Mark Worksheet - Chapter 12

Worksheet - Mark 12

Review of Chapter 11:

1) We entered a new section of Mark's Gospel, the final week of the life of Jesus, as we know it, Passion Week.  Jesus will spend this week preparing His disciples for His suffering, death, burial, and resurrection; 2) Jesus sends 2 disciples to get the colt that has never been ridden before so that He can ride it into Jerusalem; 3) The crowds shout "Hosanna to the King, the Son of David" as they lay out palm branches and wave the branches in praise to Him as He rides in on the donkey; 4) Jesus goes into the temple and cleanses it of the moneychangers and those who are buying and selling livestock for the Passover festival.  He says His Father's House is to be a House of Prayer, not merchandise; 5) Jesus cursed the fig tree for sprouting leaves out of season and yet not having any fruit to eat.  This could be symbolic of the nation of Israel not bearing fruit in believing in Him since Israel is referred to as the fig tree in Old Testament prophecies; 6) The disciples are amazed that at the Word of Jesus the fig tree withered from the roots up.  Jesus takes opportunity to teach them more about the power of believing prayer; that if they say to the mountain to be cast into the sea; if they believe they have received when they pray, they will have what they ask for.  We examine our faith and wonder if we can have this kind of faith.  Yes, we can and we should exercise our faith this way; 7) Most importantly is the lesson that if we have unforgiveness in our hearts, we will not receive an answer to our prayers.  We will not receive forgiveness if we do not forgive those who have trespassed against us.  That is why so many of our prayers are impotent.  We need to forgive as Christ has forgiven us.

Mark, Chapter 12:

1.  Jesus is speaking to the chief priests and scribes and elders in Jerusalem who have just asked Him about His authority to do the things He is doing among them. 

He spoke a parable to them about Vine-growers in Mark 12:1-11.  Read the parable first and then answer these questions.

Quoting from some of Isaiah chapter 5, Jesus is clearly talking about some key players in this parable. 

Read the verse given by each and explain why that would be the logical explanation of who that represents:

• The vine-growers - the Jews or their leaders - vs.1-2 (also see Matthew 21:33; Isaiah 5:1) -
• The slaves - Old Testament prophets, many who were killed -vs. 2-5 - (also see Matthew 21:34-36 )
• Name some of the Old Testament prophets and how they were mistreated by the Israelite leaders; look up name of prophets in a concordance and see the summaries of their ministries and lives 
• The son - represents Christ, the Son of God, who was condemned to death by the Jewish religious leaders - vs. 6-8 (Also see Matthew 21:37 - 39) -

Jesus asked the Jewish leaders standing there a question..."When the owner of the vineyard (which would be God the Father) comes, what will He do to those vine-growers (the religious leaders)?" Matthew 21:40 -

• What did they say to Jesus at this point? Matthew 21:41 -
• What did Jesus confirm? Mark 12:9 -
• Jesus referred them to Psalm 118:22, asking them if they had read it before.  What does it say? vs. 10-11 -

Jesus gave an explanation of the parable saying "Therefore, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing the fruit of it." (Matthew 21:43 and Mark 12:9) - This obviously would be the Gentile nations that received the Gospel from the apostles after the Jews rejected it.

• What did the chief priests and Pharisess understand when they heard these parables Jesus spoke ot them? Matthew 21:45 and Mark 12:12 -

They didn't seize Him at that time because they feared the people who consider Jesus to be a prophet among them. (Matt.21:46 and Mark 12:12).

2.  This group of leaders went away from Jesus at that time, but they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians in order to trap Him in a statement. 

What positive aspects of His character did they acknowledge? vs. 14 -

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3.  What question did they ask Him to try to trap Him in His words? vs. 14,15 -

4.  What did Jesus know about them? vs. 15 -

5.  What did Jesus ask them? vs. 15 - 

6.  What did Jesus ask them to bring to Him? vs. 15 -

7.  When Jesus saw the denarius (the coin worth one day's wage) - He asked them whose likeness and inscription they saw on it. 

• What did they answer Him? vs. 16 -

8.  What did Jesus tell them concerning the image on the coin and what they should do in respect to paying taxes? vs. 17 -

9.  How did they react to His answer? vs. 17 -

10.  Next, some Sadducees came to Jesus and began to question Him. 

• What fact does Mark tell us about one of the religious beliefs of the Sadducees? vs. 18 -

Insight:  That makes them "Sad - U - Cee?" (that's how I remember this about them)..

Note:  The Sadducees were a section of the Jewish party that represented the wealthy and sophisticated classes.  Though they were small in number, in Jesus' day they exerted powerful political and religious influence.  Besides denying the resurrection of the dead, they only accepted the five books of Moses (the Pentateuch - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy) as authoritive.  They flatly rejected the oral tradition that had been passed through Jewish elders.  These beliefs set them against the Pharisees and the common Jewish piety.

11.  The question that the Sadducees asked Jesus had to do with who a woman would marry in the resurrection if she had been married to seven different brothers because of each dying and the next taking her for a wife according to the law of Moses to raise up offspring for the sake of the brother's name.  They wanted to know whose wife she would be if she had been married to all of them? (of course they don't believe in the resurrection so it was definitely a trick question)..Jesus knowing their intentions, gave them an answer that gives us insight into what happens in the resurrection as well. 

