sword unsheathing the · 2020-03-24 · jesus does remarkable miracles. however, instead of...

Sword Unsheathing the

Unsheathe "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God."Ephesians 6:17

An exciting overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation

Christopher R. Dodgeand Janette L. Dodge

Awake US Now Ministries

Mark

Unsheathing the Sword: Mark

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PASTOR CHRIS DODGE is the teaching pastor for Awake Us Now ministries in Richfield,

Minnesota. After earning his Master of Divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,

Missouri in 1979, Pastor Dodge served in parish ministry for over thirty-four years at churches in

Michigan and Minnesota. Pastor Dodge believes that God still speaks today, and that God is calling

His Church to repentance and recommitment in order to lead this nation to a knowledge of Jesus

Christ as Savior. Awake Us Now ministries was established in 2013 to use the developing

technologies to further that call of God.

Chris and his wife, Jan, have been married more than forty years and have two married daughters

and several grandchildren.

Pastor Dodge can be contacted at Awake Us Now – [email protected].

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Both Chris and I (Jan) would like to thank the staff and volunteers at

Awake Us Now whose prayers and love have gotten all of us through some challenging times. We

especially thank our good friends who have spent countless hours turning the raw transcript into

the right words rather than software “sound alikes,” and who have shared their expertise regarding

grammar, theology, and life. We thank our daughters and sons-in-law who are often our sounding

boards, even in the midst of their busy schedules. And we give glory to God and thank Him for

bringing the two of us to this wonderful season of life together.

SCRIPTURE quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

COVER PHOTO of sunrise at the Sea of Galilee. All photos were taken by the author and are

copyrighted. © 2016 Christopher R. Dodge

For questions, contact Chris or Jan Dodge ([email protected]).

Awake Us Now office phone: 612-545-5654. Website: www.awakeusnow.com.

© 2016 Christopher R. Dodge

You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material provided that wording is not altered in any way,

no fee of any kind is charged for the material (including reimbursement for reproduction costs), and

Pastor Chris Dodge and Awake Us Now are clearly acknowledged as the source of the material.

Copyright and contact information must be clearly cited on all copies.

mailto:[email protected]


http://www.awakeusnow.com/


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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3

Prayer ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 4

Overview of Mark ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4

John Mark, the Author .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 6

Immediately! ........................................................................................................................................................................................................................ 9

Peter’s House ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 10

Jesus Heals the Paralyzed Man ............................................................................................................................................................. 11

Jesus is Lord ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 12

Lord Over the Wind and Sea .................................................................................................................................................................... 13

Lord Over Sickness and Death .............................................................................................................................................................. 14

The Lord Who Provides ................................................................................................................................................................................... 14

The Lord of Our Life? ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 15

Scripture Validated ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 15

Roman Watches of the Night .................................................................................................................................................................. 16

Testimony to Truth ................................................................................................................................................................................................. 17

Prayer .......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 18

Resources .............................................................................................................................................................................................................................. 19

Mark Study Guide ................................................................................................................................................................................................... 20

What About You? .................................................................................................................................................................................................... 36


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INTRODUCTION

Unsheathing the Sword is a Bible study taught weekly by Pastor Chris Dodge over a period of

fifty-two classes which began in the fall of 2014. It is an overview of the Bible in hour-long

sessions. Videos and podcasts are available free of charge at www.awakeusnow.com. Some books

of the Bible were taught over a period of weeks and others were grouped together. Therefore, the

books in this series vary widely in length. The classes have been transcribed and edited from the

lecture format to a text format in order to read more easily.

This series is in no way intended to be a definitive work containing all of the “meat” of the

Scriptures. Rather, this material is meant to give a good overview of God’s plan of salvation which

we find in every book of God’s Word – from Genesis to Revelation. Information is brought

together from a variety of sources and covers interesting and often unique information, while not

contradicting the written Scripture. This work is written in language for all audiences rather than

just the academic community, although many of the sources are academic readings.

The goal of every aspect of Pastor Dodge’s ministry is to lead everyone into the Word of God

in order to see God’s Son, our Savior, Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit. May God bless

your study.



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PRAYER

Father, we bless and praise Your holy name. We thank You that You are our God, that You

are in control, and that You love us with a love that simply will not quit. We thank You for

completing Your promises by sending the Messiah. We thank You that You will send Him again

for the final time to restore all things. Until that day, Lord, may we be found truly listening to You,

heeding Your word of truth, and following the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. Speak to us, Lord,

through these powerful words of the good news about Jesus the Son of God. May we be forever

changed by His work in our lives, by the anointing of the Holy Spirit, by the word of truth, and by

Your presence among us. We pray it in Jesus’ strong name. Amen.

OVERVIEW OF MARK

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four gospels. It is also the fastest moving and we are

going to see many examples of that. Before we dig into the words themselves I’d like to start with

some of the basics about who wrote it, when it was possibly written, and what the characteristics

are of this gospel.

The author is John Mark. As with the other gospels, we do not have something in the body of

the text that specifically names him as the author, but the uniform testimony of the earliest

believers is that this was written by John Mark. The earliest testimony of those first believers is

also that what Mark wrote down was what he heard from the Apostle Peter. So, although Mark

himself was not an eyewitness to most of the events recorded in the gospel, he got it from an

eyewitness. He is considered to be Peter’s interpreter.

It has been customary in recent years to date this gospel as the first to be written. Critics have

said it was probably written somewhere around 60-90 AD. However, the evidence of the earliest

believers and a growing body of evidence today would suggest that although it was written very

early, this is not the first gospel to be written. What is taking place is a revolution in our

understanding of when the New Testament books were written. People in the scholarly community


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are beginning to reevaluate many of the things they have accepted without question in the past.

The revolution is moving slowly, but it is indeed moving. It appears that the Gospel of Mark was

written quite early in Christian history and may well have been written as early as 45 AD or so.

As far as the content of this gospel, it is described by earliest witnesses as being Peter’s gospel

and it emphasizes Jesus’ actions as opposed to Jesus’ teaching. By contrast, if we look at the

Gospel of Matthew we see that there are five major sections that consist of just Jesus’ teachings.

In fact, two of those sections contain the two longest sermons of Jesus we have anywhere in the

Bible: the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, 6, and 7 (which is the longest sermon of Jesus that

we possess), and His Olivet Discourse, also known as the Sermon on the Mount of Olives, in

Matthew 24 and 25 (the second longest sermon we possess). If you have a red letter Bible, page

your way through the Gospel of Matthew and then do the same thing with the Gospel of Mark.

You will notice that Mark has much more black ink because Mark especially emphasizes Jesus’

actions. Mark certainly quotes Jesus, however, he has far less of Jesus’ teachings than we see in

Matthew, Luke, or John.

Mark is concerned about what Jesus did and also who Jesus is. The emphasis in the Gospel of

Matthew is that Jesus is the promised Messiah whom the Hebrew prophets had predicted. The

Gospel of Mark stresses that Jesus is the Son of God. We see that in a number of very important

ways. In the very first verse of this book, Mark 1:1, this is what we read, “The beginning of the

good news about Jesus the Messiah, the son of God.” What an in-your-face way to start the book.

There’s no “a long time ago, in a country far away” sort of stuff. It’s rather “The beginning of the

good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” Mark begins by saying this is good news.

Here’s the beginning of it and here’s who Jesus is. He’s the Messiah. He’s the Son of God. Mark

keeps emphasizing that throughout his gospel and he does it in some really phenomenal ways.

Mark is faithful in recording how clearly Jesus portrays Himself as the Son of God. One group,

however are adamant in their rejection of Jesus. It is the religious leaders who are the people who

should realize that this man is doing everything that Messiah was predicted to do. Jesus heals.

Jesus does remarkable miracles. However, instead of acknowledging Jesus as the Messiah they

say He is demon possessed, He’s out of His mind, He’s dangerous. Interestingly enough, Jesus

often heals on the Sabbath, because He wants to have a confrontation. The religious people say

you shouldn’t do any work on the Sabbath. Jesus says that His Father is still working. He tells the

religious leaders that if they have an animal that falls into a well on the Sabbath, they will pull it

out and justify it by saying that it is an act of mercy. Yet those same religious leaders say not to

heal someone on the Sabbath, don’t cast out a demon on the Sabbath, and don’t heal the blind on

the Sabbath. Jesus is calling them hypocrites.

