In your Bible it may have something telling you Mark 16:9-20 are not in the earliest copies of Mark’s book. If you want, ask your leaders some other time about what this means. But what is important today is that this passage matches up with the other Gospels. We are reminded of the fact that Jesus rose, that the women at the tomb went and told the other disciples, and that Jesus appeared to more of the disciples at different times. Then He gave them a command (in the form of a goodbye speech!): “Preach the good news to all creation.” This is the final word Jesus gave to His followers. And that’s what they did. In verse 20, the disciples went out and preached the good news, and the risen Lord Jesus worked with them. Sometimes He “confirmed His word” by the signs that they did, many of which we can read about in another book of the Bible called the Acts of the Apostles. Now, the important point in this last passage is to preach the word (verse 15), knowing Jesus has risen and ascended into heaven (verse 19), and that He works with His people (verse 20). Sometimes He proves His power with amazing signs and wonders, but He doesn’t always, nor does He have to. The main thing is to tell other people the good news.

• How can we share the good news?
• Congratulations on finishing the book of Mark! After all that you’ve read, what is your response to Jesus?

Some followers of Jesus went to the tomb where Jesus was buried early in the morning on the first day of the Jewish week. (Mark 16:1-8.) They had waited for the Sabbath to end, according to the Old Testament Law, and then went out early. The Jews had a special way of burying their dead. It’s not exactly the same, but if you know how the ancient Egyptians bury their dead, you might get an idea. They’d wrap up the body and put spices and herbs on it. Perhaps you’ve heard the term ‘mummification’ before. It’s what happens to make a dead person into a mummy! The women were going to anoint Jesus’ body with spices, which was a similar sort of burial custom. But when they entered the tomb, they saw a “young man dressed in a white robe” (an angel) “and they were alarmed”. They were expecting Jesus’ body in the tomb, instead they find a man in white sitting down where Jesus’ body was supposed to be! But the angel brought good news to them. He told them that Jesus had risen! Jesus was not in the tomb, but had been raised. He is not dead, but ALIVE! The angel said they will see Him in the place called Galilee. Now they were still greatly afraid (verse 8), but they must have told the message to other people, as the other Gospels tell us. Jesus’ resurrection is good news for us! It means His death has proven God’s love to the world, and is the true way for us to be made right with Him.

• What is your response to this good news? Can you imagine the response of the women?
• Why do you think it is important to tell other people this news?

There is also a lot going on in today’s passage! (Mark 15:33-47.) Darkness, more Old Testament Scripture being fulfilled, and other symbolic events all occur in the story of Jesus’ death and burial. The main point is that Jesus suffered separation from God so that we don’t have to. The Bible teaches that the punishment for sin is eternal separation from God. But today we read about Jesus Christ dying in our place, taking God’s wrath on Himself, so that we don’t have to experience it. When Jesus was on the cross, He was enduring the punishment of God. That punishment is what we deserve for our sin. But if Jesus took it on the cross, then we won’t be punished if we trust in Him. The climax in verse 37 is followed by the curtain of the temple being torn in two. This symbolises that Jesus’ death means we can now come before God. Because He died, we don’t have to fear being punished. We can come to God by faith and ask for forgiveness.

• Imagine you are a disciple who followed Jesus. What would you be thinking at the moment of Jesus’ death?
• Have you, personally, asked Jesus for forgiveness, trusting that His death on the cross took the punishment you deserve?

Crucifixion was a nasty process. It has been said that it was one of the worst forms of torture and death anyone could experience. If you want to learn more about such things, perhaps talk to your leaders, or pick up a book like The Case for Christ (there’s even a student edition). Today’s reading shows us how much Jesus suffered (Mark 15:16-32). We read again and again that Jesus was mocked. Perhaps you’ve been mocked before; perhaps you’ve said something wrong and a friend has mocked you, pointing out that your statement was ridiculous. It’s not a very nice thing. But, for Jesus, it was even worse, because they were mocking the Son of God. When you speak with friends, you may joke around a bit. When you stand before royalty, you need to speak with appropriate manners. So what the people did in mocking Jesus was a very, very great insult. He is the Son of God! But as we said yesterday, Jesus could have stopped everything if He wanted to, but He didn’t. He suffered so greatly because He loves you so much. Remember that “God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

• What was the charge (the crime they said He committed) against Jesus? (Verse 26.)
• Why do you think Jesus endured so much? What does that mean to you?

Mark 14:66-72 is a bit of an emotional passage. In this reading, Peter denies Jesus. Remember that it was Peter who said to Jesus that even if all would fall away, he would not. Peter said that even if he had to die with Jesus, he would not disown Him. But we read in today’s passage that three times Peter denied that he knew Jesus. Have you ever had a friend betray you? Or have you just had a friend let you down? Perhaps they said they would do something but didn’t. Well, Judas betrayed Jesus, which was terrible in itself. But then one of Jesus’ closest disciples was ashamed to have known Him. Peter denied that he even knew Jesus (verse 71). Imagine how Jesus would feel! He was betrayed by His own disciple, beaten by His own people (whom He had come to rescue), and denied by His best friend! Yet we know from the end of John’s Gospel that Jesus forgave Peter. Truly, Jesus’ work on the cross is so powerful to forgive every sin. There is nothing that Jesus cannot forgive.

• Why do you think Peter disowned Jesus? (Think about where he was at the time – verse 66.)
• If Jesus can forgive Peter for denying Him three times, do you think we can forgive each other?

As we read the events of Mark 14:43-65 we must remember that God is in control. The Bible teaches clearly that God is sovereign (in control) over everything – even the events leading up to Jesus’ death and resurrection. He had already planned that they should happen. The Old Testament contains many predictions about Jesus and what He would do. These events were not an accident, but God used them to bring salvation. What does this mean for the bit of Mark’s Gospel that we read today? God’s sovereignty over these events reminds us of a few things: One, salvation through Jesus was a plan, not an accident. Two, Jesus willingly went to the cross, out of love for you and me. And three, it still means it was our sin that made Jesus go to the cross, because otherwise He would not have died.

• What do you think Jesus means in verses 48-49?
• What does He mean by “But the Scriptures must be fulfilled”?

There is a great amount of meaning to the events in Mark 14:22-42. It starts with a special meal called “the Lord’s Supper”. It points back to the Passover meal from the Old Testament. In that meal, the people ate bread without yeast (which meant it did not fluff up) as they remembered that God had brought them out of the land of Egypt. To the Israelites, Egypt was the land of slavery. So God brought them out into freedom.

