Monday, January 25, 2016

The Gospel of Mark: A Serving Savior 2016 TBC Men's Bible study / (Lesson 14 - “The Servant Savior” - Mark 10:32-52)



Lesson 14 - “The Servant Savior” - Mark 10:32-52
ID: Inductive Questions (Asking the text questions like who, what, where, when, why, & how?”)
CR: Cross References (Comparing Scripture to Scripture, understanding the vague by the clear.)
WS: Word Study (Understanding definition, theological meaning, and usages in other passages.)
The WORD: What does the Bible say?
Context:  Read Mark 10:28-11:6 to help understand the context of this passage.  Read Mark 10:32-52 in a more literal or more dynamic translation than you usually use.  This passage focuses on two themes in a key verse for Mark by presenting Jesus as the serving Savior.
1.     ID: (10:32-34) What specific eight things did Jesus foretell would happen? (Compare with Mark 8:31; 9:31).  Which of those do Mark record (Mark 14:43-45, 63-64; 15:1, 15-20, 37-39; 16:9-11)?
2.     ID/CR: (10:35-41) What did James and John want from Jesus? (cf. Matt. 20:20–28)  What was the “cup” (Mark 14:36; Martyrdom of Polycarp 14:2)” and “baptism” (Luke 12:50) Jesus spoke of?  What did the other disciples’ response reveal about their hearts?
3.     ID: (10:42-45) List all the differences between gentile rulers and Christ’s model of leadership?
4.     ID/WS (10:45)  Why did Jesus come? (serve (diakoneō; ransom lytron )
5.     ID/CR: (10:47-48) What title did Bartimeaus use for Jesus?  What does that title teach us about Jesus? (Trivia: Which Gospel does not use that title and which one uses it most?)
6.     ID/WS:  (10:47-52)  Contrast the crowd’s responses to Bartimaeus before and after Jesus called to him?  What made Bartimeaus well?
The WALK: What should I do?
1.     Why do you think the disciples were so preoccupied with being the greatest?  Why is this still a problem for us today?
2.     What did you learn about leadership from this passage?  How can you implement these principles in your church, family, and workplace relationships?
3.     What do we learn about our purpose of earth from what Christ said His purpose was?
4.     What would you answer if Jesus asked you, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
5.     Where in this passage do we see Gospel truths about God, Man, Christ, and our response? 
Going Beyond: 1. Memorize Mark 10:45.
2. What areas of theology are touched on in this passage?
□ The Bible   □ God  □ God the Father   Jesus Christ    □ The Holy Spirit    □ Man  □ Salvation   □ The Church   □ Angels & Satan   □ Future Things  



Answer: In spite of apparent discrepancies, these three passages do refer to the same incident. The Matthew account cites two men healed as Jesus left Jericho. Mark and Luke refer to only one blind man healed, but Luke says it happened as Jesus was entering Jericho while Mark records it happening as He left Jericho. There are legitimate explanations for the apparent discrepancies. Let’s look at them rather than deciding this is a contradiction and the Bible is in error.
That this is the same incident is seen in the similarity of the accounts, beginning with the two beggars sitting on the roadside. They call out to Jesus, referring to Him as “Son of David” (Matthew 20:30; Mark 10:48; Luke 18:38), and in all three accounts, they are rebuked by those nearby and told to be quiet but continue to shout out to Jesus (Matthew 20:31; Mark 10:48; Luke 18:39). The three accounts describe nearly identical conversations between Jesus and the beggars and the conclusions of the stories are also identical. The beggars receive their sight immediately and follow Jesus.
Only Mark and Luke chose to identify one of the beggars as Bartimeus, perhaps because he was the main character in the story and was therefore the sole focus of Mark’s and Luke’s accounts. Perhaps it was because Bartimeus was known to them as the son of Timeus, but the other man was a stranger to them. In any case, the fact that only one man of the two is recorded as speaking does not mean there was only one man. It simply means Mark and Luke identified only one man speaking, Bartimeus. Matthew refers to both of them calling out to Jesus, clearly indicating there were two men.
The other issue in question is whether Jesus was entering Jericho or leaving it. Bible commentators cite the fact that at that time there were two Jerichos—one the mound of the ancient city (still existing today) and the other the inhabited city of Jericho. Therefore, Jesus could have healed the two men as He was leaving the ancient city of Jericho and entering the new city of Jericho.
In any case, to focus on these minor details to the exclusion of all else is to miss the point of the story—Jesus healed the blind men, proving that He was indeed the Son of God with powers beyond anything a mortal man could have. Unlike the Pharisees who refused to see what was before their eyes, our response to Jesus should be the same as that of the blind men—call on Him to give us eyes to see spiritual truth, recognize Him for who He is, and follow Him.
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Random thought:
“Think of the Spiritual Disciplines as ways we can place ourselves in the path of God’s grace and seek Him much as Bartimaeus and Zaccheaus placed themselves in Jesus’ path and sought him.  As with these two seekers, we will find Him willing to have mercy on us and to have communion with us.  And in the course of time we will be transformed by him from one level of Christlikeness to another (2 Corinthians 3:18).”
Whitney, Donald S. Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Colorado Springs, CO: NavPress, 1997. (p. 19)

Lesson 14:  Mark 10:32-52

WORD
1.  It is noteworthy that in spite of repeated teaching on this it didn’t seem to have “sunk in” for the disciples.
2.  We are not suggesting that the Martyrdom of Polycarp is on par with the Scripture, but Polycarp is recorded as having referred to the “cup” in the same sense Jesus referred to in here.
3. Take some time to let the men talk and express understanding of Christ’s model for leadership.
4. Encourage you men to memorize this verse.
5. The links in “title” and “teach” take you to articles that help with the background.
WALK
1. I have heard that some people constantly compare themselves with others and always try come out on top.  It would be worthwhile to explore how this attitude affects our teachability, authenticity, and focus on Christ.
3. We can be tools God uses to accomplish his saving work in individuals.  We should keep serving as a defining motive for us.  This is part of what it means to be like Jesus (Christ like).
EXTRA
This article on the apparent discrepancy between Matthew, Mark, and Luke will help in this specific passage and demonstrate principles for harmonizing the different accounts.
The bit at the bottom is a random application of this passage that I have found to be a motivation.

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