1. THROUGH A ROOF ( Mark.2:1-12 )

1. Imagine the everyday life of the paralyzed man. What kind of difficulties did he have to face? (What kind of care did the man need? How did his human relations change on account of the illness? What were his plans/dreams for the future? What was the meaning of his life?)
   • Imagine the everyday life of the person who had to care for this paralyzed man. What would it be like?
      
2. In verse 5 it becomes clear that this man was a sinner. What kind of sins may a person commit even when unable to move?
   • Discuss: Does an illness make us better or worse as human beings?
      
3. Who were the four men who carried the paralyzed man to Jesus (3)? Discuss various possibilities.
   • What made these people as determined as verses 3-4 show them to be?
   • Imagine step-by-step, starting from home, what these people had to do in order to place their friend before Jesus. (What was difficult? What kind of tools did they need?)
      
4. The friends had brought the paralyzed man to Jesus so that he could be healed. Instead of healing the man why did Jesus first forgive him his sins (5)? (Why did Jesus proceed in this order?)
   • What did the forgiveness of sins mean to the paralyzed man?
      
5. Imagine that you were bringing your worst problem to Jesus, and instead of solving it he says: “My son/ my daughter, your sins are forgiven!” Would you be sad or glad?
   • If you could choose, which would you prefer: a good conscience with your problems unsolved? Or your problems solved but with your conscience aching?
   • When the heart of the paralyzed man was lightened because his sins were forgiven, how did his attitude toward his illness change?
      
6. Whose faith is Jesus referring to in verse 5 - look carefully at the sentence structure.
   • At which moment did the paralyzed man himself start to believe in Jesus?
      
7. This text is talking not only about faith but also about unbelief. Why didn’t the teachers of law want to believe that Jesus was able to forgive sins (6-7)?
    
8. Answer the question that Jesus poses in verse 9. (What did it cost Jesus to heal the man? What did it cost him to forgive the sins of this man?)
    
9. How can we “carry” to Jesus our loved ones, who are not able or do not want to come to him on their own account? (Where can they meet Jesus?)
    
10. Jesus has led you to this Bible-study in order to be able to say to you: “My son/ my daughter, your sins are forgiven.” What do his words mean to you in your present situation?

2. WHEN THE WORST POSSIBLE THING HAPPENS (Mark.5:21-24, 35-43)

1. Imagine the everyday life of this small family after the long awaited child was born. (How did the parents react when the child was a girl, not a boy? What kind of dreams did they now have for the future of their daughter?)
    
2. What may happen to the relationship between the parents when their child becomes ill? Think of various possibilities.
   • What may Jairus have thought about God after his daughter had taken ill?
      
3. Why did Jairus consent to ask help from a man whom all his friends and relatives disliked?
   • How did Jairus feel about Jesus at this point, judging from the way he addressed him (22-23)?
      
4. Imagine how the father felt when he heard the bad news from home (35)?
   • If you have ever felt that it is no use bothering Jesus any more, when did it happen?
      
5. Why did Jesus tell Jairus not to fear even though the worst possible thing had happened to him (36)?
   • What could Jairus have believed even after the girl had died?
   • What would Jairus have done, if he hadn’t believed in Jesus at all?
      
6. What are you most afraid of in the world? (You can answer in your heart.)
   • How would you react if Jesus told you not to be afraid when the worst possible thing had just happened to you?
   • Jesus tells you today: “Don’t be afraid, just believe.” What do these words mean to you in your present situation?
      
7. The wife of Jairus had seen her child die while her husband was away. What do you think was her mental state when Jesus and her husband came into the house?
   • Funeral preparations were already underway when Jesus arrived in the house of Jairus (38). What did Jesus want to say to the guests through his words recorded in verse 39?
      
8. Read carefully how Jesus raised the girl from the dead (41-43). Which details do you find especially interesting?
    
9. Why did Jesus give strict orders not to tell anyone about this miracle, although it would have been good advertisement for his ministry (43)?
    
10. What impact may this incident have had on the girl herself? How did it affect her future?
    • How did the life of the parents perhaps change after this incident?
    • What do you think this family thought about the rumors concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus when they heard them after it all had taken place?

3. A WOMAN WHO HAD LOST HER IDENTITY (Mark.5:25-34)

1. This woman was probably around her thirties or forties, and had become ill while still quite young. What consequences did this illness have to her social life (25)? (What consequences did it have if she was married/ unmarried?)
   • What consequences did continual bleeding have to her physical state?
   • What effect does an illness like that have on one’s self-image?
      
2. What do you think this woman thought about God after having conceived an illness like this in her young age?
   • How may her relationship with God have changed during the long years of illness?
      
