Do you tend to answer customer experience surveys only when you have had a bad experience? We live in a culture where dissatisfaction is rampant and even encouraged because it provides opportunities for others to manipulate our lives. Not being satisfied with everyday life isn’t a new issue. Dissatisfaction nags at us because we live in a sin-broken world. Even as believers we wrestle with being satisfied in Jesus. The Explore the Bible Study: Satisfies examines a time when people, for a moment, were completely satisfied.

Mark 6:30-34 finds us looking into Mark’s account of a multitude of people who were hungry both spiritually and physically. They were pursuing Jesus because they desired Him to satisfy their needs. Leading up to this passage, Mark describes a lot of events that took place as He and the disciples moved about the region. From parables to miracles to Jesus raising someone from the dead, Jesus is continually revealing Himself as the Son of God.

Yet, through all of this, Jesus still faced rejection, even in places where He should have been embraced, like His hometown of Nazareth. His return to His hometown revealed the difficulties of satisfying people when they have hard hearts and closed minds.

As you examine this passage, consider how satisfied you are in Jesus.

Trying to satisfy people is exhausting – Mark 6:30-32

Mark has already told us that Jesus had chosen the twelve disciples in Mark 3:13-19. Here he refers to them as apostles. Jesus had commissioned the disciples to go out to do ministry on their own. Mark captures the amazing works of God they experienced earlier in chapter 6 as Jesus commissioned them to go out and meet the needs of others in His name:  

He summoned the Twelve and began to send them out in pairs and gave them authority over unclean spirits. He instructed them to take nothing for the road except a staff—no bread, no traveling bag, no money in their belts, but to wear sandals and not put on an extra shirt. He said to them, “Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that place. If any place does not welcome you or listen to you, when you leave there, shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them.” So they went out and preached that people should repent. They drove out many demons, anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. (Mark 6:7-13)

Now they have returned to share their amazing experiences with Jesus.

Imagine you were listening in on the conversations between Jesus and those disciples. What could you imagine took place during these conversations?

It’s important to notice that, while they were reporting these things, the crowds continued to pursue them. There were so many people and so many needs that they couldn’t even eat. Jesus had experienced this (see Mark 1:35) and He knew what these disciples needed. They needed some rest! If they continued to try and satisfy the unending needs of the crowd, there would be nothing left for them to give emotionally, physically, or spiritually.

What are some symptoms that might indicate someone needs to step away for a period of rest after taking care of people’s needs? What actions could prevent you from being drained spiritually, mentally, physically, or emotionally? 

Jesus knew they needed to rest, but even with them pulling away, the crowds kept coming.

Jesus does not ignore those who pursue Him – Mark 6:33-34

What are some things today people might “run to” to experience satisfaction or contentment?

People today might run to drugs, alcohol, entertainment, sports events, money, or countless other things, thinking these might satisfy their emptiness. Yet, at the end of the day, none of these bring satisfaction. They are all temporary and fleeting.

The thing that was different for this crowd on this day was their desire for something different. They had seen or heard about this group of men, especially their teacher, Jesus, and they “ran on foot” to get to Him. But one must ask, 

“WHAT were they desiring for Jesus to satisfy?” 

Did they only desire to satisfy their immediate needs, or did they truly desire to follow Jesus? 

What reasons might people give for “running to” Jesus?

Whatever their motives for running to meet Jesus, it’s obvious they needed something more than what they were presently experiencing, and they felt Jesus could satisfy that need.  Notice how Jesus responded. He was moved with compassion “because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” 

What actions today reveal that people are like sheep without a shepherd? 

Notice how Jesus first began to satisfy their needs—by teaching them. Jesus didn’t send them away or try to remedy their issues with a quick fix so the disciples could rest. His compassion moved Him to take time to teach them about God’s kingdom.

Are you willing to let the needs of people interrupt your season of rest? Is your compassion for people and your passion for the gospel greater than your need for rest?

But Jesus didn’t only teach them. Jesus focused on their physical needs as well. Yet, this was a lesson as well, especially for the disciples!

Trusting Jesus to satisfy needs is a lesson of faith – Mark 6:35-38

What problems were the disciples concerned about regarding the physical hunger of the crowd? 

