Series Summary:

How do we balance “Immediately” with waiting on the Lord? After centuries of waiting for a Messiah and Jesus waiting 30 years in obscure living, Mark portrays Jesus coming on the scene with urgency as a servant. Mark uses the word immediately over 40 times! He traveled with Paul, Barnabas, and Peter. He failed and was restored. Now, he is writing about Jesus through the apostle Peter’s first hand account. Mark asks us to consider who Jesus really is. Will we surrender and follow with a sense of urgency as we wait for the return of Jesus Christ the son of Man and son of God?

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Starter

Tell about a time when you were confused or surprised by who someone was or someone was confused or surprised by who you were.

Pray

Study Questions

READ: Mark 4

Parables by in large are not allegories. They can not mean whatever we want to or think they should mean. Most parables have one main point. We should not read into parables anything that is not evidenced clearly in the text. Often, Jesus even clearly clarifies the meaning for His disciples so we do not have to wonder or add to the meaning.

  1. Why did Jesus say he spoke in parables (Mark 4:10-13, 33-34) and why does he quote Isaiah 6:5-10? (also see: Matthew 13:10-17)
  2. List the parables Jesus uses in Mark 4?
  3. What do all of these parables point to?

READ: John 1:1-5, 14

  1. What do these verses tell us about the Word of God?
  2. So in the Mark 4 parables that Jesus uses to point to The Word, what is He actually pointing the people to?
  3. How do we often, like the people of Jesus day, focus on the things/objects of this world instead of how those things point us to listen and see who Jesus is?
  4. Jesus commands them to “Listen!” in 4:3. Why?
  5. List the things/objects Jesus uses in the first parable he tells in Mark 4:3-9.
  6. The disciples, while probably just going along with Jesus as He is teaching, realize they do not understand so they ask Him a question. Why is this exchange an important example for us?
  7. What does Jesus explain to the disciples that each thing/object represents in the first parable?
  8. What does this parable teach us about the responsiveness we should expect to God's Word?