The events in today’s reading are very similar to some Old Testament events. The people of Israel were saved from God’s plague by the blood of a sacrificed lamb. They painted the blood over the doorframes of their houses. So God “passed over” and did not touch those houses with blood on the doorframes. After this, God brought His people out of slavery in Egypt to freedom, so that they could serve Him without fear.

It is in the same way we are saved as Christians. Jesus is the Passover Lamb who died on the cross in our place. By His blood (the blood represents His death), we are saved from God’s anger against us because of our sin. In this amazing grace, God has forgiven us for our sin and brought us out of slavery to sin and into freedom! He has brought us from death to life. When Jesus says the bread is His body (verse 22) and the wine is His blood (verse 23-24), He is showing that His body will be broken and His blood poured out for our sake. When we participate in the Lord’s Supper we are to remember these things, because its purpose is like that of the Passover festival: We have been saved by God.

• Why is the Lord’s Supper important – what are we meant to remember?
• What did Jesus do for us?
• What does that mean for you?

While staying at a place called Bethany (Mark 14:3-21), Jesus was with His disciples. Then a woman came and anointed Him with expensive perfume. In fact, from what the disciples said, the perfume was worth more than the money a worker would make in a year! But notice, the disciples were “indignant” (very angry) about this “waste of perfume”. They supposed that it would have been better to sell the perfume and give money to the poor. That sounds good and fair, doesn’t it? So why did Jesus disagree? There are a few points to think about: One, Jesus said she had done a beautiful thing to Him. In verse 3 the woman had “poured the perfume on His head”. Remember when we talked about the word “Christ”? It means ‘the Anointed One’ and to anoint someone was often a sign to show their importance. Here, it points to Jesus as the Christ, God’s chosen King (perhaps read Psalm 2:1-6 as well). Two, Jesus said the disciples can give to the poor whenever they wish, but they won’t always have Him around. It is a serious statement. Jesus says that the woman had anointed Him in preparation for His burial (verse 8). Perhaps the disciples were selfish in their anger? Point three puts these things together. Jesus was anointed as God’s King, yet at the same time it was preparation for His burial. This is the point: Jesus, our King, died willingly for His people.

• What do you think Jesus means in verse 21: “The Son of Man will go just as it is written about Him”?
• What does this tell us about Jesus?

In yesterday’s reading, the main point was to be alert and watchful, in order that we are not deceived about Jesus and His coming. Building on this, the main point in today’s reading (Mark 13:14-31) is to know that the day is coming. Jesus warns us there will be a lot of trouble and strife as the end of the world draws near (verse 19). “So be on your guard”. This is the same point from yesterday (verse 23). Jesus will return soon. His return will mean the end of the world and judgement for all people. If you trust in Jesus, then you will live. But those who do not trust in Jesus will be shut out from His presence. This day is coming, but we do not know when. So the main point from today’s passage is to know that Jesus is coming soon.

• If Jesus is coming, but we do not know when, what does that mean for us?
• Romans 8:1 says that those who trust Jesus do not have to fear being condemned, because God has saved them. Do you believe this?

In Mark 12:35-44 Jesus makes an exciting point. He more or less says that Christ is not the Son of David, but is the Son of God (verse 37). This is because the Lord spoke to David’s ‘Lord’ (see Psalm 110:1). He said to sit at His right hand until His enemies are restrained and under His control.  The Lord is God the Father. David’s ‘Lord’ is God the Son (Jesus). The point is that Jesus is the Son of God. Sometimes in the Bible a certain fact is explained in a way that may seem to be different to another fact. Doesn’t Jesus keep calling Himself the Son of Man? Yes He does. He was born of a woman, so He is a human. But as He points out in today’s reading, He is not only a human. He is the Son of God. Since the Bible says that both are true, that Jesus is fully God and fully man at the same time, we need to accept that fact. Only God can save us from our sin, so only the Son of God, coming as a human, can take the punishment humans deserve.

• Why does Jesus warn against the teachers of the law (verses 38-40)? (Think back to Mark 7:6-8.)

After the debates Jesus had been engaged in, one teacher of the law who was listening, after hearing Jesus give a good answer, asked Him which commandment was the greatest (Mark 12:28-34). It is interesting that Jesus’ answer is not one of the Ten Commandments. (But it is still a command in the Old Testament.) Jesus’ point is that these two commandments sum up the whole law of God. Think about a car. There are many different parts, from the motor to the windscreen wipers and the wheels. All are important for the car to work properly. But together, summing up all the parts, it is a car.

So, to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength means to seek His honour and glory, to get rid of pride and arrogance, and to trust in God genuinely. To love our neighbour as ourselves means to respect and look after everyone around us, whether rich or poor, from any other country, and no matter what they do to us (whether they love us or hate us in return). These things are not easy, but God gives us grace to do them.

Notice that the teacher of the law who asked the question understands what Jesus said (verses 32-33). Because he understood this, Jesus said to the teacher of the law, “you are not far from the kingdom of God.” Worshipping God is not a duty. It means to love Him and be in a relationship with Him.

• Why do you think these commandment are the most important? (Look at verses 32-33.)
• What are practical ways to love God and each other? (Something you can do today, perhaps?)

While He was in Jerusalem, some of the Jews came to try and trap Jesus in what He said, so that they would have a reason to accuse Him (Mark 12:13-27). But Jesus knew what they were trying to do. So He answered their questions about taxes and marriage. His wisdom is clear. What brings the two teachings together, though, is that they have the same focus.  The focus is on a right relationship with God. That means, pay taxes if you have to, but do it in a way that honours God. And on the other hand, understand the Word of God and live by it. Jesus replied to the Sadducees, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?” Behind this is a call to understand the Bible properly. Instead of making it say what we want it to say, we need to read what God is saying. So remember these two things and the focus they both have: Live for God who has saved you.

• Do you believe Jesus is trustworthy?
• What does Jesus mean when He says to give to God what is God’s (verse 17)?

In chapters 12 and 13 of Mark, Jesus gives a sort of teaching ‘intermission’. He came to Jerusalem telling His disciples He will be handed over to the Gentiles and will die, and rise again three days later. But while He was at Jerusalem, He continued to teach the people about the way of God. So He explained the kingdom of heaven using a parable (Mark 12:1-12). In a very clever way, Jesus explains how God has worked in His world. God planted a vineyard and “rented the vineyard to some farmers” who are the humans He created. God sent servants (which represent prophets and other messengers) to the farmers in order to tell them to give some of the fruit of the vineyard to the owner. This reflects how the prophets came to tell the disobedient Jews to repent and return to God, who is their Lord and King. But the farmers beat and killed some of the servants, just as the Jews did to the prophets who were sent by God. Finally, the owner sent his son, just as God sent His Son (Jesus). But the farmers killed the son. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will comes and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.” Jesus showed that God treats sin seriously, and the greatest sin is to kill the Son of God!

