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

Very briefly tell about a time when you realized that you just did not understand something.

Pray

Study Questions

Mark 7 ends with, “They were extremely astonished and said, “He has done everything well! He even makes deaf people hear, and people unable to speak, talk!” People do not know what to make of Jesus. It becomes more and more obvious that people, including the disciples, do not understand who Jesus really is and what He has really come to do.

READ: Mark 8

Mark 8:1-10

  1. How is the feeding of the 4000 similar to the feeding of the 5000? Different? (Mark 6:30-44, 8:1-11)
  2. In Mark 6, Jesus feeds 5,000 people in a Jewish region. In Mark 8, he feeds 4,000 in a non Jewish region. Religious Jews, especially Jewish religious leaders, did not eat with non Jews.
    What is Jesus likely trying to communicate about himself and His kingdom by doing these miracles this way?
  3. Compare and contrast the disciples’ attitudes in the 2 feedings.
  4. The disciples say, “Where can anyone get enough bread here in this desolate place to fill these people?”(8:4).
    1. Why do you think they defaulted back to a mindset of impossibility?
    2. How and why do we forget God's past answers when facing problems that are common to man and that we have often been though before?

Mark 8:11-21

The Pharisees came out and began to argue with Jesus, demanding of Him a sign from heaven as a test. Sighing deeply in His spirit, Jesus said, “Why does this generation demand a sign?”

  1. Why did the Pharisees go to see Jesus?
    1. How do people still approach Jesus this way today?
    2. What is Jesus’ response to that approach as seen here in Mark 8?
  2. Jesus did not give them a sign this time. Why?
    1. How many other “signs” had God already given them as recorded in the gospels and recorded in prophetic scripture up to this point?
  3. Why do we think Jesus did most of His signs in the 4 gospel stories?
  4. What does Jesus say will be the sign given to them and every “generation” after them? Why?
  5. Answer Jesus’ question, Why does our generation still demand or command signs and wonders of God?