The Gospel Of Mark Bible Study Lesson 65

The Gospel Of Mark Bible Study Lesson 65:

This week’s Bible Study of Mark’s Gospel will again include questions for you to answer. Once you finish the lesson on your own. You can look at my answers. Anytime you do Bible study ask yourself these 3 questions:

3 questions:

·        What is this passage about?

·        What do I learn from this passage?

·        How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

Scripture to meditate on before you do this week’s Bible study:

John 8:58 NIV

"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered, "before Abraham was born, I am!"

John 10:30 NIV

I and the Father are one."

John 1:14 NIV

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

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This Week’s Bible passage from the Gospel of Mark:

Mark 13:1-2

Read the passage below:  

Mark 13:1-2 NIV ( Signs of the End of the Age )     1As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, "Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!"     2"Do you see all these great buildings?" replied Jesus. "Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down." Scripture Links:   Matthew 24:1-2  /   Luke 21:5-6

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Answer the questions below:

1.   Content:  What is this passage about?

·        Who are the people if any?  

  

·        What are they doing?         

                                 

·        Where does this take place? 

·        When does this take place? 

2.   Lesson:   What do I learn from this passage?

·        Is there a warning, command or promise?

·        Is there an example to follow or not to follow?

·        What is/are the main truth/truths of this passage?  

·        Is there a lesson or principle that is a universal truth?

·        Why did God put this passage in the Bible?

What does the passage reveal about the character of God?

·        His Attributes/Characteristics (ex. loving, caring, Holy, Merciful etc.):

·        His ways of relating/Communicating to people:

·        His emotions:

·        His views:

·        Reasons for us to love God more:  

3.  Application:  How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

·        Can you think of a current situation in your personal life, home life, 

          Church, or business which is similar to what you are learning?

·        How can I apply what I am learning to my current circumstances?

·        Are there specific things in to which to pray about?

·        Is there a new thought to me? An encouraging thought?  

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Here is my layout for: Mark 13:1-2

1.    Content: What is this passage about?

·        When one of the disciples points out the magnificence of the temple, Jesus predicts its destruction.

Who are the people if any?

·        Jesus and one of His disciples.

    What are they doing?

·        Leaving the temple.

      

Where does this take place?

·        At the temple in Jerusalem.

When does this take place?

·        After Jesus’ teaching about sacrificial giving.

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2.    Lesson: What do I learn from this passage?

·        Jesus knows every detail in the future and His totally trustworthy words will be fulfilled literally.

Is there a warning, command or promise?

·         Jerusalem will be destroyed.

Is there an example to follow or not to follow?

·        Just like Jesus’ disciples, we are to have a personal relationship with Jesus.

·        However, this disciple focused on the magnificence of the Temple but did not take the opportunity to ask Jesus about spiritual things. We need to focus on Jesus and not get caught up or idolize the bricks and mortar of our faith.

What are the main points in this passage?

·        One of Jesus’ disciples points out the grandeur of the Temple and surrounding buildings of Jerusalem.

·        Jesus reply’s to the disciple by predicting the destruction of Jerusalem.

(In 70 A.D., just 40 years after Jesus was crucified, the Roman army burned down Herod's Temple in Jerusalem. It happened on the 10th day of Loos in the Hebrew calendar (August 29th in 70 A.D.), the exact same day the Babylonians had burned down Solomon's temple 657 years earlier. )

Is there a lesson or principle that is a universal truth?

·        Jesus confirmed Ezekiel's prophecy that the Temple would be destroyed.  

Ezekiel 4:1-3 NIV

Siege of Jerusalem Symbolized

    ¹ "Now, son of man, take a clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem on it. ² Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. ³ Then take an iron pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.

·        Jesus has the mind of God.