• What does the quotation in verses 10-11 tell us about Jesus?
• Even after this the Pharisees didn’t believe in Jesus (verse 12). What is your response to Jesus – are you willing to take Him seriously?

When Jesus returned to the temple (Mark 11:15-33), He taught the people once again. But He also forced out the people who were selling and exchanging money (verses 15-17). After this, the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders came to Him and asked, “By what authority do you do these things?” In reality, it is as if someone came up to the Prime Minister of Australia and said ‘Who gave you the power to build this school?’ It’s a silly question. The Prime Minister has the power to do such things because most of the people of Australia voted for her in an election. In this case, Jesus is able to do these things, not because He was chosen by the people, but because He is the Son of God. But, why doesn’t He tell them this when they ask? It’s because they have had many opportunities to see Jesus’ miracles and to hear His teaching, and to hear the reports of other people, but they still don’t believe. If they had understood where John’s baptism came from (verses 29-30), they would understand who Jesus really was.

• Do we sometimes forget what Jesus has done for us?
• What do we do when we don’t trust Jesus? (Think back to other readings.)
• How can we remind ourselves to keep trusting Jesus?

The Old Testament contains a lot of predictions about Christ. When Jesus enters Jerusalem (Mark 11:1-14), He rides on a colt while the crowds about Him sing praises to God (“hosanna” means “save”). This fulfils the Old Testament prediction that the promised King would come, riding on a colt. (If you’re interested, read Matthew 21:4-5 and Zechariah 9:9.) Remember that Jesus had told His disciples He was going to Jerusalem to be delivered over to the chief priests and the people to be killed, and three days later He will rise.

So when Jesus enters Jerusalem, it looks like the coming of someone special. Imagine if you’re at the shops, or at school, and someone comes riding in through the gates on a horse with a large number of musicians and singers following them! It’d seem a bit strange, of course, but you’d be curious to find out what is going on, wouldn’t you? Well, Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem is something worth thinking about. He is the true King of the Jews, but we haven’t yet found out how He’ll defeat His enemies…

• What do we learn about Jesus from this story?
• What do you think it means to treat Jesus as King?
• Have you responded to Jesus as King – as Lord of your life?

In Mark 10:46-52, Jesus is travelling to a place called Jericho. When He arrives, there is a blind man sitting on the road. Since He was blind, He would have been unable to work, and they didn’t have many means of social support back in ancient times. He would have been very poor. Today we have government funds to help people with disabilities, but back then people like blind Bartimaeus sat on the road, often outside the temple or other places where people walked by, and begged for money or food. But when Bartimaeus learns that Jesus has come to town, he doesn’t beg for food or other such things. No, he begs the “Son of David” for mercy. He recognised who Jesus really was, which is why he called Him the “Son of David” (it’s another Old Testament name that pointed to Christ). He isn’t put off by other people telling him to stop shouting, because he had faith Jesus would do what he asked. So Jesus called Bartimaeus and healed him so that he could see.

• Do you think it is important that Bartimaeus continued to call on Jesus even when other people told him not to (verse 48)?
• How do you think this could apply to your own life?
• Why do you think Jesus said “your faith has healed you” in verse 52? (Think over what we’ve already learned about faith.)

Today we read a beautiful passage (Mark 10:35-45), which begins with a request by James and John (who were brothers – “the sons of Zebedee”). They came to Jesus and asked Him to grant them permission to sit at His right hand and at His left when He reigns in glory. This is good in one sense, because they recognised Jesus is the Christ and will be glorified. But they did not really know what they were asking (verse 38), because such a request is beyond their thinking. Now, it doesn’t exist as much anymore, but in ancient times seating places were very important. One such example is the head of the table for the host or most important person, then the distinguished guests near him, going down the table to those who are apparently “less important”. In the kingdom of heaven, we know that God reigns supreme, so Jesus will be seated in glory. But who will sit at His right hand or His left? We will not know until it happens (verse 40).

But Jesus teaches us something that is very important. We often think like James and John did, seeking greatness and glory for ourselves. To sit at Jesus’ right and left would mean they are exalted and distinguished. But Jesus tells them “whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all” (verses 43-44). Jesus describes the kingdom of heaven as radically different from the earthly kingdoms. Instead of the great ruling, they serve. Why? Because that’s what Jesus did. He will reign in glory, but when He came to earth as a man, He humbled Himself (verse 45). He even went to the cross and died so that He might “give His life as a ransom for many.” Jesus died so we might be free, in order that we may gladly serve God and each other in everything.

• What reason does Jesus give us to be humble (verses 43-45)?
• How did Jesus show humility? Why is His humility so amazing?
• Do you think this should change our attitude toward life? How might we show humility toward one another?

In Mark 10:17-34, Jesus says some important things about the how to be saved. A man had ran up to Jesus to ask what he must do in order to ‘inherit eternal life’. Jesus answers by reminding him of the law, which suggests he should keep the commandments so he can have eternal life (verse 19). If Jesus had said this to you, how do you think you’d respond? The man replied by saying he had kept the commandments since he was a little boy. What do you think? Is it possible to keep all the commandments of the Bible – not just the Ten Commandments? It would be very difficult!

Jesus told the man that he lacked one thing (verse 21). He said the man should sell his possessions and give to the poor. Is this how we are saved? No – the point was for the man to “Then come, follow Me” (the end of verse 21). It was not about the good deed of giving to the poor. Jesus told him to do this because, as He goes on to say, it is really difficult for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. They are too attached to their money and possessions to care about Jesus. It’s not wrong to be poor or rich. But what’s most important is to remember that things in this life are only temporary. Eternal life is the better treasure.

• Do you think you trust too much in possessions? Or is there something else that is getting in the way of your relationship with Jesus?
• What does Jesus say is the most important thing in life? (Think about verse 21 again.)

In Mark 10:1-16, Jesus makes two important points about life. One is a teaching on divorce (verses 1-12). The second, which we will look at today, is when Jesus teaches about faith in the story of the little children (verses 13-16). Look at verse 15: “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” What does He mean by this sentence? Well, let’s break it down into little parts and see if we can understand what Jesus is saying. There are three keywords He uses: “kingdom of God,” “little child” and “receives”. The kingdom of God is fairly obvious, and it means to belong to God’s kingdom, to be one of His people. But the keyword “receives” helps us to better understand what Jesus meant. To receive the kingdom of God means it has been given as a gift. Since the gospel (or ‘good news’) is about the kingdom of God, Jesus is saying, If you receive and accept the gospel like a little child, you will enter it.

