Bible Study Guide 1
THE
BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL
Bible
Background • MARK 1:1-45
Printed
Text • MARK 1:9-26
Devotional
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LESSON OVERVIEW |
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LESSON
AIM
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KEEP
IN MIND
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FOCAL
VERSES
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IN
FOCUS
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THE
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND TIMES
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BACKGROUND
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AT-A-GLANCE
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IN
DEPTH
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SEARCH
THE SCRIPTURES
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DISCUSS
THE MEANING
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LESSON
IN OUR SOCIETY
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MAKE
IT HAPPEN
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FOLLOW
THE SPIRIT
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REMEMBER
YOUR THOUGHTS
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MORE
LIGHT ON THE TEXT
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DAILY
BIBLE READINGS
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LESSON
AIM
By
the end of the lesson, students will know that beginning a work for God
requires total obedience and will involve temptation and conflicts. They
will become convinced that victory is possible through the power of God.
KEEP
IN MIND
"And
there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased" (Mark 1:11).
FOCAL
VERSES
Mark
1:9
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus
came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in
10
And
straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and
the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:
11
And
there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom
I am well pleased.
12
And
immediately the spirit driveth him into
the wilderness.
13
And
he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with
the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him.
14
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into
15
And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
16
Now as he walked by the sea of Galilee,
he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea: for they
were fishers.
17
And
Jesus said unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you to become fishers
of men.
18
And
straightway they forsook their nets, and followed him.
19
And
when he had gone a little farther thence, he saw James the son of Zebedee,
and John his brother, who also were in the ship mending their nets.
20
And
straightway he called them: and they left their father Zebedee
in the ship with the hired servants, and went after him.
21
And they went into
22
And
they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had
authority, and not as the scribes.
23
And
there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried
out,
24Saying,
Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art
thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God.
25
And
Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him.
26
And
when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came
out of him.
IN
FOCUS
Beginning
a new venture can be difficult and requires motivation, faith, and discipline.
Wilma Rudolph (1940-1994), the first American woman to win three gold medals
in the Olympics in 1960, exhibited such stamina. This great African-American
athlete faced major challenges, including racism and a severe case of childhood
polio.
Yet
she overcame and made this statement in I Dream a World by Brian
Lanker: "It took sheer determination to be able to run a hundred yards
and remember all of the mechanics that go along with it. . . . From the
moment you walk into the stadium, you block out everything and everybody,
until you get the command to start."
In
today's lesson we will learn about the beginning
of the Gospel and the temptation Jesus faced.
THE
PEOPLE, PLACES, AND TIMES
John
the Baptizer.
The son of Zacharias and Elizabeth,
little is known about his early years. The prophets declared that he would
precede the Messiah and that his purpose was to reform the Jews and prepare
them to receive the Messiah (Isaiah 40:1-8; Malachi 4:5-6).
Unclean
Spirits.
Unclean spirits were demons. Both Jews and Greeks believed these spirits
possessed living persons and controlled them.
BACKGROUND
John
Mark wrote the Gospel of Mark in
Although
it is the shortest Gospel, Mark is filled with great
detail about Jesus' miracles and does not include long discourses
on His teachings. Scholars consider this Gospel as one filled with action
and have called it the "Gospel of Power."
The
title "Gospel of Power" is certainly appropriate as the Book of Mark begins
with Jesus' baptism, temptation, and then proceeds to His authoritative
presence in
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AT-A-GLANCE |
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1.
Jesus Is Baptized by John (Mark 1:9-11)
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2.
Jesus Faces Temptation (vv. 12-13)
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3.
Jesus Preaches and Calls Disciples (vv. 14-20)
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4.
Jesus Teaches and Heals in the Synagogue (vv. 21-26)
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IN
DEPTH
1.
Jesus Is Baptized by John (Mark 1:9-11)
John
baptizes Jesus in the
God's
voice was an affirmation of Jesus's identity:
"Thou art my beloved Son," as well as an endorsement of what Jesus would
do: "in whom I am well pleased." Although Jesus had just begun His public
ministry, God was already pleased.
Jesus'
baptism represented full and complete obedience to God. In Matthew 3:15
Jesus tells John that baptism fulfills all righteousness: "Let it be so
now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (NIV).
The very act of baptism was one of humility and total obedience on behalf
of Jesus because He was already totally committed to doing the Father's
will.
2.
Jesus Faces Temptation (vv. 12-13)
After
His confirmation at baptism, Jesus undergoes a wilderness experience. Mark
uses the expression "the spirit driveth
him forth," which means that Jesus submitted to the will of God. The Scripture
is clear about the purpose of the wilderness—Satan there tempted Him. Anytime
God sets His seal of approval upon us for ministry, temptation or conflict
will often follow.
What
type of place was the wilderness? Located beyond
Do
you know who you are in Christ? When the enemy questions your identity,
are you able to say, "I am a child of the Father?"
