Marks Portraits of Jesus

Chapter One Questions

1. Who acknowledges Jesus as son of God?

God and the demons recognize and acknowledge Jesus as son of God.

2. Who does not acknowledge Jesus as son of God?

Nearly all humans in Mark’s gospels did not acknowledge Jesus as God’s son.

3. What is Jesus’ teaching on discipleship?

Discipleship involves self-denial and willingness to lose one’s life either physically as there was the danger of persecution from both Jews and Romans (Mark 4:16-17;13:9) or metaphorically.

• In chapter 8 it states “ if anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and the gospel will save it.”
• In chapter 9 the teaching on discipleship is about service, not political power or status. “ If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last and the servant of all” (Mark 9:35).
• In chapter 10 the discipleship teaching was whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant and whoever wants to be first must be the slave of all” (MK.10:43-44).

4. How are the disciples characterized?

In the gospel of Mark, the disciples are characterized as lacking human nature, who doubted, feared, fail to understand and unfaithful.

5. Why are they characterized in that way?

They were characterized in that way because none of the people who saw any great works of power are shown to acknowledge Jesus identity as the son of God, and they left without understanding.

6. How do the pattern and lack of recognition relate to the teaching on discipleship?

The patterns relate to the teaching on discipleship because it shows that teaching is important and a fuller appreciation of the pattern comes from examining who recognizes and acknowledges Jesus as the son of God in Mark’s Gospel.