The Gospel of Mark #21 – Study Questions

Kyle Bartholic   -   June 6, 2024

The Heart of Christ

Mark 12:35-44 (CGS#21)

INTRODUCTION:  This week, we will conclude chapter 12 in Mark’s Gospel. Jesus and the disciples have been in Jerusalem since chapter 11. And they will remain there through chapter 16, Jesus’ resurrection. As we’ve mentioned before, Mark devotes a third of his Gospel to the last week of Jesus’ life. Here is the timeline of that week with key verse markers.

  1. 11:11 – Sunday – Triumphant Entry
  2. 11:12 – Monday – Back to Jerusalem
  3. 11:20 – Tuesday – The day questions
  4. 14:1 – Wednesday – “Two days before the Passover.”
  5. 14:12 – Thursday – “First day of the Passover.”
  6. 15:1 – Friday – “Soon it was morning.” – Trial and crucifixion
  7. 16:1 – Sunday – “When the Sabbath was passed.” – Resurrection

Turning our eyes to the closing section in chapter twelve, we find ourselves on Tuesday and the end of a long day of questions. But now, it is Jesus’ turn to ask a question, and he does so to bring clarity to who he is. We can’t forget the setting for this longer dialogue, the Temple. By the first century, this was the third and largest Temple Israel had. Built by Herod the Great, it was sprawling and significant in every way. It was also a reminder of the best years in Israel’s history when David ruled as king. Now, Jesus standing in the Temple will cite Psalm 110 to raise a question about “David’s son and David’s Lod.” In this question, Jesus is teaching that he is indeed the long-promised Messiah, just as the OT has predicted. The people will cheer, and the leaders will, well, they will stay the course on their mission to destroy Jesus (cf. 3:6).  After posing his question, Jesus continued his teaching, and he drew his disciples’ attention to a widow, giving an insignificant amount of money to most, but to her, she gave her all. See, it is through the pairing of Jesus’ question and the contrasting of the scribes and the widow’s offering that we see a brilliant truth come into focus. Mark is once again bringing Jesus into focus for us. He shows us who Jesus is and then paints the picture of the values that are to follow. Or, as we’ve said before, we are to see Jesus clearly and follow him accordingly. What clarifying truth should we focus on? Here is how one theologian explains it, “This passage is therefore pointing towards something which again has been bubbling up under the surface ever since Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, and will come to its head when Jesus confronts Caiaphas in chapter 14. Jesus is claiming authority over the Temple—claiming, indeed, the right to declare God’s judgment on it—not simply as a prophet, but as the King; not simply as the King, but as the true priest; not simply as the priest-King, but as the living embodiment of Israel’s God. This is complex, and perhaps difficult for us to grasp all at once. But these are the themes that make sense of the whole of Mark’s gospel, and in a measure of Jesus himself. … One might have thought she was ‘merely’ putting in two copper coins, but in fact she was putting in everything she had. One might have thought the Messiah was ‘merely’ David’s son—a human king among other human kings. But in fact, in the Messiah, Israel’s God has given himself totally, given all that he had and was.”[1] There it is, Jesus the Messiah, has come to give his life as a ransom for many. Do you hear Mark 10:45 ringing in your ears? Jesus is the servant Messiah. And as he once again teaches this to his disciples, he teaches it to us also. We are reminded that an apprentice is to become like their master.

 

 

GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. How would you define the value of radical generosity? What markers need to be present to know that you have been radically generous?

 

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. What themes and patterns have you seen in the Gospel of Mark up to this point? What is God teaching you through them?
  2. What is clarified about Jesus for you in this section? Why does Jesus’ identity matter so much? What difference does it make to your life?
  3. What would it look like in your life to behave like the rich scribes? What would it look like to behave like the poor widow?
  4. Is there margin in your schedule for opportunities to be radically generous? Is there margin in your life to hear from the Lord to be purposefully responsive to him?
  5. What is an intentional next step for you in the areas of radical generosity and purposeful responsiveness?

 

 

 

 

 

[1] Tom Wright, Mark for Everyone (London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004), 175–176. (Emphasis added.)

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