Monday, March 4 - Mark 8
8:1-10 As in the feeding of the 5000, in this story Jesus is approached by the disciples with meager food rations and miraculously provides in abundance. Yet the disciples do not seem to approach Him with great faith. How ready are to to believe that God will perform a miracle as you approach Him in prayer? What miracles has He done for you? Have you attributed them to Him or to "chance?"
8:11-13 When the Pharisees come and demand a sigh of Jesus, He refuses to give them one. Why is it important to have a faith in Christ that is not dependent of His performance of miracles in our midst?
8:14-21 How is Jesus using "leaven" as a comparison to the evil of the Pharisees and Herod? What is leaven? How does it affect bread? How were the Pharisees affecting the faith of the Israelites?
8:22-27 Again Jesus chooses to heal someone using means. He spits on the mans eyes and eventually they are healed. Why do you think Jesus chooses to heal in this manner? Why do you think the man did not see clearly at first? What different methods of healing does Jesus use today?
8:27-30 Peter offers his great confession that Jesus "is the Christ." Have you ever been tempted to simply think of Jesus as a good man or powerful prophet, but not the Son of God? When has this temptation challenged you the most?
8:31-33 Just a short time after Peter makes his great confession, his voice is used by the Evil One to tempt Jesus to give up His mission. Can you think of an instance where someone's well-intentioned words might have been a temptation to you?
8:34-38 Following Christ as His disciple means putting His plans for you above all others. How do our personal plans sometimes get in the way of God's plans for us? How difficult has it been for you to get your priorities straight?
8:11-13 When the Pharisees come and demand a sigh of Jesus, He refuses to give them one. Why is it important to have a faith in Christ that is not dependent of His performance of miracles in our midst?
8:14-21 How is Jesus using "leaven" as a comparison to the evil of the Pharisees and Herod? What is leaven? How does it affect bread? How were the Pharisees affecting the faith of the Israelites?
8:22-27 Again Jesus chooses to heal someone using means. He spits on the mans eyes and eventually they are healed. Why do you think Jesus chooses to heal in this manner? Why do you think the man did not see clearly at first? What different methods of healing does Jesus use today?
8:27-30 Peter offers his great confession that Jesus "is the Christ." Have you ever been tempted to simply think of Jesus as a good man or powerful prophet, but not the Son of God? When has this temptation challenged you the most?
8:31-33 Just a short time after Peter makes his great confession, his voice is used by the Evil One to tempt Jesus to give up His mission. Can you think of an instance where someone's well-intentioned words might have been a temptation to you?
8:34-38 Following Christ as His disciple means putting His plans for you above all others. How do our personal plans sometimes get in the way of God's plans for us? How difficult has it been for you to get your priorities straight?
8-22-27 Why did Jesus first choose to heal with spit and touch, then switch to touch alone, asking the the man to look up? Could it be that He was making a spiritual point here by contrasting the difference between a common first century healing method and the power of His touch alone, on believers who keep their focus on heaven through all trials? This answer seems to fit with His conversation with the disciples that followed in 8-31-37
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