The religious leaders refuse to acknowledge who Jesus is, but ironically, the demons recognize

Him. Take a look at Mark 3:11. Jesus has been healing on the Sabbath. He is doing incredible

things and the crowds are gathering around Him. He is healing those who have diseases and then

it says in verse 11, “Whenever the impure spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried

out, ‘You are the Son of God.’ But he gave them strict orders not to tell others about him.” The

demons recognize who Jesus is.

Even the pagans see Jesus for who He is. The Gospel of Mark ends with the account of Jesus’

death and resurrection. In Mark 15:39 we read that as Jesus died on the cross a Roman centurion,

a pagan Gentile foreigner, says, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” The book of Mark is

bracketed with that declaration. Jesus is the Son of God.

Interestingly enough, that’s how Jesus is condemned. The high priest, Caiaphas, puts Jesus

under oath and asks, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61) Jewish


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people would not speak the name of God, so he says “The Son of the Blessed One.” Jesus says, “I

am” and is condemned for blasphemy against the living God. Everything in this book cries out that

Jesus is the Son of God. As we see Jesus’ actions and take a look at what they mean it becomes

very clear that Jesus really is God come to earth. He is truly God in human flesh and that is life-

changing. It is revolutionary, and that’s what Mark is communicating in this gospel. Everything is

changed, folks. This is the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

JOHN MARK, THE AUTHOR

What do we know about John Mark from the Bible? We know several things. We know first

of all that he was a close associate of the Apostle Peter. Peter talks about him in his first letter (I

Peter 5:13), and says Mark is very close to him and a blessing in his work and ministry. That is

from Peter’s own testimony. It confirms what the earliest witnesses tell us, that Mark was Peter’s

interpreter, the one who wrote down what Peter said.

Secondly, we know from the Apostle Paul in Colossians 4:10 that John Mark was the cousin

of Barnabas. Barnabas, you will recall, was one of the earliest Christian leaders to receive the man

who would become the world’s greatest missionary, the Apostle Paul. Barnabas was described as

being a “son of encouragement” (see Acts 4:36) and his cousin was none other than John Mark.

We also know that John Mark was a missionary companion of Barnabas and Saul. We’re told that

in the 13th chapter of the book of Acts where it describes the Holy Spirit telling the believers to set

apart Barnabas and Saul for the work that the Spirit called them to do. Mark, a young relative of

Barnabas, goes with them on that missionary journey as they move first to Cyprus and then into

what we would call south-central Turkey.

We also know from Acts 12 that John Mark was the son of Mary of Jerusalem. The Hebrew

variation of that name is Miriam. Our Bibles translate it Mary. It’s hard to keep track of all the

Marys in the Bible. There’s Mary the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of

James, and more. There is also another Mary who is described as being an individual who opened

her home to the earliest believers.


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In chapter 12 of the book of Acts we are told that believers are meeting at Mary’s house in

prayer during the Passover season in the year 42 AD. The Apostle Peter is imprisoned by Herod

Agrippa I and is sentenced to die after the Passover. All of these believers are gathered in the house

of Mary, whose son is John Mark. Peter is in prison. He has been there all through the eight-day

Passover festival. It’s the night before he is to be executed and Peter is sound asleep. Only someone

who knows the love of God in Jesus Christ can fall asleep on the night before he is to be executed.

Peter is chained between two guards and there are two other guards outside the door. It’s a team

of four watching over him. Peter is sound asleep when all of a sudden an angel appears in the cell,

but Peter thinks this is a vision or a dream. Peter has experienced that before. We’re told that when

he was at the home of Simon the tanner he had gone up on the roof just before lunch. While he

was there he had a vision of a sheet filled with unclean animals being lowered from the sky and he

heard the words, “‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’ ‘Surely not, Lord!’ Peter replied. ‘I have never

eaten anything impure or unclean.’” (Acts 10:13-14) It happened three times.

Now he’s in jail and suddenly an angel thumps him on the side to wake him up. The chains

fall off, but Peter still thinks he’s dreaming. The angel leads him out of the cell and the door out

of the jail opens automatically. Peter and the angel go out in the street and all of a sudden the angel

is gone and Peter realizes this is not a dream. This is real. So he heads off to the home of Mary.

The rest of the story is just priceless. Peter gets to the front door and begins knocking as quietly

as he can so as not to wake all the neighbors. A young servant girl name Rhoda comes to the door.

She hears Peter’s voice, goes back to the group that’s praying, and says that Peter is out front. They

make fun of her and say that she is imagining things; it’s probably just his angel. Peter just keeps

on knocking. They ultimately open the door and are amazed. Peter quiets them down and tells

them how God has delivered him. Then we read these words in Acts 12:17, “and then he left for

another place.”

Where was the “another place”? Do you know what many of the earliest believers said? Rome.

In fact, there is an unbroken early tradition among believers throughout the Mediterranean area

that Peter went to Rome. Moderns have pooh-poohed that, but there’s really a lot to be said for it.

Keep in mind Peter is released at the end of the Passover festival. Herod Agrippa is ruling over

Israel. Peter needs to get away fast from the area where Herod Agrippa controls things. He knows

the king is going to be furious when he finds out that this guy who has been under lock and key

guarded by four teams of four soldiers for the last several days suddenly gets out in the middle of

the night, and nobody knows what happened to him. Peter knows he’s got to move and he’s got to

move quickly, and it’s a perfect time to move. There are hundreds of thousands of Jewish pilgrims

who have been in Jerusalem for the Passover and they are all heading back home. If we are

understanding the earliest traditions of believers correctly, Peter takes the same cruise line that the

prophet Jonah did 700 years earlier. He leaves the port, probably Joppa or perhaps Caesarea, and

he goes west, so the view that he may have gone to Rome makes perfect sense.

It also makes perfect sense that the earliest believers say John Mark was the one who wrote

down Peter’s teaching. John Mark was living in the house where Peter had shown up just before

leaving for “another place.” Perhaps John Mark went with Peter, which means that it is a very

realistic possibility that this gospel was written in the early 40s. That also fits with some of the

other things that some of the earliest witnesses tell us. They tell us Mark wrote this after Peter’s

“exodus.” Modern interpreters have taken that to mean Peter’s death, but it may well mean his

exodus as he flees Israel and goes to another place. Suddenly this very ancient tradition of John

Mark writing down what Peter taught makes perfect sense and it could have occurred very early.

Again, this is speculation, but it’s holy speculation.


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It certainly fits some of the other details we know about John Mark. We know that in the mid-

40s John Mark abandoned the Apostle Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. It led

to a major confrontation between Paul and Barnabas as they got ready to go out on the second

missionary journey. In Acts 15:36-41 we are told that a sharp division arose between them. This

was a real butting of heads and it makes perfect sense that these two would have come at one

another with such vehemence. Paul is not what you call the warm fuzzy type. This was a very

focused, very goal oriented God-led man. Barnabas, the “son of encouragement,” is a

warmhearted, encouraging guy and Mark is his cousin. He no doubt thought that Mark had learned

his lesson and Paul should lighten up. Paul clearly remembers that Mark let them down the last

time and doesn’t want that to happen again. Paul and Barnabas end up going separate directions.

But we know from the Scripture that Paul and John Mark later were reconciled. In the latter days

of Paul’s ministry, as he writes his second letter to Timothy, he talks about John Mark being with

him and speaks of what a help he is. Again, the pieces fit and it could well be that John Mark has

already written his gospel at the time he goes on the first missionary journey with Paul and

Barnabas. Chronologically it works.

One rather interesting tidbit is that John Mark, who was a young man at the time, apparently

saw Jesus arrested. We have one little fascinating snippet of information that is found only in the

Gospel of Mark. It’s not in Matthew. It’s not in Luke. It’s not in John. It has nothing to do with

what develops on the night that Jesus was betrayed. It makes no impact on His trial, on His

scourging, on His crucifixion, or on His resurrection, but Mark puts it right smack in the middle

of the story. For centuries devout Bible students have believed that John Mark is the guy who is

mentioned here. In Mark 14:50-52, right in the heart of the arrest of Jesus and the events that

transpired that night, we read, “Then everyone deserted him and fled.” Jesus is now all alone and

then Mark writes, “A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When

they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.” He is the first streaker recorded in

the New Testament.