What steps would you have taken to solve this problem if you were one of the disciples?

Why do you think Jesus commanded them to “give them something to eat?”

Had you been one of the disciples, how might you have responded?

When you read Mark’s account of the feeding of the crowd or this story about the faith of George Muller, what thoughts do you have regarding how you should respond?

Can you recall a story of when God provided for you as you tried to meet the spiritual or physical needs of others?

What practical things can you do to trust Jesus more when you have a problem that seems impossible to solve?

Are you satisfied in Jesus? Or do you expect Him to satisfy your every need? What is the difference in these two questions?

Do you expect Jesus to send you a customer satisfaction survey? Is it Jesus’s goal to make sure you are satisfied with His “product”? How could your view of satisfaction skew your expectations of Jesus?

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. 

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LifeWay Explore The Bible Resources

These teaching helps are intended to be used as a supplement to your study of Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum resources. Portions of this material are taken directly from content copyrighted to Lifeway Christian Resources Explore the Bible and is used with permission.  This material has not been reviewed by Lifeway Christian Resources. 

"Who died and made you the boss?" Have you ever thought or expressed this to someone? It seems that we are hearing more and more people bring up questions regarding the authority others have over them. We have heard questions arise in education, politics, law enforcement, and other arenas regarding the decision-making authority of others. Mark 3:20-30, the focus of the Explore the Bible Study: Questioned, raises questions about the extent of Jesus’s authority. 

Jesus had demonstrated his authority over sickness and the Sabbath by healing a man with a paralyzed hand on the Sabbath. This brought out the critics who questioned where He derived such power. You will discover that even His own family believed He had lost His mind.

Consider the role Jesus’s authority plays in your life as you examine the passages in this session. 

Jesus’s Authority and the Skeptics Response—Mark 3:20-22

Imagine you were in the house that Jesus had entered. This could have been the home of Peter and Andrew in Capernaum, but the Scriptures don’t tell us this exactly. There is such a large crowd that the mealtime was disrupted to the extent that people weren’t even able to eat.

Mark first tells us that His family was skeptical of His authority.

The root of the Greek for the word “restrain” (krateo) implies physical control. Jesus’s family apparently believed that He was a danger to Himself and others. They were so concerned for His mental health that they were willing to restrain Him and take Him away with physical force if necessary. One can’t examine just this passage regarding Jesus’s family response without looking at verses 31-35 as well.

When you read Mark’s account regarding the family setting out to restrain Him, what do you imagine? Do you find it difficult to believe that Jesus’s family responded as they did?

In Mark 3:31-35, Jesus reveals His authority as the Son of God, thus making His works greater than just simply fulfilling the wishes of His birth family: “His mother and his brothers came, and standing outside, they sent word to him and called him. A crowd was sitting around him and told him, “Look, your mother, your brothers, and your sisters are outside asking for you.” 33 He replied to them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” Looking at those sitting in a circle around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

Then, between Mark 3:20-22 and Mark 3:31-35, Mark sandwiches the actions of another group that was skeptical of His authority—the scribes from Jerusalem.

These skeptics were so concerned that they came all the way “down” from Jerusalem to see if His authority needed to be challenged. They challenged and questioned His authority by associating His good works with Beelzebul. They accused Jesus of being possessed by Beelzebul, therefore acting as a raving madman. Beelzebul was a reference to a false Canaanite god associated with demons. By the first century, the Jews used it as a name for Satan.

Their logic didn’t make sense. They didn’t deny that Jesus freed people from evil spirits, but they believed He did it by using demonic powers. They went even further and stated that he drove out demons by the authority of Satan Himself. 

How do people express skepticism regarding Jesus Christ today? How do they attempt to associate the works of Jesus, especially the gospel, with something evil? Why do people have so much trouble acknowledging Jesus’s authority? 

So, we see that Jesus is called “crazy” by his family and “demon possessed” by the religious leaders. Both completely reject him and demean him.  However, Jesus did not try to run or hide. He confronted their skepticism regarding His authority head on by summoning them and telling a parable.

