The Gospel of Mark #11 – Study Questions
The Unexpected Messiah
Mark 8:1-21 (CGS#11)
INTRODUCTION: This Sunday begins Holy Week. Next Sunday (3/31) is Easter. Holy Week begins with the Triumphal Entry, where Jesus descended into Jerusalem via the Mount of Olives, and as he did, the crowd shouted, “Hosanna!” Hosanna literally means, “Save us!” But by Friday, the crowds will have changed, and they will be shouting, “Give us Barabbas!” Jesus will be crucified, and his disciples will bury him in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. But then, Sunday morning and the resurrection! The crowds knew that they needed a savior, but they misunderstood Jesus. Jesus’ purpose in the Triumphal Entry is to show that he will not be the conquering Messiah they are expecting who will bring the armies of heaven to destroy Israel’s enemies. Rather, he is the Suffering Servant, who is coming to defeat a different enemy, the sinfulness of humankind, and bring messianic peace, as symbolized by the donkey.[1] Jesus is the true Messiah, but the people struggled to see that.
That very struggle is one of the reasons Mark set out to write his Gospel. He desires all who read it to see Jesus clearly and then follow him accordingly. This struggle to see Jesus clearly is one we have encountered in our time through Mark, and we will see it once again as we look at the feeding of the four thousand. This is the second bread miracle. The first was the feeding of the five thousand. And just like that first bread miracle, the disciples still struggle to see Jesus clearly. Ironically, though, the feeding of the four thousand takes place in Gentile territory, with the majority of those present being Gentiles. And they seem to see Jesus clearly. Jesus’ very presence in this region and care for Gentiles is a strong theological statement that the gospel is for all people. So, what do we see in this passage? Mark sets the scene for the theme we shall look at in the next section, namely, the failure of the disciples to fully understand what is going on. But this is hardly a matter of great blame. Nothing like this had ever happened before; we can excuse them (and Mark is certainly happy to) for being a bit slow on the uptake. He seems to be emphasizing that the feedings, along with the healings, are ways in which Jesus’ identity as the true Messiah was being unveiled, but since no first-century Jews known to us were expecting a Messiah who would multiply loaves and fishes, we can, once more, hardly blame them for that.[2] So, Jesus is here in Gentile territory, doing things in unexpected ways but doing the things that only the Messiah can do. We can have compassion on the disciples as they misunderstand Jesus, even though it seems they should know better. We’re all works in progress. Jesus doesn’t give up on them. And his character of compassion is made clear for us to see. The Greek word for “compassion,” splangnizomai, comes from splangnon, meaning entrails or vital organs. Mark is helping us to understand that Jesus’ compassion is not superficial or merely performative, it is genuine and real. So is his ability, he is God in flesh and fully capable. If we are willing to sit with the text, we will Jesus for who he actually is, the Messiah. And, if we’re willing to let God search our hearts, we will find that we are a lot like the crowds at the triumphal entry or like the disciples in this moment. We know we need a savior, but we can easily misunderstand Jesus. So, we need to ask ourselves a question, “Who or what is your functional savior?”
GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. Who is someone or what was an experience in your life that was crucial in coming to faith in Christ?
IN THE WORD – Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.
First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)
Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.
Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?
Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?
Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.
- Before coming to Christ, what were the functional saviors you looked to? Think of the things or people that you looked to for security, comfort, identity, etc.
- Even as believers, we can get distracted and miss Jesus. What are some functional saviors that believers can look to instead of looking to Jesus? Which one(s) do you struggle with?
- How is the character and nature of Jesus being made clear to you through the Gospel of Mark? What application(s) does that hold for your life?
- How are we like the disciples in that we can be so close to Jesus yet still get distracted and misunderstand Jesus? What gift of grace is there in this, and what call to righteousness is there for you?
- We have seen Jesus be more than capable in the recent passages. What areas or things in your life do you struggle to let him be Lord over? Or, where do you look to your ability more than his ability? What is a tangible step to build trust in that area?
[1] Grant R. Osborne, Luke: Verse by Verse, ed. Jeffrey Reimer, Elliot Ritzema, and Danielle Thevenaz, Awa Sarah, Osborne New Testament Commentaries (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2018), 453.
[2] Tom Wright, Mark for Everyone (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 101.