Mark’s Good News about Jesus – Scattered and Saved

 

Scattered and Saved

Zechariah 13:1-9 - New International Version (NIV)

¹ “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.

² “On that day, I will banish the names of the idols from the land, and they will be remembered no more,” declares the Lord Almighty. “I will remove both the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land. ³ And if anyone still prophesies, their father and mother, to whom they were born, will say to them, ‘You must die, because you have told lies in the Lord’s name.’ Then their own parents will stab the one who prophesies.

⁴ “On that day every prophet will be ashamed of their prophetic vision. They will not put on a prophet’s garment of hair in order to deceive. ⁵ Each will say, ‘I am not a prophet. I am a farmer; the land has been my livelihood since my youth.’ ⁶ If someone asks, ‘What are these wounds on your body?’ they will answer, ‘The wounds I was given at the house of my friends.’

⁷ “Awake, sword, against my shepherd,
    against the man who is close to me!”
    declares the Lord Almighty.
“Strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered,
    and I will turn my hand against the little ones.
⁸ In the whole land,” declares the Lord,
    “two-thirds will be struck down and perish;
    yet one-third will be left in it.
⁹ This third I will put into the fire;
    I will refine them like silver
    and test them like gold.
They will call on my name
    and I will answer them;
I will say, ‘They are my people,’
    and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”

What will the fountain that opens “on that day” do for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem (verse 1)?

What will not be remembered anymore (verse 2)?

Who will “stab the one who prophesies” (verse 3)?

What will prophets not put on “in order to deceive” (verse 4)?

In your opinion, where would the wounds have come from (verse 6)?

When will the sheep be scattered (verse 7)?

How many will be left in the land (verse 8)?

Who will the ones who are left call on (verse 9)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

Mark 14:27-31 - New International Version (NIV)

²⁷ “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“‘I will strike the shepherd,
    and the sheep will be scattered.’

²⁸ But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

²⁹ Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

³¹ But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.

How many will fall away (verse 27)?

Where will Jesus go “ahead of you” (verse 28)?

Who said “even if all fall away, I will not” (verse 29)?

What does Jesus say will happen “before the rooster crows twice” (verse 30)?

Who said “even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you” (verse 31)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what is the difference between Peter and the other disciples denying Jesus in Mark 14:27-31 and the prophets denying being a prophet in Zechariah 13:1-9?    

Acts 21:7-16 – New International Version (NIV)

⁷ We continued our voyage from Tyre and landed at Ptolemais, where we greeted the brothers and sisters and stayed with them for a day. ⁸ Leaving the next day, we reached Caesarea and stayed at the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the Seven. ⁹ He had four unmarried daughters who prophesied.

¹⁰ After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. ¹¹ Coming over to us, he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, “The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.’”

¹² When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. ¹³ Then Paul answered, “Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” ¹⁴ When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, “The Lord’s will be done.”

¹⁵ After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. ¹⁶ Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.

Where did Paul and his companions land (verse 7)?

Who did they stay with (verse 7)?

How was Philip described (verse 8)?

What did his four daughters do (verse 9)?

Where did Agabus the prophet come from (verse 10)?

Why did Agabus take Paul’s belt and tie his own hands and feet with it (verse 11)?

In your opinion, why did they plead for Paul not to go up to Jerusalem (verse 12)?

What was Paul ready for (verse 13)?

When did the people say “the Lord’s will be done” (verse 14)?

Where did they start to go (verse 15)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, how can Paul who has become one of the sheep that Zechariah 13:1-9 says were scattered after the death of Jesus say with complete sincerity that he was “ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” in Acts 21:7-16?

In your opinion, what is the difference between Peter and the other disciples who had confidence in Mark 14:27-31 but then did fall away and disown Jesus; and Paul who had confidence in Acts 21:7-16 but then walked the walk all the way to jail?

2 Timothy 2:8-13 – New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, descended from David. This is my gospel, ⁹ for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. ¹⁰ Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they too may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus, with eternal glory.

¹¹ Here is a trustworthy saying:

If we died with him,
    we will also live with him;
¹² if we endure,
    we will also reign with him.
If we disown him,
    he will also disown us;
¹³ if we are faithless,
    he remains faithful,
    for he cannot disown himself.

What does Paul tell Timothy to remember (verse 8)?

Why was Paul suffering (verses 8 and 9)?

How is Paul chained (verse 9)?

In your opinion, what does Paul mean when he says “but God’s word is not chained” (verse 9)?

Why does Paul endure everything (verse 10)?

What will happen if we die with Jesus Christ (verse 11)?

When will Jesus Christ “disown us” (verse 12)?

Why will Jesus remain faithful (verse 13)?

In your opinion, what is the basic message of this passage?

In your opinion, what is the difference between the prophetic vision of Zechariah 13:1-9 that the prophets are ashamed of and the gospel that Paul is proclaiming in 2 Timothy 2:8-13 even though he is suffering because of his enthusiasm?

In your opinion, what can we learn about Paul’s teaching of Jesus Christ remaining faithful in 2 Timothy 2:8-13 from the fact that Jesus knew in Mark 14:27-31 that the disciples would disown him, but still promised to “go ahead of you into Galilee”? 

In your opinion, how is Paul’s willingness to be bound or die for Jesus in Acts 21:7-16 proved in 2 Timothy 2:8-13? 

In your opinion, what do these passages from Zechariah, Mark, Acts and 2 Timothy teach us about the fountain that Zechariah said would be opened “on that day” and how it cleanses from sin and impurity? 

In your opinion, how can the sheep who have been scattered and who disowned Jesus become those who live through Jesus Christ?

 

(sprucewhispers.blogspot.com)