The Source of Jesus’s Authority Revealed – Mark 3:23-27

Jesus describes two situations in His parable—a kingdom and a house. Neither can stand if it is divided. Both situations are then related back to Satan’s domain.  Satan, the chief of the fallen angels, rebelled against God’s authority, was cast out of heaven, and was the origin of evil—including the temptation that led to humanity’s sin and fall. He remains limited by the hand of God, though He did tempt Jesus during His earthly ministry (Matthew 4:1) and continues to tempt humanity.

The New Testament teaches that the world and culture are the temporary domain (kingdom/house) of Satan; however, one day Jesus will return with all power and authority, fulfilling the eternal judgment of Satan and his followers. 

The scribe’s argument was completely illogical. If Jesus was working alongside Satan to cast out the demons, the enemy would be destroying his own kingdom. It would mean civil war in the kingdom of evil.  “In the same way, a home, with people working against one another, is doomed.” 

Jesus declared that He was working to advance a much different kingdom. The source of His authority was not from Satan but from God the Father.

Who was the strong man in Jesus’s parable?

The Life Application New Testament Commentary states that “Jesus’s parable reflects a situation in the ancient world where wealthy people’s homes were virtual fortresses, and their servants could form a small army. Jesus pictured Satan as the wealthy man (strong man) and his demons as his servants and possessions. The only way those possessions could be carried off would be for someone to first tie up the strong man.

Jesus, as God, has “tied up” Satan. Jesus was not in league with Satan, as the teachers of the law tried to claim; rather, he had overpowered Satan by refusing his temptations and by constantly freeing people held in Satan’s grasp.” 

In what ways might you attribute Satan with more authority than he really has? Are you more afraid of the authority of Satan or more confident in the authority of Jesus? What might your answer reveal about your view of Jesus’s authority versus Satan’s authority?

Jesus demonstrated His superior power by dismantling Satan’s work. The fact that He could cast out demons and defeat evil spirits provided evidence that He was an agent of righteousness, sent by God to do God’s work.  However, the greatest demonstration of Jesus’s authority is revealed in Jesus’s next words. 

The Scope of Jesus’s Authority – Mark 3:28-30

Jesus’s greatest demonstration of authority is through His power to forgive and free people from “all sins and whatever blasphemies they utter.” Yet, this passage has led to a lot of discussions regarding the subject of the unpardonable sin—blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

Do you struggle with believing that people can be forgiven by Jesus for all sins and even blasphemies they utter? What sins might you struggle with believing Jesus could forgive? What are some of your thoughts, opinions, or insight you have regarding when someone has blasphemed the Holy Spirit? 

Too often people miss the promise found in verse 28 and worry more about the warning in verse 29.  Those who believe in Jesus will be forgiven of all sins (evil acts, wrong actions, good actions not done, evil thoughts, evil motives, etc.) and of all blasphemies (evil words said against God). When there is confession and repentance, no sin is beyond God’s forgiveness.

However, we can’t ignore the one sin that cannot be forgiven. One must ask then when does someone cross over to the point of no return? Mark called blasphemy of the Holy Spirit an eternal sin because it involves rejecting Jesus’s identity as the Messiah sent from God and refusing the salvation and forgiveness only He provides. When exactly is this determined?

The Life Application New Testament Commentary provides a good explanation: “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit refers not so much to a single action or word as to an attitude. Those who defiantly deny Jesus’ divine power and instead attribute it to Satan are blaspheming the Holy Spirit (see also Matthew 12:32). Jesus was not talking about rejecting him, but of rejecting the power behind him.” 

In the case of the scribes, their failure to recognize the Spirit, under whose influence Jesus was actually operating, indicated that they were dangerously close to committing the unforgivable sin. Verse 30 reveals why Jesus warned them of this when Mark tells us it was “because they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.” By identifying the Holy Spirit as Satan in Jesus’s life, the religious leaders were committing unspeakable blasphemy. They were rejecting the authority of Christ the Messiah and attributing it to Satan, thereby blaspheming the Holy Spirit.

We must realize that this is not for us to determine. God is the only one who possesses the knowledge to know when one crosses this threshold. The only time we can be most sure is if someone dies completely and blatantly rejecting Christ. Additionally, if you are worried that you have committed this sin, then you most likely haven’t. Someone who has won’t worry about it!

