Worksheet - Encountering Jesus in the New Testament PDF

Encountering Jesus in the New Testament Directed Reading Worksheet Chapter 5 The Gospel of mark: Jesus the Suffering Servant DirecCons: Read through the chapter and fill in the missing informaCon. All the quesCons run sequenCal to the chapter. If a true/false statement is false, correct it. 1. True or...

Encountering Jesus in the New Testament Directed Reading Worksheet Chapter 5 The Gospel of mark: Jesus the Suffering Servant DirecCons: Read through the chapter and fill in the missing informaCon. All the quesCons run sequenCal to the chapter. If a true/false statement is false, correct it. 1. True or False? Mark’s Gospel has numerous examples of individuals who have mistaken noCons of who exactly Jesus is. True 2. Why does Jesus give instrucCons to his followers to keep his idenCty a secret? Jesus gives instrucCons to keep his idenCty a secret because he did not want to be seen as a poliCcal or military leader, as many people at the Cme were expecCng the Messiah to be. He also did not want to draw too much aUenCon to himself and risk being arrested before his appointed Cme. 3. The messianic idenCty in Mark’s Gospel is that Jesus is the suffering servant prophesied by Isaiah, a truth even his Apostles could not fully understand. He did not want to be a poliCcal or military leader or for people to think of him in earthly terms. Mark records, “he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise aYer three days.” 4. What two important quesCons does Mark want his readers to ponder? The two important quesCons Mark wants his readers to ponder are: Who is Jesus and what does it mean to be his disciple? 5. While tradiCon maintains that the Gospel of Mark was composed by a close companion of both Sts. Peter and Paul, most scholars today believe it is based on the preaching of St. Peter and several oral and perhaps wriUen collecCons which he wove together. The various stories, parables, and miracle stories of Jesus serve as a kind of long introducCon to the events of Jesus’ Passion and Death. 6. True or False? Mark was likely the first Gospel, esCmated to have been wriUen near AD 90 when ChrisCans separated from the Jewish religion. False 7. What is the principle theme of the Gospel of Mark? What is the message of the Gospel to its readers? The principle theme of the Gospel of Mark is the idenCty of Jesus as the Son of God and the suffering servant. The message of the Gospel to its readers is to accept Jesus as the Messiah and to follow him, even in the face of suffering and persecuCon. 8. Explain two insights about Jesus’ use of the Ctle Son of Man in the context of the Old Testament. First, Jesus’ use of the Ctle Son of Man connects him to the prophecy in Daniel 7:13-14, where the Son of Man is described as a figure who will come to establish God’s kingdom on earth. This reinforces Jesus’ idenCty as the Messiah and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Second, Jesus’ use of the Ctle Son of Man also emphasizes his humanity and his role as a suffering servant. In the Old Testament, the Ctle Son of Man is oYen used to refer to a human being, and Jesus’ use of this Ctle highlights his willingness to suffer and die for the salvaCon of humanity. 9. True or False? While Jesus’ forty days in the desert suggests a connecCon to the desert journey of the People of Israel, in contrast he is obedient while Israel was not. True 10. The first part of Mark’s Gospel centers on Jesus’ ministry in Galilee where he shows himself to be an authoritaCve teacher, healer, miracle worker, and fully human. His message centers on the Kingdom of God, a message oYen misunderstood, even by his own followers. 11. True or False? In retelling the story of how Jesus called his first disciples, Mark makes it clear that Jesus taught with authority. True 12. Jesus’ first major teaching comes in five controversies contained in Mark 2:1–3:6. Summarize Jesus’ acCons in the leY-hand column and the expected behavior in the right-hand column. Jesus’ acCons | Controversy - Forgiving sins | Accused of blasphemy - EaCng with sinners | Accused of being unclean - Not fasCng | Accused of being irreligious - Healing on the Sabbath | Accused of breaking the law - Healing a man with a withered hand | Accused of being a threat to the religious leaders 13. The parables Jesus teaches in chapter 4 of Mark provide insights into Jesus’ central message, the Kingdom of God. Briefly note what each parable teaches about the Kingdom of God. Parable of the seed growing itself: The Kingdom of God grows and spreads on its own, without human effort. Parable of the sower: The Kingdom of God is received differently by different people, but it is up to the individual to culCvate and nurture it. Parable of the lamp: The Kingdom of God should not be hidden or kept secret, but rather shared and spread to others. The mustard seed: The Kingdom of God may start small, but it will grow and become a place of refuge for all. 14. True or False? Mark’s audience would have found encouragement in these four parables because they were experiencing a period of rapid growth. True 15. True or False? Mark records four types of miracles Jesus performed: healings, exorcisms, nature miracles, and a raising from the dead. True 16. Briefly summarize the five-part paUern of Jesus’ miracles in Mark. Jesus is approached by someone in need. Jesus has compassion and responds to the person's need. Jesus performs a miracle, demonstraCng his power and authority. The person is healed or their problem is solved. The people are amazed and glorify God. 17. The exorcism stories in Mark depict the Son of God doing baUle with evil forces. They are closely related to his proclamaCon of the Kingdom and prove that God’s Kingdom is already present in Jesus’ public ministry. Faith plays a major role; indeed, Mark records that Jesus was unable to perform a miracle in Nazareth due to the lack of faith there. 