Let me propose a possible scenario here. We know from the New Testament that on the night

Jesus was betrayed He ate the Passover meal with His disciples in an upper room in Jerusalem.

Many of the earliest believers have testified that when Jesus ate the Passover meal with His

disciples He had arranged things and told the disciples how to find the owner of the home and to

follow him. Many have suggested that home was the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark.

That home becomes a major gathering site for the earliest believers. We see that in the book of

Acts. Let’s assume that those testimonies are accurate. Jesus and His disciples are meeting in the

upper room of Mary’s home. John Mark is probably a teenager at the time, maybe 15 or 16 years

old. He knows that Jesus is there with His disciples celebrating the Passover. He wonders what’s

going on. That night as it gets late Jesus and His disciples sing the closing Passover song, the

Egyptian Hallel, and they leave the house.

What if John Mark wondered where they were going and followed them? It could be that he

was wearing only the robe that he would have slept in. He goes out into the night and follows them

as they wind their way through the streets of Jerusalem. He goes with them down through the

Kidron Valley and up to the garden that we know as Gethsemane. He’s watching when suddenly

soldiers show up. Here is this kid caught in one of the most dramatic events in all of human history,

and as Jesus’ disciples flee he is left standing alone in the midst of all of these troops. They grab

hold of him and he just runs. He runs for his life. As a result, we have this mentioned almost as a

footnote and it says in effect, “I was there. That’s me.” It is the most logical and most readily


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explainable reason for this information to be included here. That was probably the author Mark.

That’s what we know about John Mark.

IMMEDIATELY!

One of the fascinating things about this gospel is a characteristic made evident by the Greek

word “eutheós” which means “immediately.” If you have a King James Bible “eutheós” is usually

translated “straightaway.” Mark uses this word 40 times in the gospel. Unfortunately, in most of

our translations you can’t pick it up because they tried to vary the translation. Instead of translating

“eutheós” as “immediately” all the time, they try to make it sound better. As a result, it’s often

translated “and then,” “right after that,” “as soon as this had occurred,” and so forth. But Mark

uses the same word over and over again. As a result, this is the fastest moving gospel of all. This

is a gospel written by a sprinter. Immediately Jesus did that, and after that happened He

immediately did this, and then He immediately did that, and immediately this is what took place,

and then immediately after that this happened. The Gospel of Mark is a sort of staccato gospel and

it draws you in. It would have been very obvious to people reading this for the first time in the

original Greek. The picture that comes to my mind is of a boxer in the ring with a sparring partner.

Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam. What you are getting hit with is that Jesus is the Son of God, bam,

bam, bam. He’s the Son of God, bam, bam, bam, and then immediately He did this. Jesus is the

Son of God. Mark is communicating this in such a powerful way. You can get a glimpse of it if

you read through the verses that use the word. It’s all immediately. It’s fascinating to behold.

In the entire New Testament this word “eutheós” is used 80 times, with 40 of those times (half

of them!), in this shortest gospel. It is a very unique aspect of this gospel. Turn to Mark 1:10 where

we read, “Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water.” The Greek actually reads, “Immediately

as Jesus was coming up out of the water.” In Mark 1:18 we read that Jesus has called His first

disciples and said, “Come, follow me,” and then, “At once they left their nets and followed him.”

Again, the word is “immediately.” Just a couple of verses later in verse 20 the Greek reads,

“Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and


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followed him.” In verse 21, “Immediately they went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came,

Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.” This is a fast-paced, fast-moving, very modern

piece of writing.

PETER’S HOUSE

Let’s take a look at some of the distinctive things that Mark makes evident in this gospel. In

Mark 2:1-12 we find an account that is also found in the Gospel of Matthew and in the Gospel of

Luke, but Mark gives us far more detail. Mark is the shortest gospel, but if you compare the stories

that Mark tells with the same stories in Matthew and Luke, what you will frequently notice is Mark

has far more detail than the other two. That also points to the idea that Mark is Peter’s gospel. So

we have details that come from the mouth of Simon Peter and from his experience that aren’t found

in the other gospels. Mark conveys those insights so powerfully.

In Mark 2:1 we have this fascinating account early in the ministry of Jesus as He goes to His

headquarters. The headquarters of Jesus, Inc. was at Capernaum on the northern shore of the Sea

of Galilee. Capernaum was a town of probably a couple of thousand people on the Via Maris, the

Way of the Sea, one of the major highways of the ancient world. It was a place where the tax

collectors had their booths and it was right on the edge of the territory of Herod Antipas.

The headquarters of Jesus are described as being in a house and as you read through the gospels

it becomes very evident that it was Simon Peter’s house. What is so fascinating about this is back

in 1968 a series of digs began in the ruins of ancient Capernaum. Those digs went from 1968 to

about 1980 and as part of those archaeological digs they dug through the remains of a fifth century

octagonal church. Many of the churches built by the early believers were octagonal. In fact, the

Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem, one of the holiest sites in Islam, was actually built by a Christian

architect and it has the basic principles that many of the early Christian churches of that period

had, including being octagonal in shape. There was an octagonal church in Capernaum that the

archaeologists excavated. They excavated it because there were some great mosaics on the floor,

and there was also a persistent tradition dating back to the earliest days of the followers of Jesus

which said the church was built over the house of Peter, the apostle. When they dug down they

found the remains of a first century home. Capernaum has been excavated to a great extent over

the years and what we see is that in Capernaum of Jesus’ day (first century AD), the buildings

were very similar to one another. They were made out of black basalt rock. They were all insula

or insulae (plural). An insula is a compound with a central courtyard and then several buildings

surrounding that central courtyard where often an entire extended family would live. Also, if

people had a trade, they would have buildings there where they could conduct their business and

do their work.

The archaeologists dug down to this first century home and what they found was mind blowing.

The ancient tradition was that this church was built over the house of Peter. What they found is a

first century home, but it’s different from any other they excavated in Capernaum. All of the homes

were made out of black basalt. However, in this house, and only in this house, somewhere in the

middle of the first century, circa 50 AD or so (quite possibly at about the time Mark was written),

the walls of this home were plastered and so was the floor. The archaeologists used the Latin term,

“domus ecclesiae” or “house church.” They actually found plaster on the walls with graffiti going

back to the end of the first or beginning of the second century. On the plaster the graffiti reads,


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“Praise to Jesus, the Messiah,” “Praise be the Son of God,” “Praise to our Savior.” They realized

that this probably is Peter’s house and it was used as a meeting place by the early believers.

Adding to the evidence that it is Peter’s house is one of the little outbuildings. It was apparently

used by the owner of this compound to conduct the family business, and that family business was

fishing. They found 2,000-year-old fishhooks in this outbuilding. In 1990 they built a church over

this site in order to protect it. It is one of the most unique churches you will ever see. Basically, it

looks like a flying saucer on four big pillars. In the center of the church the floor is glass so you

can look down into the ancient fifth century church and through that into the first century home.

JESUS HEALS THE PARALYZED MAN

If that is indeed Peter’s house, then we can actually see the very spot where the events of Mark

2 took place. Mark 2:1-5 says, “A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people

heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left,

not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a

paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd,

they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the

man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are

forgiven.’”

Picture this in your mind. These guys get to the compound and it’s packed with people. They

realize there is no way they are going to be able to get their buddy in to see Jesus with the stretcher

and the four of them carrying him. So they go up on the roof. Interestingly, the archaeologists who

excavated that house found what they believe to be the ruins of a staircase leading up to the roof.

This is very typical of homes in Israel at the time of Jesus. There wasn’t a lot of rain, so the roofs

were flat and used as a deck. In the case of Peter’s house, the location was very close to the shore

of the Sea of Galilee, so in the evening there were nice breezes coming off the lake, making it an

ideal location.

