Here’s how the study works: Read the chapter mentioned in the heading several times during the week and share any words, thoughts, verses that stood out to you. Having a week for a chapter creates the opportunity to reread it several times and make additional comments as you feel inclined as well as make comments on other people’s insights.
I recently went to a workshop on biographies and memoirs. One of the difficulties they spoke about was where do you start? Saying that starting with when the person was born can be rather dull.
Mark must have thought the same. He starts his account about Jesus with the ministry of John the Baptist.
I find the account of Jesus’ birth amazing with so many prophecies fulfilled yet we are given nothing, and nothing about Jesus’ first 30 years.
I guess Mark must have felt Jesus’ three years of ministry so significant that everything else was unimportant by comparison.
I recently went to a workshop on biographies and memoirs. One of the difficulties they spoke about was where do you start? Saying that starting with when the person was born can be rather dull.
Mark must have thought the same. He starts his account about Jesus with the ministry of John the Baptist.
I find the account of Jesus’ birth amazing with so many prophecies fulfilled yet we are given nothing, and nothing about Jesus’ first 30 years.
I guess Mark must have felt Jesus’ three years of ministry so significant that everything else was unimportant by comparison.
Be back after I read it … and btw
It’s Happy Canada Day here
Fireworks tonight …
Woohoo !!
🙂
Be back after I read it … and btw
It’s Happy Canada Day here
Fireworks tonight …
Woohoo !!
🙂
Happy Canada Day 🙂
v.11 You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
Interesting at this point Jesus had not done anything except be baptized and God is well pleased with him. Then “at once” He gets sent into the desert to be tempted by Satan.
At least we know when we are tempted by Satan that God is not allowing Satan to get on our case because He is displeased with us.
Happy Canada Day 🙂
v.11 You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
Interesting at this point Jesus had not done anything except be baptized and God is well pleased with him. Then “at once” He gets sent into the desert to be tempted by Satan.
At least we know when we are tempted by Satan that God is not allowing Satan to get on our case because He is displeased with us.
Always amazing … the gospels … there is one thing that stood out to me that I had never thought of before … and that is the fact that people were being baptized in water after repenting for their sins instead of sacrificing a lamb.
Baptism and baptize are not words found in the Old Testament … this was definitely a new thing the Lord was doing …
Always amazing … the gospels … there is one thing that stood out to me that I had never thought of before … and that is the fact that people were being baptized in water after repenting for their sins instead of sacrificing a lamb.
Baptism and baptize are not words found in the Old Testament … this was definitely a new thing the Lord was doing …
it very warm and muggy outside and i’m in the mood for something cool and citrus. so i brought some rainbow sherbet. with extra bowls and spoons if you want some…
i had heard that mark is the most like a movie of all the gosepls. action packed from start to finish. i think that’s why he starts where he does. kind of like starting titanic with the boat slamming into the iceberg.
very interesting points, indeed. from that perspective, susan, being run through the grater means that god actually thinks highly of you. instead of the other way around which is more of a “job’s comforters” point of view. which, we all know straight from the horse’s mouth is a load of hooey. i said it. HOO…EY.
and, in light of our coversation on the topic of“how would you know?” if god wanted to do something new? something outside of the scriptures…
what you noticed is a great example of that. thanks for sharing your eyes with us! i totally didn’t see that before.
but along those lines, just because i’m studying the topic personally, i just wanted to share that in verse 44, jesus attributes the law, “the command”, to moses. he actually says, “moses commanded.” hmmm… interesting. not sure what i think yet, so let’s not go down that trail yet.
just throw it in the background, though.
the other thing i really found interesting is that in verse 44 jesus tells the guy he heals to tell no one. so, the guy promptly goes out, in verse 45, and tells everyone. and i have to wonder whether or not jesus said that on purpose to get that result. because i would find it difficult to believe that god would not want the word about the Word to spread all over and for people to flock to him.
perhaps sometimes, SOMETIMES, some extreme rare occasions, god’s greater purposes can be achieved through disobedience. and find that that particular disobedience was god’s purpose all along. to achieve something greater. to achieve something else…
obviously, as always, i’m not saying i have any sort of grand revelation or truth i need to push across. these are just the thoughts i had while reading the chapter. thank you susan for creating such a warm space to study in again, and having us all over. you are a gracious hostess.
it very warm and muggy outside and i’m in the mood for something cool and citrus. so i brought some rainbow sherbet. with extra bowls and spoons if you want some…
i had heard that mark is the most like a movie of all the gosepls. action packed from start to finish. i think that’s why he starts where he does. kind of like starting titanic with the boat slamming into the iceberg.
