The Gospel of Mark: A Mosaic of Faith (week 4) - At Home Study Questions

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.   

Week 4 Mark 2:1-17 At Home Study Questions

1) What does Jesus do when God gives Him an audience? (vs. 1-2)

He preaches the Gospel to them!

2) What was it about the paralytic that caused Jesus to proclaim forgiveness of the man's sins? (vs. 3-5)

Jesus saw the man's faith and forgave his sins.

3) Why are the scribes angry with Jesus after he heals the paralytic? (vs. 6-12)

They are angry because Jesus didn't just heal the man, but proclaimed that his sins were forgiven. 

4) Some have said that in the Gospels, Jesus never claimed to be God.  From the context of verses 6-12, how would you answer that charge?

This is why the scribes were angry with Jesus.  They knew that only God could forgive sins, so in essence Jesus was identifying Himself as God.

5) How did Jesus seek to reach Levi's friends with the Gospel? (vs. 13-17)

Jesus sought to reach the friends of Levi by attending the party which Levi threw.  The religious leaders judged and condemned Jesus for going, attesting to the fact that He was eating and drinking with sinners.  (Remember, eating with someone was a sign of intimate fellowship and communion in this culture.)

Word of Wisdom from CS Lewis: "Successful evangelism in these situations requires more than merely good intentions, but also social and intellectual talents given by God."

Encounter: We see in Mark 1-2 that Jesus does a lot of calling people.  Is God calling you to faith in Him?  If so, what is preventing you from following Him?

Equip: In order to be an effective evangelist, you must empower as well as guard yourself with the Holy Spirit.  You must also prepare yourself to take some hits because of your evangelistic efforts.  What type of people criticized Jesus the most?  Remember, criticism can be avoided: Say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.

Engage: In what way(s) has God given you an audience, whether by positive experiences or negative experiences?  Are you using that platform to engage the world with the Good News of Jesus?