Jesus is the greatest teacher the world has ever known. He is proclaiming the word to the people

who are crowded into Peter’s house with standing room only. As Jesus is talking they suddenly

hear the noise of the roof being chipped away. The next thing you know there’s a hole in the roof.

We’re not talking a little hole. We’re talking a hole large enough to lower a guy on a stretcher,

perhaps about 2’ x 6’. Please note what Jesus says. He doesn’t say, “Did you talk to Mrs. Peter

about this?” He doesn’t say, “Did you pull a permit with the city fathers here in Capernaum?” No,

instead He looks at this guy being lowered and He says, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

Mark tells us that at that point the religious leaders go ballistic. Listen to the way Mark records

it. He gives us so much detail. He says, “Now some of the teachers of the law were sitting there,

thinking to themselves, ‘Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive

sins but God alone?’ Immediately Jesus knew in His spirit that this was what they were thinking

in their hearts.” (Mark 2:6-8a) He knows. Jesus knows. We human beings think we can hide things

from God. The fact of the matter is God knows everything. There’s a reason He tells us to confess

our sins. He already knows them. It’s not like we’re holding something back or that we pulled the

wool over His eyes.

These religious leaders think they have nailed Him. They are not there to grow in their

relationship with the Heavenly Father and to receive pearls of great price from the mouth of the

Messiah. They are there to track this guy down, to trap Him, and to get evidence so they can do


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away with Him. They hear Him saying, “Son, your sins are forgiven,” and they think to themselves,

“Got him! Only God can forgive sins.” And you know, they are right, only God can forgive sins.

Jesus said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed

man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk?’ But I want you to know

that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.’ So he said to the man, ‘I tell you, get

up, take your mat and go home.’ He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all.

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

(Mark 2:8b-12) You can’t help but admire the brilliance of our Lord. Don’t you love Jesus’

question? “What’s easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk?’” Well,

only God can forgive sins but how can you prove it? On the other hand, if you say, “Get up and

walk,” and he can’t walk, you are a fraud. Jesus says that He wants them “to know that the Son of

Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So He tells the paralyzed man to get up and walk, and

he does.

I wonder what that must have looked like. There is a crowd of people, packed into the house

and standing outside in the courtyard, and all of a sudden this guy stands up, takes his mat, and

walks out. People have to move out of his way for him to get by and they say, “We have never

seen anything like this!” At the heart of this is what Mark starts out with – Jesus is the Son of God.

All you have to do is take a look at this and you realize this is no ordinary human being. This is

not simply a great teacher. This is not merely some prophet or miracle worker. This is not just a

brilliant and learned individual. God has entered into the picture. He has come down among us.

Jesus is not blaspheming. For any of us to say this would be blasphemy, but Jesus has that authority

because of who He is. He is the Son of God. Mark skillfully shows us who Jesus is by relating the

things that he has heard from Peter.

JESUS IS LORD

Mark is especially interested in making sure that non-Jewish people can understand the deity

of Jesus. Of all the gospels, Mark is the one that is intentionally targeted to non-Jewish people. For

instance, he explains Aramaic words and Jewish customs. He explains the ritual washing that the

Jewish people do when they come from the marketplace (see the beginning of chapter seven). In

chapter two he wants everyone to understand what he has already written at the beginning of the

book – Jesus is the Son of God. What Mark desires is that as we hear his testimony, and the

testimony of demons, and the testimony of a Roman centurion, we will have already arrived at that

same view ourselves. Jesus really is the Son of God.

At the end of the second chapter of Mark, Jesus makes a statement that is mind blowing and

incredibly radical. Jesus and His disciples are walking through the grain fields. His disciples gather

up handfuls of grain and the religious leaders say they are harvesting on the Sabbath and that’s

unlawful. Jesus reminds them of the fact that when King David was young and running from Saul,

he actually ate some of the consecrated bread that only the priests were supposed to eat. Then Jesus

says this, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord

even of the Sabbath.” (Mark 2:27) Do you realize how radical that is? Jesus is saying, “I am the

Lord of the Sabbath.” Who gave the Sabbath rule to remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy?

God did. Jesus says that He is the Lord of that Sabbath. Either this guy is crazy, or He is who He

claims to be. He is God in the flesh, and Mark is making it quite clear.


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LORD OVER THE WIND AND SEA

In Mark 4 we see an incident taking place on the lake in a fishing boat. Just as in Mark 2 with

the healing at Peter’s house, we have this fishing account recorded as Peter would have told it as

an eyewitness. We have detail here that is only found in the Gospel of Mark. It would be the very

kind of thing that Peter, the experienced fisherman, would know. This is what we read starting at

Mark 4:35. It says, “That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ‘Let’s go over to the

other side.’ Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were

also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it

was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and

said to him, ‘Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?’”

What has been discovered in our lifetime about the fishing boats during the time of Jesus gives

us insights that we would not have otherwise. In 1985 there were two brothers who were members

of a kibbutz on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. The name of the kibbutz is Ginosar

and these two brothers were amateur archaeologists. It was an incredibly dry year in Israel in 1985.

There was a severe drought and the Sea of Galilee was at record low levels. These two brothers

were walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee with the water way down and they spotted

something sticking out from the mud. They realized that they had found something incredibly

important. Experts were mobilized to take a look at what these brothers had discovered and they

recognized this was a fishing boat from the time of Jesus, 2,000 years ago. The story of how they

reclaimed and preserved the boat is fascinating and it is now on display in a museum in Kibbutz

Ginosar.

The uncovering of this boat tells us things we didn’t know before. It adds much to the account

found in Mark 4. Mark writes that Jesus is asleep in the stern. Note that. The uncovering of this

fishing boat gives us an understanding of how these boats were built. Both the stern and the bow

on these fishing boats would have a raised deck so that there was a space below the deck. They

used seine nets for fishing and the raised deck gave them a good place to throw out those nets. In

the stern the raised deck would have also been used to control the tillers, or rudders, to pilot the

boat. Jesus is asleep underneath that little deck in the back and he’s asleep on a pillow.

It very specifically says that He is in the stern, sleeping, on a cushion. The Greek word can

mean a pillow. It’s always puzzled people. What is Jesus doing with a pillow in a boat? We know

that to this day Arab fishermen along the coast of the Mediterranean, just north of the Sea of

Galilee, still go out with their seine nets in their sailboats. They have bags that are filled with sand

that weigh anywhere from 50 to 125 pounds. They call them ballast bags. The smaller ones are

called ballast pillows. Ballast bags and pillows are used to adjust the center of gravity in the boat.

Jesus is apparently sleeping on one of these ballast pillows.

The disciples are trained fishermen and they have been on this lake all of their lives, but as the

storm is raging they are panicking. You know you’re in trouble when the trained fishermen wake

up a carpenter and ask for help. “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” (Mark 4:38) Here is what

Mark tells us, as told to him by Peter, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, ‘Quiet!

Be still!’ Then the wind died down and was completely calm. He said to his disciples, ‘Why are

you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?’ They were terrified and asked each other, ‘Who is this?

Even the wind and the waves obey him!’” (Mark 4:39-41) That’s what happens when you

encounter the living God. Terror. Because you realize He is so far beyond you. Peter had that

experience on an earlier occasion when Jesus told him to cast the net. They pulled up enough fish

to fill two boats and Peter fell at Jesus’ feet and said, “Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!”


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(Luke 5:8) When we encounter the holy it is a terrifying thing and Mark records that very

powerfully here. He gives us fascinating detail that comes from one who was in the boat. You see

Peter’s hand all over this.