3. In verse 26 it says that this woman had previously had some financial resources. Think of various possibilities where she had the money from and for what use it was originally meant.
    
4. We can imagine that the doctors of the day were not very professional. Why was becoming well so important to this woman that she was willing to take such treatments and even spend all her money on such "doctors" (26)?
   • How do you think the woman felt about doctors and healers of all kinds at this point of her life?
   • What was the difference between Jesus and other healers (26-28)?
      
5. How could this woman, who was disappointed in other healers, be so sure that touching the garment of Jesus would make her well (27-28)?
   • Are you as sure as this woman that Jesus could easily solve your worst problem? Why, why not?
      
6. Why didn’t this woman ask Jesus for help as other sick people did (28-29)?
   • Why did the woman choose touching as the means of becoming well?
      
7. How could Jesus know that someone had gently touched his robe (30-31)?
   • Why didn’t Jesus let the woman go home without talking to her (30-32)?
      
8. How do you think the woman felt when she heard the question of Jesus in verse 30?
   • What did the woman see in the eyes of Jesus when he turned around and looked right in her face (32)?
      
9. The woman didn’t intend to speak even one word to Jesus, and yet she ended up telling him the whole story. What do you think she actually said (33)?
   • Have you ever told Jesus in so many words the whole truth about yourself?
      
10. Verse 34 can be translated in two ways: "Your faith has healed you." Or: "Your faith has saved you." Why did Jesus want to say these particular words to this woman?
    • Why did Jesus call this woman his daughter although they probably were approximately the same age (34)?

4. EPHPHATHA - BE OPENED ( Mark.7:31-37)

1. Call to mind what kind of sounds and voices you hear during a day. What do you think would be most difficult for you if you were unable to hear anything?
    
2. Imagine how the childhood of this man had been. (What means did his parents have available to teach their child, to guard him from dangers, to make him work etc? What kind of relationships might he have had with his peers? What do you suppose his self-image was like?)
    
3. Compare the everyday life of this hearing-impaired person with that of his peers after he had grown up?
   • Perhaps this man had also visited a synagogue or the temple a few times. How much do you think he understood about the unseen God?
      
4. What were the motives of the people who brought the man to Jesus? Think of various possibilities (31-32).
   • If you were the one who wanted to bring this deaf man to Jesus, how would you explain to him where you were going to take him and why?
      
5. Why didn’t Jesus heal the man in the way his friends asked him to (32-34)?
   • Why didn’t the man protest but instead went along with the unknown rabbi (33)?
   • Why did Jesus want to take the deaf man apart, away from the crowd (33)?
      
6. How much do you think the man understood of the four signs of Jesus’ own sign language in verses 33-34? (What did Jesus want to convey to the man by touching his ears - his tongue - looking up to heaven - heaving a deep sigh before healing him?)
   • Why do you think Mark recorded the healing word of Jesus in the original Aramaic in his gospel (34)?
      
7. What are the things that make it difficult for you to hear what other people are trying to say to you, however good your hearing abilities otherwise may be?
   • Jesus is standing in front of you just now and saying: "Ephphatha! Be opened!" to you. What does he mean by that - think about your communication with other people? (You may answer in your heart.)
      
8. Usually it takes three years for a child to learn the most important words of a language. How is it possible that this man gained all that information in a twinkling of an eye (35)?
    
9. Every miracle of Jesus tells us something about heaven. What can we learn about it through this incident?
    
10. Why did the people keep talking about this miracle even though Jesus had asked them to keep silent about it (36)?
    • What would Jesus have preferred that people had told their friends about him?
    • What do you think: is it profitable for the Christian church of our day to advertise miracles in the media?

5. A HALF-HEARTED BELIEVER (Mark.9:14-29)

1. Imagine what the everyday life of this father was like since his son became possessed by an evil spirit (17-18, 20-22). (Consider the relationship of this father with his wife, his other children, neighbors, God. What were his fears concerning the future of his family? What kind of attempts may he have made to get his son healed?)
   • Compare the life of the boy with that of his peers (17-18, 20-22).
      
2. What was perhaps the most difficult thing for the father in the situation described in verses 14-18?
    
3. Whom did Jesus refer to when speaking of the unbelieving generation that he found so hard to put up with (19)?
   • Why was it so hard for Jesus to stand the unbelief of the people in this particular situation (19)?
   • How do you think Jesus would call our generation?
      
4. Why did the father include himself in his cry for help: "Take pity on us and help us" (22b)?
    
5. In verse 23 Jesus seems to demand unwavering faith from the father. Why is that?
   • How would you feel if someone demanded a perfect faith from you when you already were distressed?
      
