Mark Bk 1 7-11.qxp - Explorer's Bible Study

THE GOSPEL OF MARKLESSON 4Daily Bible Study QuestionsStudy Procedure: Read the Scripture references before answering questions. Unless otherwise instructed, use only theBible when answering questions. Some questions are more difficult than others but try to answer as many as you can.Pray for God’s wisdom as you study and don’t be discouraged if some answers are not obvious at first.FIRST DAY: Review (Lesson 3 Notes)1. Match each parable below with its main point:______(a) “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a houseis divided against itself, that house cannot stand” (Mark 3:24,25).______(b) “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. And it happened, as he sowed, thatsome seed fell by the wayside....Some fell on stony ground....And some seed fellamong thorns....But other seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop thatsprang up, increased and produced...” (Mark 4:3-8).______(c) Also He said to them, “Is a lamp brought to be put under a basket or under abed? Is it not to be set on a lampstand?” (Mark 4:21).______(d) And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on theground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sproutand grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself:first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when thegrain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come”(Mark 4:26-29).______(e) Then He said, “To what shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with whatparable shall we picture it? It is like a mustard seed which, when it is sown onthe ground, is smaller than all the seeds on earth; but when it is sown, it growsup and becomes greater than all herbs, and shoots out large branches, so thatthe birds of the air may nest under its shade” (Mark 4:30-32).1. In the kingdom of God, small actions produce large results.2. Jesus does not work for Satan. He is greater than Satan. Satan would not employ Jesusto destroy his own evil kingdom.3. The farmer sows the seed, but he is not responsible for making the seed root, grow, andproduce fruit. God sees to that. The farmer can rest in that knowledge.4. It is the condition of the hearer’s heart that determines whether or not the seed of theword can find root to endure, grow, and become fruitful.5. When knowledge from God has been received, it should be shared with othersimmediately.Page 43

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARK2. CHALLENGE: Use the “seed” imagery and make up your own short parable/illustrationdemonstrating a biblical truth. Make sure you give the interpretation also.SECOND DAY: The Wind and Sea Obey (Mark 4:35-41)3. After a long day of teaching the large crowds and tutoring His own disciples, Jesus gavedirection to leave the area by boat for the other side of the lake. This is probably anotherfamiliar passage to you, but read it carefully. List the details you find that could only havebeen provided from an eyewitness’ report. What do they add to the tension or believabilityof this event?4. The disciples were doing exactly what Jesus had directed but still experienced a dangerousstorm. What can you learn from this?5. They were terrified; Jesus slept. Jesus reprimanded them for their reaction.(a) What did He indicate should have been their response?(b) Why did He have a right to expect that from them?6. There was a dramatic response to Jesus’ command, “Peace, be still!”(a) Exactly what did the wind and sea do?(b) What did those watching do?Page 44

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKTHIRD DAY: A Great Deliverance (Mark 5:1-20)7. Look at your map again in the Appendix. Find the Decapolis, a confederation of ten Greek(non-Jewish cities) east of Israel, important in the time of Christ. Find Gadara, the areawhere they docked their boat and got out.8. What were symptoms of demonic influence in the man who immediately confronted Jesus?9. As seen before in Mark’s gospel, demons recognize the true identity of Jesus, even whenpeople do not. What is interesting about the man’s answer to Jesus, “My name is Legion;for we are many”?10. Jesus’ permission for the demons to exit the man and enter the swine produced a dramaticvisual aid.(a) Just how serious had been the man’s condition?(b) Where does the power of Satan ultimately lead those under his control?11. Many witnessed or heard about this dramatic event and its aftermath, but with verydifferent reactions. Note who did what after the deliverance and why you think they did it.12. When Jesus crossed the lake to minister to Gentiles, He was immediately opposed bySatan through the man called Legion. In what ways does Satan try to keep Christians fromwitnessing to unbelievers in our time?Page 45

