Inductive Bible Study: Mark Tyler Street United Methodist Church

Fall 2010

Session 4

Last week’s work:

Outline:

Early Teachings and Miracles (1:14-45)

1:14-15 Introductory Statement

1:16-20 Calling of the first disciples

1:21-39 In Capernaum

1:21 Introductory Statement

1:22-28 In the Synagogue

1:29-34 Miraculous healings at Simon’s home

1:35-39 Jesus chooses to expand beyond Capernaum

1:40-45 Jesus heals a leper

Observations:

This material represents the start of Jesus’ public ministry. It follows Mark’s truncated
description of the Baptism and Wilderness accounts.
It immediately precedes His first confrontation with the religious authorities.
There is no record of a single miracle or long teaching discourse prior to the calling of the first
disciples.
vs. 18&20 - For these first disciples, “following” meant exactly and literally that- total
abandonment of their worldly vocation.
v. 21-22 – He intentionally chooses to work within the Synagogue system at this stage in His
ministry, and yet his teaching style and ability is clearly unusual to His audience
v. 23-27 – No explanation of what the unclean spirits are or how possession works or what
causes possession to occur in the first place. It appears to be a “given.”
v. 29-34. The text tells us that “all” of the sick and demonically afflicted were brought to Him, but
only says that “many” were healed.
v. 41 – When Jesus chooses to heal the leper, He touches the leper though by OT law this act
would technically render Him ceremonially unclean and thus unable to minister in the
Synagogues until He underwent a cleansing ritual. Mark records no such ritual. Further- we are
told that Jesus makes the man clean, but does not use the term “heal.”

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Inductive Bible Study: Mark Tyler Street United Methodist Church
Fall 2010

Questions:
v. 14 Why is the imprisonment of John the apparent catalyst for Jesus to begin preaching in
public?
v. 14-20 Did Jesus have any sort of previous relationship with these fishermen? What made
them so willing to leave everything to follow Jesus at this early stage?
v. 21-22 – Why is teaching in the Synagogue important to Jesus? Is this cultural convenience or
something more?
v. 23-27 – Exactly what are these “unclean spirits” referred to here? And how do they come to
inhabit a human being? How do they know who Jesus is? And when Jesus casts them out,
where do they go?
v. 24 and also v. 31 – Why does Jesus order the demons to be silent? He is going to cast them
out momentarily anyway.
v. 29-34 – Based on my observation above about “many” and “all,” did Jesus only heal a portion
of those presented to Him? If so, what does this say about healing miracles?
v. 38 – When Jesus says “this is what I came to do” in reference to His preaching ministry, is He
telling us that His preaching is more important than the miracles? If so, then what is the function
of miraculous signs and wonders?
v. 41 – What is the relationship between the concept of making someone clean and physical
healing? Is Jesus’ primary concern the man’s physical well being, or is He addressing the
physical need as a way of addressing the spiritual and communal need of restoration under the
Law of Moses? What would the implications of both options be? Why is Jesus unconcerned with
His own cleanliness? Can Jesus be made unclean? Can we who follow Him?

Homework for Next Time:

Read Thompson chapter 5.
Do an outline of Mark 4:1-34. Make observations, ask questions, and this time, use the
materials you have and what you have learned in chapters 4&5 of Thompson to answer as
many of your questions as you can.