Mark 1-4
Manual of
Discipleship

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Psalm 119:57-64 Key QT Ingredient

57 Heth

 The LORD is my portion;
 I promise to keep your words.
58 I entreat your favor with all my heart;
 be gracious to me according to your promise.
59 When I think on my ways,
 I turn my feet to your testimonies;
60 I hasten and do not delay
 to keep your commandments.
61 Though the cords of the wicked ensnare me,
 I do not forget your law.
62 At midnight I rise to praise you,
 because of your righteous rules.
63 I am a companion of all who fear you,
 of those who keep your precepts.
64 The earth, O LORD, is full of your steadfast love;
 teach me your statutes!

Application

As you read His word, consider your ways, and turn your steps to follow His way.

Prayer

God, I want to be wholeheartedly doing all You want me to do; as I learn Your word, show me where I need to correct my steps, so I can walk in the way that pleases You. Amen.

Proverbs 27:18-22 What You See Is What You Are

18 Whoever tends a fig tree will eat its fruit,
 and he who guards his master will be honored.
19 As in water face reflects face,
 so the heart of man reflects the man.
20 Sheol and Abaddon are never satisfied,
 and never satisfied are the eyes of man.
21 The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold,
 and a man is tested by his praise.
22 Crush a fool in a mortar with a pestle
 along with crushed grain,
 yet his folly will not depart from him.

Application

Being pleasing in God's sight gives us a value that transcends the opinion of others and bad circumstances; the best of circumstances and praise won't satisfy those who aren't pleasing in God's sight.

Prayer

Lord, may I recognize the praise of men for what it is, and only crave Your approval and pleasure. Amen.

Mark 1-4 Manual of Discipleship

Mark wrote to the believers in Rome about to undergo the persecution under Nero, to show them how to live as Christ's disciples in a pagan world capital. He presents Jesus as the suffering Servant who gave His life for the benefit of others, and urges his readers to do the same. The most condensed of the gospels, he majors on the middle ministry of Christ to His disciples. Luke took over 200 verses to get to the calling of the disciples. Mark speeds through the same territory in 15 verses, and then shifts to slow motion for a blow by blow description of the call of each of the initial disciples. The disciples are highlighted. The meaning of the book opens up when you look at it though the eyes of a disciple, and ask yourself: “What were the disciples supposed to learn and do as a result of this material?” (Then go and do likewise.) This is a much more profitable activity than speculating on who copied from whom (the pastime of those who never had an original thought themselves, and who don't apply the Bible either).

See Survey of Discipleship on Truthbase.net to see how followers of Jesus go from Curious to Convinced to Committed to Conformed and finally Crowned. Disciples are those having the same values, attitudes, and actions as their Master.

The early church fathers attributed the authorship to Mark (1Pt 5:13), who wrote down Peter's eyewitness accounts (and what he himself saw – see Digging Deeper below), according to the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and the above purpose. It's more likely than not that he is John-Mark (Acts 12:12,25).

Bill Blurb: I'll be observing the book as would an original reader, who didn't have access to the other gospels (but did have the OT) yet I'm making my comments as though you've read DailyTruthbase on Matthew first (to save pixels and time).

Mark 1 Master Maker of Disciples

The Mission of John the Baptist
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

 “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
 who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
 ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
 make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The Temptation and Preaching of Jesus
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The First Disciples
16 Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. 20 And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him.
Jesus Expels an Unclean Spirit
21 And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. 22 And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. 23 And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, 24 “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” 25 But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” 26 And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. 27 And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” 28 And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.
Jesus Heals at Peter’s House
29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him.
Jesus Prays and Preaches
35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.
The Leper’s Prayer
40 And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, “If you will, you can make me clean.” 41 Moved with pity, he stretched out his hand and touched him and said to him, “I will; be clean.” 42 And immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43 And Jesus sternly charged him and sent him away at once, 44 and said to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” 45 But he went out and began to talk freely about it, and to spread the news, so that Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but was out in desolate places, and people were coming to him from every quarter.

Application

The purpose and priorities of our lives need to be determined from God's perspective and focused daily in prayer, so we can do God's will, and fulfill our raison d'etre.

See Lessons for Disciples on Truthbase.net for more elaboration and help in applying the lessons.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, I want to follow You and Your model, every day during my stay on earth; help me know and do Your will and priorities. Thanks. Amen.

Mark 2 Relationship or Ritual

Jesus Heals a Paralytic
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”
Jesus Calls Levi
13 He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. 14 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.
15 And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. 16 And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” 17 And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Questions about Fasting
18 Now John's disciples and the Pharisees were fasting. And people came and said to him, “Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not fast?” 19 And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. 20 The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day.
The Patches and the Wineskins
21 No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. 22 And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins—and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins.”
The Lord of the Sabbath
23 One Sabbath he was going through the grainfields, and as they made their way, his disciples began to pluck heads of grain. 24 And the Pharisees were saying to him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” 25 And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: 26 how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” 27 And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath.”

