Mark Lesson #12

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
MARK 8:22-38
LESSON #12
SPIRITUAL DISCERNMENT AND THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP

• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 8:35
• READ MAR 8:22-26 HEALING THE BLIND MAN FROM BETHSAIDA
• NOTICE THAT JESUS LEADS THE MAN OUT OF TOWN BEFORE HE HEALS HIM. WHY?
• READ MAT 11:21
• JESUS HAD DONE MANY MIRACLES IN THIS AREA, BUT THE ATMOSPHERE HAD TURNED TO ONE OF UNBELIEF, JUST LIKE NAZARETH. THEREFORE, JESUS REMOVES THE MAN FROM THIS NEGATIVE ATMOSPHERE BECAUSE IT WILL AFFECT THE FAITH OF THE BLIND MAN.
• THE METHOD OF HEALING:
• JESUS DID NOT USE JUST ONE METHOD FOR HEALING THE BLIND. THE METHOD WAS EVIDENTLY CONDITIONED BY THE INDIVIDUAL’S LEVEL OF FAITH.
• SPIT AND A SERIES OF TOUCHES:
• THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL OR HOLY ABOUT THE SPIT. JESUS COULD HAVE HEALED HIM SIMPLY BY HIS WORD. HOWEVER, THE MAN NEEDED SOME CONTACT FOR HIS FAITH.
• WHEN JESUS HEALED TWO BLIND MEN (MAT 9:27-29), HE TOUCHED THEM AND THEY WERE HEALED.
• WHEN JESUS HEALED BLIND BARTIMAEUS(MAR 10:46-52), HE DID NOT TOUCH HIM. HE ONLY SPOKE TO HIM.
• WHEN JESUS HEALED THE MAN BORN BLIND (JOH 9:1-7), JESUS USED SPIT AND CLAY, AHD THE MAN HAD TO WASH IN THE POOL OF SILOAM BEFORE HE WAS HEALED.
• THE STAGES OF HEALING:
• USUALLY, AS WE HAVE SEEN, HEALINGS WERE INSTANTANEOUS AND DID NOT OCCUR IN STAGES. HOWEVER, THIS ONE SEEMS DIFFERENT. THEREFORE, THE QUESTION THAT COMES TO MIND IS, WHY?
• BECAUSE OF THE CONTEXT FOLLOWING THE HEALING, IT SEEMS WE SHOULD LOOK BEHIND THE PHYSICAL HEALING TO A SPIRITUAL REASON.
• SPIRITUALLY SPEAKING, ALL MEN ARE SPIRITUALLY BLIND AND DO NOT KNOW GOD. THEN, WHEN WE COME TO CHRIST, WE SEE A LITTLE MORE CLEARLY, AS THOUGH THROUGH A GLASS DARKLY. (1COR 13:12). HOWEVER, SOMEDAY, WHEN WE WILL COME INTO HIS PRESENCE IN HEAVEN, WE WILL SEE HIM AS HE IS, THE PERFECT SON OF GOD, THE ANNOINTED MESSIAH.
• READ MAR 8:27-30 WHO IS THIS MAN?
• JESUS’ LOCATION IS NORTH OF THE SEA OF GALILEE. THIS IS A TURNING POINT IN HIS MINISTRY. THE TIMING IS ABOUT 6 MONTHS BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION.
• FROM THIS POINT, EVERYTHING POINTS TO JERUSALEM AND THE CRUCIFIXION.
• AFTER JESUS HEALS THE BLIND MAN, HE QUESTIONS THE DISCIPLES:
• “WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?” (27)
• JESUS KNEW THE GOSSIP AROUND HIM. HE KNEW THE SPECULATIONS AS TO HIS IDENTITY. HOWEVER, TO GET THE DISCIPLES TO FOCUS ON THEIR OWN ANSWER, HE POSES THE QUESTION, “WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I AM?”
• THE VARIETY OF ANSWERS:
• JOHN THE BAPTIST:
• REMEMBER THAT EVEN KING HEROD THOUGHT JESUS WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST REINCARNATED.
• ELIJAH:
• WHY DID SOME PEOPLE THINK HE WAS ELIJAH, RAISED FROM THE DEAD?
• READ MAL 4:5-6
• THE ELEMENTS OF THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHECY:
• ELIJAH, OR ONE LIKE ELIJAH, WILL COME.
• HE WILL COME BEFORE THE DAY OF JUDGMENT.
• HIS PURPOSE WILL BE ONE OF RECONCILIATION.
• THE FIRST FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY:
• READ MAT 11:12-15
• READ MAT 17:10-13
• JOHN THE BAPTIST WAS THE ELIJAH-TYPE FIGURE GOD PROMISED TO SEND.
• THE SECOND FULFILLMENT OF THE PROPHECY:
• READ REV 11:3-12
• ONE OF THE TWO WITNESSES WILL BE AN ELIJAH-TYPE FIGURE. WE KNOW THIS, EVEN THOUGH THEIR NAMES ARE NOT MENTIONED, BECAUSE OF THE KINDS OF MIRACLES THEY DO.
• ONE OF THE PROPHETS, RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
• PETER’S ANSWER: (29)
• “THOU ART THE CHRIST.”
• REMEMBER THE WORD, CHRIST, IS THE SAME WORD AS, MESSIAH, AND MEANS = THE ANOINTED ONE.
• READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES:
• MIC 5:2
• ISA 7:14
• PSA 2:2
• PSA 45:6-7
• MAL 3:1
• JESUS CONGRATULATES THE DISCIPLES BECAUSE THEY ARE FINALLY COMING TO UNDERSTAND WHO HE IS.
• JESUS TELLS THEM TO TELL NO ONE. WHY?
• THE REASON THEY ARE TO TELL NO ONE WAS BECAUSE OF THE COMING CRUCIFIXION. (31)
• HE MUST FIRST BEAR SIN ON THE CROSS TO FULFILL HIS PURPOSE FOR COMING. THEN THEY COULD TELL PEOPLE WHO HE IS AND PEOPLE COULD EXPERIENCE HIM BY FAITH.
• DISCUSSION

: WHY DID THE DISCIPLES HAVE A DIFFICULT TIME ACCEPTING JESUS AS THE MESSIAH?

