The Gospel of Mark #19 – Study Questions

Kyle Bartholic   -   May 23, 2024

More Traps for Jesus

Mark 12:1-27 (CGS#19)

INTRODUCTION:  We left off in Mark’s Gospel with Jesus and the disciples in and around Jerusalem for Passover week and the final week of Jesus’ earthly life. Mark has told us about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem on Sunday and how the crowds proclaimed, “Hosanna!” Then, on Monday, as Jesus and the disciples made their way back into Jerusalem, Jesus cursed the fig tree and cleansed the city. Finally, on Tuesday, they saw the withered fig tree, and Jesus was confronted by the religious leaders in the Temple. That is where chapter 12 picks up. Jesus is in the Temple and being confronted by the religious leaders. In all, Mark will record seven different confrontations with the religious leaders in the Temple. And we cannot downplay the setting. The Temple was the center of Jewish worship. It was the place that God’s presence dwelt among his people. It was the place where the people could offer sacrifices to atone for their sin. And it was the place that the Messiah was supposed to establish his reign. Unfortunately for many in that moment, the Messiah was right there and they missed it. Simply put, there is significant tension in these conversations between Jesus and the religious leaders. Here is how one commentator explains it, “This section continues and contributes to the larger theme of Mark 11–13 that is defined by Jesus’ opposition to and rejection of the Temple. Mark 11:1–26 adumbrated the end of the temple system, which, in the person and work of Jesus, was “withered from the roots” (11:20). Beginning in 11:27, Mark presents a series of seven conflict stories between Jesus and the religious leaders. These conflicts extend to the end of chap. 12 and resemble the conflict stories of 2:1–3:6. As in the earlier Galilean controversies, in the Jerusalem controversies, Jesus acts with incomparable authority, providing both hearers and readers with glimpses of his messianic and filial consciousness, but unlike the Galilean controversies, the Jerusalem controversies are all set in the Temple and in opposition to the powerful religious authorities housed there.” [1]

So what is this conflict really about?

It is about the reality that Jesus is claiming to be greater than the Temple. He is claiming to be God and the Messiah. These are claims that, for you and me today, we have no issue with. Instead, we actually take great comfort in them. Why? Because we understand that Jesus is the Messiah and that he is the fulfillment of all the Temple looked to and hoped for. We believe that abundant eternal life comes through Jesus and not through some building or system of religious works. However, for those religious leaders then, his claims were received as highly confrontational and threatening instead of life-giving. They were so close to it all had all the evidence, but they didn’t have hearts that were soft to God, and so they missed it. It is easy for us to look back at them and dismiss or poke fun at their blindness. But, if we are willing to let the Spirit of God use their example to speak to us, we will come to find that we, too, can be just as blind as they were. That, it is entirely possible to have proximity to something and miss it entirely.

 

GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. When was a time in your life that you were so close to something, but ended up missing it entirely? This could have been a misread of a situation because you were so familiar with it. Or taking a wrong turn because you started out on a familiar and repeated route.

 

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. [2]

  1. When you look at the religious leaders in this passage (and through Mark), what things do you think blinded their hearts towards the work of God? What are the things that blind our hearts to the work of God today?
  2. One of the themes that we’ve seen in Mark is the possibility of having a hard heart. Jesus warns the disciples about this in 8:17-21. How might we guard our hearts from growing hard?
  3. In what ways do we sometimes try to engage God in a battle of wits?
  4. How should Jesus’ words about the resurrection affect the way we live now?
  5. What would it look like to take the next steps of obedience in loving God with everything we have and loving others as ourselves? What do you need to give to God? Where do you need to step up in love for others?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[1] James R. Edwards, The Gospel according to Mark, The Pillar New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos, 2002), 349.

[2]  Questions #3-5 are from: Jason Meyer, Mark for You, ed. Carl Laferton, God’s Word for You (The Good Book Company, 2022), 190.