Get an insight! - a study of Mark's Gospel for homegroups

We have been looking at Mark's approach in writing his gospel, one in which he highlights the Servanthood of Jesus. Alongside this Matthew highlights the Kingship of Jesus, Luke the Humanity of Jesus and John his position as Son of God. That a single gospel story should be told in four different ways is an example of a principle in God's word that the idea of completeness is conveyed by a fourfold principle. This of course doesn't just concern the account of Jesus' earthly ministry: it is also a general principle which runs through the old as well as the new testament. We shall look in this study at examples of this fourfold principle.

Read Gen 2:8-15. From a single source flows in Eden flow four rivers in different directions.

Read Exodus 6:6-8. God made four promises in connection with the exodus: try to find in this passage promises of release, redemption, relatioship and restoration. This is the complete fourfold view of the exodus remembered by jews in the four cups drunk at the Passover.

Read Exodus 26:31-37; 27:16 Another example of the fourfold principle is the elaborate colour scheme to be used for the curtains of the Tabernacle: blue, purple, scarlet and natural (linen). This is God's chosen colour scheme and are mirrored by the four distinctively different Gospel accounts.
Q 1 Which Gospel represents each of these four colours, do you think, and why? (A reminder that purple is traditionally the colour of royalty should be enough to let you work them out!) Why blue, do you think?

Read Isaiah 9:6;
This is one of the central prophecies of the Old Testament about the Messiah and speaks of him through the fourfold principle: Miracle-working Counsellor (Hebrew pele means miracle although often translated wonderful), Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. These four aspects of the ministry of Jesus are just what the Gospel writers took up.

Q 2 You should have a clear enough understanding of the symbolism: Try to work out which Gospel shows which feature.

Read Rev 4:6-7;
In John's vision of heaven and the ascended Christ enthroned, four aspects of his earthly ministry are represented by the four living creatures: lion, bull, human and eagle. Each aspect of that ministry is taken up by one of gospel writers. By the end of the fifth century there was widespread understanding of the fourfold principle and its application to the life of Jesus and these symbols were used in the years that followed to adorn everything from pulpits to stained glass windows. Perhaps the order in which the Gospels were assembled into the Bible which we carry toady owes something to the order of these symbols in this reading (clue to next question!)

Q Again which living creature accords with which Gospel writing?

Read Mark 19:9-20;
We end our short look at Mark's Gospel by thinking about its final section. There is an abrupt transition from verse 8 to 9 and although most early manuscripts carry this ending to the Gospel, one or two of the most reliable do not. Possibly it was not written by Mark, but verse 8 was an abrupt way to finish unless circumstances prevented him. This final section has been traced back to 100AD and from a source close to the apostle John, so it carries authority.

We have been thinking about how Jesus used every opportunity to teach the disciples the principles of ministering in the power of God in anticipation of a time when he would not be there with them.

Q 4 What accreditation did Jesus promise to believers in their lives of witness, and what was given?

Q 5 Do members of the group have a desire to pray for supernatural gifting and power fro their witness?

If you would like leaders notes for using this study then please contact us.