• What did He tell them regarding marriage in heaven? vs. 25 -

12.  What did Jesus tell them regarding the resurrection, that the dead do rise again?  Who is He God of - the dead or the living? vs. 26-27 -

13.  One of the scribes came to Jesus when he heard them arguing.  He saw that Jesus had answered them well.  His question for Jesus was "What commandment is foremost of all?" 

• How did Jesus answer him? vs. 29 -

Note:  This is a quote from the Old Testament from Deuteronomy 6:5. This quote from the book of Moses became known as the Shema, named after the first word in Hebrew,which means "Hear".  The Shema became the Jewish confession of faith, which was recited by pious Jews every morning and evening.  To this day, it begins every synagogue service.

14.  To the Shema, Jesus joined another Old Testament quote from Leviticus 19:18. 

• What was it that He said was the second greatest commandment given? vs. 31 -

15.  Why do you believe that these are the greatest two commandments?  If you obey these, would you essentially be obeying all of the commandments that God has given?

16.  Love is the greatest theme of the Bible.  The most common of all Scriptures quoted is:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" - John 3:16. 

Look up the Bible terms for the meaning of love.  You will find that in the Greek, there is agape love, which is the love God has for us, and there is phileo love.  See if you can find the difference of the two in a Bible dictionary tool:

• 1) agape
• 2)phileo

Ponder:  What shows that we love the Lord our God with all our heart?  How do we know we love the Lord our God with all of our soul?  What is the soul?  What shows that we love the Lord our God with all of our mind?  Do we love the Lord our God with all of our strength?  How can we know?  Do we love our neighbor as we love ourself?  Do we love ourself?  If these are commandments of God, are we sinning not to love ourselves?  How can we begin to love ourselves so that we can properly love others?

17.  The scribe said back to Jesus that He was correct in these commandments being the greatest and that loving the Lord and one's neighbor was much more than burnt offerings and sacrifices. 

• When the man answered Jesus back in this way with understanding, what did Jesus say to him? vs. 34 -

Note:  After this, no one ventured to ask Jesus questions.  As Jesus taught in the temple, He began to ask them "How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?"  ..... He quoted them the Old Testament verse of Psalm 110:1 - David speaking says...."The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at My right hand, until I put your enemies beneath Your feet.'.....Jesus said to them:  David himself called Him 'Lord'; so in what sense is He his son? - The purpose of this teaching was for Jesus to show that the Messiah was more than a descendant of David - he was also David's Lord.

18.  As Jesus taught the Jewish people in the synagogues, He warned them to beware of the scribes.  What reasons did He give for them to be on guard against their teachings and behavior? vs. 38-40

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What did He say these religious hyprocrits would receive in judgment? vs. 40 -

19.  Jesus sat down opposite the treasury and began to observe how the people were putting money into the treasury.  Many rich people were putting in large sums.  Then a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.  Jesus called His disciples over to teach them a valuable lesson. 

• What did He tell them in reference to the widow's offering and those who gave from their surplus?  vs. 44 -

20.  In the New Testament, how are we taught to give our financial offerings to God?

• 2 Corinthians 8:12 -
• 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 -

21.  When we give from such a willing and cheerful heart for the purpose of pleasing God and not man, what does God promise to do for us?

• 2 Corinthians 9:8-9-
• 2 Corinthians 9:10-11 -
• Matthew 6:31-34 -

Review & Reflect:

• 1) In the Parable of the Vine-growers, we saw that this represented the religious leaders of Israel; how God had prophesied this in the Old Testament and how they fulfilled the rejection of the Lord.  They beat and killed prophets the Lord sent to them along the way.  When He finally sent the nation of Israel His Only Son, they would kill Him as well.  God would give the fruit of the kingdom to another nation, all who were not of the Jewish race - the Gentile nations.  We know from our other studies that God is not finished with the nation of Israel yet.  Amen.
• 2) We saw the Pharisees, the Herodians, the Sadducees, and the Scribes all try to trap Jesus in quesitons about the Jewish laws.  He was asked about paying taxes to Caesar.  Jesus said to "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's."  He was asked about the greatest commandents and He told them to love the Lord with all of their being and to love their neighbor as themselves. 
• 3) Jesus taught that the Messiah was not only the son of David, coming from him as a descendant, but that David recognized Him as his own "Lord".  This was from Psalm 110:1. 
• 4) Jesus told the Jewish crowds that He taught in the synagogues to beware of the piety and hypocrisy of the Scribes; that their judgment would bring about a greater condemnation; for they pretended one thing but were quite different on the inside. 
• 5) Jesus taught the kind of giving that pleases God.  It is not giving out of our surplus like the rich who like to make a show of it; it is giving all that we have to God like the poor widow who gave all that she had to live on.  We looked at the New Testament pattern of giving.  We are to give according to what we have, not what we don't have.  We are to give as we have purposed in our hearts and do so cheerfully which God loves.  When we sow sparingly, we will reap sparingly.  When we sow bountifully, we will reap bountifully.  It is the law of sowing and reaping.  When we give first to His kingdom and righteousness, He takes care of all of our needs.  Amen.

Your summary and prayer today:

 

 

Written by B LeMoine for Heart & Home Bible Fellowship© with permission to use on RTB websites only. For personal or ministry related use, please

email Brenda for permission and conditions.