Lesson One

OVERVIEW

Mark

Before beginning an in-depth study of Mark's gospel, one should get a general overview of the book by reading it straight through. This should not take much more than one hour, provided that you do not spend too much time pondering difficult passages (save that for a later reading!). Your first reading should be a time to gain first impressions, as though you were reading a novel.

As you read, consider the following: First impressions

1. The very first words a person says often give us a clue as to what he or she will be talking about.

a. What are Mark's first words (see 1:1)? What do they tell us about his gospel? ______________________________________ ______________________________________

b. What are the first words of Jesus (see 1:15)?

What is the main theme of His preaching? ______________________________________ ______________________________________

2. Repetition of key words or phrases is also a clue to finding out what the author is trying to communicate. As you read through Mark's gospel, jot down:

a. The references where he repeats the key words and phrases referred to in question 1. ______________________________________ ______________________________________

b. Other words or phrases you see as being key terms. (Do not take too long to do this during the first reading; you can come back and add to your list as you proceed through the study guide.) ______________________________________ ______________________________________

3. Perhaps the most important element of interpretation is discerning the flow of the author's thought. The chapter and verse divisions in our Bibles were created long after the books were written and are sometimes even obstacles to following the author's train of thought. Don't read the gospel of Mark as a collection of proof texts to be repeated in isolation from one another. Rather, read Mark as you would any other book: a story consisting of sentences and paragraphs that relate to one another.

1:1 Title
1:2-13 Preparing the way
1:14–10:52 Jesus and the kingdom of God
1:14–4:34_________________________
1:16-45_________________________________
2:1–3:6___________________________
3:7-35__________________________________
4:1-34__________________________________
4:35–9:29_________________________
4:35–5:43_________________________
6:1-6___________________________________
6:7-13__________________________________
6:14-29_________________________________
6:30-56_________________________________
7:1-23__________________________________
7:24–8:10_________________________
8:11-21_________________________________
8:22-26_________________________________
8:27–9:13_________________________
9:14-29_________________________________
9:30–10:52________________________
9:30-50_________________________________
10:1-12_________________________________
10:13-31________________________________
10:32-45________________________________
10:46-52________________________________
11:1–16:20________________________
The Final Week
11:1-11_________________________________
11:12-26________________________________
11:27–12:44_______________________
13:1-37_________________________________
14:1-42_________________________________
14:43–15:15_______________________
15:16-47________________________________
16:1-8__________________________________
16:9-20_________________________________

The beginning of the gospel (1:1)

Messiah (1:1). A translation of the Hebrew mashiach, which is related to the greek christos, meaning "anointed one." In the Old Testament, kings of Israel were anointed with oil as a sign of their spiritual authority, with the oil representing the Spirit of God. See, for example, 1 Samuel 16:13.

Son of God (1:1). In the Old Testament, this title usually refers to the people of Israel or the king of Israel. Thus, the ideas of being chosen (as were God's people) and of deserving obedience (as the king did) are present. The title "Son of God" does not refer to the coming Messiah in the Old Testament but was probably just coming into use as a messianic title when Jesus arrived on the scene.

4. Mark 1:1 is either an introduction to verses 2-8 or a title for the entire gospel of Mark.

a. Compare Mark 1:1 with Acts 1:1. Does this help you decide whether the word beginning refers to John the Baptist (see Mark 1:2-8) or the life and ministry of Jesus (the entire gospel of Mark)? If so, why? ______________________________________ ______________________________________

b. If the word beginning is a title for the entire book, what does this tell us about the "gospel about Jesus Christ"? ______________________________________ ______________________________________

For the group

This "For the Group" section and the ones in later lessons are intended to suggest ways of structuring your discussions. Feel free to select what suits your group. The main goals of this lesson are to get to know the gospel of Mark in general and the people with whom you are going to study it.

If you read through the entire gospel of Mark this week, this may be the most time-consuming lesson for you to prepare. The group leader should warn members to allow several hours for reading Mark and doing the lesson. If reading the whole book is an impossible demand on someone's time, he or she could probably get a general impression of the gospel by skimming portions of it for the story line and repeated ideas.

Worship. Some groups like to begin with prayer and/or singing. Some pray only briefly for God's guidance at the beginning but leave extended prayer until after the study.

Warm-up. The beginning of a new study is a good time to lay a foundation for honest sharing of ideas, getting comfortable with one another, and encouraging a sense of common purpose. One way to establish common ground is to talk about what each group member hopes to get out of your group — out of your study of Mark and out of...