His main point is to answer the question, “How do I enter God’s kingdom?” For the Jews, this was a very important question. Today we say “How can I be saved?” to mean the same thing. But Jesus’ answer has not changed. His answer is to receive the gospel like a “little child”. How does a little child receive something? If you have younger siblings you might be able to guess. The image is one of trust, thankfulness and acceptance. Little children trust that what they have received is a gift. They are thankful for the gift, and they accept the gift without question. So, to receive the kingdom of God like a little child is to have a ‘child-like faith’ that what God has given in the gospel (salvation in Jesus Christ) is a true gift.

• Have you accepted the gospel?
• Has the image of a little child made it easier for you to understand how to accept the gospel?

Sometimes there are little sayings or proverbs that people may quote which are meant to be a wise saying on some aspect of life (Mark 9:33-50). Jesus was full of them, since He came to teach us the way to real life (see John 14:6). Today’s passage includes a few really practical pointers to help us follow Jesus. Two main teachings to focus on is humility (verses 33-37) and peacefulness (verse 50).

The kingdom of heaven is not like our kingdom, that is, not like earth. Leaders used to be decided upon strength or power – if you could beat someone, you were above them. But Jesus shows that the kingdom of heaven is different. Instead of being first by putting yourself up, He says you will be great if you actually put yourself low and serve other people.

Again, our relationships with each other are important, but often difficult. So be humble, and “be at peace with each other” Jesus said. Salt is used as an image to show that Christians are different from the rest of the world. But if you end up doing the same things as you did before you became a Christian, then how can you say that you are “salty”? So “have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”

One last word: Just before this, Jesus talks about sin (verses 42-48). Humility towards God and peacefulness toward each other is a great way of combatting sin.

• Jesus quotes from Isaiah to describe the frightening reality of hell (verse 48). What does this say about how we should treat our sin?

When Jesus and His three disciples return from the top of the mountain (Mark 9:14-32), they find the other disciples arguing with the teachers of the law (verse 14). A man had brought his son, who was controlled by a demon, to the disciples in hope that they may drive it out. But they couldn’t, and so they were probably arguing with the teachers of the law about why they couldn’t do it. When everyone saw Jesus, they ran up to Him “filled with wonder”. Then the father asked Jesus to heal his son. But Jesus rebuked (do you remember that word – ‘to correct’?) the people for their lack of faith (verse 19). Then He heals the boy, and He gives an important teaching on faith. The father said to Jesus “If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” In other stories of miraculous healings, such as the healing of Jairus’ daughter, the person who asks Jesus for help has often said “Please lay your hands on my daughter that she may live” or “Say the word and my servant shall be healed.” They said something specific, trusting that Jesus could do what they asked. The father, however, doesn’t follow the same pattern. So Jesus said “Everything is possible for him who believes” (verse 23).

• What does it mean to believe in or trust Jesus? (Think about what trust is.)
• Does this verse mean we will get whatever we ‘wish’ for?

In Mark 9:2-13, Jesus takes three of His disciples up a mountain, and then He was “transfigured” in front of them (verse 2). Transfiguration means to change form or appearance. In this story, Jesus’ clothes became “whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them” (verse 3). All this prompts a response from Peter, who says he wants to build shelters for Jesus and for Moses and Elijah who appeared next to Jesus. This was because they were all terrified (verse 6). What can we learn from this passage? When Jesus’ appearance is changed, it is teaching us about how He is God, and how holy He is. In the Old Testament, some prophets had visions of God, and they describe the experience as seeing the glory of God, which causes them to fall to the ground and worship Him. (If you are interested, see Isaiah 6:1-5; Ezekiel 1:28, 44:4 and Revelation 1:12-17.) Jesus’ transfiguration is similar: He appears shining bright, in glory, while His disciples are frightened by what they see. Clearly, there is a connection between Jesus and God. Thankfully, God makes it really clear in verse 7: “This is my Son whom I love. Listen to Him!”

• What does it mean to listen to Jesus?
• Why do you think God says to listen to Jesus in this particular event?

In Mark 8:27-9:1 there is a famous passage (verses 34-9:1). If you know it or are already familiar with it, great! But don’t let that stop you reading it. It is good that this passage is well-known. But we still need to read it, understand it, and seek to apply it to our lives. What does it mean? What is Jesus really saying and why? What should I do? These questions are helpful in understanding a passage like this one.

It begins with Peter saying that Jesus is the Christ. This is very important. Peter recognises and understands that Jesus is chosen by God. “Christ” means “Anointed One”. In ancient times, to anoint someone was to set them apart for some special position or service. It is often part of the coronation (crowning) ceremony of a king; the ruler was anointed with oil to show God had chosen them as leader of the nation. Jesus is God’s anointed one: He is the chosen Ruler of the whole universe. God will also bring salvation through Jesus as the Old Testament said he would.

After this, Jesus tells His disciples that He must die and rise again. But they don’t understand it, because they thought Jesus would be a great King who would not have to die. Jesus is the King, but His kingdom is not on earth. So Jesus tells Peter to not get in the way of God’s plan. Then He makes this famous statement: If you want to follow Jesus, you must deny yourself, pick up your cross and follow Him. Heavy stuff! It means we must give our whole life to Jesus, not only a little part of it. If your life is like a pie-chart, it means Jesus wants the whole thing, not just a segment! It means we deny what we want so we can do what God wants. To take up our cross means we want to follow God because Jesus took up the cross first.

• How is Jesus’ call to follow Him different from what the rest of the world does?

By now you probably know that Jesus speaks often in parables. (If not, that’s okay – from today you will know!) In today’s reading (Mark 8:14-26), Jesus speaks again using a parable or comparison. He talks to His disciples, teaching them to “watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and that of Herod.” What is He saying? That you need to be careful where you buy your bread?

Well, He actually is, if we understand what He means by “bread” and “yeast”. He doesn’t mean the physical food that we eat, but the parable is used to show a connection between food and spiritual things. Just as we eat bread to survive, we also need spiritual food to survive. Remember yesterday’s passage?  Jesus can give us spiritual food. But today He says “watch out”. What is this ‘yeast’ or spiritual food? Jesus is talking about teaching. Yeast is something that causes bread to rise and fluff up when baked, increasing its size. So yeast in terms of teaching is something that will increase you spiritually – but either in evil or in good. The yeast or the teaching of the Pharisees and of Herod is not helpful for growing up to be good, because they do not teach the “way of God” truly or faithfully.

Jesus, on the other hand, teaches the way of God truly and faithfully. By listening to Him, we can grow in goodness – that is, in godliness.

