1. Mark Part 1: The Kingdom announced
Week 1 1:1-20 Baptism, Temptation & Call
Week 2 1:21-45 Evil Sprit, Fever & Leprosy
Week 3 2:1-17 Paralytic & Levi
Week 4 2:18-34 Fasting & Sabbath
Week 5 3:7-19 Crowds & Twelve
Week 6 3:20-35 Beelzebub & Jesus' family
Week 7 4:1-20 Parable of the sower
Week 8 4:21-41 Seed parables & Calm storm
Week 9 5:1-20 Evil spirit into pigs
Week 10 6:1-13 Nazareth & Twelve sent out
Week 11 5:21-43 Jairus & Bleeding woman
Week 12 6:14-29 Death of John the Baptist

2. Mark’s gospel so far Jesus’ Baptism Jesus’ Temptation
Call of Disciples
Evil Sprit
Peter’s Mum in law
Leper
Paralysed man
Call of Levi
Not Fasting
Healing on Sabbath
The crowds & the 12
Jesus’ family
Unforgivable sin
Seed parables
Lamp parable
Calm storm
Evil spirit into pigs
Jairus’ daughter
Nazareth Rejection
John the Baptist death

3. Mark’s gospel so far Introduction Jesus’ Baptism + Temptation
Making things better: Evil spirit, Fever, Leprosy, Forgiven paralytic, Levi, Shrivelled hand, Calmed storm, Evil spirit into pigs, Bleeding woman, Jairus’ daughter
Teaching: Call of disciples, parables: sower, lamp, seeds, mustard.
Rejection: Fasting, Nazareth, Unforgivable sin

4. Mark’s gospel so far God is present
doing good in unlikely and dire places in visible and invisible ways; but is resisted by preconceptions, familiarity and vested interest
… and can look like failure
(the death of John the Baptist is a BIG deal)

5. The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,     who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord,     make straight paths for him.’”
4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

6. 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

7. 6:14 King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 Others said, “He is Elijah.”
And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16 But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”
17 For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison. He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.” 19 So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, 20 because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man. When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled; yet he liked to listen to him.

8. 21 Finally the opportune time came
21 Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests. The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” 23 And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”
24 She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?” “The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.
25 At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

9. Thank God for his written Word to us
26 The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. 27 So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, 28 and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. 29 On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.
Thank God for his written Word to us

10. Summary of Mark so far God is present
doing good in unlikely and dire places in visible and invisible ways; but is resisted by preconceptions, familiarity and vested interest
… and can look like failure
Why?

11. “God is present doing good”

12. Summary of Mark so far
God is present doing good in unlikely and dire places in visible and invisible ways; but is resisted by preconceptions & vested interest
… and can look like failure
… but it isn’t
How do you know?
1) Rest of the story
2) experience

13. 4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the broken hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit
(from Psalm 34)