Surrounded by a huge crowd, Jesus did not seek to impress them with His knowledge. He did not seek to gain more fame by explaining the mysteries of the Kingdom. Instead, he spoke to those who were walking in rebellion in a way that veiled the truth. Yet, He calls these same people to repent and believe in Him. After this they may come to Him and learn. This is the meaning behind parables and we will discuss this today.

Haven done great and mighty miracles, having cast out many demons, Jesus must now face His most painful attacks, those from His own family! Jesus is accused of being crazy by His own family! During this time some Scribes also come to Him and accuse Him of using the power of the Devil to perform these works.

God hides His truths from the wise but reveals them to the humble. Are you approaching God with childlike faith or intellectual pride? The religious experts of Jesus' day knew Scripture better than anyone, yet missed Him completely. Meanwhile, humble hearts received the kingdom. Which tree are you eating from - knowledge of good and evil, or the tree of life? Jesus offers rest for your weary soul, but it requires the humility to admit you need Him.

His life threatened by the Pharisees, Jesus does not back down but He does withdraw to another area and appoints the 12 Apostles to begin working with Him on His mission to restore and redeem Israel.

Driven by hunger, Jesus’ disciples walk through the grain fields and plucked grain on the Sabbath. The Pharisees object to this since it broke the law against harvesting on the Sabbath. Yet Jesus desired to show mercy. Jesus responded by making a comparison to David and reminds them that the Sabbath was made for people. People are not to be harmed by their observance of it. As the Son of Man Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath, He had the right to make this ruling. We get another instance on the Sabbath where the religious norms were challenged. Is it lawful to do good or harm, to save a life or to kill? The Pharisees demonstrated the hardness of their hearts and sought to trap Jesus. Yet it ended with Him healing the man and them plotting against Him with the Herodians on the very Sabbath they sought to protect.

After performing great miracles like healing the lame and a Leper, perhaps others would have moved to consolidate power with those who were in power (the Sadducees and Pharisees, etc). Yet Jesus did not do this. Instead, He immediately reached out to those who were broken and outsiders.

The ministry of Jesus begins to take off, this time with a leper approaching Him. After performing an extreme miracle that would be considered like raising the dead, Jesus seems to rest for some time. Then as He teaches He is approached by four men with a man who needed healing. When this man was brought to Jesus by his friends Jesus responds to their faith and forgives his sins and then heals him.

The next stage of Jesus’ ministry is filled with healings and exorcisms. He is seeking to bring the kingdom of God to the people in a very real way. He is not just preaching and teaching, He is meeting very real needs in people.

See the start of Jesus’ ministry and the calling of His disciples in Mark 1:14-20 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide.

Explore the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–11 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide. Discover why Jesus was baptized, what it means that the heavens were torn open, and how the Holy Spirit’s descent reveals His kingship and mission. Includes questions, life application, and historical insights.

Explore the baptism of Jesus in Mark 1:9–11 with this in-depth Bible study and small group discussion guide. Discover why Jesus was baptized, what it means that the heavens were torn open, and how the Holy Spirit’s descent reveals His kingship and mission. Includes questions, life application, and historical insights.