very interesting points, indeed. from that perspective, susan, being run through the grater means that god actually thinks highly of you. instead of the other way around which is more of a “job’s comforters” point of view. which, we all know straight from the horse’s mouth is a load of hooey. i said it. HOO…EY.
and, in light of our coversation on the topic of“how would you know?” if god wanted to do something new? something outside of the scriptures…
what you noticed is a great example of that. thanks for sharing your eyes with us! i totally didn’t see that before.
but along those lines, just because i’m studying the topic personally, i just wanted to share that in verse 44, jesus attributes the law, “the command”, to moses. he actually says, “moses commanded.” hmmm… interesting. not sure what i think yet, so let’s not go down that trail yet.
just throw it in the background, though.
the other thing i really found interesting is that in verse 44 jesus tells the guy he heals to tell no one. so, the guy promptly goes out, in verse 45, and tells everyone. and i have to wonder whether or not jesus said that on purpose to get that result. because i would find it difficult to believe that god would not want the word about the Word to spread all over and for people to flock to him.
perhaps sometimes, SOMETIMES, some extreme rare occasions, god’s greater purposes can be achieved through disobedience. and find that that particular disobedience was god’s purpose all along. to achieve something greater. to achieve something else…
obviously, as always, i’m not saying i have any sort of grand revelation or truth i need to push across. these are just the thoughts i had while reading the chapter. thank you susan for creating such a warm space to study in again, and having us all over. you are a gracious hostess.
Thanks Jon, glad you feel at home.
It’s an interesting point you make Valorosa (or would you rather be called, Wendy?) I wonder if instinctively they knew that it was impossible for the blood of animals to take away sin? (Hebrews 10:4)
Another thing that strikes me about v.44 is how could you not tell people you had been healed? If you once had leprosy and now you didn’t, surely people would notice? especially since lepers had to isolate themselves from others.
Thanks Jon, glad you feel at home.
It’s an interesting point you make Valorosa (or would you rather be called, Wendy?) I wonder if instinctively they knew that it was impossible for the blood of animals to take away sin? (Hebrews 10:4)
Another thing that strikes me about v.44 is how could you not tell people you had been healed? If you once had leprosy and now you didn’t, surely people would notice? especially since lepers had to isolate themselves from others.
yeah, wendy. i was wondering the same thing. preference?
honestly, i don’t think your average person pays too much attention to invalids. other than to avoid them. i mean, i’m not entirely sure what the living dynamics were like back then, but it may have been possible for this person to have been ignored and forgotten for years because he would have had to have been separated from the masses. so most people may not have known. yet, i’m sure there were people who knew. another interesting thought.
and i’ve been wondering. what would it really be like to be able to heal people? and i mean really heal people. i think you would attract the same kind of thronging crowds today if people knew that not only could they be healed, but that it was free of monetary cost? wow. i think we would be talking aobut a pandemonium of such preportions that indeed, you would not be able to enter any town publically anymore.
what a wild mental picture…
yeah, wendy. i was wondering the same thing. preference?
honestly, i don’t think your average person pays too much attention to invalids. other than to avoid them. i mean, i’m not entirely sure what the living dynamics were like back then, but it may have been possible for this person to have been ignored and forgotten for years because he would have had to have been separated from the masses. so most people may not have known. yet, i’m sure there were people who knew. another interesting thought.
and i’ve been wondering. what would it really be like to be able to heal people? and i mean really heal people. i think you would attract the same kind of thronging crowds today if people knew that not only could they be healed, but that it was free of monetary cost? wow. i think we would be talking aobut a pandemonium of such preportions that indeed, you would not be able to enter any town publically anymore.
what a wild mental picture…
My two thoughts echo Jon – vs. 44:
1) Why “Moses” commanded instead of “God” commanded?
2) Why “Tell no one”?
I don’t know on the first one. I’ll have to look into it.
But on the second one, I think it could be just about the motives behind why this guy might tell people. I know when God has done something great for me I want to tell everyone and sometimes God doesn’t want me to because as thankful as I am – I will naturally spin it to show how great my faith was and how spiritual I am that God would heal me. We are only human.
My two thoughts echo Jon – vs. 44:
1) Why “Moses” commanded instead of “God” commanded?
2) Why “Tell no one”?
I don’t know on the first one. I’ll have to look into it.
But on the second one, I think it could be just about the motives behind why this guy might tell people. I know when God has done something great for me I want to tell everyone and sometimes God doesn’t want me to because as thankful as I am – I will naturally spin it to show how great my faith was and how spiritual I am that God would heal me. We are only human.