3.
Jesus Preaches and Calls Disciples (vv. 14-20)
Jesus
came on the scene preaching after John was placed in prison. His message
was clear: "repent and believe the good news" (NIV). Christians and religious
leaders have often made salvation difficult to understand and complex to
fulfill. But Jesus' call is simply "repent
and believe the good news."
Jesus
knew that He would need to employ others to assist Him in His work. He
did not look among kings, princes, or royalty, but He called ordinary people
like fishermen. Note that Jesus' call was
for His followers to "come after me." These four fishermen—
Simon, Andrew, James, and John—responded to Jesus immediately. No doubt
they had heard and seen Jesus on other occasions, but this time was different.
"They forsook their nets, and followed him." Two key words here are forsook
and followed, which could be viewed as outward expressions of repent
and believe. They forsook or left their old way of life, and even
more their livelihood. So for these rugged fishermen
to follow Jesus required faith—faith that Jesus had something better
to offer.
4.
Jesus Teaches and Heals in the Synagogue (vv. 21-26)
Although
Mark's Gospel does not state what Jesus said in the synagogue, the power
in which He spoke amazed the audience. Instead of speaking on the authority
of Moses or the elders as the scrbes did,
Jesus spoke on His own authority. Throughout Matthew (5:18, 20, 22) we
hear Jesus saying, "I say unto you."
Jesus'
authoritative teaching was demonstrated with power when He encountered
the man with an unclean spirit. The unclean spirit had ruled the man for
a period of time, we do not know how long,
but assuredly it did not want to relinquish control and submit to Jesus.
In fact, the demon's response, "What have we to do with thee?" means
"leave me to act as I please."
Jesus'
purpose was to destroy the works of the devil, so He would not permit the
demon to control. Jesus responded with a rebuke, and in only eight words,
He commanded the unclean spirit to come out.
Jesus
set free the man who was once dominated by a demonic spirit. He was not
only set free physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.
SEARCH
THE SCRIPTURES
1.
What was the Father's response to Jesus' baptism? (Mark 1:11)
2.
In which
3.
How did the people respond to Jesus' teachings? (v. 22)
4.
What did Jesus say to the man with an unclean spirit? (v. 25)
DISCUSS
THE MEANING
1.
As children of God
we are always faced with various forms of temptation. What actions can
we take to keep us from yielding to temptation?
2.
Simon, Andrew, James, and John forsook their way of life and followed Jesus.
What things, people, or places might Jesus be
calling us to forsake today in order to follow Him?
3.
The people were amazed because Jesus taught with authority. What is the
difference between hearing a scholarly preacher or teacher versus one who
is both knowledgeable and speaks with God's anointing?
4.
Share with the group a time when Jesus healed you. It
does not have to be a physical healing but might include an emotional or
spiritual healing.
LESSON
IN OUR SOCIETY
If
there ever was a time in which the world needed to hear the simple message
"repent . . . and believe the gospel," it is now. Murders are taking place
in the schools, among family members, at the workplace, and even in churches.
New Age beliefs and cults have drawn people away from the church. Unfortunately
many churches are places of schisms and strife.
Today
Jesus is still saying there is hope; just come follow Me.
As He brought complete healing to the man with the unclean spirit, Jesus
wants to do the same for us. Jesus is always beckoning us to come.
Jesus
sees us, with our broken hearts, our weary spirits, and our fractured souls,
and He bids come to Him—to come just as we are.
MAKE
IT HAPPEN
During
the month of March why not start a journal
called "My New Beginning?" If you are new to journaling, a journal is a
place to record prayers, concerns, and any spiritual insights regarding
your daily experiences. It is not a diary, so you do not have to record
routine events that happen during the day. Also,
your journal does not have to be elaborate; a small spiral notebook will
work fine.
What
will you write in your journal? First, ask God to show you one area in
your life where you need to start anew. Perhaps you need to begin eating
a balanced diet opposed to unhealthy foods. Have you been holding a grudge
against someone and need to release it? Is it an unhealthy relationship
in which you need to let go? Do you struggle with pride? Be honest with
God so that you can receive the healing and deliverance that you need.
In
your journal write, "I will begin anew by ________ (write your area of
concern). After you have written down your struggle, find a Scripture that
you can meditate on to encourage your victory over this problem or sin.
Write that Scripture, or other passages
if you found more than one, in your journal.
Then
prayerfully ask God to show you things you need to do, or stop doing, to
gain victory. Remember, temptation will come, but be determined to follow
God. Last, let your spouse, a close friend, or prayer partner know what
you are doing and ask that person to keep you in prayer.
FOLLOW
THE SPIRIT
What
God wants me to do:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
REMEMBER
YOUR THOUGHTS
Special
insights you have learned:
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
—Precepts
2002-2003