• How can we listen to Jesus today?
• How often do you think we need to eat this ‘bread’?

At this point in the gospel (Mark 8:1-13), Jesus has said and done many things. Many people know about Him. Travel was took a lot longer back in Jesus’ time, so news travelled slowly as well. So it was no small thing when a large crowd gathered again, and Jesus taught them. He also miraculously fed them, breaking loaves and fish just like He had done before. The number of men was four thousand! If we add women and children, it is likely to be even more! But what is point of reading this miracle? It tells us a couple of things, such as Jesus’ power to supply what people need, His love for people, and more.

But check out verses 11-13. The Pharisees asked Jesus for a sign from heaven, to prove why He was doing these things. Jesus’ power to feed four thousand men ought to be clear enough proof that He is the Son of God! But the Pharisees don’t get it. Even though news travelled slowly, Jesus was quite well-known. One can hardly keep quiet the ability to feed thousands of people with a single basket of food.

The Pharisees studied the Old Testament and knew it well. But they could not understand the connection between what Jesus did in feeding the crowds with the passage from Exodus, where the people of Israel are in the wilderness. God sent manna (bread from heaven) to feed His people, for there was nothing else to eat. At the time, there were hundreds of thousands of people. So, when Jesus feeds the crowds, it is clearly a “sign from heaven” because He did just as God did, by feeding His people.

• Why did Jesus feed the four thousand men?
• This is the second time Jesus has fed a large number of people. What do these miracles mean for us? (What do they teach us about Jesus?)

By this time in His life, many people knew about Jesus and knew of His power (Mark 7:24-37). At a place called Tyre, a woman whose daughter was controlled by an evil spirit came and fell at His feet (verse 25). Then Jesus healed her daughter, even though He was far away! Following this, Jesus cured a man who was deaf and partially mute (verses 31-35). Both these stories show Jesus’ power to heal people. But there is something different between these two events that is important for us to note. When the woman came to Jesus, begging Him to cure her daughter, He replied “First let the children eat all they want, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

What? It might not make sense the first time you read it – what is Jesus talking about? He refers to “children” and “dogs”. Then He says the “bread” that belongs to the “children” should not be given to their “dogs” if they are still hungry. We have already read that Jesus spoke a lot in parables, and today He does it again. There is a deep significance behind what He says. Throughout the Bible, the Jews are treated as a special nation, chosen by God as different from the rest of the world. These are God’s “children”. The “dogs” are the other nations. The “bread” Jesus spoke of is His Word (His teaching and power to heal). The Jews are to be taught first, because they are God’s chosen. But, as the woman replied, “Even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” Jesus approves of her reply (verse 29).

This reply shows her humility, and her faith that Jesus can heal her daughter. She understands that God’s chosen people, Jews, are to be treated first, but she is willing to accept whatever can be given, even if it is a crumb. The fact that Jesus healed her daughter is great news: God still loves those who are not Jews. For this reason, we can be saved (I guess not many of you are Jews), because in Jesus’ death and resurrection, God brought Jews and non-Jews together. (For more on this, read Ephesians 2:11-18).

• What do we learn about faith in this story?
• What do we learn about Jesus? (Think about why He healed the woman’s daughter.)

In yesterday’s reading, we looked at the problem the Pharisees had with their traditions. Today (Mark 7:14-23), Jesus tells us how God really views us. See, Jesus called the crowd to Him because He was about to say something important, so read the passage carefully.

Nothing that goes into a man physically, such as food, can ‘defile’ a man or make him unclean. This is because it is physical, and goes through him, so to speak. What comes out of a man, however, comes out of his heart, and it is this that makes a man unclean. Out of our heart comes all the things which displease God, as Jesus lists in verse 21. This is what sin is: The things in our heart that displease God. It’s not about the action or the food or the washing of hands. It’s about love for God, and that comes from our heart.

We cannot escape the truth of Jesus’ words. But the word ‘heart’ may be a little old-fashioned. What Jesus is referring to is the evil thoughts that we may have, or a desire for revenge, or a feeling of rage or impatience. We all sin, though we do not always do the same sins. But check your heart and see where you are at with God.

This is a hard teaching because Jesus tells us where the real core or root of our problem is. We need to have a “change of heart”. Jesus can give us this. By turning to God, asking for forgiveness, and trusting in Jesus, we can have this new heart. If you have never thought about this before, speak to one of your leaders about it.

• What is it that truly makes us unclean?
• How can our heart be made clean?
• How is your heart at the moment? How do you want it to be?

You may know that the Pharisees were a sect or group of the Jews who strictly held to the Law. But they also did lots of other things, which they passed on as traditions (Mark 7:1-13). These included washing their hands before meals (not such a bad thing), but even washing their hands when they return from the marketplace! Can you imagine having to wash your hands after returning from a trip to the shops?

Just in case you can, let us explore what it means for the Pharisees to wash their hands. The word “unclean” in verse 2 helps to clarify. In the Old Testament, God gave the Law. It told the Israelites that God is holy. Because He is holy, certain things (such as foods) ‘defile’ a person, so that they are “unclean” in God’s sight. The Pharisees washed their hands in order to clean them, but it was something they were doing that they thought would make them clean in God’s sight. So imagine now having to wash your hands every time you return from the shops, so that you don’t upset God!

But the Pharisees were missing the point. Jesus said they were hypocrites and He quotes from Isaiah (a prophet in the Old Testament) to prove His point. The Pharisees honoured God with their lips (by doing things like washing their hands) but their hearts were far away (because they did not really love Him). They held on “to rules taught by men”. In this way Jesus sums up their attitude: “You have let go of the commandments of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”

God wants us to love Him, and not make up rules and traditions that we must follow in order to please Him. In truth, the purpose of the Law was to show God is holy and we are unholy. The purpose of the gospel is to show God’s love by saving us from our “uncleanness”.

• Think about what Jesus says in verses 9-13. What does this have to do with the above point?
• If you haven’t heard before about clean and unclean things, what is your first response? (Don’t worry though – we’ll look more at this in tomorrow’s reading.)

Have you ever had the conversation with your friends, asking what kind of super power you would want (if you could only have one)? Well, not that it is really relevant to this passage, but it is interesting to think about what it would be like to walk on water. In Mark 6:45-56, Jesus does just that. After sending away the crowds, Jesus went to pray (verse 46). He already told the disciples to travel away in the boat. It was late, but Jesus could see that they were struggling in the boat, because it was windy. So Jesus walked out to them! When they saw Him they were terrified and thought He was a ghost. But He told them something we’ve heard before: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”

• What is the reason for including verse 46?
• Why do you think Jesus has told people to not be afraid so many times?

