Three Questions plus one from Jesus: bible study

Bible Study:- Mark 12:13-44

This passage is not just about Jesus confounding his questioners and showing them up for what they were. It is more fundamentally about Jesus radically redefining the expectations of both his questioners and those observing this conflict between the religious incumbents and the upstart pretender to the throne.

Question 1 Mark 12:13-17 – the Question about giving tribute to Caesar

1.       Is it clear from Jesus’ answer what was Caesar’s? (v17) Could this answer be used against Caesar? Would you assume that this teaches that he could have his coin back?

2.       Is there any limit placed on what is God’s?

3.       Jesus’ answer could be taken in an uncontentious way but it opens up the question of who should be worshipped and how. Is there a suggestion that while the coin has Caesar’s image, humans have God’s image and if so, what does that imply?

Question 2 Mark 12:18-27 – the question about the afterlife.

1.       If asked; “why do you believe in life after death” what would you say? Could you demonstrate the truth of an afterlife from the Old Testament.?

2.       What does Jesus say about life in the afterlife? (v25) What is the centre of human attention in the resurrection life? Do you think being like the angels in heaven (v25) has to do with them being genderless or something else?

3.       Jesus says that his questioners “you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God”. How does knowing Exodus 3:6 (a passage they would have been very familiar with) talk about the power of God? Why is the power of God relevant to the question at hand? Is God’s power the only thing that Jesus is drawing attention to?

4.       Do you believe in the resurrection because its logical or because you know the power of God?

Question 3 Mark 12:28-34 – The Love Command

1.       The question; “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” was probably a common theological discussion. Jesus’ insight is not original. He knows the scriptures and uses Deuteronomy 6;4-5 and Leviticus 19:18. Why is quoting Deuteronomy 6:4 relevant instead of just quoting Deuteronomy 6:5?

2.       How does saying that loving God is the first commandment radically change our understanding of Biblical law? Is Jesus’ understanding seen in the ten commandments? (Exodus 20) Is the idea of loving God with our whole being a realistic approach in practice or just emotional nonsense?

Believe in God is OK.

Obey God is OK.

Know about God is OK

Trusting God is OK

               But is loving God possible?

How important are rules and rituals? (see verse 33)

3.       What is the link between the first command and the second? (verse 11) Is it possible to love God without loving your neighbour?

Question 4 Mark 12:28-34 – Jesus’ question about David

1.       Jesus starts with a ‘simple’ question. “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David? The teachers of the law were Old Testament experts. They expected a descendant of David to re-establish his kingdom. (for example see 2 Sam 7 esp. verses 11,12). What do you think that meant to the teachers of the law? (You might like to look at the disciples first question of Jesus in Acts 1:6)

2.       Jesus then makes the question uncomfortable by quoting Psalm 110. “the Lord says to my lord”. Jesus takes this to mean that that the Messiah was not just David’s descendant (son verse 31) but also his Lord. Why was this a problem for the scribes? Does it imply that the Messiah has a focus that is beyond political Israel?

Question 5 Mark 12:38-44

The section for this week’s passage ends with two contrasting assessments by Jesus.

1.       What is the criticism of the teachers of the law? (38-40) Would they have been viewed that way by themselves? Would they have been viewed that way by their fellow citizens of Israel? Why or why not?

2.       Why is the widow commended? Would she have considered herself commendable? Would those observing her have thought that the gift was paltry and without worth?

3.       Why is Mark putting these to assessment near each other at the end of a period of conflict between the religious leaders and Jesus and in the last week of Jesus’ life on earth?

4.       Do you think that the woman’s commitment is a little extreme? See 12:17

Question 6

Do you think that Jesus’ answers and his question simply contribute to ongoing theological discussion or advances a radical understanding of God’s modus

operandi and what it is to be the people of God?