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKFOURTH DAY: Words of Comfort (Mark 5:21-43)13. Jesus did not remain where He was not wanted, so He crossed by boat with His men backto the Jewish side of the Sea of Galilee. Among the multitude there were two very differentpeople who desperately needed Jesus. Contrast them below:ManWomanJairus, namedNo name given14. To show mercy to people, Jesus ignored traditional barriers. He had just crossed over toGentile pig-raising territory to deliver Legion in the episode before, something normallyunthinkable for a good Jew. Here, in helping these two desperate people, He broke Jewishceremonial law in at least two ways. Read Leviticus 15:19-27 and Numbers 19:11 andexplain the violations.15. In light of the first law above, what social suffering must the woman’s twelve-year diseasehave caused her?16. Though it cost Jairus precious time, what important truths were established by Jesus’calling for the woman who touched Him to admit it?FIFTH DAY: Desperate Needs Met (Mark 5 cont.)17. By the time Jesus finished with the woman, Jairus’ daughter was dead, but man’s extremityis often God’s opportunity. What did Jesus quickly tell Jairus?Page 46

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARK18. If you have ever been desperate for the healing help of God for a seriously ill loved one,compare your experience with Jairus’.19. Jesus had shown His authority over natural disaster, Satanic domination, long-term disease,and even premature death. Yet, in each instance, for those concerned, fear threatened faith.Review the references below from this week’s lesson. Note whether or not faith triumphedover fear. The first one is done for you.(a) Mark 4:39-41: The disciples were afraid of the storm and then afraid of Jesus after Hecalmed it. They asked, “Who can this be?” but couldn’t believe yet what His powerclearly indicated: Jesus is God! Fear overwhelmed their faith.(b) Mark 5:14-17(c) Mark 5:6,7 and 18-20(d) Mark 5:32-34(e) Mark 5:35-4320. Right now, in your life, of what are you afraid? What immediate step of obedience canyou take to show that you have chosen faith in Jesus over that fear?Page 47

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKThink about it.And then there was the storm. The-tie-yourself-to-the-mast-and-kiss-yourboat-good-byestorm. Ten-foot waves yanked the disciples first forward and thenbackward, leaving the boat ankle-deep in water. Matthew’s face blanched to theshade of a spaetzle [dumpling]. Thomas death-gripped the stern. Peter suggestedthey pray the Lord’s Prayer. Better still, that the Lord lead them in the Lord’sPrayer. That’s when they heard the Lord. Snoring.Jesus was asleep. Back against the bow. Head drooped forward. Chin floppingon sternum as the hull bounced on waves. “Jesus!” Peter shouted.The carpenter woke up, looked up. He wiped the rain from his eyes, puffed bothcheeks with a sigh, and stood. He raised first his hand, then his voice, and as fastas you could say “glassy,” the water became just that. Jesus smiled and sat, andPeter stared and wondered, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”(Mark 4:41 NCV).We used to look at such scenes in elementary school. To keep us occupied, theteacher would pass out drawings with the question at the bottom “What’s wrongwith this picture?” Remember them? We’d look closely for something that didn’tfit. A farmyard scene with a piano near the water trough. A classroom with a pirateseated on the back row. An astronaut on the moon with a pay phone in the background.We’d ponder the picture and point to the piano or pirate or pay phone andsay, “This doesn’t fit.” Something is out of place. Something is absurd. Pianos don’tbelong in farmyards. Pirates in classrooms. Pay phones aren’t found on the moon.And God doesn’t chum with the common folk or snooze in fishing boats.But according to the Bible he did. “For in Christ there is all of God in a humanbody” (Colossians. 2:9 TLB). Jesus was not a godlike man, nor a manlike God. Hewas God-man.—Max Lucado, Next Door Savior as quoted inLife Lessons with Max Lucado, p. 36Page 48

