Memory Text: Mark 1:11 RSV “And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with thee I am well pleased."”

Sunday, March 27 The Writer, John Mark
Acts 15:36-40 NKJV “36 ¶ Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, [and see] how they are doing." 37 Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work. 39 Then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another. And so Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus; 40 but Paul chose Silas and departed, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God.”
2 Timothy 4:11 MKJV “Only Luke is with me. Take Mark [and] bring [him] with you, for he is profitable to me for [the] ministry.”
Philemon 24 MKJV “and also Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow-laborers.”

Monday, March 28 The Gospel Begins
Mark 1:1 KJ21 “The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
Luke 1:1 KJ21 “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.”
John 1:1 KJ21 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Matthew 1:1 KJ21 “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
Luke 1:34-35 ESV “34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” 35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy––the Son of God.”
John 10:30 ESV “I and the Father are one.””
Phillipines 2:5-11 ESV “5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Colossians 1:13-19 ESV “13 He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. 15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities––all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell,”
Hebrews 1:1-3 ESV “1 ¶ Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, 2 but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. 3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.”

Tuesday, March 29 The Messenger
Mark 1:2-3 ASV “2 Even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Who shall prepare thy way. 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight;”
Mark 1:4 God’s Word “John the Baptizer was in the desert telling people about a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
Mark 1:7 NLT “He announced: "Someone is coming soon who is far greater than I am—so much greater that I am not even worthy to be his slave.”
Isaiah 40:4 NKJV “Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth.”

Wednesday, March 30 The Commissioning
Matthew 3 NIV “1 ¶ In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea 2 and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: "A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’" 4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 7 ¶ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 11 "I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire." 13 ¶ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."”
Mark 1:4-11 Weymouth “4 So John the Baptizer came, and was in the Desert proclaiming a baptism of the penitent for forgiveness of sins. 5 There went out to him people of all classes from Judaea, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem of all ranks, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, making open confession of their sins. 6 As for John, his garment was of camel’s hair, and he wore a loincloth of leather; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 7 His announcement was, "There is One coming after me mightier than I—One whose sandal-strap I am unworthy to stoop down and unfasten. 8 I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." 9 ¶ At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan; 10 and immediately on His coming up out of the water He saw an opening in the sky, and the Spirit like a dove coming down to Him; 11 and a voice came from the sky, saying, "Thou art My Son dearly loved: in Thee is My delight."”
Luke 3:1-22 NRSV “1 ¶ In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, 2 during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, 4 as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; 6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’" 7 John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 9 Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." 10 And the crowds asked him, "What then should we do?" 11 In reply he said to them, "Whoever has two coats must share with anyone who has none; and whoever has food must do likewise." 12 Even tax collectors came to be baptized, and they asked him, "Teacher, what should we do?" 13 He said to them, "Collect no more than the amount prescribed for you." 14 Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what should we do?" He said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or false accusation, and be satisfied with your wages." 15 ¶ As the people were filled with expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Messiah, 16 John answered all of them by saying, "I baptize you with water; but one who is more powerful than I is coming; I am not worthy to untie the thong of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 18 So, with many other exhortations, he proclaimed the good news to the people. 19 But Herod the ruler, who had been rebuked by him because of Herodias, his brother’s wife, and because of all the evil things that Herod had done, 20 added to them all by shutting up John in prison. 21 ¶ Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heaven was opened, 22 and the Holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased."”
John 1:6-8 NKJV “6 There was a man sent from God, whose name [was] John. 7 This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but [was sent] to bear witness of that Light.”
John 1:19-35 NIV “19 ¶ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews of Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, "I am not the Christ." 21 They asked him, "Then who are you? Are you Elijah?" He said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" He answered, "No." 22 Finally they said, "Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?" 23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’" 24 Now some Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 "I baptize with water," John replied, "but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie." 28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 29 ¶ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." 35 The next day John was there again with two of his disciples.”
Mark 1:10-11 NKJV “10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."”