Application

Disciples need a Commitment to the: Person of Christ, People of Christ, Purpose of Christ, Plan of Christ, and the Power of Christ. Can you point to a time when you've made each of those commitments?

Prayer

God, grant me the grace to totally obey You, embracing all You want me to, and to persevere through the opposition and discouragement of those who don't follow You. Amen.

Mark 3 The Priorities of Followers of Jesus

Jesus Heals on the Sabbath
1 Again he entered the synagogue, and a man was there with a withered hand. 2 And they watched Jesus, to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse him. 3 And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” 4 And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. 5 And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored. 6 The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.
Jesus Heals the Multitudes
7 Jesus withdrew with his disciples to the sea, and a great crowd followed, from Galilee and Judea 8 and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon. When the great crowd heard all that he was doing, they came to him. 9 And he told his disciples to have a boat ready for him because of the crowd, lest they crush him, 10 for he had healed many, so that all who had diseases pressed around him to touch him. 11 And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” 12 And he strictly ordered them not to make him known.
The Twelve Apostles
13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. 14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons. 16 He appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17 James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18 Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot, 19 and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
A House Divided
20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”
22 And the scribes who came down from Jerusalem were saying, “He is possessed by Beelzebul,” and “by the prince of demons he casts out the demons.” 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, “How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand. 26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. 27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
The Unpardonable Sin
28 “Truly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the children of man, and whatever blasphemies they utter, 29 but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin”— 30 for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.”
Jesus’ Mother and Brothers
31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him. 32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

Application

How do your priorities indicate that You are a follower of Jesus Christ? Are you confident that You are doing His will and will reap His approval and reward? Why?

Prayer

Father, Your wise will is good, acceptable, and perfect, may I be transformed in my thinking to know and experience it, rather than what I would regret if I chose Satan's will for my life. Amen.

Mark 4 Sermon by the Seaside

The Parable of the Sower
1 Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. 2 And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: 3 “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. 5 Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. 6 And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. 8 And other seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” 9 And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”
The Purpose of Jesus’ Parables
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in parables, 12 so that

 “‘they may indeed see but not perceive,
 and may indeed hear but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.’”

The Parable of the Sower Explained
13 And he said to them, “Do you not understand this parable? How then will you understand all the parables? 14 The sower sows the word. 15 And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them. 16 And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. 17 And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. 18 And others are the ones sown among thorns. They are those who hear the word, 19 but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 20 But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.”
The Lesson of the Lamp
21 And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? 22 For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. 23 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 24 And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. 25 For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.”
The Seed Growing Secretly
26 And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. 27 He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. 28 The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. 29 But when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come.”
The Parable of the Mustard Seed
30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”
33 With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. 34 He did not speak to them without a parable, but privately to his own disciples he explained everything.
Jesus Calms the Storm
35 On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. 37 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Application

Embracing the light/word of truth, and preventing deadly desires from crowding it out of our lives, will result in faithful fruitfulness that will please God and us.

Prayer

Lord, may I readily hear Your word with my ears, so it will grow in my heart, and yield reproductive fruit, that glorifies You. Amen.

Digging Deeper

This introductory article from the ISBE gives quotes from the early church fathers attesting to Mark's authorship. You can't believe everything you read in these kinds of reference works, but quotation and scriptural references are trustworthy, while the interpretations are less so.

“The story of the youth in Mar 14:51 seems to be of a different complexion from other Gospel incidents. But if Mark himself was the youth, its presence is explained and vindicated. In that case it is likely that the Supper was celebrated in his own home and that the upper room is the same as that in Acts 12. This is favored by the fuller description of it in Mark, especially the word “ready” - a most natural touch, the echo of the housewife's exclamation of satisfaction when everything was ready for the guests. It is made almost a certainty when we compare Mar 14:17 with the parallels in Matthew and Luke. Mat 26:20 reads: “Now when even was come, he was sitting at meat with the twelve disciples”; Luk 22:14: “And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the apostles with him”; while Mark has: “And when it was evening he cometh with the twelve.” The last represents exactly the standpoint of one in the home who sees Jesus and the Twelve approaching.”


God in a nutshell: God is working out His plan to bring about the fulfillment of His promises, that will not be thwarted by the disobedience of some. God gives guidance and power to those doing His will.

Build-a-Jesus: Jesus gets angry over proud, self-seeking, hard-hearted rebels, but is compassionate toward those who humbly seek Him. He models the behavior He expects of us.

Us in a nutshell: We are invited to follow Jesus and fulfill the purpose for which we were placed upon earth, but not everyone accepts, because there is a cost involved. Those who reject God's light go so deep into darkness that they want to kill Jesus for doing miraculous good. Not everyone who fails to follow is equally dumb and deceived, but are fractionally so. Disciples of Jesus will face opposition like He did, and need the resources He used to help themselves.

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