NotesMAN OF MIRACLES (MARK 4:35-5:43)Controlling Nature (Mark 4:35-41)Our precious Lord of Creation, our Jesus,operated on earth in a fully human body. In Mark4:35, He just wanted some rest after another roundof powerful interactions with a needy multitude. Itwasn’t too much to ask, and His disciples took Him“as He was” and headed out for about a five-mileboat ride across the lake called the Sea of Galilee(verse 36). Several of the men had been fishermen,after all, and could perform this task easily for theirMaster. But a terrible storm came up, so terrible thateven these expert sailors feared for the loss of theboat and their lives. To add to the drama, Marknoted that other little boats were traveling with themtoo.How can a life-threatening storm form on alake? Homer Kent, in his Studies in Mark, explainsthe unusual topography of the area:Fierce storms are not unusual on the Sea ofGalilee. Its waters lie more than 600 feetbelow sea level, and the lake is rimmed bymountains. As the sun begins to decline inthe west, the winds rush down to the coolingsurface, and the sea quickly becomes rough.Even experienced sailors find the watersdangerous, and many a fishing boat has beenlost there. (p. 66)Jesus slept through the beginning of the storm,evidently elevated enough in his pillowed positionat the stern to avoid the water accumulating in thebottom of the boat. Not really believing He could doanything about the storm, but just wanting Jesus tojoin them in their hysteria over the problem, thedisciples awakened Him and accused Him of notcaring about them.How like us! If we’re upset about something,we want company. We want those around us to getworked up with us! Jesus did care, got up, and spokestillness and peace to the wind and the sea, just asHe had over the chaos at creation (Genesis 1:2,3;John 1:3; Hebrews 1:2,3). With only a word here,He controlled nature, just as with only a word Hehad controlled demons and disease. But then Jesusturned and confronted those in the boat: Why hadthey been afraid? Why, after all they had witnessed,did they still not understand whom they had joined?The astounded disciples actually asked theright question in their shock over the instantaneouscalmness on the lake: “Who can this be, that eventhe wind and the sea obey Him?” (verse 41). However,they did not push through to draw the rightconclusion: Jesus is God!Including Gentiles (Mark 5:1)The destination Jesus chose for their landingafter the storm was a predominantly Gentile area.“The country of the Gadarenes” (verse 1) was partof a larger region called the Decapolis (verse 20), aGreek word literally translated “ten cities,” nine ofwhich were located on the eastern shore of the Seaof Galilee.Expelling Demons (Mark 5:2-9)Immediately upon getting out of the boat, Jesuswas confronted by a tomb-dwelling, chain-breaking,self-slicing, loud-crying “man with an uncleanspirit” (verse 2). Satan’s confronting Jesus at thebeginning of each new work had become a commonoccurrence. The man called Jesus by name, identifyingHim as “Son of the Most High God” (verse 7),and then pleaded with Him not to torment him, butJesus at once ordered the unclean spirit to come out(verse 8).Notice the details Mark gives about this manwho was so controlled by Satan that his name wasLegion, a reference to the six thousand memberscomprising a Roman military group of that description.From this pitiable man’s life, we can see thecommon evidences of the influence of Satan:1. Legion’s controlling spirit was described as“unclean” (verse 2). Where Satan dwells, there isfilthiness. It may be filthiness that manifests in theimmediate environment or in the afflicted one’spersonal hygiene. Demonic influence is alsocharacterized by other filthy behaviors: disturbingPage 49