In Mark 6:30-44 the disciples have just returned to Jesus after He sent them out, back in 6:7. They came to Him and reported all that they had done and taught. Then Jesus and His disciples went away by boat, seeking some time alone and for some rest. But they were unable to find any, because there were so many people seeking Jesus. These people were so determined to find Jesus that they travelled on foot to the other side of the lake (verse 33)! Imagine the scene as a disciple of Jesus: You arrive at the shore, tired and looking forward to some rest, but instead you find thousands of people standing on the shore waiting for you! Jesus looks out with a strange look on His face. He is not upset. He actually looks pleased. Then He begins to teach them more about God.

Eventually, you notice that the sun has almost set and you realise that all these people have not yet eaten. You try to tell Jesus to send them away so they can buy food, but He tells you to give them something to eat. You wonder how on earth you would find enough money to pay for enough food – for thousands of people! But Jesus tells you to go and check on how much food is available. He then takes the five loaves and two fish and thanks God for them, breaks them up, and begins to hand them out to you and the other disciples. Next thing you know, your belly is full and all the people have eaten!

• Why did Jesus begin to teach the people? (What does the illustration in verse 34 tell us about Jesus?)
• Mark tells us that Jesus fed five thousand men (verse 44). We can probably guess that the people following Jesus were families – so add to each man a wife and a couple of kids, and we realise that Jesus possibly fed 10000-20000 people! What is your response to Jesus feeding so many?
• What do you think we can learn from this miracle? (Think back to what Jesus did in verse 34 and why He did it.)

Today’s passage may be a little confusing when you first read it (Mark 6:14-29). The events are not actually in order. It begins with Herod, the king, hearing about Jesus, and about His disciples going around and preaching that people should repent, and they were also performing miracles (verse 14). When he heard this, Herod believed that Jesus was actually John the Baptist, raised from the dead. Herod thought that the reason Jesus could do these things was because he was John the Baptist. What follows this is a story explaining how John the Baptist had died.

• Why did John speak out against Herod?
• What happened to John as a result?
• What do you think we learn about Herod after this story? (Look at verses 26-28.)

In Mark 6:1-13, Jesus has gone to His hometown of Nazareth. This was the place where He spent His childhood years. On the Jewish Sabbath day (the day of rest), Jesus began to teach the people about God (verse 2). We also find that He performed miracles there (verse 2). But the people did not believe in Him – they rejected Him (verse 3).

Imagine if you left home one day, perhaps to go on a holiday or to work somewhere else that was far away. Perhaps upon your travels you saw something amazing and wanted to show your friends and family the photos you took, but when you came back no one would believe that you had done anything you said! Well, for Jesus, who could do more than just see amazing things but actually do them, does it surprise you that He is amazed at their response to Him?

• Why do you think the people rejected Jesus? (Read verses 3-4)
• Jesus was amazed at their lack of faith (verse 6). Why do you think He was amazed?

It will be helpful as we consider today’s reading to use our imagination a little more – and it might be fun also! So, to set the scene, think about the story being described here in Mark 5:21-43. Imagine you are Jairus, a well-known man (who looks after the temple) who is also a father. Your twelve-year-old daughter is very sick, and you know that she could die very soon. So you go and ask Jesus, a Teacher who has apparently done amazing things, like healing the sick and driving out evil spirits. So you find Him and ask Him “Please come and heal my daughter”. He agrees to go with you.

But on the way, He stops and asks “Who touched Me?” You stand uncomfortably, while He searches around Him for someone who touched Him. Even His disciples say that it is a silly thing to ask, because there are so many people all around Him anyway. But then a woman comes forward, and tells Jesus that she touched Him, hoping to be cured of her disease, and then she was healed. Jesus speaks kindly to her, while you still step from foot to foot, worried that this unexpected event is costing the life of your daughter.

Then some people come to you from your house and tell you “Your daughter is dead, why bother the Teacher any longer?” You don’t know what to say! You stand there for a moment, taking in the news, and you feel the fear in your heart. You don’t know what to do next – would it be bad to tell Jesus that He is not needed anymore? But suddenly, Jesus speaks to you and says “Fear not; just believe”. Just as if He could read you like a book, Jesus somehow knew what you were thinking. He continued on the way to your house. There were many people mourning and wailing. But He says to them “The child is not dead but asleep”. They laugh at Him. He beckons you to come with Him inside the house, and allows only three of His disciples to follow Him. So you, your wife, three disciples, and Jesus stand at the bed of your daughter, who is obviously dead. But He takes her hand and tells her to get up. Suddenly, she rises from the bed and walks around! You embrace her, overwhelmed with amazement and wonder at what just happened.

• What is the importance of what Jesus said in verse 36? (Think about verse 34 also, and what Jesus said to the disciples in the boat back in 4:40.)

Whew! After the boat trip through the stormy seas, Jesus and His disciples land at a place on the other side of the lake (Mark 5:1-20). Then a man came out from the tombs, controlled by demons. Yet he fell at Jesus’ feet, because the demons in the man knew that Jesus really is the Son of God. Then Jesus healed the man from the ‘legion’ of demons that were in him. But notice what happens: Jesus permits the demons to go into a large herd of pigs that were nearby. He could have done anything He wanted, so why does He allow this to happen? It makes the point that Jesus cared so much for one man that not even two thousand pigs could be considered equal value.

• What did Jesus command the man to do after he was healed?
• Can we do the same?

Today we read of two more parables Jesus used to explain the kingdom of God (Mark 4:26-41). Think about what features the seed and the tree has, and what that might mean the kingdom of God is like. We also learn that there are probably many more parables that Jesus told, which we don’t know about (verse 33).

Next, we learn of Jesus and His disciples going away by boat to another place. They sailed across the lake, but a “furious squall” came up. This is another way of saying that a big storm started, and there would have a very strong wind, and possibly rain, lightning and thunder also. When there is a storm at sea, it mixes up the water, often creating a big swell – that is, big waves – and this is why the boat was nearly swamped (verse 37). Obviously, it makes travel by boat difficult. No wonder the disciples were terrified (verse 38)! So they called out to Jesus, and He got up and rebuked the wind and the waves. Normally, when we use the word rebuke, it means to correct someone who has done something wrong. But here Jesus “rebuked the wind and said to the waves ‘Quiet! Be still!’” As a result, it became calm.

• What is your response to Jesus calming the storm? What do you learn about Him?
• How is this related to the parables of the kingdom of God just before this scene? (Look at verse 40 in particular – what did the disciples need to have in Jesus?)