This criteria is also one of many and most certainly one of the major ways of identifying religious groups as cults. If they deny the authority of Christ as the Son of God and/or reject the work and power of the Holy Spirit, then they are blaspheming God.

The Authority of Jesus In Your Life

Do you believe Jesus has just as much authority to heal someone physically as He does to forgive sins? How should your prayer life reflect that belief? How should your conversations with people reflect that belief?

Consider the areas in which you might be denying or questioning Christ’s authority. Spend some time talking with Jesus about your struggles and about surrendering to Him once again.

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. 

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LifeWay Explore The Bible Resources

These teaching helps are intended to be used as a supplement to your study of Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum resources. Portions of this material are taken directly from content copyrighted to Lifeway Christian Resources Explore the Bible and is used with permission.  This material has not been reviewed by Lifeway Christian Resources. 

What do these words have in common: chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, talk your ear off, chatty Cathy, chatterbox? These all describe someone who just can't keep quiet. Even the quietest person will speak up and possibly become more talkative than anyone else in a group regarding a subject that is interesting to them.  Mark 1:35-45, the focus of the Explore the Bible Study: Proclaimed, is all about knowing when to remain silent and when to speak up.

After Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, Mark records Jesus’s interactions with His first disciples and a series of miraculous events that took place in Capernaum.

• Mark 1:21-28 records Jesus displaying His authority over Satan by exorcising a demon from a man who had disrupted Jesus’s teaching in the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus rebuked the evil spirit and healed the man.
• Mark 1:29-34 then records Mark’s account of Jesus healing Peter’s mother-in-law, along with many other residents of Capernaum.

Then, in Mark 1:35-45, we find Jesus in another part of the Galilee region. Jesus makes a very important decision to separate Himself from the crowds, disciples, and busyness so He can spend time with His Father. 

It’s during this event that we discover something about when we should remain silent and when we should speak up as we follow Jesus.

The Disciples Missed the Silent Part! - Mark 1:35-39

Multiple times throughout the gospel writings, we are told how Jesus would get away from the crowds to be alone with His Father. Seeking God and spending time alone with Him was vital to his mission. He was residing in a human body that functioned with all the personality and emotions of any other human being. He needed time away to recharge, rethink, and refocus.

Yet this time away was not received very well by the young disciples. They totally missed what was unfolding. Notice how Mark includes that, “Simon and his companions searched for him, and when they found him they said, “Everyone is looking for you”?

The disciples seemed oblivious and quite possibly irritated by Jesus’s disappearance. It’s only through Mark’s writings after the fact that we understand why Jesus went away. He desired time with God through prayer. 

If Mark had written this event in real time as it unfolded, he might have said something like this: “I can’t believe Jesus is missing. What was He thinking? Just when things were really starting to look up, he disappeared, and we can’t find Him. All these people are waiting on Him to do more great things. We have an opportunity here to capitalize on the momentum.”

The word “search” most likely describes this type of response. “Search” is derived from a verb that means to “track down.” In the Greek, it was usually used in a hostile way. The disciples were most likely disturbed and maybe even aggravated with Jesus, so they were trying to track Him down. 

Do you sometimes wonder why Jesus isn’t doing something you think He should be doing? Do you ask the same question Simon Peter asks? What can you learn from this scene?

There are a few things we can learn from these verses. 

• First, if Jesus seems silent or absent while you are experiencing a problem or a need, this doesn’t mean He is ignoring you.
• Second, as believers we all need to know when to get away and alone with the Father in prayer. It is during those times that God usually speaks the loudest. However, we should understand that when we are alone with God in prayer that there will be people, situations, and other distractions that will try to pull us away as did the disciples with Jesus.

What activities could keep you so busy that you miss spending time with God?

How can busyness drain you physically and emotionally?

How can busyness distract you from God’s plan for your life?

How can busyness cause you to miss hearing from God?

Where is your “deserted place” that helps you hear from God?

Because Jesus spent time with the Father, He was more resolute regarding His mission and purpose. He knew He could not remain silent.

Jesus Couldn’t Remain Silent – Mark 1:38-39

Jesus always knew why God had placed Him in this world. He hadn’t forgotten, but He had grown tired and possibly distracted by all the needs around Him. After pulling away for awhile, we see Jesus becoming refocused and more resolute about His purpose and His next steps.