LORD OVER SICKNESS AND DEATH

At the end of chapter five, we have the story of Jesus healing a woman with a flow of blood,

something that Matthew and Luke also tell us about. Immediately after healing the woman Jesus

raises the 12-year-old daughter of Jairus, the synagogue leader. Mark says that Jesus takes the

disciples who are with Him and they go along with the little girl’s parents into the room where the

body is laid out. Then we read in verse 41, “He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha

koum!’ (which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’). Immediately the girl stood up.” Although

Matthew and Luke also record this miracle, Mark is the only one who gives us this quote in its

original language of Aramaic. Remember that according to the earliest believers Mark is writing

to a Roman audience who would speak Greek rather than Aramaic. Because he is writing to a non-

Jewish audience who wouldn’t be familiar with that language, and because he wants to give a very

accurate account of what went on in that room, he quotes Jesus saying in Aramaic, “Talitha koum!”

and then translates it into Greek, “which means, ‘Little girl, I say to you, get up!’” But “talitha

koum” in Aramaic has even more significance than that. The word “talitha” in Aramaic is a word

that is used to convey deep emotion and it is difficult to translate it directly into Greek. It is a word

that is used for a young girl, but it literally means “little lamb.” Jesus says, “Little lamb rise up!”

and she does. When we read this gospel which is full of Jesus’ actions, what we see is our Savior

who cares for everybody and who shows incredible love.

He even touches the dead. For a Jewish rabbi, or any devout Jew, touching a dead body means

that you become unclean. Jesus realizes He is here to take the uncleanness and carry it in Himself.

He touches the dead. He touches the lepers. He touches the blind. There is such amazing

compassion in our Savior. In fact, the only ones who receive harsh words from Jesus are the

religious leaders, those who are hypocritical. Basically, the only ones who have trouble with Jesus

are the ones who won’t admit they’ve got any trouble in their lives. It’s just that simple. They will

not repent. They will not admit who He is. They will instead call Him demon possessed, out of

His mind, and a dangerous individual. With those individuals Jesus deals harshly. Yet with

everyone else you see Jesus showing amazing compassion. It testifies to who our Savior is, and

Mark conveys that very well.

THE LORD WHO PROVIDES

The miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 that we have here in Mark 6 is the only one of Jesus’

miracles, other than His resurrection, that is recorded in all four of the gospels – Matthew, Mark,

Luke, and John. Mark also tells us about the feeding of the 4,000. What we read in the gospels is

that at the feeding of the 5,000 Jesus fed them with a little boy’s lunch of five little flat barley

cakes and two little pickled fish. It fed 5,000 men, not counting the women and children.

Afterwards, the disciples picked up 12 baskets full of leftovers. After the feeding of the 4,000 it

says they picked up seven baskets full and they use the same phrase in all of our translations,

“baskets full.”


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Mark uses two different words and so do all the other gospel writers. The Greek work that is

used for the 12 baskets picked up at the feeding of the 5,000 is the Greek word “kophinos,” from

which we get the English word “coffin.” It refers to the standard basket, the woven basket with

handles on it, and so on. But the word that is used for the basket at the feeding of the 4,000, the

seven baskets full that are picked up, is a different word. It is the Greek word “spuris.” It refers to

a very specific kind of basket. It’s a fisherman’s basket. It’s a flat mat with handles at both sides

and you use it to hold the catch. So in the one they are using actual baskets and in the other they

are using their ‘tackle boxes.’ Those details are uniform throughout the New Testament. Sadly,

our translations don’t pick it up. It’s pointing to who Jesus is. What human being can feed an army

of 5,000 men, not counting the women and kids, with five little barley cakes and two little fish?

No human being can, but God can. Who is Jesus? He is the Son of God.

THE LORD OF OUR LIFE?

At Mark 10:17 Jesus talks about the rich in the kingdom. Mark tells us that a young rich man

comes to Jesus and asks what he needs to do. Jesus reminds him of the commandments and the

young man replies that he has kept all of them since he was a boy. Jesus looks at him with love

and tells him that he lacks one thing. Jesus tells the rich young man to sell everything he has, give

it to the poor, and follow Him. The young man goes away, discouraged and distraught because he

is very rich. The disciples are apoplectic, because the assumption is always that if you have riches

then God is on your side. Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than

for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” (Mark 10:25) The disciples respond that if

this is true “Who then can be saved?” (Mark 10:26) Then Jesus looks at them and says, “With man

this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” (Mark 10:27) What Jesus

is saying is not just to follow Him. He is saying that He is God. He is the one who gives life and

He says to His disciples, “You will have eternal life in Me.” This is powerful stuff.

At the end of chapter ten Jesus says, “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.” (Mark 10:45) In other words, He is making

the payment that will deliver us. Mark is being very clear. The Son of God makes the payment for

His creation. God pays the debt to Himself. In Jesus the blood of the Messiah is the payment for

the sins of the human race because, as the Scriptures tell us, without the shedding of blood there

is no forgiveness.

SCRIPTURE VALIDATED

Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last time (until He returns in glory). Along the way

He meets a blind man. The gospel authors Matthew and Luke also tell us about Jesus healing the

blind man. Mark is the only one who gives us his name. In fact, Mark is writing for a non-Jewish

audience so he says the man is “Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of Timaeus’).” (Mark 10:46) He

wants to make sure that a non-Hebrew speaker will understand the meaning of the name. It’s “Bar

Timaeus” as in “bar mitzvah.” “Bar mitzvah” means “son of the covenant.” “Bartimaeus” means

“son of Timaeus.” The blind man cries out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Mark

10:47) Jesus heals him and Bartimaeus follows him toward Jerusalem.


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I mention this healing not only to point out that Jesus heals the blind and that He’s the Son of

God, but also for another reason. This account has caused the critics to say there is a contradiction

in the Bible. We read in Mark 10:46, “Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples,

together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means ‘son of

Timaeus’), was sitting by the roadside begging.” But, if you read the account in the Gospel of Luke

chapter 18, Luke says they were going into the city. Critics have hooked onto that and said, “See,

they cannot even get the story straight. Mark says they were leaving the city. Luke says they were

going into the city. How do you explain that?” The answer is you dig in the dirt.

This is what we now know. Jericho, Old Testament Jericho, had been pretty much abandoned

at the time of Jesus. You could still see the ruins of the great city of Jericho that had fallen in

Joshua’s conquest. There were still individuals living around there but it was the slum of Jericho.

Instead, there was a new Jericho. It was built to the south. It was built by Herod the Great, the guy

who tried to kill the baby Jesus. What we have here is not a contradiction. What we have helps us

pinpoint exactly where this event took place. It was outside of old Jericho as they were leaving

there, but it’s before they got into new Jericho. It’s right in the middle. What we have here is detail.

When critics have attacked the Scriptures, God has ultimately had a way of showing they got it

wrong. These are the accounts of eyewitnesses – people who knew the truth and spoke it very

powerfully.

ROMAN WATCHES OF THE NIGHT

In Mark 13:35-37 Jesus is teaching about the end of time and the importance of being ready

for His final appearing. Jesus is telling His disciples to be alert and on guard, and be ready for His

final coming. We read in verse 35 and following, Jesus says, “Therefore keep watch.” Literally,

it’s the word “grégoreó” meaning “be awake.” “Therefore be awake because you do not know

when the owner of the house will come back – whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the

rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to

you, I say to everyone: ‘Awake!’” That’s literally what it says here, “Awake!” Note what He’s

doing. He is talking about the watches of the night.


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The Romans had four watches of the night. Each watch was three hours in length. In Israel,

Rome, and the Mediterranean you are close to the equator, so you don’t have the wide fluctuations

of daylight that you do in northern regions. It’s pretty much 12 hours a day of sunlight and 12

hours of darkness, every day, all through the year. The Romans divided the night into these four

sections: from 6 to 9 PM they called “evening,” 9 to 12 PM they called “midnight,” 12 to 3 AM

they called “rooster crow,” and 3 to 6 AM they called “dawn.” That’s the way they told time.

The Roman watches of the night also help us understand what we read in Mark 14:30. Mark

tells us that on the night Jesus was betrayed He told the disciples they would abandon Him. Peter

reassures Jesus that he would never abandon or betray Him. In fact, Peter says that he would die

with Jesus. Jesus responds, “‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus answered, ‘today – yes, tonight – before the

rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.’” (Mark 14:30) The way we in the

West have traditionally interpreted that is to say that sometime during the night as Jesus is being

tried by the Sanhedrin and Peter is hanging around, all of a sudden Peter is challenged by a little

slave girl. He says, “I don’t know the man. I don’t know the man. I don’t know the man.” And

then, this little banty rooster comes out and goes “cock-a-doodle-doo, cock-a-doodle-doo,” and

Peter realizes what he has done and he goes out and weeps bitterly.