Thursday, March 31 The Ministry Begins
Matthew 3:2 NIV “and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."”
Matthew 4:17 NIV “From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."”
Mark 1:16-20 MKJV “16 And walking along beside the sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 And Jesus said to them, Come after Me and I will make you fishers of men. 18 And immediately they left their nets and followed Him. 19 And when He going farther from there a little, He saw James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them. And they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after Him.”
2 Corinthians 13:5 Tyndale “Prove yourselves whether ye are in the faith or not. Examine your own selves: know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you? except ye be castaways.”

Friday, April 1 Further Study
Ellen G. White, Desire of Ages , pp. 109-110 – “The fact that Jesus had for so many years remained in obscurity, giving no special evidence of His mission, gave occasion for doubt as to whether He could be the Promised One. The Baptist, however, waited in faith, believing that in God’s own time all would be made plain.”

SABBATH AFTERNOON

FOUR ACCOUNTS, ONE LORD. Each of the four Gospel writers, inspired by the Holy Spirit, has a particular emphasis on the life and ministry of Jesus. Each begins his Gospel in a manner that hints at the portrait he will develop. Matthew's first words are: "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (1:1). That is, Jesus is not only Jewish but He is of the royal line. Matthew pitches his Gospel especially to Jewish readers as he shows that Jesus was Israel's true King. Luke, on the other hand, addresses his account to "most excellent Theophilus" (1:1-4). He has Gentile readers in view and uses an introduction that they will be familiar with. John writes, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (1:1). Throughout his Gospel we are conscious that Jesus is the Word made flesh, "full of grace and truth" (1:14).
This week we'll take a look at Mark's inspired opening and the special emphasis he conveyed.


The Week at a Glance: What does Mark's opening of his account of Christ's life suggest from the outset? What kind of start did Mark have in ministry? What did he mean by the term gospel? Why the emphasis on Jesus as "the Son of God"?
Scripture Passage for the Week: Mark 1:1-20.



Memory Text: "A voice came from heaven, 'Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased'" (Mark 1:11, RSV).


*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, April 2.


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SUNDAY March 27

The Writer, John Mark

The Gospel we are studying this quarter does not mention the name of the writer, but it was early attributed to Mark, and rightly so. Mark was not a prominent person in the early church; thus, it would be highly unlikely for him to be dubbed the author unless he really was. That's one of the great things about what our God can do: He can take even the lowliest of people and place them in positions of great prominence and influence (see Genesis 40, 41).

Mark, though, didn't actually have the greatest start in ministry. In fact, early on he proved himself unworthy of the high calling that this work involved.

Read Acts 15:36-40. Why was Paul so determined not to allow Mark to come with them?

"It was here that Mark, overwhelmed with fear and discouragement, wavered for a time in his purpose to give himself wholeheartedly to the Lord's work. Unused to hardships, he was disheartened by the perils and privations of the way. He had labored with success under favorable circumstances; but now, amidst the opposition and perils that so often beset the pioneer worker, he failed to endure hardness as a good soldier of the cross. He had yet to learn to face danger and persecution and adversity with a brave heart. As the apostles advanced, and still greater difficulties were apprehended, Mark was intimidated and, losing all courage, refused to go farther and returned to Jerusalem."—Ellen G. White, The Acts of the Apostles, pp. 169, 170.

How did Paul's attitude toward Mark later change? 2 Tim. 4:11, Philemon 24.

What an incredible change on the part of Paul toward Mark. Do you think that Paul simply became more tolerant of someone who abandoned him; or, perhaps, was it more likely that Mark had indeed changed into someone whom Paul could now trust?

Look back in your own life to where you utterly blew it yet were given an opportunity to redeem yourself. How much did that new opportunity mean to you? How does that reflect, in a small way, the great principles of grace and forgiveness that God gives to us? Maybe there's someone whom you need to do the same for now, as well?




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MONDAY March 28

The Gospel Begins (Mark 1:1).

Read Mark 1:1 and contrast it with the openings of the other Gospels. What main difference do you see?