Yea, Erin we are somethin’ else aren’t we ?? lol
Here’s my thoughts … The scripture itself has given us an explanation which goes along with Jon’s comment on pandemonium.
Jesus gave him a “strong” warning … I think for his reason … vs 45
“As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”
He may have wanted to enter the towns without too much fuss and after everyone heard a leper was healed that was not going to happen anymore …
Susan … Wendy will be fine 🙂
Yea, Erin we are somethin’ else aren’t we ?? lol
Here’s my thoughts … The scripture itself has given us an explanation which goes along with Jon’s comment on pandemonium.
Jesus gave him a “strong” warning … I think for his reason … vs 45
“As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him from everywhere.”
He may have wanted to enter the towns without too much fuss and after everyone heard a leper was healed that was not going to happen anymore …
Susan … Wendy will be fine 🙂
The thing that struck me when I read the chapter again today was Jesus even told the demons to be quiet v.34 also 24-25.
As I was thinking about the significance of the whole keeping quiet thing I remembered this bit from Ecclesiastes 3 “There is a time for everything … a time to be silent and a time to speak.”
The thing that struck me when I read the chapter again today was Jesus even told the demons to be quiet v.34 also 24-25.
As I was thinking about the significance of the whole keeping quiet thing I remembered this bit from Ecclesiastes 3 “There is a time for everything … a time to be silent and a time to speak.”
I had been using my wife’s new fancy bible for a while now, but she is doing a study with my mom and had it somewhere else. So I took up my confirmation bible. I got it, OH my God, 25 years ago. At the ripe old age of 13. Almost flunked out of the class, and my dad was the teacher. The cover is coming off, the underlining is still there. Fun to see what I thought was important at the time, and even then had the beginnings of my own theology then. Such a pleasure to return to an old friend.
Oh yeah, we were doing a bible study, sorry.
The first part of Mark came to me as the way being prepared for Jesus on eath. The next part is Jesus being armed and trained for the tasks that he must do. The Holy Spirit being bestowed without measure upon him. God taking him into the wilderness to be tested and strengthed for the task. The next impression that I get is the desperation of the people in Galilee. Because word of him spread so quickly, and SO many came to see him. God had truly picked the right time for a savior to come, and for word to spread of him.
The only real thing that struck me was that Jesus would not allow the devils to speak of him. They knew him, yet he did not want the people to know him. That is my WHY?
I had been using my wife’s new fancy bible for a while now, but she is doing a study with my mom and had it somewhere else. So I took up my confirmation bible. I got it, OH my God, 25 years ago. At the ripe old age of 13. Almost flunked out of the class, and my dad was the teacher. The cover is coming off, the underlining is still there. Fun to see what I thought was important at the time, and even then had the beginnings of my own theology then. Such a pleasure to return to an old friend.
Oh yeah, we were doing a bible study, sorry.
The first part of Mark came to me as the way being prepared for Jesus on eath. The next part is Jesus being armed and trained for the tasks that he must do. The Holy Spirit being bestowed without measure upon him. God taking him into the wilderness to be tested and strengthed for the task. The next impression that I get is the desperation of the people in Galilee. Because word of him spread so quickly, and SO many came to see him. God had truly picked the right time for a savior to come, and for word to spread of him.
The only real thing that struck me was that Jesus would not allow the devils to speak of him. They knew him, yet he did not want the people to know him. That is my WHY?
Nate, you didn’t like my idea about it not being the right time? Here are a few other thoughts:
As this was early in Jesus’ ministry perhaps Jesus wanted to first establish his credibility.
Maybe Jesus didn’t want the unreliable testimony of demons.
Maybe Jesus wanted people to work out for themselves who He really was, without being told. (Actually I think I like this reason the best.)
Nate, you didn’t like my idea about it not being the right time? Here are a few other thoughts:
As this was early in Jesus’ ministry perhaps Jesus wanted to first establish his credibility.
Maybe Jesus didn’t want the unreliable testimony of demons.
Maybe Jesus wanted people to work out for themselves who He really was, without being told. (Actually I think I like this reason the best.)
the fact that jesus silences them aside… the demons spoke truly. interesting. any thoughts on this?
the fact that jesus silences them aside… the demons spoke truly. interesting. any thoughts on this?
On this ocassion the demons spoke truly, but perhaps with the intention of stirring up trouble?