But that’s probably not what we have here. We know from Jewish writings that roosters and

hens were not to be kept in the holy city. They were looked upon as defaming the holiness of the

city. Chickens are kosher, but they were not allowed in Jerusalem. So the possibility that it was an

actual rooster crowing as Peter denies Jesus is very slim. However, we know this – the way the

Romans announced the change of one watch to another was by sounding the trumpet. The trumpet

would be blown to announce the change of watch from evening to midnight, from midnight to

rooster crow, from rooster crow to dawn. In cases where cities were large or there were large

crowds of people they would blow the trumpet in a couple of directions. It may well be that at

Passover, when the city is filled with hundreds of thousands of visitors, the Romans would have

gone to some high point in the city (perhaps the pinnacle of the temple) and blown the trumpet in

two directions, announcing rooster crow. Jesus says to Peter, “Before the rooster crows twice you

yourself will disown me three times.” It gives us an insight. It means that Peter denied Jesus either

around midnight or around three. Mark seems to be indicating 3 o’clock.

TESTIMONY TO TRUTH

This takes us then to Mark’s discussion of Jesus’ death. Mark explains what Jesus cried out

from the cross, “‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My God, My God, why have you

forsaken me?’).” (Mark 15:34b) Mark is interpreting the Hebrew for Roman readers. Then he does

one more thing. Mark tells us the names of specific individuals who were there when Jesus was

crucified, when He was buried, and when He was raised. All of the individuals mentioned by name

are women. In Mark 16:1 it says, “When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother

of James, and Salome brought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.” All four of the

gospel authors tell us that it was women who were the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection. John

specifically mentions Mary Magdalene. Matthew names Mary Magdalene and the other Mary.

Luke names Mary Magdalene, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. Mark mentions specific

names three times – and they are all women.

Do you realize what a testimony that is? Throughout the Middle East and the Mediterranean

at the time of Jesus women were not allowed to testify in court. Jewish law was very strict. You


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could only convict on the testimony of two or more witnesses. Although the Bible doesn’t say it,

Jewish culture at the time said that none of them could be women. If you were inventing a story

and wanted to get people in Israel or in Rome to believe that God had taken on human flesh, walked

among us, was crucified, and rose from the grave, you would not invent a story where the first

eyewitnesses were women. The only reason you would say women were the first eyewitnesses to

His resurrection is that they were. This is one of those instances where skeptical 21st century critics

and those who doubt look at this and say there is no reason to include that information in the

account. There’s every reason not to put it there – unless it’s true.

This is the truth. Throughout his gospel Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of

God. Mark carefully records the miracles of Jesus. These words and actions of Jesus testify to His

identity. As Jesus stands under oath before the high priest with His life in the balance His answer

to the high priest’s question, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61) is

a clear and deliberate, “I am.” He declares the same to us today. Everything in this book cries out

that Jesus is the Son of God. This is the gospel truth.

PRAYER

Father, we thank You for this powerful word, the word of Jesus told by eyewitnesses, a word

which truly reveals Him for whom He really is, the Son of God, our Savior, our Messiah, our Lord.

Lord, may we take these words internally. May we receive them for what they are, the gospel truth,

and may we respond to Jesus’ call to us to follow Him. Lord Jesus, we desire to honor You and to

serve You. We not only believe You are the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but we will follow You

because You are. You are the ransom payment for our sin and You are our only hope. Amen.

For questions, contact Chris or Jan Dodge ([email protected]).


© 2016 Christopher R. Dodge



Pastor Chris Dodge and Awake Us Now are clearly acknowledged as the source of the material.





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RESOURCES

MARK

Swindoll, C. (2004). Behold…The Man! The Pathway of His Passion. Nashville, TN: W

Publishing Group.

Wachsmann, S. (1995). The Sea of Galilee Boat: An Extraordinary 2000 Year Old Discovery.

New York, NY: Plenum Press.


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UNSHEATHING THE SWORD

MARK STUDY GUIDE

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this study guide is to lead you through the Bible itself. Many of us feel that

we are incapable of understanding God’s Word and consequently we avoid Bible study entirely.

God’s Word has depth of meaning that we can study for a lifetime without fully comprehending.

However, whether we are wading into the water’s edge or diving deeply into the ocean, our time

spent in the Word always brings blessings and discovery. May the Holy Spirit be your guide as

you study God’s Word and learn of His plan for you.

Questions follow the order of the text. The exception is for questions which cover more

than one verse.

“Fill in the blank” questions are direct quotes from The Holy Bible, New International

Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by

permission. All rights reserved worldwide. If you are using a different translation, it is

usually similar enough to work well. If your translation is a paraphrase, simply write out

the full passage as found in your Bible.

Extra credit questions are exactly that. They require more time, thought, and opinion than

other questions. These questions are for those who would like to dig deeper.

If you are doing this study as part of a class, follow the reading assignments of your

leader. If you are using this study as personal devotion, try reading a chapter a day and

working through those questions. If this does not work for you, adjust the reading to fit

your schedule (either more or less). I recommend the goal of being in the Word on a daily

basis, even if that has to be a short reading. I also extend the challenge to read three to

four chapters a day, which will have you completing the entire Bible in one year.

As you do your reading, ask yourself three questions. These questions will help you apply

God’s Word to your life.

1. What does it say?

2. What did it mean?

3. What does it mean to me today?

First, read carefully what the words say. There are many people today who make

assumptions about what is in the Bible. Let this study help you know what the Word

actually says.

Second, think about the impact of the words you are reading on those who first heard

them. As you read of the confrontations of Jesus with the Sadducees and the Pharisees,

think about how radical Jesus’ words were to the religious leaders who had corrupted the

worship system God had intended.

Third, think about how your reading can make a difference to you in your life today.

When Jesus speaks to the hopeless or the arrogant, hear His voice speaking those words

to you.

Pray. Before you begin your study say a prayer that the Holy Spirit will make these

words reach your heart. Also, make sure that your devotion time includes prayer time.

The Almighty God who made you and saved you wants to spend time with you in prayer.


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MARK STUDY GUIDE

MEMORIZATION: Mark 12:29b-31

Jesus states the most important commandments: “‘Hear, O Israel,

the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is

this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

Chapter 1

1. Mark begins his account by writing of a messenger spoken of by the prophet Isaiah over 500

years earlier. Who is this messenger who came to prepare the way for the Messiah?

2. What does John preach?

3. As John preaches he speaks of one who will baptize not with water, but with ____________

____________ ____________.

4. In the book of Mark, how old is Jesus when Mark begins his account (circle one)?

a) before birth

b) youth

c) grown man

Extra credit: Look at the beginning of the book of Matthew. How old is Jesus when Matthew

begins his account?

5. From where does Jesus come for His baptism?

6. This is a classic example of the Trinity. The Son is being baptized.

a) Where is the Spirit?

b) Where is the Father?

7. What does the voice say?

8. a) Where does the Spirit send Jesus?

b) How long is Jesus there?


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c) What is happening?

Extra credit: For more details of this time read Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1-13.

9. When does Jesus go into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God?

10. Who are called as the first two disciples?

11. Who are disciples #3 and #4?

12. To what city do Jesus and the disciples go?

13. Where does Jesus teach on the Sabbath?

14. Jesus is “recognized” by an evil spirit. What does the evil spirit call Jesus?

15. To whose house do they go?

16. When He gets there, who does Jesus heal?

17. After sunset (when the Sabbath is over), who gather at the door?

18. And what occurs?

19. Why won’t Jesus let the demons speak?

20. What does Jesus do very early in the morning while it is still dark?

21. True or false: Jesus travels throughout Galilee preaching in synagogues and driving out

demons.


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22. The leper is healed, but instead of being quiet about it as Jesus requested, the leper talks

“freely” and spreads the news. So Jesus can’t even enter a town openly without being

mobbed. He stays in “lonely places.” Does this keep the crowds away?

