Teaching Disciples: Part 1

Lesson 7

Teaching Disciples: Part 1

(Mark 8 & 9)

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: Mark gives us proof after proof that Jesus is the Messiah. He is God. Now Mark changes his focus. His goal now is to teach us that God came to die. That seems so outrageous that the disciples could not believe it. We have a phrase in English, “He could not wrap his mind around it.” That is the situation here: the disciples could not come to terms with Jesus dying. Are we like the disciples? Are there aspects of our Christian understanding that need to be changed in ways we can hardly believe? If so, we need to walk with the disciples as they come to realize the incomprehensible. Let’s plunge into our study of the Bible and learn more!

1. If At First You Don’t Succeed, Try Again
   
   1. Read Mark 8:22. Who is asking for the healing? (“Some people” who brought the blind man to Jesus.)
   2. Read Mark 8:23-24. Jesus leads the blind man out of the village. Why? (Perhaps this requires a level of trust by the blind man. Recall it was the people around him who called for healing, and not him.)
      1. Why does Jesus spit on his eyes and lay hands on him? We have not seen a miracle where Jesus spits on the person.
   3. Read 2 Kings 5:9-11. What did Naaman expect for his healing? (He wanted a show.)
      1. Why do you think he expected a show? (Whatever reason you give, is the reason why Jesus was giving this blind man a bit of a show.)
   4. Look again at Mark 8:24. Who understands what the blind man is describing? (I used to have poor vision. Anyone with poor distance vision understands this - people look like walking trees at a distance. This tells us the man’s blindness has not been completely cured.)
   5. Read Mark 8:25. Why did Jesus fail to get the miracle right the first time? Is it because He lacked the power? (Jesus had the power. Mark does not give us the answer. Perhaps Jesus is building the faith of the blind man.)
   6. Read Mark 8:26. Do we now know why Jesus led this man out of the village? (We previously discussed this issue of Jesus telling those He healed to keep it secret. This verse gives us the answer as to why Jesus walked him outside the village. Jesus wanted to avoid stirring up the people in that village.)
2. Confession
   
   1. Read Mark 8:27-28. How much do the opinions of others shape your opinion?
      1. Do you find that no one you know has the same opinion as you? (That would be very unusual.)
      2. In light of these answers, is it troubling that none of the disciples know anyone outside their group who thought Jesus was the Messiah?
   2. Read Mark 8:29-30. Do you think Peter is answering for the other disciples, or just himself? (If Peter is not answering for the others, the fact that Jesus instructs them not to tell reveals that Jesus approves of Peter’s answer that He is God.)
      1. One of the most important things that I have learned from studying the Bible is that the Holy Spirit does not inspire a bunch of random stories and statements. Context is a great help in understanding. Is the two-stage healing relevant to this discussion of who Jesus is? (It is a mirror. The opinion of others showed that Jesus was considered to be an important person. But like people who look like trees, this was not correct. When Jesus asks what the disciples think, this second stage question gets the answer right. Just like the second stage of the healing of the blind man.)
3. The Incomprehensible
   
   1. Read Mark 8:31-33. Let’s discuss this verse by verse. Would you consider the message of verse 31 to be a problem if you were a disciple? Jesus will be back in three days! His conflict with the Jewish leaders is not surprising news.
      1. Why did Peter think he had the authority to rebuke Jesus? (He was still feeling charged up by his identification of Jesus as the Christ.)
      2. Notice that Mark 8:33 says “seeing His disciples.” What do you think that means? (Peter may have taken Jesus aside, but the disciples were listening. This was, after all, astonishing news.)
      3. Ponder Jesus’ charge that Peter was thinking of human things and not God things. Isn’t this just the opposite of what Peter thought he was doing? How could the Messiah die?
         
         1. If this is a “human thing,” is not love the best of the human emotions? Peter loved Jesus!
         2. What possible “human thing” could Peter have in mind that would be Satanic? (We will discuss this in connection with the verses that follow.)
      4. Before we leave verse 33, can a person speak for God one minute and for Satan the next? (Read James 3:10-12. James says it should not happen.)
   2. Read Mark 8:34. What does this have to do, if anything, with Jesus telling Peter he has human things in mind? (Read Acts 1:6. Peter undoubtedly loved Jesus, but he also loved his future role in the Messiah’s new kingdom on earth. Jesus being killed, and rising after three days, did not fit Peter’s view of the future.)
      1. This is an issue every Christian should consider. “Am I doing good things to glorify myself, or to glorify God?” (In 1 Timothy 5:17 we are told that those who teach and preach should be honored. But taking up the cross means that duty comes before honor.)
   3. Read Mark 8:35-37. What practical argument does Jesus make? (We are all going to die. We are wise to die in a way that gives us life again.)
   4. Read Mark 8:38. What should we do in the midst of an evil world? (Stand up!)
4. It is Hard to be Humble
   
   1. Let’s skip ahead and read Mark 9:30-32. In the prior chapter Jesus “plainly” told them He would die and be raised to life. Peter “rebuked” Jesus for saying this. Now Jesus says this again and the disciples do not understand and are afraid to ask. Have you ever seen something like this? People cannot understand bad news? (I have with medical matters.)
   2. Read Mark 9:33-34. What do the disciples understand? (They are destined for greatness!)
      1. Is this why they cannot understand Jesus’ statement that He will die?
      2. What other aspects of the Christian life fall in this category? The truth is so contrary to our plans and expectations that we simply cannot understand and do not want to ask?
   3. Read Mark 9:35. Does Jesus rebuke them for wanting to be the greatest? (No. Instead, He tells them how it is done.)
      1. If a person achieves greatness this way, does it feel great? (That is the issue. A person wants to become great so that they are served. Jesus takes the pride out of being great.)
   4. Read Mark 9:36-37. How is “receiving” a child an example of serving? (I don’t think this has anything to do with the personality of children, rather this has to do with whether the child can advance your fortunes. If you help someone who cannot help you in return, that is true service.)
   5. Read Mark 9:38-40. Is this a pride problem? Is Mark staying on that topic? (Yes. The disciples think they have an exclusive franchise in sharing the gospel.)
      1. Is this a problem today? (Yes. When I became an adult and started sharing with members of other churches, I realized that they, too, had thought growing up their church was the only “right” church. The remnant in Revelation is defined by what the people believe and do, not by a denominational name. “The one who is not against us is for us.”)
   6. Read Mark 9:41. The issue before was casting out demons, this is giving a cup of water to drink. What point is Jesus making? (Anything done to advance Christianity, no matter how small, will be rewarded.)
   7. Friend, does your pride get in the way of a full understanding of the gospel? The gospel is about service, and even the most basic service is rewarded. Why not ask the Holy Spirit, right now, to give you power over pride?
5. Next week: Teaching Disciples: Part II.