Notice how Jesus said, “Let’s go”; then he began talking about what He had come to do personally.

Why did Jesus take His disciples with Him when it was His mission that He had come to fulfill? How would you describe your mission as a believer? Who should you take with you as you go?

Why didn’t Jesus simply stay put and let the people come to Him? Do we sometimes expect people to come to us instead of us going to them?

Jesus had come to preach the good news of God’s kingdom to as many people as possible. His ministry and message involved far more than just one or two towns and He invited His disciples to join Him and learn from Him as we went from town to town.

This should also be our purpose and ministry as believers. We are commissioned to take the good news to those who have not yet heard about Jesus, letting them know that salvation is only available through Him. As we go, we too should take others with us so that they can learn and grow in their faith.

People Who are Looking for Jesus Won’t Remain Silent - Mark 1:40-42

According to the World Health Organization, leprosy still affects more than 200,000 people worldwide today; but it can be treated, and most people are able to live normal lives. In the first century, though, it was a feared and dreadful disease. 

Leprosy during biblical times could have described many skin diseases, but it commonly affected every part of the body. In worst cases, it would slowly eat away and rot the body, putting its victim under a guaranteed death sentence. According to Old Testament writings we know that lepers were isolated from social interactions and placed in leper colonies outside the city. They would have to dress like people in mourning by wearing torn clothes and a face covering. When other people approached, lepers were required to shout out that they were unclean so those people could avoid them.

But this leper did not shout out that he was unclean. He came to Jesus begging to be made clean which was the equivalent to being healed. His boldness was measured with humility, as he fell to his knees and pleaded with Jesus to make him clean. 

What actions demonstrated Jesus’s view of the leper and His needs? How does this compare to how you might respond to someone who is “unclean” because of sin? 

We see in Jesus how all believers should respond, yet we must admit it is easier said than done. Jesus had a compassionate heart toward this man. His compassion for this man’s need was larger than His fear, prejudice, or bias. Jesus reached out and touched this man. Then He healed the leper.

If Jesus could reach out to a leper with compassion, certainly we can offer the healing power of the gospel to someone who might come to us seeking Jesus. If someone reaches out to us because they know they are “unclean” because of sin, we certainly should be ready to reach out to them, demonstrate compassion, and offer them the healing power of the gospel.

People Who Have Been Healed by Jesus Can’t Remain Silent - Mark 1:43-45

Why did Jesus not want the man to tell anyone except the priest? Do you believe Jesus knew this man couldn’t keep his mouth shut? What was the result of the man’s disobedience? Did it stop the spread of the gospel? (No)

Jesus warned him not to tell anyone about being healed. Yet, this man told everyone. His testimony could not be silenced. The fact that Jesus could no longer enter a town openly, was out in deserted places, yet they came to Him from everywhere tells us a lot about the power of the Gospel message. 

When Jesus is revealed to a world desperate for something or someone to heal their lives, they will seek Him wherever He may be found because of the testimonies of those whose lives have been changed by Him.

Consider your times of silence and times when you speak up for the gospel. 

What can you learn from this passage today?

Perhaps you need to learn from Jesus regarding the time you need to be quiet as you let God speak to you through prayer. 

Perhaps you are like the disciples who didn’t know when to keep silent and didn’t understand the silence of Jesus when so many people were seeking Him. 

Perhaps you are like the leper before he was healed. You know you need to come to Jesus for healing. If you come to Him, He will come to you in compassion, reach out and touch your life, and heal you from your sin. 

Or perhaps you think the way the leper responded after he was healed is the way you need to live your life. Perhaps you desire to be so bold that you speak up, even when we are told not to speak up so that others might seek Jesus.

 The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. 

Download PDF Version

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LifeWay Explore The Bible Resources

These teaching helps are intended to be used as a supplement to your study of Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum resources. Portions of this material are taken directly from content copyrighted to Lifeway Christian Resources Explore the Bible and is used with permission.  This material has not been reviewed by Lifeway Christian Resources. 

ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL? College season is here, and along with it comes a lot of hype. As you examine this week's Explore the Bible Study: Introduced, think about all the hype that goes into anticipating an upcoming football season. Then compare this anticipation to the long awaited coming of the Messiah. Mark's gospel is going to introduce us to that long-awaited coming. Perhaps the following video will help set the context of the anticipation. Our anticipation of an upcoming football season pales in comparison to the coming of the Messiah, yet the hype was not nearly what one would expect.

While you might not care that college football is beginning again most avid college football fans have been anticipating this time of the year for months. The Gospel of Mark begins with the end of a long wait by the people of God for the coming Messiah. 

The Gospel of Mark is the second of the four gospel accounts of Jesus’ life. It is called a gospel account because it announces the “good news.” “Gospel” comes from a Greek word “evangelion,” which literally means “good news.” In the New Testament, it refers to the announcement that Jesus has brought salvation to the world through his life, death, and resurrection from the dead.

Mark begins with the introduction of Jesus to the world through a man called John the Baptist. John the Baptist had lived in the wilderness, looked different, wasn’t of royal blood, and was baptizing and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But his most important job would be to introduce to the world, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Mark simply, yet powerfully, introduces Jesus to a primarily Gentile audience. It opens with the phrase in Mark 1:1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” With this simple and powerful introduction, Mark takes us down a path to help us understand more fully who Jesus is, why He is the Messiah, and what it truly means that He is the Messiah. 

Even in the introduction of Jesus, we discover that the long-awaited Messiah was going to be much different, yet much more than what the Jewish people anticipated. Through this study of The Gospel of Mark, perhaps you, too, will discover that Jesus as Messiah is much different than what you might expect, and, at the same time, much more than what you ever realized.

Perhaps it will help answer the question or confirm for you regarding why you should follow Jesus. In the first three verses we see that God always sends people to be His messengers of the Good News of Jesus Christ. In this case, it was John the Baptist.

Prepare the Way for the Messiah—Mark 1:1-3

For centuries, the Jewish people had been longing for the Messiah’s arrival. But since they were expecting a military leader who would free them from Roman rule, many missed the significance of Jesus once He burst onto the scene. Mark was led by God to begin with Jesus’ earthly and public ministry instead of His birth and early years as did other gospel accounts. 

His first sentence is a declaration, a title page for the One being introduced: Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This description of Jesus was very important. It presents the entire message of the gospel that is only available through Jesus Christ. 

• “Jesus” – from the Hebrew name “Joshua.” It means “The Lord is salvation.”
• “Christ” – A Greek word meaning “anointed.” Jesus was anointed by God. It also corresponds to the Hebrew world “Messiah.”
• “Son of God” – So as not to leave any doubt, Mark introduces Jesus as the “Son of God” thus proclaiming the deity of Christ and affirming that Jesus is fully God and fully man. This would a recurring theme throughout Mark’s gospel.

We are also introduced to the messenger, John the Baptist, in verse 1. In ancient cultures a forerunner would be sent ahead of a king to prepare for the king’s entrance into a town. He would make necessary arrangements and line out the path in which the king would enter. Jesus was The King. While His kingdom was “not of this world” (John 18:36), as the Son of God, He was anointed to redeem His people who were of this world.

Read Mark 1:3 again. There were two actions this messenger from the wilderness was to take.  How can these actions apply to believers today?

Believers are messengers from the wilderness as well. As believers we will or should be viewed differently from others. Our actions may seem unusual and, at times, very different than most of society. However, we are to be ones who “cry out in the wilderness” the gospel message. We are to remove all barriers so that the Messiah has a clear path to the hearts of men. 

As John prepared the way, he could have become prideful because of the results in his personal ministry. Verse 4-8 reveals this was not the case.

Move out of the way for the Messiah—Mark 1:4-8

Imagine if this were today. Because of what was taking place, would people be more attracted to the ministry of John the Baptist than to the One he was introducing? In what ways did John’s actions and lifestyle demonstrate his humility? Why do you think his humility was necessary in carrying out the mission with which he was charged?

“John was preaching something different than what the first-century Jews had been hearing. As a result, he created a great deal of excitement throughout the region. . . John’s preaching created so much excitement that it had people talking across the region. Great numbers were flocking to the countryside to hear him preach. 