Chapter 2

1. The paralytic is brought for healing. Jesus (circle one):

a) heals him

b) forgives his sin

c) both

2. By claiming to forgive sins Jesus equates Himself with (circle one):

a) the teachers of the law

b) God

c) the Pharisees

3. Jesus calls disciple #5 to follow Him. Who is it?

Extra credit: Check Matthew 9:9. What is Levi’s other name?

4. Who fasts now (circle all that apply)?

a) disciples of John

b) the disciples of the Pharisees

c) disciples of Jesus

5. What will happen when the bridegroom is taken from Jesus’ disciples?

6. When the Pharisees are upset by the disciples’ “breaking” of the Sabbath, Jesus answers them,

“The ____________ was made for ____________, not ____________ for the ____________.

So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.”

Chapter 3

1. Jesus is at the synagogue with a man with a shriveled hand. He is “deeply distressed” – at

what?


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2. What is the reaction of the Pharisees to this healing?

Extra credit: Find the places mentioned in verse eight on a map. Are all of these places in Israel?

3. What do the evil spirits cry out when they see Jesus?

4. Out of His many disciples Jesus appoints some to be especially involved in His ministry. How

many are appointed as apostles? List them.

5. True or false: Jesus’ family members are part of His following.

6. How do the teachers of the law explain Jesus’ ability to drive out demons?

7. In response, Jesus says, “If a kingdom is ____________ ____________ ____________, that

kingdom cannot stand.”

8. That which is good they call evil. “‘Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and

every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against ____________ ____________

____________ will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.’ He said this because

they were saying , ‘He has an ____________ ____________.’”

Chapter 4

1. Match the scattered seed and the result.

Seed Result

On path _____ a) big crop

Rocky places _____ b) thorn choked

Among thorns _____ c) birds eat

Good soil _____ d) no roots/sun scorched

2. Jesus quotes a prophet in His answer about parables. Which prophet is it? When the Old

Testament prophet spoke it became clear who repented and who was stubbornly resisting the

Lord. According to Jesus’ answer, the parables work in the same way.


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3. Jesus helps the disciples take the sower parable and apply it to life. Match the seed/hearer with

the result:

Seed/hearer Result

On path/not understanding _____ a) Satan snatches away

Rocky places/believes briefly _____ b) falls away when trouble or

Among thorns/unfruitful _____ persecution come

Good soil/accepts the word _____ c) choked by worries/wealth

d) produces a crop

4. True or false: Jesus uses parables frequently in His teaching.

5. A storm comes up and nearly swamps the disciples’ boat. Where is Jesus?

6. When Jesus calms the storm, are the disciples surprised by His power over the wind and

waves?

Chapter 5

1. How many pigs drown? Spend a moment picturing this herd of pigs rushing down a steep

bank and into the water.

2. As a result of the healing of this demon possessed man what do the Gerasenes ask of Jesus?

Extra credit: The healed man begs to accompany Jesus, but Jesus tells him to go to his family

and tell them what the Lord has done for him. We read that the man witnesses in the

Decapolis. Find the Decapolis on a map. Is it in Jewish or Gentile territory?

3. What is Jairus’ occupation?

4. Look at the faith of this woman suffering from bleeding. She thought, “If I just touch his

clothes, I ____________ be healed.” (circle one):

a) may

b) might

c) will

5. Who witness Jesus raising Jairus’ daughter?


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Chapter 6

1. List the half-brothers of Jesus.

2. True or false: Jesus is treated as a hero in His hometown.

Extra credit (because you have to do math): The 12 are split into how many groups to be sent

out?

3. What do they preach?

4. What do they do to demons?

5. Are they able to heal the sick?

6. Who does King Herod believe Jesus to be (circle one):

a) Elijah

b) John the Baptist raised from the dead

c) a prophet like those of long ago

7. How does John the Baptist die?

8. Jesus and the disciples try to retreat privately, but crowds follow them and then get caught late

in the day without food. The disciples say Jesus should send the people away so they can buy

food. Instead, Jesus feeds them all.

a) What food does He start with?

b) What does Jesus do before breaking the loaves?

c) “They all ate and were ____________.”

d) How many leftovers are picked up?

e) How many are fed?

9. The disciples are rowing across the lake. How is Jesus crossing the lake (circle one)?

a) rowing

b) sailing

c) walking


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Chapter 7

1. Jesus does not require His disciples to follow the rules of ceremonial washing and the

Pharisees challenge Him on it. What Old Testament prophet does Jesus quote in response?

Extra credit: When was Isaiah prophesying and to whom?

2. Jesus says to the Pharisees, “You have let go of the commands of ____________ and are

holding on to ____________ traditions.”

3. What come out of a man’s heart and make him unclean?

4. Is the Syrophoenician woman Jewish?

Chapter 8

1. The crowd has been with Jesus for three days. This time:

a) how many loaves are there?

b) what does Jesus do before breaking the bread?

c) besides bread, what do they have?

d) “The people ate and were ____________.”

e) how many leftovers are picked up?

f) how many are fed?

2. Who is Jesus (circle one)?

a) John the Baptist

b) Elijah

c) a prophet

d) the Christ (Messiah)

3. Jesus gets very specific. He speaks “plainly” about what will happen to the Son of Man.

a) Does He mention death?

b) Does He say He will rise from the dead?


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Chapter 9

1. Which disciples are with Jesus for the transfiguration?

2. What “color” are the clothes of the transfigured Jesus?

3. With whom is the transfigured Jesus talking?

4. A cloud appears and what do the disciples hear?

5. Read 9:9-10. Can’t you picture Jesus listening to the discussion of the disciples and just

smiling to Himself and shaking His head?

6. The teachers of the law say that Elijah must come before the Messiah. Jesus says that Elijah

has come. Who is Elijah? See Matthew 17:10-13.

7. A loving father asks that his son be healed and uses the phrase, “I do believe; help me

____________ ____________ ____________.” Make this your own prayer on difficult days.

8. Jesus is teaching His disciples and tells them that He will (circle all that apply):

a) be betrayed

b) be killed

c) rise after three days

d) be beheaded

9. True or false: But they did not understand what He meant and were afraid to ask Him about it.

10. Oh, the disciples are so human! What are they arguing about on the road to Capernaum?

Think about how that conversation would sound (“I have spent one-on-one time with Him.”

“I was chosen first.” “Well, He stays at my house!”).

11. Even when Jesus asks, the disciples don’t tell Him their topic, yet His teaching addresses the

issue. “Anyone who wants to be ____________ must be the ____________ ____________,

and the ____________ of ____________.”


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Chapter 10

1. Divorce has been a difficult issue throughout the ages. Pharisees come to Jesus and use this

topic to test Him.

a) What did Moses permit?

b) According to Jesus, why did Moses write this law?

c) At creation how was it supposed to be?

d) “Therefore what ____________ has joined together, let ____________ ____________

separate.”

2. True or false: When the disciples question Jesus privately He softens His stance.

3. The rich young man has grown up in a religious system that taught how to fulfill God’s law

without teaching what is in the Psalms, “…there is no one who does good, not even one.” (See

Psalm 14:3b.) With one instruction (“…sell everything you have…”) Jesus shows the young

man what devotion should look like. The young man goes away sad. Think about what you

are devoted to. Is it God?

4. The rich have their own obstacles in their faith walk – it’s as difficult as getting a camel

through the eye of a needle. “With man this is impossible, but not with God; ____________

____________ are possible with ____________.”

5. “____________ he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.”

a) To whom will Jesus be betrayed?

b) To what will they condemn Him?

c) To whom will Jesus be handed over?

d) What will they do to Him?

e) What will happen three days later?

6. As Jesus speaks of the end, two disciples “jockey for power.” Who are they?

7. And Jesus teaches of servanthood. “For even the Son of Man did not come ____________

____________ ____________, but ____________ ____________, and to give his life as a

____________ for many.”


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8. In what city does Jesus encounter blind Bartimaeus?

9. Jesus heals him and what does Bartimaeus do?

Chapter 11

1. “Hosanna!” is a Hebrew expression of praise that means “Save!” Think about this word being

shouted as Jesus enters Jerusalem for the purpose of sacrificing Himself on the cross for us.

