark’s Gospel has been almost entirely marked by failure (9:18–19; 10:35–45; 14:32–42, 43–52, 66–72). Review the specific instances of failure and then explain why Mark may have drawn so much attention to them.
What can we learn from this?
4. Many scholars believe one of Mark’s purposes in writing his account of Jesus’ ministry was to counteract a misconception about Jesus himself and the Christian life.1 Some Christians tended to emphasize Jesus as a glorious, other-worldly figure to the exclusion of his humanity and suffering. As a result they expected to be spared suffering in this life and to quickly join Jesus in the glories of heaven. Unfortunately, many Christians today share this view of the Christian life. How does Mark systematically undercut this view? (Be sure to consider the themes of following Christ, the cost of discipleship and the road to glory.)
5. Where in Mark’s account is Jesus’ glory most prominently displayed? Give reasons to support your answer.
6. How might the cross fulfill Jesus words in 9:1, at least in part?
7. If the path to glory is marked by discipline, suffering and servanthood, how will your life need to change?
How will your sharing of the gospel need to change?
8. What did you appreciate most about your study of Mark?