6. What did this father believe and what did he doubt while crying out his prayer in verse 24?
   • What did you believe and what did you doubt when you last cried for help from Jesus concerning the problems of your loved ones?
      
7. Did this cry for help prove that the father already had a saving faith or not (24)? Give your reasons.
   • When do you think the father became a believer in Jesus? Discuss various possibilities.
      
8. Why did Jesus help this family, although neither the father nor the son had an unwavering faith (25)?
   • By whose faith did this miracle happen?
   • How much faith would be needed in order that Jesus could help your loved ones in their sufferings?
      
9. It is probable that the father thought his son had already died when he was lying lifeless on the ground (26). Why did he have to experience that excruciating moment before Jesus helped him? (What would the father have failed to learn if he had been helped by Jesus sooner?)
   • Why does Jesus often allow us to end up in a desperate situation before he interferes?
      
10. "Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet" (27). Put in this sentence the name of the person you are worried about. What does verse 27 say to you when you read it like that?

GLAD TIDINGS: Even when evil people and evil spirits tortured Jesus, he still believed in the power and love of his Heavenly Father with an unwavering faith. Because of his perfect faith, we also can receive help from him, in spite of our doubt.

6. A TREASURE ON EARTH (Mark.10:17-27)

1. What do you think made this successful politician behave in such an unusual manner as is described in verse 17?
   • Have you ever been worried about your eternal destiny, and if so, in what situation?
      
2. The young politician considered Jesus only a good teacher, not God. Why did he then expect him to know the answer to his question (17b-18)?
   • Why didn’t this man have assurance about eternal life even though he had followed God’s commandments for all his life (19-20)?
      
3. Many politicians have great temptations in the areas of money and women. What do you think was the reason this man had sailed clear of these temptations (19-20)?
   • Note that according to Jesus, God’s commandments must be followed, not only in deeds but also in thoughts and words. Do you think that this man had done that?
   • Could you honestly say to Jesus that you have kept all the commandments in verse 19?
      
4. Jesus said that the young man was still lacking one thing in his relation to God (21). Think of various alternatives - what could it be?
   • If you should name one thing that is lacking in your faith in God, what would it be?
      
5. Jesus refers to a treasure in heaven in verse 21. Compare a treasure on earth with the one in heaven. What are the differences?
   • This young man had all his treasures on earth. What were they?
   • How can we collect treasures in heaven?
   • Where do you have your treasure, on earth or in heaven? (You can answer in your heart, if you like.)
      
6. This man had probably young children or old parents to take care of. What would have happened to them if he had followed the commandment of Jesus in verse 21?
   • The land property inherited from the forefathers was esteemed very highly in Biblical times. Why did Jesus want this man to give it up, too (21)?
      
7. If you were in the situation of this man, do you think you could believe that God will somehow take care of your wife, children and parents? (What would you do if Jesus let you become his disciple only on the condition of giving up all your property and savings?)
    
8. What alternatives did this man have when he realized that he couldn’t possibly give up his treasure?
   • How do you think Jesus would have reacted if the man had confessed to him that he loves money more than God and asked forgiveness for it?
      
9. According to verse 21 Jesus looked at this young man and loved him. Why then did Jesus treat him in a way that made this young man leave him?
   • Do you think this man would have inherited eternal life if Jesus had given him some other answer?
   • What was the actual mistake of this man in his relation to God?
      
10. Compare the reply Jesus gave to the rich young man and the one he gave to Peter (21, 27). Are they similar or different?
    • Read verse 18 once more. What did Jesus want to say about the moral state of mankind through it?

GLAD TIDINGS: The young politician was under the false impression of having been able to fulfill God’s law. Jesus simply showed him that he was not even able to obey the first one of them: Love the Lord your God above all (Matt.22:36-37). Jesus himself had given up his heavenly treasures when coming to this earth. On the cross he was punished as if he had been tied up with earthly treasures and idols. That is why he now will forgive every one of us who are tied up with our treasures - if we ask him to.

7. THE CRY OF A BLIND BEGGAR (Mark.10:46-52)

1. If you had to earn your living by begging, what do you think would be the hardest part for you?
   • What may have been the daily joys and sorrows of this blind beggar?
      
2. What can even a blind person learn while sitting by a roadside year after year, if he has good ears?
   • During the three years of Jesus’ public ministry Bartimaeus heard about his visits to other places. Why didn't he seek healing for example in Jerusalem, 30 km away, where Jesus went regularly during religious festivals?
      
3. What were the odds against Bartimaeus when Jesus finally came to his town (46)?
   • Which plan had Bartimaeus ready for contacting Jesus when he finally would come to Jericho?
   