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKmental obsessions, sexual immorality, perverselanguage and/or pornographic media choices.2. Where Satan is allowed influence, there isoften an unhealthy fascination with death and modesof dying or killing (verse 3).3. Satanic influence often manifests itself inacts of violence and exhibitions of supernaturalstrength (verse 4).4. Living in isolation and exhibiting anti-socialbehaviors like self-mutilation or inappropriate verbaloutbursts also mark the life of one under demonicdomination (verse 5).5. Multiple personalities may also surfacewhere Satan has control. When asked his name, thedemonized man responded first in the singular andthen switched to the plural: “My name is Legion; forwe are many” (verse 9, emphases added).Dramatizing Deliverance(Mark 5:10-13)Jesus had cast out demons earlier, according toMark’s gospel. In Mark 1:26, the offending spiritconvulsed his victim one last time, causing him tocry out before leaving at Jesus’ command. In Mark3:11, unclean spirits disrupted His activities, but Jesussilenced them. In Mark 3:22 and 23, no demonicdrama was described, but Jesus’ power to cast outunclean spirits was evident to those watching Him,even if His source of power was misunderstood.In this incident with Legion, however, insteadof dealing with the unclean spirits quickly andquietly as before, Jesus allowed some very dramaticevidence about the scope of His power to be madepublic. When the man’s demons cried out for analternative to being sent out of the region, Jesusallowed it. With this permission, the ultimatepurpose of all Satanic influence was exposed: deathto the victim. Not just a few pigs were affected, buttwo thousand immediately ran down the steep slopeto be drowned in the sea. That high count showedboth the number of demons and the scope of theoppression which had been part of Legion’s life.Jesus brings life; Satan strives to cause death. Jesusspoke of this conflict of purposes in John 10:10:“The thief does not come except to steal,and to kill, and to destroy. I have come thatthey may have life, and that they may haveit more abundantly.”Exposing Fear (Mark 5:14-20)Just as the disciples had been after seeingChrist’s power over the storm, the keepers of theswine were terrified at such an amazing display ofpower and authority from a human being. Theypublicized it all around, and those hearing themcame to see Jesus and the healed man for themselves.When they saw the indisputable changes inthe man, clothed now and fully sane, “they wereafraid” (verse 15).Fear stifles faith. They could not understandJesus’ power, so they wanted to be distanced from it.They begged Him to leave. Since Jesus alwayspresents the truth but never forces belief, He didleave as they asked. However, the man formerlycalled Legion, who had initially reacted to Christout of fear, was now full of faith. He wanted to joinJesus permanently, but the Lord had another missionfor him. He was to go back to his previous home andfriends and tell them what the Lord had done forhim. He obeyed, and many on the Greek side of theSea of Galilee were introduced to Jesus.Contrasting Care (Mark 5:21-34)When Jesus and His disciples arrived on theJewish side of the lake, another crowd immediatelyassembled. One man of civic importance namedJairus, a ruler of the synagogue, humbled himselfopenly before Jesus, begging him to heal his child.Jairus spoke with strong faith saying, “My littledaughter lies at the point of death. Come and layYour hands on her, that she may be healed, and shewill live” (verse 23). Jesus always honors faith andfollowed Him, in spite of the crowd that refused todisperse.In the middle of this mission, Jairus’ socialopposite came on the scene. A woman with atwelve-year hemorrhaging ailment, who by lawshould have remained outside the pressing crowd toavoid contaminating them, demonstrated faith inJesus’ power too. Poorer and worse off after years ofmedical attempts at healing, she had heard of JesusPage 50

