The Avenue Church
The Gospel of Mark is an action packed account of the life and ministry of Jesus. As Christians, our entire lives are to be built around following Jesus, so how can we do that if we don't know how Jesus lived??? This verse-by-verse study of Mark will help each of us take our Next Steps towards Christ, no matter where we are starting from!
Mark 1:1-8 NLT
1. Who was Mark?
Acts of the Apostles 12:12 NLT
Acts of the Apostles 12:25 NLT
Barnabas and Paul to embark on the First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:2), and they take Mark with them (vs 5).
However, we later learn (Acts 15:38) that Mark had turned back early in the journey, when they reached Pamphylia on the southern coast of modern Turkey.
Barnabus and Paul disagreed whether to take Mark with them on their next trip, so they separated from each other; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus (Acts 15:37-39).
A factor in this dispute was likely that Mark was Barnabas’s cousin
(Col. 4:10).
Barnabas took Mark on an otherwise unrecorded journey to Barnabas’s native island of Cyprus (Acts 4:36).
Mark later formed a close bond with Peter, who refers to him as his spiritual son and who was with him during his ministry in Rome (1 Pet. 5:13). Early church tradition says that Mark took notes on Peter’s accounts of the life of Christ and that became what we have as his Gospel.
We also learn that Paul eventually reconciled with Mark (2 Tim. 4:11) and considered him a valuable ministry partner.
2. Beginning of the Good News About Jesus Messiah Son of God
A. Good News = Gospel
B. Messiah = Christ
Mark 8:29 NLT
C. Son of God
Mark 15:39 NLT
3. The Messenger who Prepares the Way
A. John’s Message - Repentance
Luke 3:8-14 NLT
Acts of the Apostles 19:3-5 NLT
B. John's Methods
Luke 7:24-28 NLT
C. John’s Mission - To Prepare People to Receive Jesus
1 Corinthians 3:6-7 NLT
-To Point People to Jesus
John 3:30 ESV
Discussion Questions - Re-read our passage from this week (Mark 1:1-8) and then with your Growth Group, family, friends, etc. thoughtfully answer the following:
1. When you consider the life of Mark, what similarities do you have with him? (grew up in Christian family, served the Lord, fell away for a period, eventually came back, etc.)
2. How does someone who has experienced failure in ministry (like Mark) have a different perspective from one who hasn’t? What are the benefits?
3. How have “failures” in your life (think prodigal son experiences, seasons of loss or difficulty) helped you grow in your faith?
4. How is Jesus “Good News” in your life right now?
5. How is John the Baptist’s mission the same as ours?
6. Who is someone in your life right now that you see opportunity to help prepare them to receive Jesus?