·        Jesus is both fully God and fully man:

The two natures of Christ are inseparably united without mixture or loss of separate identity. He remains forever the God-man, fully God and fully man, two distinct natures in one Person forever. Though Christ sometimes operated in the sphere of His humanity and in other cases in the sphere of His deity, in all cases what He did and what He was could be attributed to His one Person. Even though it is evident that there were two natures in Christ, He is never considered a dual personality. In summarizing the hypostatic union, three facts are noted:

(1) Christ has two distinct natures: humanity and deity; 

(2) there is no mixture or intermingling of the two natures; 

(3) although He has two natures, Christ is one Person. 

(excerpt from Dr. Paul Enns)

Note: This is a Jesus being both fully God and fully man is a difficult concept because it does not fit into human reasoning. But there is one thing we must remember:

Isaiah 55:8 NIV 
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

  Why did God put this passage in the Bible?

·        To show that Jesus had divine knowledge and understood that the prophecy about Jerusalem’s destruction was going to be fulfilled.

What does the passage reveal about the character of : God/Jesus?

A.   His attributes: 

·        Divine understanding. Fully God, Fully man (Hypostatic union)

  

Understanding the Hypostatic union:

The Hypostatic union is the term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58; 10:30), but at the incarnation Jesus took on human flesh - He became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the divine nature is Jesus, the God-man. This is the hypostatic union, Jesus Christ, one Person, fully God and fully man.

B. His ways of relating/communicating to people:     

·        Through prophetic revelation.   

     C. His emotions:

·         

D. His views:

·        Jerusalem’s destruction is part of God’s plan.

·        Not even a great city like Jerusalem can withstand God’s providence.

     E. Reasons for us to love Him more:  

·        Jesus gives us hope for the future.

• Jesus has intimate knowledge of the future and has passed this knowledge along to us.  .

3.  Application:  How can I apply what I have learned to my life?

·        Do I believe Jesus’ words will come true? If so, how will I order my life today?

·        How am I studying His words in order to be prepared for the future?

·        In what temporary things am I trusting instead of God?

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My prayer for you:

I pray you will take God’s Word to heart and ask God to help you apply what you have learned. I hope and pray that this Bible Study helps you grow spiritually by deepening your faith, trust and love for God.

Jesus declared that if we seek God, he will provide everything we need to live the abundant life, providing for us physically and spiritually:

Matthew 6:32-33  Living Bible (TLB)

 “So don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing. Why be like the heathen? For they take pride in all these things and are deeply concerned about them. But your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to.

John 10:10 English Standard Version (ESV)

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Philippians 4:19 New Living Translation (NLT)

And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.

John 14:26 (NIV)

But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Also, remember the importance and impact of embracing of God’s Word in light of how we are to be God’s Ambassadors and Teachers, as well as to live abundantly in a fallen world:

1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV)

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Psalm 119:105 (ESV)   

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.

John 8:31-32  (NIV)

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Daily Application ideas:

·        Pray! Ask God to help you understand the passage of scripture you are

          reading.

·        Pray! Ask God to help you apply what you are learning.

·        Write down your thoughts and prayers. Seek to understand what God is

          trying to teach you.

·        Begin to make changes in your patterns of behavior in accordance to 

          God’s teaching.

·        Act on God’s answer to prayer.

·        Put God first in your life in every area of your life 

         (Marriage, Parenting, Ministry, Work etc.).

·        Be determined to make quality & quantity time for God in your life

           (ex. Quiet time, prayer time, Bible reading/study).

Helpful Hints for this Bible Study:

·        Not everything we read will contain enough info to answer all the questions.

·        Other questions may come to mind as you read.

·        The questions are just helpful guidelines.

·        Following the reading of the passage of scripture take a moment to write

          down your thoughts.

·        After you have asked yourself the above Template questions, answer the

          questions specifically. 

·        Refer back to above questions when you need to.

·        Then concentrate on a couple of things that are meaningful to you

          personally. 

·        Then go to the application section.

·        Think through the application questions and journal your thoughts and

          prayers.

Just Sayin……………..Dave