On this ocassion the demons spoke truly, but perhaps with the intention of stirring up trouble?
it’s very possible. i didn’t really have anything to expound on in this. it just struck me strange to notice that the unclean spirits spoke truly. i suppose because i always had the impression of them as irrepressible liars, and it turns out this is not the case. kind of like the demon in the little girl who told fortunes in acts. this demon, as we are told by the story, spoke true things, or at least made accurate predictions, as well. very curious.
it’s very possible. i didn’t really have anything to expound on in this. it just struck me strange to notice that the unclean spirits spoke truly. i suppose because i always had the impression of them as irrepressible liars, and it turns out this is not the case. kind of like the demon in the little girl who told fortunes in acts. this demon, as we are told by the story, spoke true things, or at least made accurate predictions, as well. very curious.
In order for demons to be deceptive they have to sometimes tell the truth.
If they only tell lies people would soon figure it out and therefore not pay any attention to them.
In order for demons to be deceptive they have to sometimes tell the truth.
If they only tell lies people would soon figure it out and therefore not pay any attention to them.
34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city …
I think the answer is as simple as what is stated above …
Demons do speak truthfully … the enticement of Eve was truthful
Genesis 3:4
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 2:16
The LORD God commanded the man,saying,
“From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
and what is death?
simply separation from God.
The serpent was crafty in that he knew the death was a spiritual death not a physical one.
This death still plagues mankind today.
The demons speak the truth because there is no reason to say differently in front of God Himself … when we are enticed and taken away from God by our own desire to sin … then the truth is told to us by demons but it is told in a way to feed our sin and thus deceive us the same way that Eve was deceived. Adam was not deceived, interestingly enough … Adam knew there was more to it than a physical death. I think the knowledge of good and evil was something Adam wanted to know … and He wasn’t going to let Eve be separated from him, perhaps he felt responsible for her … “love”. 🙂
I think Adam knew his creator well enough to know His love and compassion for them would rule whatever was ahead. I think Adam knew that when all was said and done all would be well again.
34And He healed many who were ill with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He was not permitting the demons to speak, because they knew who He was.
Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city …
I think the answer is as simple as what is stated above …
Demons do speak truthfully … the enticement of Eve was truthful
Genesis 3:4
The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
Genesis 2:16
The LORD God commanded the man,saying,
“From any tree of the garden you may eat freely;
but from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat from it you will surely die.”
and what is death?
simply separation from God.
The serpent was crafty in that he knew the death was a spiritual death not a physical one.
This death still plagues mankind today.
The demons speak the truth because there is no reason to say differently in front of God Himself … when we are enticed and taken away from God by our own desire to sin … then the truth is told to us by demons but it is told in a way to feed our sin and thus deceive us the same way that Eve was deceived. Adam was not deceived, interestingly enough … Adam knew there was more to it than a physical death. I think the knowledge of good and evil was something Adam wanted to know … and He wasn’t going to let Eve be separated from him, perhaps he felt responsible for her … “love”. 🙂
I think Adam knew his creator well enough to know His love and compassion for them would rule whatever was ahead. I think Adam knew that when all was said and done all would be well again.
v.10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Jesus saw heaven being torn open. One day we will all see heaven being torn open and the new Jerusalem descending.
v.10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
Jesus saw heaven being torn open. One day we will all see heaven being torn open and the new Jerusalem descending.
v.22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
Jesus was different. He wasn’t just giving his opinion like the teachers of the law. He spoke with authority because he knew who He was and who God was. He was secure in his relationship with God. He knew the Scriptures. He knew God’s purpose for his life.
v.22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.
Jesus was different. He wasn’t just giving his opinion like the teachers of the law. He spoke with authority because he knew who He was and who God was. He was secure in his relationship with God. He knew the Scriptures. He knew God’s purpose for his life.
v.37-38 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
The disciples expected Jesus to respond to everyone’s expectations or requests but Jesus set boundaries and left that place. He didn’t feel obligated to return to them just because they were looking for him.
v.37-38 and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!” Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”
The disciples expected Jesus to respond to everyone’s expectations or requests but Jesus set boundaries and left that place. He didn’t feel obligated to return to them just because they were looking for him.
v.25-26 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
(From Constable Commentary) “Probably Jesus did not permit the demons to identify Him because this would have encouraged the people to think of Him as most of the Jews then thought of the Messiah. He wanted to avoid this stereotype as much as He could because it did not represent the type of Messiah He was.”
v.25-26 “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek.
(From Constable Commentary) “Probably Jesus did not permit the demons to identify Him because this would have encouraged the people to think of Him as most of the Jews then thought of the Messiah. He wanted to avoid this stereotype as much as He could because it did not represent the type of Messiah He was.”
v.15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The kingdom of God had come near because Jesus the King had arrived. But the fulness of the kingdom was still future.
v.15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
The kingdom of God had come near because Jesus the King had arrived. But the fulness of the kingdom was still future.