Mark's beginning seems abrupt. He passes over Jesus' genealogy, His miraculous conception, and His dramatic birth. He gives not a hint of the visit of the Magi, the revelation to the shepherds, or King Herod's diabolical plot to kill the Baby. We hear nothing about Jesus' flight to Egypt or His early years as a carpenter in Nazareth. It isn't that these facts are unimportant—they are important. But for Mark, and for us, they aren't most important. What Mark wants the reader to get from the outset is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

Study other biblical references to learn what "Son of God" means. Note especially Luke 1:34, 35; John 10:30; Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 1:13-19; Heb. 1:1-3. What do these texts tell us about who Jesus really is? Why is knowledge about His identity so important to us?


The unique role of the Holy Spirit in Mary's conception shows us that the Man Jesus was also the Son of God. But the term "Son of God" has a much greater meaning: It tells us that He shares the very nature of God-that He is truly God, always has been and always will be. Thus, the fundamental beliefs of Seventh-day Adventists declare under article 4: "God the Eternal Son became incarnate in Jesus Christ.. . . Forever truly God, He became also truly man, Jesus the Christ."—Seventh-day Adventists Believe. . . A Biblical Exposition of 27 Fundamental Doctrines, p. 36.

Mark makes no reference to the virgin birth, most likely because he wants to emphasize the eternal Sonship of Jesus. And he calls this the "gospel," which is an old Greek term (euaggelion) that originally meant "news of victory" in war. For the followers of Jesus, that term no longer meant good news in general but the good news that centers In Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He IS the good news, He IS the gospel! Using this Idea of the gospel as "news of victory" as the background, what is the victory that you have in your life now because of Jesus? What was won for you? What was defeated? What difference does this victory mean for you now, today?

TUESDAY March 29

The Messenger (Mark 1:2-8).

Before all the great interventions of God in history, He sends a message to prepare the people. "Surely the Sovereign Lord does nothing without revealing his plan to his servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7, NIV). So, before the greatest event this world ever will see, He raised up a messenger, John the Baptist. And, just as Messiah's coming was foretold in Bible prophecy, the messenger also was predicted. Notice that Mark quotes Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, although he mentions only Isaiah as the source.

What was John the Baptist's role and message?

Mark 1:2, 3



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Mark 1:4



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Mark 1:7



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John's mission pointed beyond himself. He was a forerunner, a herald, to proclaim that One far greater than he was about to appear and to get the people ready to meet Him.

The texts emphasize preparing the way. The picture is one of road building. Just as today engineers involved in constructing highways cut through mountains, fill in holes and depressions, and straighten curves, so John was a "road builder" for Jesus, the Son of God (notice how Isaiah 40:4 elaborates on the highway construction illustration). John carried out his mission in three ways: (1) by announcing that Messiah was about to appear, (2) by calling the people to get ready by turning from their sins, and (3) by baptizing them as a public demonstration that they had heeded the message of the Coming One.

John never sought to draw attention to himself. He seemed devoid of self-seeking; his head was not turned by the crowds that flocked to hear him. This self-effacing messenger could say from the heart: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).

We Seventh-day Adventists believe that, like John, God has raised us up to sound a prophetic message about the coming of Jesus. What can we learn from John the Baptist as we seek to be true to our mission? In what way or ways is our task similar to and different from John's mission? What must you change in your own life to be better suited to take part in this task?




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WEDNESDAY March 30

The Commissioning

Compare Mark's account of the Baptist's ministry with the other Gospels (Matthew 3, Mark 1:4-11, Luke 3:1-22, John 1:6-8, 19-35). What parallels do you see? What differences? What advantages are there to having different accounts, different perspectives, of the same events? Should they always be expected to agree on every point? If not, why not?

Mark's treatment of John the Baptist is by far the shortest of the four Gospels. Mark is focused on Jesus the Son of God, and he cuts through all the information about John the Baptist to get to Jesus. John's part in the story is twofold: He is the forerunner of the Messiah, and he baptized Jesus. Mark tells us nothing about the circumstances of John's birth, as does Luke; he is saying nothing of the later work of the Baptist, as do Matthew and John. The only other reference to John the Baptist after the brief description of Mark 1:9-13 is a description of John's death, slotted into the ongoing account of Jesus' ministry in Galilee (Mark 6:14-29).

Read Mark 1:10, 11. How does this event fit in with the opening line of Mark's account of Jesus? What crucial point is being emphasized?