Now, thankfully, Jesus explains this parable to us (Mark 4:10-25)! He says that the seed is the Word of God (verse 14). People respond to the Word (that is, to the good news about Jesus) differently, according to what type of ‘soil’ they are. Some reject it, like the seed eaten by birds. Others accept the gospel but fall away because of harsh treatment (‘persecution’). Still others accept it but cannot grow because of the thorns (which represent the worries of life and the desire for other things). Finally, some grow and bear fruit, like seed in good soil.

Jesus also explained why He uses parables. He used parables often, and so He explains why He uses them in verses 11-12. The disciples, Jesus said, have been given ‘the secret of the kingdom of God’. Then He quotes the Old Testament, to show that, for ‘those on the outside everything is said in parables’. This also helps us understand what Jesus said in verse 9 from yesterday’s passage. Jesus spoke in parables to show that there is more than just the physical world. Just as we have ears to hear physical sounds, such as birds, cars, and music, so too we have spiritual ears (so to speak), which allow us to hear spiritual things. Jesus taught about spiritual things, because He was talking about the kingdom of God. But we often block our spiritual ears and don’t listen to what Jesus says. So we need Jesus to help us, and this is why He said to the disciples ‘the secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you.’ If you believe in Jesus, He has unblocked your spiritual ears and helps you to understand these spiritual things. But if not, the parable will not make sense! (Note: The disciples didn’t understand the parable at first, in verses 10, 13. But through Jesus, we can come to an understanding of the parable, but that doesn’t mean it has to make perfect sense straight away!)

• Thinking again about how to understand the parable, re-read Jesus’ explanation and see if it makes sense for you.
• Think about what Jesus means by the illustrations in verses 21-25.

In today’s reading, Mark 4:1-9, Jesus begins using parables to teach people. A parable is a sort of story, used to explain a particular fact. Today we read about the parable of different types of soils. A farmer who scatters seed in order to grow a crop. We are told that the seed grew differently, depending on where it was scattered. What do you think this might mean? Think about what the seed may represent, and what the various places where it falls represent (the path, the rocky places, the thorns, and the good soil).

In verse 9 Jesus says “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” This is a bit strange, isn’t it? It’s actually a phrase Jesus liked to repeat a fair bit. So what does He mean? Have a think about this to. When we read something from the Bible, particularly something we don’t understand, it is good for us to stop, think prayerfully over the passage, and try to understand it.

With this particular sentence, we’ll go through it together, so you can understand the process. It begins “Then Jesus said”. The ‘then’ tells us we should go back to the verses before this one, because they are connected. So we go back to the parable Jesus told. After saying the parable, He says something like this: “If you have ears, then listen to Me and understand!” We may break down the passage to look at the keywords:

-          What are the ‘ears’ Jesus speaks of?

-          What does it then mean to ‘hear’?

Well, ears are something we use to hear. But what are we hearing? The parable that Jesus just told! So if we have ears, which allow us to hear, pay attention to what Jesus is saying!

We won’t have any questions for today. Instead, re-read the today’s passage and think about what Jesus means by the parable. In tomorrow’s reading, we’ll find a helpful clue to understanding more about both the parable, and Jesus’ statement in verse 9.

Well done to have made it through our first week in the gospel according to Mark! (Well, the first seven posts.) This time, in Mark 3:20-35, we come across a very important teaching. Jesus talks about a particular sin, which He calls blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. Remember that blasphemy means to dishonour God, or in this case the Holy Spirit (who is also God). What is striking about this teaching, is that Jesus says it is an ‘eternal’ or ‘unforgiveable’ sin. What does He mean?

Let’s go through it slowly. Jesus spoke about this after the religious leaders were making fun of Him by saying that He healed people only by the power of the devil. (Beelzebul is another name for Satan or the devil.) In another devotional post, there was a question about how Jesus did miracles – can you remember what you answered? In this reading Jesus tells us that it is definitely not by Satan that He casts out evil spirits!

Jesus says in verse 28 that every sin will be forgiven – thank God! But if someone rejects Jesus as Lord, they will not be forgiven. This is because Jesus was filled with the Spirit of God (and He was God!). But because they were saying that He had an unclean spirit (verse 30), they were not recognising Him as God – they were blaspheming against the Holy Spirit that was in Jesus. It is the Holy Spirit, not an evil spirit! Such people do not accept Christ, and if we do not accept Christ, we cannot be forgiven for our sins.

• Why is it a sin to blaspheme against the Holy Spirit?
• Why do we need to accept Jesus? (Think about why Jesus came.)
• Something to think about: What do you think is the most important news people need to hear today?

In chapter 3, Jesus’ ministry continues (Mark 3:1-19). Look at what makes up His ministry: He continues to teach and heal people. Again He teaches on the Sabbath day, and then heals many. Later on, He goes up a mountain and calls twelve of His followers to be called “Apostles” – these are the Twelve Apostles. The word “apostle” is Greek and means ‘one who is sent’. Jesus was going to send out the apostles to proclaim the good news also. Remember, we learn a lot about Jesus by looking at how He related to other people. In this passage, Jesus proved that His purpose was to do good, and for that reason He healed people.

• Given what you have read so far, what is your response to Jesus?
• How do the crowds respond?
• How do the religious leaders respond?
• What do you think about these other responses?

In Mark 2:13-28 we get to look into the reason why Jesus came. Here He calls another disciple to follow Him, Levi, who was a tax collector. In Jesus’ day, tax collectors were not liked very much. People didn’t like paying taxes, and unfortunately a lot of the tax collectors would cheat people just so they could grow rich, without caring for the poor or those they hurt. Yet Jesus has a meal with tax collectors and known ‘sinners’. The religious leaders didn’t like this! But see Jesus’ response in verse 17? Jesus is like a doctor, and those who need a doctor are the sick, not the healthy!

After this, Jesus was asked a question about fasting. He says that His disciples did not fast at that time, because He was still with them. Look at the wording He uses in verse 19. Jesus refers to ‘wedding guests’ and ‘the bridegroom’. Marriage imagery is often used in the Bible to describe the relationship between God and His people. Jesus is like the bridegroom, and the church (that is, the people of God, all Christians) are His bride.

Finally, Jesus teaches regarding the Sabbath. Notice how He wins the argument: He uses the Old Testament Scriptures, and He explains what they mean. Remember that the religious leaders had more or less abandoned true relationship with God. Instead, they turned God’s Law into religious rituals, without honouring God.

• Why do you think Jesus came? (Think about how verse 17 fits in with the whole reading.)