• READ MAR 8:31-38 THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP
• THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THE CRUCIFIXION IS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED.
• THE DISCIPLES DON’T REALLY WANT TO ACCEPT THIS FINAL REJECTION AND DEATH THAT WILL SEPARATE THEM FROM JESUS, WHOM THEY LOVE.
• JESUS REBUKES HIS DISCIPLES FOR NOT ACCEPTING GOD’S ETERNAL PLAN. INSTEAD, JESUS SEES THAT IT IS SATAN USING THE DISCIPLES TO TEMPT AND PERSUADE HIM FROM DOING GOD’S WILL.
• JESUS CONFRONTS THE DISCIPLES AND OTHERS THAT FOLLOW HIM TO BE WISE AND COUNT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP BEFORE AGREEING TO FOLLOW SO READILY.
• WHAT ARE THE COSTS OF DISCIPLESHIP FOR THEM AND FOR US THAT JESUS REVEALED? (34)
• DENY YOURSELF:
• THIS MEANS TO DENY YOUR SELFISH DESIRES, YOUR WILLFULNESS, AND YOUR SELF-DETERMINATION TO BE THE LORD OF YOUR OWN LIFE.
• TAKE UP YOUR CROSS:
• THIS STATEMENT MUST HAVE BEEN A GREAT SHOCK TO THOSE FOLLOWING HIM.
• THE CROSS WAS AN EMBLEM OF SHAME AND HORROR, SOMETHING TO AVOID ANY ASSOCIATION WITH AT ALL COSTS.
• READ GAL 3:13
• READ GAL 2:20
• IN OTHER WORDS, TO ASSOCIATE YOURSELF WITH A PERSON WHO WAS CRUCIFIED TOOK:
• COURAGE IN THE FACE OF RIDICULE.
• HUMILITY IN THE FACE OF PERSECUTION.
• OVER-WHELMING LOVE TO BEAR ANY COST.
• FOLLOW CHRIST:
• FOLLOWING CHRIST MEANS:
• CONSTANTLY ALLOWING HIM TO CHANGE YOUR CHARACTER TO BE MORE LIKE CHRIST.
• CONSISTENTLY READING THE WORD OF GOD SO YOU KNOW HIS WILL AND DIRECTION.
• CONCURRENTLY PRAYING AND MAINTAINING THAT PERSONAL RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRIST.
• CONSEQUENTLY FULFILLING THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH HE CALLED YOU BY BEING A FISHER OF MEN.
• THE DISCIPLE’S CREED: (35)
• “WHOSOEVER WILL SAVE HIS LIFE SHALL LOSE IT;
• “BUT WHOSOEVER SHALL LOSE HIS LIFE FOR MY SAKE AND THE GOSPEL’S, THE SAME SHALL SAVE IT.”
• THE DISCIPLE’S LIFE PERSPECTIVE: (36)
• THE DISCIPLE MUST HAVE AN ETERNAL PERSPECTIVE WITH A SPIRITUAL PRIORITY.
• THE DISCIPLE’S WARNING: (38)
• DON’T BE ASHAMED OF CHRIST BEFORE OTHERS, OR HE WILL BE ASHAMED OF YOU BEFORE GOD, THE FATHER.
• WHEN THE BELIEVER STANDS BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, HE WILL RECEIVE REWARDS FOR WHAT HE HAS DONE WITH HIS CHRISTIAN LIFE.
• THE BELIEVER WHO HAS BEEN ASHAMED TO PUBLICLY IDENTIFY HIMSELF WITH CHRIST WILL RECEIVE NO REWARDS.
• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• A PERSON WHO DESIRES TO BE PART OF GOD’S KINGDOM AND FOLLOW CHRIST MUST FIRST SEE SPIRITUALLY WHO JESUS CHRIST REALLY IS,
• JESUS HEALED THE BLIND MAN TO POINT OUT THAT WE ARE ALL BLIND UNTIL THE HOLY SPIRIT REVEALS JESUS TO US.
• READ JOH 16:13-14
• A PERSON WHO DESIRES TO BE PART OF GOD’S KINGDOM AND FOLLOW CHRIST MUST NEXT ACKNOWLEDGE JESUS CHRIST AS THE ANNOINTED SON OF GOD.
• PETER SPOKE THAT JESUS WAS THE CHRIST.
• READ ROM 10:10
• A PERSON WHO DESIRES TO BE PART OF GOD’S KINGDOM AND FOLLOW CHRIST MUST THEN COUNT THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP.
• READ LUK 14:28-33

HOMEWORK
MARK 9
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF MAR 8:22-38
• IN CONSIDERING YOUR ROLE AS A DISCIPLE OF JESUS CHRIST, HOW DO YOU THINK JESUS WOULD EVALUATE YOUR PERFORMANCE?
• WHICH AREAS OF YOUR CHRISTIAN WALK REQUIRE MORE DETERMINATION AND PERSEVERANCE TO MAKE YOU A BETTER DISCIPLE?
• PREPARATION FOR MAR 9
• READ MAR 9:1-50
• WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE EVENTS ON THE MT. OF TRANSFIGURATION?
• WHAT MORE DO WE LEARN THAT IS REQUIRED OF A DISCIPLE?
• WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THE MEMORY VERSE?
• MEMORY VERSE: MARK 9:49