The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 1) - At Home Study Questions

At Home Study Questions:

The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith

(Week 1) Mark 1:1-8

Church Family -

Please use this study guide to further your knowledge of the Gospel of Mark.  Answers will be posted later in the week!  God bless you as you seek to grow in your walk with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.   

Background Study Questions:

1) With which Apostle did Mark travel extensively and from whom did he hear the most about the life and teachings of Jesus? (Peter)

               “She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.” (1 Peter 5:13 ESV)

               “When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.” (Acts 12:12 ESV)

We also see (taken from Tim Henderson’s Early Christianity) some other unique characteristics about Mark’s Gospel which allude to the fact that Peter was his mentor:

               a) Peter is the first and last named disciple in Mark (1:16; 16:7).

               b) Peter is mentioned more than any other disciple in Mark.

               c) Peter appears in some of the most important scenes in Mark: the calling of the first disciples (1:16-20), the confession of Jesus as Messiah (8:27-30), the transfiguration (9:2-8), the prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42), and in the concluding scene alluding to future appearances of Jesus (16:7).

               d) Of the four gospels, Mark has the highest percentage of references to boats, the Sea of Galilee, and fishing. Peter apparently was a fisherman who worked on the Sea of Galilee (1:16).

               e) There is the curious story of the healing of Peter’s mother-in-law (1:29-31), which seems to include personal details related to Peter.

2) What are some of the unique characteristics of Mark’s Gospel that scholars use to surmise the Gentile, Roman audience of his writing?

               a) Jewish customs are explained (Mk 7:3-4)

               b) Aramaic expressions are translated into Greek (Mk 3:17; 5:41; 7:11)

               c) Roman reckoning of time is used (Mk 6:48; 13:35)

               d) Only Mark identifies Simon of Cyrene as the father of Rufus (Mk 15:21; Rom 16:13)

               e) Very few Old Testament quotations are used.

               f) The focus is on Jesus as the Perfect Servant (Mk. 10:45)

               g) Mark emphasizes the deeds of the Lord more than His words.

               h) He records nineteen miracles, but only four parables.

               i) More Latin words in Mark than in any other gospel, which suggests that it may have been written in a Roman environment.

3) Because of the continual use of “immediately” and beginning over half of its verses with the conjunction “and,” The Gospel of Mark is labeled as what type of book?

               Mark has been labeled a “busy book” or “fast-paced” book.  It can also be viewed as many, many run on sentences from an excited writer.

Week 1 Study Questions (Mark 1:1-8):

1) Mark qualifies Jesus as being the Savior by calling Him Jesus Christ, which means He was sent _BY_ God.  He then calls Him the Son of God, which means He was _OF_ God.   (vs. 1)

2) John the Baptizer was called the forerunner of the Gospel by Mark.  What was John’s two-fold message? (vs. 2-3)

               a) Prepare the way of the Lord.  Also taken from Is. 40, John’s message was to raise valleys, lower mountains, make crooked places straight, and rough places smooth in order to pave a highway for the Kingdom of God and glory of the Lord to be revealed.  All this would happen through the person of Jesus Christ, who would die for the remission of sins.

               b) Repent and be baptized because of the forgiveness of sins.

3) In explaining the appearance of John the Baptizer, Mark shows us that Gospel forerunners can come in all shapes and sizes.  What made John unique from other religious teachers? (vs. 4-8) (See also Numbers 6:1-21; Matthew 11:18-19; Luke 1:13-17)

               a) He was a Nazarite, which meant that he abstained from cutting his hair, going near dead bodies, and did not consume grapes and things which came from grapes, including wine and raisins.

            
               b) He came, as prophesied, in the spirit and power of Elijah the prophet.

Encounter: Have you encountered this Gospel personally, which is the person of Jesus Christ?  If not, then why not today?  


Equip: Do you know the Gospel message, and are you able to relate it to others in a clear way?  As a Gospel forerunner, are you making straight paths for the Lord or must the Gospel go over, under, or around obstacles and obstructions?  Do you need to lower some mountains, raise some valleys, make some crooked ways straight, make some rough patches smooth?  Does your "Good News" come across as good news or as judgmental and condemning?

Engage: Are you actively engaging your world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Are you looking for opportunities and open doors to share the "Good News" with others? 

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