This would not have been an easy trip since the Jordan River is more than twenty miles from Jerusalem, including a descent of around 4,000 feet. Those who traveled to hear him were committed to hearing what he had to say. Going out suggests that people were continually coming.” – Source, ETB Leader Commentary.

John denied any pretense of self-indulgence so that all attention would be directed toward the coming Messiah.

What if John had ignored Jesus and considered his popularity and message more important because of the crowd’s response? 

How does Acts 19:1-4 help you understand why John had to point people to Jesus? How does this help you understand that simply repenting of sin is not enough? What if John had ignored this in order to maintain His popularity?

John knew people needed to be directed to the Messiah for salvation. Yet at this point the Messiah was not present. But this was about to change. While John was preaching repentance and preparing the people for the Messiah, Jesus showed up.

Present the Messiah – Mark 1:9-13

Jesus arrived and was baptized in the Jordan by John. Jesus would have traveled around fifty miles from Nazareth to reach the Jordan River. One should also note that Jesus’ baptism was not for repentance or for salvation. Jesus needed neither. He was completely sinless. Instead, He chose to be baptized out of obedience to the will of His Father (See 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18). Jesus’ baptism signified the beginning of His earthly ministry and was an example for others.

This was an epic event that revealed God’s love for His Son, and the revelation of the Trinity—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The introduction of Jesus was not only an affirmation but a demonstration as God’s power. 

Verse 11 gives us a declaration from God that is very much the basis for all we cherish and hold true in our faith. Most of us can relate in a small way to the love and pride God felt as He declared the words of affirmation to His Son.

Notice what took place next in verses 12-13. Notice it was the Holy Spirit that took Jesus to the wilderness. What can you learn about serving God from this passage?

Jesus had just been affirmed by the Father and His Spirit. But the Spirit had an additional task to perform. He was to “drive” Jesus into the wilderness. This is a strong word that indicates that the Spirit was insistent that Jesus go, and Jesus obeyed.

Jesus needed to come face-to-face with everything you and I would face as we seek to follow Him. 

Jesus needed to come face-to-face with everything you and I would face as we seek to follow Him. He was taken into the wilderness to be subjected to the temptations of Satan and to face the dangers of wild animals. But there is one important statement no one should forget. As Jesus was guided by the Spirit into situations where He would face temptations and danger, the angels were there “serving Him!”

How Should You Introduce the Messiah to Others?

Consider these questions as we conclude:

John was to prepare the way and clear the path for the coming Messiah. What actions should we take that prepare others to meet Jesus Christ? What actions indicate that we are clearing the path instead of cluttering the path to the Savior?

How can you remain humble when others begin to respond to you because of your faith in Christ?

How does Jesus obediently following the Spirit into the wilderness to face danger and temptation help you as you follow Jesus?

As you go about your daily routines this week, consider how you can introduce people to Jesus. Perhaps some of the characteristics of John the Baptist and the reality of who Jesus really is will change the way you introduce others to the Good News of the Gospel!

The downloadable teaching helps provide more details for this study, along with some tools you can use in guiding a group Bible study. 

Download PDF Version

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LifeWay Explore The Bible Resources

These teaching helps are intended to be used as a supplement to your study of Lifeway's Explore the Bible curriculum resources. Portions of this material are taken directly from content copyrighted to Lifeway Christian Resources Explore the Bible and is used with permission.  This material has not been reviewed by Lifeway Christian Resources. 

Had you been in Jeremiah’s shoes, what would your view of God be at this point? What would you do next after expressing this kind of gloom, despair, and agony?

What was Jeremiah’s emotional state at this point?  

What did remembering give Jeremiah?

Is it wrong to be depressed by your circumstances?

What did Jeremiah “call to mind” that helped him overcome his depression? 

What action did remembering the Lord’s faithful love and mercy prompt Jeremiah to take?

Based on this passage, what should you “call to mind” about God and Christ when things seem to be falling apart around you or you are experiencing God’s judgment because of your own personal sin?

What comfort can knowing that God does not reject you forever if you have sinned bring to a believer? 
How can this passage contrast God’s love and compassion with His discipline for sin? How is God’s judgment of sin and His love explained by Jeremiah? 
How is discipline an expression of God’s love for us?