A Day in the Minisrey of Jesus

Lesson 2

A Day in the Ministry of Jesus

(Mark 1:16-45)

Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: In the United States we have days when we encourage parents to take their children (I would guess one at a time) to work so the children will learn about what their parents do during the day. That is how our study this week feels to me. Mark started his gospel by declaring that Jesus was the Son of God, and then gave us supporting evidence from the Bible. Mark then added endorsements from John the Baptist, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit! Next Mark takes us to witness what Jesus is doing as He begins His ministry. A “This is God and see how He spends His time.” Sounds great to me, so let’s dive into the Gospel of Mark and spend a day with Jesus!

1. Picking Helpers
   
   1. Read Mark 1:16-18. First, put yourself in Jesus’ place. Why would He choose these two to be disciples? Was He concerned about not having enough to eat? Mark says nothing about picking them because of their theological excellence.
      1. Now change roles. Why would these two fisherman decide to leave their fishing equipment to “become fishers of men?”
         
         1. And what does “fishers of men” mean?
   2. Read John 1:35. Who is John and why does he have disciples? (This is John the Baptist, the most famous preacher of the day. Of course he had disciples.)
   3. Read John 1:36-37. Suddenly, John is short two disciples. Why? (John has identified Jesus as the Messiah. Two of John’s disciples leave immediately to follow Jesus.)
   4. Read John 1:38. What answer should these two disciples give to Jesus? (We just heard you are the Messiah, and we want to be part of the action.)
      1. What different answer do they give? (Where are you staying?)
         
         1. Why would they give an answer like that? It seems rather stupid. Put yourself in their place and see if this is an answer you might give? (They have been told that Jesus is the most important person in the history of the world. It would be very presumptuous to say, “We think we should be your disciples.” For that reason they give a much less bold answer.)
   5. Read John 1:39. If you were the two disciples, what would you think of Jesus’ response? (What an encouragement! Jesus is inviting them to come along.)
   6. Read John 1:40-42. Who are these two men who want to be disciples of Jesus? (Andrew and Simon.)
      1. Look back at Mark 1:16-17. Is Mark leaving out critical details? Or is this a second encounter between Jesus, Andrew, and Simon? (If you continue the story in John 1, it never goes beyond Andrew and Simon following Jesus to where He was staying, and then spending time with Him. In Mark we seem to be viewing a second encounter in which Jesus gives them a formal invitation to become disciples. Of course they immediately agree.)
   7. Read Mark 1:19-20. Do these two disciples seem different than Simon and Andrew? (Simon and Andrew had nets. James and John own a boat. They are part of a family business that has employees. These are successful fisherman!)
      1. The question remains, why would Jesus recruit them to be His followers? Whether Jesus is recruiting poor fisherman or successful fisherman, they are still unqualified for the job, right?
      2. When Jesus says in Mark 1:17 that He will make them “fishers of men,” is Jesus saying that their job skills are transferable? Great fisherman? You can be great evangelists!
   8. Let’s read outside of Mark’s gospel so we can get our facts straight. Read Luke 5:10. Are James and John in business with Simon? (Yes. This is not poor versus rich fishermen. They are all in business together.)
   1. If you just read Mark, it seems that Simon, Andrew, James, and John all immediately followed Jesus - and that might be their best qualification for the job. Luke records a different background. Skim Luke 5:1-3 and read Luke 5:4-5. How familiar is Simon with Jesus? (He knows Him. He calls Him “Master,” and agrees to do something that contradicts Simon’s professional opinion.)
   10. Read Luke 5:6-11. What qualifications does Simon Peter (and presumably the other three) demonstrate to be Jesus’ disciples? (They now believe based on personal experience that Jesus is God. He is the Messiah!)

2. Demon Witness
   
   1. Read Mark 1:21-24. Why do you think Mark includes this demon endorsement of Jesus’ identity? (Demons are liars, but this sounds like truth. The demon is afraid of Jesus and the demon admits his future.)
   2. Read Mark 1:25. Why does Jesus reject the demonic endorsement? (Jesus does not want to be associated with demons. He does not want their help. Plus, His main concern is for the person who is demon possessed.)
   3. Read Mark 1:26-28. What does this demonstrate is Jesus’ relationship with demons? (Notice the reversal. Jesus does not seek a demon endorsement to elevate His standing. He commands demons and they obey. Jesus is a man of action and power!)
   4. Look again at Mark 1:23. Why was this demon in church? If he thought Jesus might destroy him or free his prey, why take the chance?
3. Blessing the Family
   
   1. Read Mark 1:29-31. This was Sabbath. Is it right to heal and serve on the Sabbath? (Jesus heals and she serves. There is no adverse comment about this.)
   2. Read Mark 1:32-33. Why did the crowd emerge “at sundown?” (The people thought that either the journey or the hoped for healing would be improper during the Sabbath.)
   3. Read Mark 1:34. What evidence is Mark giving us that Jesus is the Messiah? (Healing, power over demons, and the inference that many (all?) demons knew who He was.)
4. The Talkative Leper
   
   1. Read Mark 1:40. Does the leper believe that Jesus is the Messiah? (He kneels before Jesus and says his healing is a matter of whether Jesus is willing and not whether Jesus has the power.)
   2. Read Mark 1:41. Does Jesus care about our problems? (Yes.)
   3. Read Leviticus 5:3. Why would Jesus touch the leper? (This text says that touching an unclean human creates “guilt.” Leviticus 5:5 says this sin must be confessed. Jesus did not need to touch him to heal him, the touch shows Jesus’ pity and love.)
   4. Read Mark 1:42. Was Jesus sinning by touching the leper? (When Jesus touched him he was no longer unclean.)
   5. Read Mark 1:43-45. Why would the leper disobey Jesus when Jesus made clear (“sternly charged”) that the leper should keep his mouth shut about this miracle?
   6. Read again Mark 1:38 and Mark 1:45. How serious a problem has the leper created for Jesus?
      1. What about the other sick and demon possessed people who would now continue to be sick and possessed?
      2. Should Jesus have skipped healing the leper?
         
         1. What does the fact that Jesus healed him anyway tell us about the nature of God’s attitude toward our problems?
      3. Did the leper think he was doing the right thing by telling others about Jesus? (I feel confident that he did. This is a warning about following what we think is right as opposed to what God tells us to do.)
      4. Is Jesus’ ministry stopped by the leper? (No. It just made it more difficult for people to see Jesus.)
   7. Friend, what have you learned about Jesus based on spending a day with Him? I learned that Jesus is God, and Jesus has great pity and love for us. Is this someone you, like the fishermen, would like to follow? Why not decide to become a follower of Jesus right now?
5. Next week: Controversies.