2. The fig tree has (circle one):

a) leaves

b) figs

c) both

3. The temple is a marketplace. People are (circle one):

a) buying and selling

b) changing money

c) selling doves

d) carrying merchandise

e) all of the above

Extra credit: What two prophets does Jesus quote here?

4. True or false: The chief priests and the teachers of the law fear Jesus and begin looking for a

way to kill Him.

5. Who question the authority of Jesus?

Chapter 12

1. Jesus tells a parable against the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders. He quotes Psalm

118. Read Psalm 118:22-23.

2. Who send the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to ask questions and trap Him?


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3. The Sadducees ask Jesus a trick question regarding the resurrection. Jesus not only answers

their question, but also corrects them regarding their lack of belief in the resurrection. “He is

not the God of the ____________, but of the ____________. You are ____________

____________!”

4. Write out the most important commandment.

5. Write out the second most important commandment.

6. Jesus teaches in the temple courts and the large crowd listens to Him with ____________.

7. How much does the widow put into the offering (circle one)?

a) a tithe

b) a lot of money

c) everything

Chapter 13

1. Jesus predicts the future of the temple complex. What does He say?

2. List some of the “beginning of birth pains.”

3. “And the gospel must first be preached to ____________ ____________.”

4. Bad news for the disciples. They will be arrested and brought to trial. But they are not to

worry about what to say. Who will give them words?

5. Those in Judea should flee immediately to the mountains when they see what?

Extra credit: The “abomination that causes desolation” is mentioned in what Old Testament

book?

6. Jesus quotes from Isaiah and says that after the distress of false messiahs and false prophets

“the ____________ will be ____________, and the ____________ will ____________


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____________ ____________ ____________; the ____________ will ____________ from

the sky, and the ____________ ____________ will be ____________.”

7. “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in ____________ with great

____________ and ____________.”

8. “Heaven and earth ____________ pass away, but ____________ ____________

____________ ____________ pass away.”

9. Who knows about that day or hour?

Chapter 14

1. The Passover is how many days away?

2. Who are looking for a way to arrest and kill Jesus?

3. How much is the perfume used in the anointing worth?

4. According to Jesus, for what does the anointing prepare Him?

5. Choose one:

a) The chief priests approach Judas about betraying Jesus.

b) Judas approaches the chief priests about betraying Jesus.

6. How many disciples prepare for the Passover meal?

7. True or false: Jesus knows He will be betrayed.

8. “On the night on which He was betrayed Jesus took the bread when He had supped….” In our

minds we often think back to Maundy Thursday and connect the communion to thoughts of

Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. However, we should think back much earlier than Maundy

Thursday. On that first Maundy Thursday what meal were the disciples celebrating?


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9. Jesus takes the Passover meal and makes the connection to Himself. “This is my body…This

is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many.” For over a thousand years the

Passover meal had been celebrated. In that celebration was a picture of salvation purchased

with innocent blood – a preview of a salvation that was to come – and on a far grander scale.

On that first Maundy Thursday Jesus says that He is the sacrifice. From that time on as

believers have celebrated the Lord’s supper we have celebrated the fulfillment of all that was

promised in the Passover meals throughout history. Think about it.

10. After the meal, where do they go?

11. Jesus tells the disciples they will all fall away, but “after I have risen, I will go ahead of you

into Galilee.” In that sentence what does Jesus say will happen before He goes into Galilee?

12. Jesus takes which disciples with Him?

13. At Gethsemane Jesus is deeply disturbed. Write out His prayer in verse 36.

14. Who sent the armed crowd?

Extra credit: Everyone flees – including a young man who leaves his clothing behind. Who

might the young man be?

15. Where is Jesus taken and who gather there?

16. They can’t find evidence to convict Jesus until – to what question does Jesus answer “I am”?

17. Peter denies Jesus three times. When the rooster crows, what does he do?

Chapter 15

1. Jesus is taken to Pilate. What does Jesus answer when Pilate asks Jesus if He is king of the

Jews?

2. a) Who is released per the custom?

b) What was his crime?


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3. Pilate gives in and hands Jesus over to be crucified. Jesus is (circle all that apply):

a) flogged

b) robed in purple

c) crowned with thorns

d) mocked

e) struck on head with staff

f) spit on

4. a) Name the father of Alexander and Rufus.

b) What is he forced to do?

5. What happens to Jesus’ clothes?

6. What hour is it when they crucify Jesus?

7. What is the written notice of the charge against Jesus?

8. Who are crucified with Jesus?

9. What happens to the sky from the sixth hour to the ninth hour?

Extra credit: What time is the sixth hour?

10. What does Jesus cry out at the ninth hour?

Extra credit: Read Amos 8:9-10. “I will make that time like mourning for ____________

____________ ____________.” Think about the fulfillment.

11. When Jesus breathes His last, what happens to the curtain of the temple?

12. List the women named here as watching from a distance.

13. Of what is Joseph of Arimathea a prominent member?


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14. Who assures Pilate that Jesus is dead?

15. Who “buries” Jesus?

16. Who see where Jesus is laid?

Chapter 16

1. The body is buried just before the Sabbath begins and now that the Sabbath is over, the

women go to anoint the body with spices. Name the women.

2. When the women get to the tomb:

a) what do they see?

b) what do they hear?

3. Mark 16:9-20 reads like a post script. Who sees Jesus first?

4. True or false: Those mourning and weeping celebrate when they hear the news of Christ’s

resurrection.

5. What is the appearance mentioned in verses 12-13?

6. To whom does Jesus appear in Mark 16:14?

7. Jesus says to His disciples: “Go into ____________ ____________ ____________ and preach

the gospel to all creation. Whoever ____________ and is ____________ will be saved, but

whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

8. According to verse 19 where does Jesus sit?

9. The disciples preach the gospel everywhere. How does the Lord confirm His word?


36

WHAT ABOUT YOU?

Jesus states the most important commandment: “‘Love the Lord your God with

all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”

Mark 12:30

Love. Jesus is asked what is the most important commandment and His answer is that we are

to love God – completely. What does that look like in your life?

Love the Lord your God with all your heart. How do we define the love of the heart? Poets

have been attempting to do exactly that for millennia. Our heart love for God should be an

overwhelming HEARTFELT love that comes from within. When I think of God and His goodness,

grace, and mercy to me there is an incredible feeling of love toward this Being who has gently

nurtured me through life.

Love the Lord your God with all your soul. What is the soul? It is the spiritual part of our

being. When we trust in Jesus it is our soul that is saved and will never die. When the Holy Spirit

works in my life it is my soul that soars to the heavens and praises God from my inmost being. It

is the soul that receives comfort and peace every day of our walk with the Lord.

Love the Lord your God with all your mind. You don’t have to check your intelligence at the

door in order to love God. Read His Word. Study His history. Understand the vast wisdom of our

awesome God.

Love the Lord your God with all your strength. This infers action. Live out your faith. Know

His desires for your life. God’s “commandments” are given to guide, protect, and enrich our lives.

They do not kill our fun. They protect us from bad consequences.

God’s love for us cost Him His only Son. He loves us with an everlasting and unconditional

love. What He asks of us is to love Him. He made us with the ability to love Him or not to love

Him. Why didn’t He create puppets who automatically had “love” for their Creator? Because He

wants our love to be our offering to Him. His desire is to live in loving harmony with His people.

The sinful world, God’s enemy, and our own sinful nature all get in the way of our love for God.

Just like the rich young man in Mark 10 was challenged to place his love for God above his love

of his rich lifestyle, so we are to ask ourselves what is most important in our life. Is God more

important to you than anything else? Do you love the Lord with all your heart, all of your soul, all

of your mind, and all of your strength?

Pray: “Father God, show me the depth of Your love for me. Make me into the person who

loves you completely…”

Study Guide questions were first written for a Bible class taught by Jan Dodge in 2007 which led about fifty women

through the entire Bible in one year. The questions are included here as an aid to reading through the book of Mark.

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®.

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®

Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

For questions regarding this study guide contact Jan Dodge ([email protected])

or care minister Bob Johnson ([email protected]).


© 2006, 2016 Janette L. Dodge



Jan Dodge and Awake Us Now are clearly acknowledged as the source of the material.





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