    
4. How could Bartimaeus know that Jesus was the son of King David (47)?
   • Why wasn’t Bartimaeus afraid of Romans, but greeted Jesus as a crown prince or a king at the top of his lungs (47)?
   
    
5. Why did people try to calm Bartimaeus down? Find as many reasons as possible (48).
   • Why didn’t anyone take Bartimaeus by hand and lead him to Jesus (48)?
   
    
6. How and why did Bartimaeus change his cry? Compare carefully verses 47 and 48?
   • How did Jesus react to the title of a king (49-51)?
      
7. How do you think Bartimaeus felt when people told him Jesus was calling him (49-50)?
   • Bartimaeus had probably taken good care of his cloak, which was both his mattress and his quilt at night. Why did he suddenly throw it away (50)?
      
8. Why did Jesus ask Bartimaeus such an obvious question (51)?
   • Jesus is asking you the same question now (51). Please, answer him honestly. (You can do it in your heart.)
      
9. How did Jesus heal the eyes of this man (52)?
   • Verse 52 can be translated in two ways: "Your faith has healed you" or "Your faith has saved you." Why did Jesus want to say these words to Bartimaeus in this situation?
      
10. Bartimaeus followed Jesus on the road, probably all the way to Jerusalem (52b). The next day, everybody was greeting Jesus as "the Son of David" as he entered the Capital ( Mark.11:9-10). What had been the part of Bartimaeus in all this?
    • Within just a week, Bartimaeus witnessed his benefactor being nailed to the cross. What do you think he understood about the reason why Jesus had to die?

8. LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL ( Mark.14:1-9 )

1. What kind of present would you like to give to your friend if you knew he/ she was dying?
   • Jesus mentions here his own funeral (1-2, 8)? Do you think Mary, unlike the disciples, realized he was going to die soon? Give your reasons.
      
2. To buy a jar of perfume made of nard you had to pay as much as an average worker earned in a whole year (3). That is why it was only used one drop at a time. How much would the jar be worth in our currency today?
   • How long does it usually take to save a sum equal to one year’s salary?
   • As Mary bought this costly perfume, what might she have been thinking about her dowry or pension?
      
3. Why did Mary pour all the contents of the jar on the head of Jesus, instead of only a few drops (3-4)?
   • The words "Messiah" and "Christ" mean "the anointed one." Jewish kings were usually anointed in the beginning of their career. Why was Jesus not anointed until just before his funeral?
      
4. Mary had spent all her savings for the jar of perfume. What part of the criticism may have hurt her most (4-5)?
   • How could a year’s wages have been used to benefit the poor of the town (5)? Think of various possibilities.
      
5. In what different ways did Jesus defend Mary (6-9)?
   • Do you think Jesus could say about you as he said about Mary: "He/she did what she could" (8)?
   • What should you do for Jesus from now on?
      
6. What does Mary's deed have in common with Jesus' deed (his death on the cross, i.e. the "gospel" in verse 9)?
   • Which do you think is a bigger "waste": that Mary poured her expensive perfume for Jesus' sake or that Jesus poured out his blood for Mary's sake?
      
7. What in Mary's behavior is so unique that it will be remembered forever (9)?
   • What kind of memory would you like to leave behind when you die (9)?
      
8. How do you think Mary felt later about the money she "wasted" on Jesus that day?
   • How had Mary learned to love Jesus so much?
   • How could we learn to love Jesus as much as Mary did?

GLAD TIDINGS: Mary had learned to love Jesus by listening to him. That is why she also was able to serve him at the right time. Mary had first believed in the forgiveness of her sins, and this faith of hers had made her willing to offer everything for the Lord. It was because of her that Jesus carried the scent of nard with him everywhere during his last days on the earth.

9. A FARCE CALLED THE TRIAL OF JESUS ( Mark.15:1-15)

1. PONTIUS PILATE

As the governor of Judea in 26-36 AD, he represented the occupying forces of the Roman Empire and was accountable to Emperor Tiberius himself. Pilate did not want the emperor to hear any rumors about Jewish rebellions. It was his right to pronounce a death sentence or withhold it.

Verses 1-15

• What impression do you get of Pilate’s character and his set of values?
• What do you think about a judge who asks questions like the ones in verses 12 and 14 during a trial?
• Why didn't Pilate use his authority but let others make decisions for him?
• What do you think Pilate really thought about Jesus? (Why did he call Jesus "king of the Jews" twice? Cf. verses 9 and 12.)
• Compare these two men with each other: the Roman governor and the king of the Jews. What are the most striking differences between them in this situation?
• Who settled this legal case in the end?
• How do you think Pilate felt when handing Jesus to be flogged and crucified (15)?
• How do you think Pilate tried to pacify his conscience for the rest of his life?
• If you had been in Pilate's shoes that morning, how would you have handled the case?

