Mark 1: The Beginning of Jesus’ Ministry (NIV)
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After John the Baptist was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe
the good news!”
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Then, Jesus and his disciples went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into
the synagogue and began to teach. 22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught
them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their
synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out, 24 “What do you want with us, Jesus
of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
“Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” 26 The impure spirit shook the man
violently and came out of him with a shriek.
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The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and
with authority! He even gives orders to impure spirits and they obey him.” 28 News about him
spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee.
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As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and
Andrew. 30 Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus
about her. 31 So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began
to wait on them.
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That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. 33 The
whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also
drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
1. What initial announcement accompanied the start of Jesus’ ministry?
At the start of Jesus’s ministry, the initial announcement included how he drove out demons and
healed those with many different diseases.
2. What sort of activities characterized the first stages of Jesus’ ministry?
Activities that characterized the first stages of Jesus’s ministry include healing the fever of
Simon’s mother-in-law and bringing out the impure spirit of the man in the synagogue.
3. Did anything stand out to you from the passage as noteworthy or puzzling? If so,
what? (Be specific)
I think something noteworthy from the passage would be how Jesus responded to the man in the
synagogue and removed the impure spirit from the man. This act got the attention of the people
and began the spread of Jesus’s ministry.
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Luke 4:16-21 (NIV)
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He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went into the
synagogue, as was his custom. He stood up to read, 17 and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was
handed to him. Unrolling it, he found the place where it is written:
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“The Spirit of the Lord is on me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners
and recovery of sight for the blind,
to set the oppressed free,
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to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[a]
Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone
in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is
fulfilled in your hearing.”
1. Based on the passage that Jesus read in the synagogue, what sort of activities did
Jesus see as integral to his own mission?
From the scripture of prophet Isaiah, Jesus saw to integrate freedom; freedom for prisoners, those
trapped in blindness, and those captured by oppression.
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Luke 6:17-36; New International Version (NIV)
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Jesus went down with them and stood on a level place. A large crowd of his disciples was
there and a great number of people from all over Judea, from Jerusalem, and from the coastal
region around Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear him and to be healed of their diseases.
Those troubled by impure spirits were cured, 19 and the people all tried to touch him, because
power was coming from him and healing them all.
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Looking at his disciples, he said:
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.
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Blessed are you who hunger now,
for you will be satisfied.
Blessed are you who weep now,
for you will laugh.
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Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how
their ancestors treated the prophets.
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“But woe to you who are rich,
for you have already received your comfort.
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Woe to you who are well fed now,
for you will go hungry.
Woe to you who laugh now,
for you will mourn and weep.
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Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,
for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
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“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 If someone slaps you on one
cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from
them. 30 Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand
it back. 31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.
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“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love
them. 33 And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even
sinners do that. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that
to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35 But love your enemies, do
good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be
great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and
wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
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1. According to Jesus, who are those among us who are truly blessed?
Those who are truly blessed are the poor, the people who are hungry, those who weep, and those
who are hated. All of those who are blessed will see a positive turnaround.
2. What teaching does Jesus give in terms of how we should relate to our enemies?
We should pray for our enemies, be kind, give to those whom we do not owe, and love
our enemies.
3. What kind of economic perspective does Jesus teach in this passage?
An economic perspective that is portrayed by Jesus from the passage is that we should love our
enemies and do for those who do not do for you. One should not lend to a person who they owe,
instead, they should reach out and care for those whom they do not owe and it is not expected.
Luke 12:22-34 (NIV)
Then Jesus said to his disciples: “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you
will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. 23 For life is more than food, and the body more
than clothes. 24 Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn;
yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! 25 Who of you by
worrying can add a single hour to your life? 26 Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do
you worry about the rest?
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“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 28 If that is how God clothes the grass
of the field, which is here today, and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, how much more will he
clothe you—you of little faith! 29 And do not set your heart on what you will eat or drink; do not
worry about it. 30 For the pagan world runs after all such things, and your Father knows that you
need them. 31 But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.
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“Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. 33 Sell
your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a
treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. 34 For
where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
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1. What does Jesus teach about how we should handle anxieties?
Jesus teaches us to not worry and to have faith in God. Worrying does not extend life and God
will provide for those who give to the poor and put their trust in God.
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Matthew 20:20-28; New International Version (NIV)
A Mother’s Request
Then the mother of Zebedee’s sons came to Jesus with her sons and, kneeling down, asked a
favor of him.
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“What is it you want?” he asked.
She said, “Grant that one of these two sons of mine may sit at your right and the other at your left
in your kingdom.”
“You don’t know what you are asking,” Jesus said to them. “Can you drink the cup I am going
to drink?”
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“We can,” they answered.
Jesus said to them, “You will indeed drink from my cup, but to sit at my right or left is not for
me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared by my Father.”
