IDENTITY
GOD TAKES GREAT DELIGHT IN JESUS AND THE SAME IS TRUE ABOUT YOU AS YOU HAVE PUT YOUR FAITH IN JESUS AS YOUR MASTER AND SAVIOR
Before you start memorizing this next section of Mark, dwell on the following life-giving truth from Zephaniah . If you have surrendered your life to Jesus through faith, the Heavenly Father will sing His pleasure over you all the days of your life!
The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you,
but will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)
Week #2 Mark 1:1-20
These passages show us how John the Baptist was ordained to be the one who would “prepare the way” for the Messiah. The baptism of Jesus displays both His humanity, and His deity as the Heavenly Father’s voice beams from Heaven a personal word to His Son: “You are My Son whom I love, with You I am well pleased.” Just imagine what that must have felt like to hear those words. If you have put your trust in Jesus, then the Heavenly Father sings these words over you as well, “with you I am well pleased!”
Jesus’ identity is forged in these words, and the rest of the Gospel unfolds clearly both the humanity and the deity of Jesus Christ. He truly is the Son of God who came to take away the sins of the world (deity). And he is our brother who identifies completely with everything we will ever feel or experience (humanity). All one has to do is look at what He does and what He says, and this becomes irrefutable.
It works best to chunk verses together you may want to try to memorize 5 or so verses a day. It gets easier after a few weeks of doing this similar to “two a days” when you are starting out a sports season for the first couple weeks. So persevere and it will get easier as your brain gets its muscles into the groove. Happy memorizing!
Deeper Study…
I suggest spending 45 minutes before you memorize this passage and go through the suggested V.I.S.I.O.N. Bible study on this passage. V.I.S.I.O.N. is an inductive method I use to study and ask myself (and others who I’m leading) questions that get the core of what the passage is teaching and its personal and community implications for today. If you’d like to go deeper in an inductive study of this passage just scroll down the page.
AN OUTDOOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING EXCERCISE AND V.I.S.I.O.N. INDUCTIVE STUDY OF MARK 1:1-15…
V.I.S.I.O.N. Bible Study and Quiet Time Questions for Mark 1:1-20
Setting: 1) Near a stream or river (you could talk briefly about what it is like to listen to the Father’s voice… Rev. 22 talks about the voice of Christ sounds like “rushing water”, etc.)–also, since this scene in Mark took place near a river this is a good way to connect with the context of the passage, 2) In a meadow where you can hear birds singing… and talk about the beauty of God’s songs we hear in nature… and connect this with the element of this study that relates to hearing the Father’s voice and his “song over us”…
Timing: Since this passage relates to the beginning of Jesus ministry, maybe doing this quiet time at the beginning of your trip would bring in that context.
Setup: Have the group sit down and consider the setting you are sitting in… point out a few of the natural elements that help connect with the context of this passage. Then give out the questions and send the group off to be in solitude for 30 minutes. After the quiet time, either have a group discussion or wait until the evening meal to discuss what people learned during their quiet time.
V: Verse
1. Who are the characters involved in this story?
2. List the verb Mark uses in this passage…
3. List some of the roles or actions each of the characters in this passage…
S: Seek to Understand
4. What are some of the ways John the Baptist’s ministry fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy?
5. From the passage, what are some similarities between Jesus and John the Baptists ministry? What are some differences?
6. How do you think it might have made Jesus feel to hear the words he heard spoken from Heaven?
I: Implement
7. What are some parallels between Zephaniah 3:17 and Mark 1:10-11?
8. IF you have put your faith in Jesus, the Bible teaches that Jesus lives in you (Galatians 2:20). If the Father feels this way about Jesus, then what does that say about how he feels about you?
O: Obstacle (Anticipated obstacles)
9. What keeps you from believing God feels this way about you?
N: Nuisance
10: What are some ways I anticipate Satan will want me to forget what I learned in this Bible study? Why would he want me to forget this?
Written by Ashley Denton
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