Throughout His three years of ministry, Jesus met many people. He often had incidents with religious leaders (Mark 2:1-12). In this reading, Jesus was teaching, and the room was full of people – so full that people were outside the room! Can you imagine people liking your English class so much that they all invite their friends and soon the room is overflowing with people just trying to listen to what was being said? Probably not. Jesus must have been pretty special – He was no ordinary teacher! Then some people brought a paralytic on a mat (he was a man who could not walk). When they brought the man down through the roof (they could not get through the door, for there were so many people!), Jesus looked at him with compassion and said his sins were forgiven.

Then the religious leaders started thinking to themselves that Jesus was ‘blaspheming’ – that Jesus was not showing honour or respect to God. In fact, they thought Jesus was dishonouring God by calling Himself God. They knew that God alone could forgive sins, so they were angry that Jesus called Himself God. (We know, though, that Jesus is God – and remember Mark 1:1!) But Jesus knew their thoughts and taught them an important lesson, which is helpful for us as well. Jesus said He will prove that ‘the Son of Man’ (an expression Jesus used to talk about Himself) ‘has authority on earth to forgive sins’. Pay attention to what He says. He then talks to the paralytic, and tells him to get up. The man does so! Jesus healed the man, and He did this to prove that He does have authority to forgive sins.

• Why is it important that Jesus has authority to forgive sins?
• Extra question: Where does He get this ‘authority’? (Hint: Can just anyone forgiven sins?)

Jesus was different from other people. He always had compassion, especially on the sick and weary (Mark 1:29-45). It is helpful for us while reading to think about how Jesus acted around people. Why was He compassionate, loving, and kind? Why did He heal and care for people? In the case of the leper (verses 40-45) we can see the compassion Jesus had for those in need. As we continue reading through Mark, we will build up more of a picture of who Jesus is, primarily by the looking at how He interacted with people. This is very important for when we come closer to the end of the gospel.

• Why does Jesus heal people?
• What do you think gives Him the power to heal people (think back to the opening of the gospel)?
• What do we learn about Jesus from verse 35? What do you think of what He did?

When beginning His ministry (Mark 1:14-28), the first thing Jesus did was tell people that the kingdom of God was at hand, so they should repent and believe the gospel. To repent means to turn away from, and gospel means “good news”. So Jesus told people to turn away from their sins and to trust in the good news about God. Long ago, towns used to have a ‘town crier’ who would act like a spokesman, telling people all sorts of news. Imagine the news reporter standing outside the shopping centre to tell us what is going on around the world! Look at today’s reading. Jesus was like a town crier, because He went around telling people about the good news. This is a very important part of Jesus’ ministry, and we will learn more about the gospel as we continue reading.

Jesus also had disciples, people who followed Him as He travelled from place to place. The first disciples, Mark records, were Simon and Andrew (verse 16), and James and John (verse 19).

Now Jesus had a plan. He would teach people the gospel wherever He could, but He would always try to go into the Jewish synagogue (to you and me, it’s a temple). There He would tell people the good news. But this was no ordinary situation! Jesus was not an ordinary man, and His teaching was not ordinary (verse 22). Amazing things happened when He spoke – such as in verses 24-26, when Jesus healed a man with an evil spirit. You can imagine the response of the crowd and people who saw Him (verses 27-28) – who is this Jesus?

• What does Jesus’ power over demons tell us about Him? (Perhaps go back to Mark 1:1 – what are we to know about Jesus?)

The gospel (meaning ‘good news’) is all about Jesus. In Mark 1:1-13 (click here to view online), it is clear that Mark wants us to know that Jesus is the Christ. Look at verses 2-3. Mark begins the good news with a quote from the Old Testament. The Old Testament pointed to a time when the Saviour of Israel and the world would come, and Mark sees that this has now been fulfilled in the time of Jesus. This idea of a prediction and the prediction being fulfilled happens a lot in Jesus’ life.

But this prediction (which is also called a prophecy) refers to one who was to come before Jesus Christ: John the Baptist. John was meant to prepare the way for Jesus to come. He did this by travelling around the countryside telling people that the Christ (who we know is Jesus) was about to come into the world. He would often baptise people, which is why he is called John the Baptist! Baptism is simply a sort-of washing with water, which is meant to show an inner change. That is why John said in verse 8 “I baptise you with water, but He [that is, Jesus] will baptise you with the Holy Spirit”.

Remember that if you don’t understand anything it’s a good idea to read over it again. If you want to, ask your leaders or another Christian what they think. For now, here are some questions you can think over:

• What is John’s attitude towards Jesus (verse 7)?
• What do we learn about Jesus in these opening verses? (See verses 1, 7-8, 10-11, 12.)

Welcome to the blog series on Mark! Each weekday (Monday-Friday) there will be a post about the good news from Mark. There are three main aims of these posts:

1. To help you to learn more about our Saviour Jesus;
2. To help you form a habit of reading the Bible daily; and
3. To go through the whole book of Mark.

The way it will work is roughly this: The posts will have a reading from Mark for you to read, and some comments to help you understand parts of the reading. Usually there will be a link for you to click on so you can quickly find the correct place on the internet. The comments in the posts will be about the passage in general, or referring to particular verses and incidents. Following this will be one or two questions for you to think over. They will hopefully encourage you to think more about what you have read, and if you want, you can discuss your thoughts on the passage.

Explaining some terms

It may be helpful for you if I just explain a couple of things. Each day’s reading should be linked to in some part of the post. But if you are reading from a printed Bible (which is absolutely fine!) then just a quick word on chapters and verses. We’ll be reading from Mark, which is the second book in the New Testament. Big numbers in the book are called chapters. Little numbers next to sentences and words are called verses. So if I write “Mark 10:45”, I am referring to the tenth chapter of Mark, verse 45. Also, the version of the Bible I have linked to and will quote from is the New International Version (the NIV for short). You don’t have to read the same version as me, but if you read from another version, you may find the text a bit different. Usually you’ll be able to understand it (for it says the same thing anyway), so don’t worry if there are some differences.

Some fun facts, and some important ones, too

Did you know that Mark’s book about Jesus was probably the first story to be written? In this book, Mark has put together various snapshots of Jesus’ life. It’s almost like he had a scrapbook and a camera, and collected photos of Jesus in various places, doing His ministry, and put them together.

Mark really wants want to tell you one thing, and he says it at the start so it’s really clear: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark really wants you to know that Jesus is the Son of God, the Saviour of the world. He is the one the Jews called Messiah or Christ, which means “The Anointed One”. Anointing was a way for ancient people to show that someone was special or set apart to do some particular work. It was often used in coronation ceremonies (which is a word meaning the crowing of a king). Jesus was anointed by God to be King of the whole world, because He is the Son of God, so He is the true King by right. The gospel teaches us about who Jesus is and what He came to do, so read carefully and try to think about what we are learning about this person called Jesus Christ.