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When the ten heard about this, they were indignant with the two brothers. 25 Jesus called them
together and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high
officials exercise authority over them. 26 Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become
great among you must be your servant, 27 and whoever wants to be first must be your slave—
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just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom
for many.”
1. What causes ten of Jesus’ disciples to become so upset in this passage?
The disciples became upset because the two brothers showed up and wanted to sit on either side
of Jesus in his kingdom, whereas the ten disciples had been serving Jesus and the people up to
this point earning that spot next to Jesus.
2. What is Jesus’ response to their indignation?
Jesus tells all the disciples that whoever wants to be beside him must first be the slave; meaning
that those who wish to walk with Jesus must first serve others.
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3. Does anything stand out to you from this passage as intriguing or confusing? If so,
what? (Be specific)
Something that stood out to me in this passage was how Jesus handled the brothers and disciples
when they became upset. Jesus made it very clear that people must first serve others and that be
their focus as opposed to just asking and leading the kingdom without putting in the work.
John 13:1-17 (NIV)
13 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave
this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to
the end.
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The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon
Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that
he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer
clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and
began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
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He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?”
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Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
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“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.”
Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
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“Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!”
Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is
clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” 11 For he knew who was going to betray
him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
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When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do
you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. 13 “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’
and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your
feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. 15 I have set you an example that you should do as
I have done for you. 16 Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a
messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be
blessed if you do them.
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1. What act of service does Jesus perform for his disciples in this passage?
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Jesus washes the feet of His disciples.
2. What do you see as the symbolic resonance of this action?
The washing of the feet symbolizes Jesus cleansing his disciples; not just physically, but
spiritually as well.
Matthew 25:31-46; New International Version (NIV)
The Sheep and the Goats
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his
glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people
one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his
right and the goats on his left.
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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take
your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was
hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I
was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you
looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
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“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or
thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or
needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
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“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers
and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
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“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I
was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I
needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after
me.’
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“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing
clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’
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“He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did
not do for me.’
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“Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
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1. At the final judgment, what will be the determining factor as to who enters the
kingdom of God?
The determining factor for those to enter the kingdom of God is if the person cared for
the brothers and sisters around them; those who were in need: hungry, thirsty, sick, in
prison, or needed a place to stay.
2. Does anything stand out to you from this passage as intriguing or confusing? If so,
what? (Be specific)
It was interesting to me that the people thought that they needed to care for Jesus specifically, but
instead, caring for those in need also cares for Jesus. In addition, those people who only focused
on caring for Jesus neglected others and still expected to enter the kingdom of God.
John 15:12-19 (NIV)
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My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this:
to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command. 15 I no
longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have
called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.
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You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear
fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
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This is my command: Love each other.
“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19 If you belonged to the world, it
would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of
the world. That is why the world hates you.
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1. What is Jesus’ central command to his disciples?
The central command Jesus had for his disciples was to love each other as He loved them.
2. What is the greatest expression of love that one can have?
The greatest expression of love is to “lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
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Luke 10:25-37 (NIV)
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I
do to inherit eternal life?”
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“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”
He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength and with all your mind’[a]; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b]”
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“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”
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But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked
by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
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A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on
the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other
side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took
pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put
the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took
out two denarii[c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I
will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
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“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of
robbers?”
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The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
1. According to Jesus, who is one’s neighbor?
According to Jesus, one’s neighbor is anyone who is in need.
2. What does this passage have to teach us about being a servant leader?
This passage teaches us that when we see a person in need, we should reach out and help the
person regardless of who they are; a person in need is our neighbor and we should love our
neighbor as ourself. The passage talks about other people who just went by the man in need,
which is not an example of a servant leader.
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Mark 10:17-27; New International Version (NIV)
As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. “Good
teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
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“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. 19 You
know the commandments: ‘You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not
steal, you shall not give false testimony, you shall not defraud, honor your father and mother.’[a]”
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“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”
Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
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At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.
Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom
of God!”
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The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is[b] to
enter the kingdom of God! 25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for
someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.”
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The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are
possible with God.”
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1. What does Jesus say is necessary to inherit eternal life?
To inherit eternal life, one must follow the commandments and give all they have to the poor and
then follow Jesus.
2. Do you think Jesus final command to this man is realistic? Why or why not?
I think the final command to the man is not realistic because, today, most people will not
give all they have to the poor. The “reality” is that people must have money to provide
for their basic needs and to provide for their families. I think that people can give their
hearts to follow Jesus and can give to the poor, but I do not see people giving their every
last cent to others to enter the kingdom of God.
3. Why do you think it is so difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God?
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I think it is difficult for the rich to enter the kingdom of God because they typically will have an
expensive lifestyle and will keep more for themselves as opposed to giving to those in need. That
is not saying that they will never give to those in need, but they will keep enough for themselves
to live a comfortable life and have enough money to fulfill they things they want, not just the
things they need.
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