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKand believed that if she merely touched Hisclothing, she would be well. She managed to do so,was immediately healed, and apparently tried to slipquietly away. At the same moment, Jesus discernedthat healing power had gone out from Him. To thedismay of His disciples who, considering thejostling crowd, thought His request ridiculous, Jesusdemanded to know who had touched Him. To hergreat credit, the woman overcame her fear at beingexposed and spoke up, telling Jesus everything. Jesusblessed her for letting her faith prevail: “Daughter,your faith has made you well. Go in peace and behealed of your affliction” (verse 34).Requiring the woman to go public gave Jesusthe opportunity to show her His personal care andconcern. She was a beloved daughter, not justanother face in the crowd. He noticed her andblessed her, crossing the social barriers that had kepther isolated and stigmatized. When she explainedto others later about her miraculous healing, shecould point them to a person who healed her, notjust the power that healed.Testing Faith (Mark 5:35-43)While Jesus spoke with the healed woman, amessenger found Jairus in the crowd and told him itwas too late for help: Jesus’ attendance wasunnecessary because his daughter was dead. Ofcourse, grief and fear would overwhelm most of usat such news, but when Jesus heard it, He quicklywarned Jairus not to give in to despair: “Do not beafraid; only believe” (verse 36). Delay is not denial.Delay is an opportunity to deepen our faith. Jesuswas going to use the turn of events to revealsomething else about Himself: He had power evenover death!Jairus recovered his faith and continued onwith Jesus to his home. Mourners there were alreadycausing a disturbance with their wailing for the deadgirl, and Jesus’ question to them and implicationthat the child would awaken were met with ridicule.Jesus quickly put the doubters outside and took onlythe girl’s parents and His disciples Peter, James, andJohn into the house with Him. Jesus touched thegirl, violating the law about coming into contactwith dead bodies, and spoke to her in Aramaic to getup. She did so immediately, to the relief of herparents. Jairus’ faith was amazingly blessed, eventhough momentarily delayed in its fulfillment.Refusing Fear (Review of the Lesson)From this week’s portion of the gospel of Markwe have seen that fear hinders faith, and withoutfaith, we cannot see the true Jesus. We are notcondemned for experiencing fear; fear is a veryhuman response to what we cannot control. However,we are condemned for holding on to fear,wallowing in it, when we have knowledge of itsremedy: faith in Jesus.In situational storms: The storm event ofMark 4:35-41 showed how far the disciples stillneeded to go in their spiritual development. Theyhad been with Jesus for at least a year at that timeand had witnessed repeatedly His amazing authorityand power over demons, disfigurement, and disease.They had just followed His directions to get into theboat and take Him across the lake. They were incomplete obedience to His authority, yet at thegrowing threat to their safety from the unexpectedstorm, they failed to remember what He had alreadydone, or more seriously, to discern who He must be.The storm did not catch Jesus off guard; it mostcertainly was in the Father’s plans for that day. Evenif Satan were stirring things up, God was using it toreveal another quality in His beloved Son: authorityover nature. So, when we are in the middle of God’swill and a storm hits, if we are certain that we arewhere Jesus told us to be, we are to refuse fear andgrab hold of faith, because God is certainly going toshow us more about His power! In the devotionalclassic My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambersaddressed this:God does not give us overcoming life: Hegives us life as we overcome. The strain isthe strength. If there is no strain, there is notstrength....Immediately you face the strain,you will get the strength. (August 2)In costly subtractions: When the demonsdeparted at Jesus’ command and entered the swine,the witnesses saw their profits disappearing into thePage 51

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKsea. Sometimes one person’s deliverance is anotherperson’s loss. When a party-girl gets saved, her barhoppingcompanions resent her new commitments.When a parent turns off the television, phone, orcomputer for more family time, children rebel. Canyou hold on to your new faith when others seemhurt by it? Don’t be afraid of being misunderstood.Stay where you are and keep demonstrating to thosearound you what Jesus has done in your life.In domestic desperation: When a situation isactually life or death, are you paralyzed with fear, orcan you take a step in faith? For Jairus and the womanwith the bleeding issues, Jesus was the differencebetween life and death. Jairus, important man thathe was, did not hesitate to fall at the feet of Jesus,ask His help, lead Him toward his home, allow Himto minister to another, and keep believing when itappeared that death had won. Step after step, Jairus’faith propelled him forward, and the result wasresurrection!The woman’s faith, expressed quickly andsecretly through one touch of Christ’s garment, wasjust as effective. She did not seek a personal meetingor a grand ceremony; she believed His power wasgreat enough to transfer to her by touch. However,Jesus had something more for her that could notcome without a public confession. He wanted tomake her spiritually whole as well. He wanted her toknow Him.Human despair is still Jesus’ opportunity tocome in and heal and deliver and provide. Banishfear by changing the channels of your mind to whatyou know to be true of your Savior. Faith opens thedoor for Jesus to come in, or to put it another way:But without faith it is impossible to pleaseHim, for he who comes to God must believethat He is, and that He is a rewarder of thosewho diligently seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)VOCABULARY1. civic: connected with the duties and obligations of belonging to a community2. hemorrhaging: losing blood from a ruptured blood vessel, either internally or externally3. stigmatized: labeled as socially undesirable or unacceptable4. topography: the study and mapping of the features on the surface of land, including natural featuressuch as mountains and rivers and constructed features such as highways and railroadsPage 52

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKNotesPage 53

LESSON 4 THE GOSPEL OF MARKNotesPage 54