30 Days In The Gospel Of MarkSample

Thought:

Jesus foretells His death and resurrection for the second time in today’s passage. The disciples continued to not understand what He meant. Though it may be obvious to us what Jesus meant because we know the end of the story, the disciples were not expecting the Messiah to die and rise from the dead. They were expecting Him to be victorious in a way that made more sense to them. {Many thought that Jesus would overthrow the Romans, the ruling power at the time.) Death can seem like losing, but Jesus’ death and resurrection actually won the victory. After Jesus predicted His death, the disciples argued amongst themselves about which one of them was the greatest. Just like Jesus changes what we think a Savior looks like, Jesus also changes what greatness looks like. Jesus teaches us that to be the greatest we must be a servant to the poorest, most insignificant people around us—just like Jesus did for us by becoming human, dying on the cross, and rising from the dead for us.

1. What does Jesus say is going to happen to Him?

2. How did the disciples respond to Jesus’ teaching?

3. According to Jesus, how may a person be the greatest?

4. What was Jesus’ attitude towards children?

Engage:

Jesus loves little children. Some people may think they are insignificant, but Jesus sees them and cares about them. He says welcoming little children is like welcoming Jesus Himself, and like welcoming God the Father! Who are some people younger than you that you can show love to? Maybe you have a younger sibling, a neighbor, or children you know from church. Find a way you can show them God’s love by doing something kind for them today.

Deeper Waters:

Memorize Mark 9:35