By the heavenly dove of the Spirit and the Voice from heaven, the Godhead demonstrated to the world that Jesus of Nazareth was not just another human. He was truly human, but He was much more- He was God's Son, truly God. Under divine inspiration, Mark stresses this point, for it's an important one for the Christian faith.

Suppose you believed that Jesus were just a great man, rather than the Son of God Himself. How would that impact your faith, your deeds, your whole Christian life in general? What difference does it make that He is the Son of God?

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THURSDAY March 31

The Ministry Begins (Mark 1:14-20).
What place did Jesus give to the element of time as He began His public ministry? (Matt. 3:2, 4:17, NIV; compare Mark 1:4, 15).

The first message of Jesus was identical with John the Baptist's: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (1:4, 15; compare Matt. 3:2, 4:17). But Jesus added a new dimension: Whereas John preached that the long-awaited Messiah was about to come, Jesus proclaimed: "The time has come!"

Seventh-day Adventists are much attuned to the importance of time in God's plan. Thus, we see in Jesus' dramatic statement "The time has come!" not only a general reference to the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah but a specific reference to the time prophecies of Daniel. In his great 70 weeks of years prediction (Dan. 9:24-27), the ancient seer foretold the precise time of Messiah's appearance. And, we believe, just as Jesus appeared right on time at His first coming, so He will come again right on God's time. The apostle Paul wrote: "But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son" (Gal. 4:4, NIV). That was true at the Incarnation; it will be true again for the glorious Second Advent.

Study the account of the call of the first disciples in Mark 1:16-20. Put yourself in the scene by the lake; join Peter, Andrew, James, and John as they cast nets for fish or get ready to fish. Then Jesus walks by and calls, "Come; follow Me!" And without hesitation—"at once"—they drop their nets and follow Him. Why should you find it surprising that they would leave their all so abruptly? How do you account for their apparently spontaneous response? What would it take to get you to do the same thing?

The fishermen who left their nets and boats to follow Jesus were not seeking financial reward. Fishing was hard work, but they knew it well and could maintain their livelihood. But Jesus of Nazareth had neither riches, fame, nor an organized movement. Following Him meant indeed launching out into the deep in ways they had never before experienced. Only one fact can account for their actions, which to others would not have made sense; they saw something in Jesus that touched their souls. Seeing Him, hearing His voice, they were moved to a decision that would change their lives.

If you are a follower of Christ, what have you had to give up for Him? If your answer is "Nothing," what might 2 Corinthians 13:5 say to you?





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FRIDAY April 1

Further Study: Compare Matthew's and Luke's accounts with the verses in Mark we studied this week: Matthew 3:1-4:22, Luke 3:1-22, 5:1-11. Read "Misrepresentations of the Godhead," Evangelism, pp. 613-617; "The Baptism" and "The Call by the Sea," The Desire of Ages, pp. 109-113, pp. 244-251.


Discussion Question: Why could an angel not be our Savior? What if Christ were not eternally God but a "god" created by God—what difference would that make? Think of the marvelous confidence we can have in Jesus, our Savior, Lord, and great High Priest. Discuss in class the implications of the deity of Christ.
Suppose you were there at the baptism of Jesus; you saw the Spirit descending, you heard the Voice from heaven. What kind of excuses could you make that could cause you to doubt that it really was something from God? How do people, today, do the same thing with evidence for God's existence, power, and care? In what ways do we, even as believers, have to be careful of falling into the same trap?

The disciples had to make some radical changes in their lives in order to follow Jesus. What about us? Have we had to make radical changes, as well? If you haven't, what might that tell you about your walk with the Lord?

Have someone in class explain the 70-week prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27. Why should every Christian understand this important prophecy?



Summary: In the first words of his Gospel, Mark introduces Jesus as "Son of God." This expression, which points to Jesus' oneness and equality with God, will underline the entire Gospel of Mark. In the passage that opens this Gospel and that was the focus of our study this week, we immediately found evidences of Jesus' divine Sonship: (1) He came in fulfillment of prophecy, (2) He came right on God's time, and (3) at the baptism that inaugurated His public ministry, the Father declared Him to be "My beloved Son."