2. BARABBAS

A murderer and a leader of a political rebellion, his name simply means the son of a father.

Verses 6-15

• Imagine the childhood, youth and manhood of this man. What had perhaps made Barabbas a revolutionary and a murderer?
• If your circumstances had been different, do you think you yourself could have become a murderer? Why? Why not?
• What kinds of thoughts do you think were going through the mind of Barabbas when the day of his execution was drawing closer? (Do you think he regretted anything?)
• Do you think Barabbas went to see the death of the person who was nailed to the cross instead of him?
• In what way are we all like Barabbas in relation to Jesus?

3. CHIEF PRIESTS

There was usually only one chief priest at a time, but in this case there were two: Caiaphas, the chief priest proper in the years 18-36 AD and his father in law Annas, who had held the post earlier. Annas still used his influence through his son in law.

Verses 1-15

• What do you think the chief priests regarded as their great calling in life?
• Why did Caiaphas and Annas envy Jesus?
• Why didn't the chief priests recognize their own motives?
• Which crime do you think was worse: the judicial murder committed by the chief priests or the murders Barabbas had committed during the rebellion?
• What may make a deeply religious person a tool in the hand of the devil?
• Do you think you resemble the chief priests in any way? If you do, in what way?

4. THE CROWD

They cried "Hosanna" to Jesus the previous Sunday. Now they were shouting: "Crucify him!" There must have been some in this crowd who had personally been helped by Jesus.

Verses 8-15

• Why did the crowd want a dangerous murderer to be set free?
• How could the people let themselves be turned against their benefactor? (Why wasn't there even one voice for Jesus and against the manipulation of justice in this situation?)
• What would you have done if you had been in the crowd that morning?
• Do you think something like this could happen in our country in our day? Give your reasons.
• What does this text teach us about the good and bad sides of democracy?

5. JESUS

He says one sentence during the whole trial (2). Otherwise he is silent.

Verses 1-15

• Until this moment Jesus had refused any title except "Son of Man." Why does he now admit publicly that he is the king of the Jews (2)?
• Why doesn’t Jesus defend himself?
• Compare Jesus with other people in this text. How is he different from them? (What makes Jesus so admirable, especially considering his situation?)
• How do you think Jesus felt about all those blood thirsty people around him?
• Who settled the case of Jesus during his trial: Pilate, God or Satan?

10. THE UNBELIEVABLE RESURRECTION ( Mark.16:1-11)

1. Why did the women from Galilee insist on visiting the grave, in spite of the stone and the soldiers who (according to Matthew) were guarding the grave (1-3)?
    
2. The women had already witnessed the mishandled body of Jesus being anointed two days earlier. Why do you think they wanted to anoint it one more time?
   • Do you think you would have liked to see and touch the body of your loved one in that state?
   • Only John had witnessed the death of Jesus; the others had fled the scene. Why didn’t they now come and visit the grave of their master? (Do you think there is a difference between men and women in this respect? If so, what is it?)
      
3. If the women had believed in the resurrection according to Jesus’ own prediction, how do you think they would have behaved that Sunday morning (1-4)?
    
4. What did the women think when they heard the words of the angel (6-7)?
   • What were the women so terrified of (8)?
      
5. Why did Jesus choose women as the first witnesses of his resurrection, in spite of the fact that they were not accepted as witnesses in courts of law at that time (7, 10)?
    
6. How and when was faith in Jesus’ resurrection born in the hearts of these women?
    
7. Peter denied his Master two days earlier. What did it mean to him when Jesus sent him a special greeting (7)?
    
8. Is there anything in your life that seems as impossible to you as a corpse rising again? (You can answer in your heart.)
   • How would you answer if Jesus rebuked you for your lack of faith as he rebuked his disciples in verse 14?
      
9. What is the difference between the resurrection of the body (which is taught only in Christian faith) and the immortality of the soul (which is a common belief in many religions)?
    
10. If there wasn't any such thing as the resurrection of the body, what could Christianity offer to mankind?
    • Suppose someone believed all the Christian teachings except the resurrection of the body. Why couldn’t we call him a Christian?
       

GLAD TIDINGS: When the disciples finally became convinced that Jesus had really and bodily risen from the dead, they turned to his staunch witnesses. Most of them died as martyrs, refusing to give up their faith, no matter what. They knew that Jesus would be with them forever, both in this world and the next.