18. True or False? Mark’s portrait of Jesus gives the clearest portrayal of the many emoCons of Jesus, including compassion and love, but not anger. False 19. Explain the “mystery” Jesus reveals in the third part of Mark’s Gospel. The "mystery" Jesus reveals in the third part of Mark's Gospel is the true idenCty of the Messiah. Jesus reveals that he is the Son of God and the suffering servant who will redeem humanity through his death and resurrecCon. This mystery is slowly revealed throughout the Gospel as Jesus teaches and performs miracles, but it is fully revealed in his Passion and Death. 20. True or False? Mark challenges his readers to accept Jesus as the Messiah who suffers crucifixion before he rises to glory. True 21. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus takes his disciples aside three different Cmes and predicts his Passion and ResurrecCon. Each Cme Jesus gives instrucCon on the requirement of discipleship: if they want to be his disciples, they would have to follow in his footsteps. And each Cme his disciples do not understand him. 22. What does Jesus specifically say about what it means to be his disciple in the climax of the third part of the Gospel of Mark? In the climax of the third part of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus specifically says that being his disciple means taking up one's cross and following him. This means being willing to suffer and sacrifice for the sake of the Kingdom of God, just as Jesus did. 23. True or False? The disciples’ ability to understand Jesus in Mark represents both the local church for whom Mark wrote as well as the Church today. False 24. True or False? Jesus’ teaching to the rich man must have encouraged the Apostles because they, like their contemporaries, thought wealth was a sign of God’s blessing. False 25. True or False? Both the parable of the tenants and the parable of the vineyard portray the Jewish religious leaders in a posiCve light. False 26. Jesus teaches his followers on the Mount of Olive about the way of discipleship, which includes self-sacrifice, humility, and following God's will. 27. Jesus' Passion, Death, and ResurrecCon are the central events and climax of the Gospel of Mark. Scholars have remarked that the first thirteen chapters serve as an apt preparaCon for the Passion narraCve. These events demonstrate God's love for his people, called the Paschal Mystery, and are commemorated during the liturgies of Holy Week, especially in the Triduum. 28. True or False? While each of the Gospels agree on the basic essenCal of Jesus’ Passion, each has its own way of retelling the events, and Mark’s emphasis is to bluntly reveal how everyone abandons Jesus at the end. True. 29. Examples of why some religious leaders and those in the Roman government were opposed to Jesus' acCons and teachings include: his claims to be the Son of God, his associaCon with sinners and outcasts, his criCcism of the religious authoriCes, his popularity among the people, and his threat to the established power structure. 30. True or False? PonCus Pilate was the Jewish prefect responsible for Jesus’ Death, choosing to ignore his conscience. False. 31. The irony about the woman who anointed Jesus' body at Bethany is that she is preparing him for his burial, while the disciples are sCll unaware of his impending death. 32. True or False? According to the Gospel of Mark, Judas’ moCve for his betrayal of Jesus was pride. False. 33. In explaining Jesus' preparaCons for the Passover, Mark suggests the impending sacrifice of his life. To show that the sacrifice of his life for the world is a voluntary act of his will, Jesus is in control by planning the details. At the Last Supper, Jesus insCtutes the Eucharist, a celebraCon of Jesus' Passover from death to new life, under the forms of bread and wine. 34. Jesus tells his Apostles that they will all fall away and abandon him, but also that he will rise again aYer three days. He also warns Peter that he will deny him three Cmes before the rooster crows. 35. While Jesus does not want to die, he prays that his Father's will be done. In contrast to the disciples who are overcome with fear, he does not resist arrest. Jesus is arrested at Gethsemane - the realm of Satan - aYer being betrayed by Judas. Jesus opposes any use of violence aYer a bystander cuts off the ear of the high priest's servant, rejecCng the expectaCon that he would be a military messiah. 36. The high priest was insensiCve to normal legal procedures by holding a trial at night, not allowing Jesus to have a defense, and coercing false witnesses to tesCfy against him. 37. True or False? Jesus clearly acknowledges that he is the Messiah before the Sanhedrin, and predicts the Son of Man will return in glory. False. 38. True or False? James and John, who had previously acknowledged Jesus to be the Messiah, betrayed Jesus. False. 39. True or False? PonCus Pilate convicted Jesus for commipng blasphemy, a Roman capital offense, rather than for sediCon. False. 40. True or False? All four of the Gospels relate that Pilate knew of Jesus’ innocence to the charges brought against him. True. 41. Common causes of death for a person who was crucified include suffocaCon, shock, and dehydraCon. 42. Jesus was crucified with two criminals who tormented and taunted him, challenging him to save himself. An inscripCon on the cross adverCsed his crime: "The King of the Jews." Jesus' last words quote Psalm 22, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me," and the veil in the Temple tears in two symbolizing the end of the Old Covenant. 43. Jesus' most faithful disciples are some women who remain with him unCl the end. And at the end of the Gospel of Mark, it is these women who go to the tomb to anoint Jesus' body. AYer seeing that the stone from the front of the tomb has been moved, they learn from a man in a white robe that Jesus has been raised. They inform his disciples and Peter to meet Jesus in Galilee. 44. The irony that concludes the Gospel of Mark is that the women who were afraid and did not tell anyone about the resurrecCon are the ones who are now telling the disciples to go and meet Jesus in Galilee. 45. One theory as to why Mark's Gospel ends so abruptly is that the original ending was lost or damaged. Another theory is that Mark intenConally ended his Gospel this way to emphasize the open-ended nature of discipleship and the call to conCnue Jesus' mission. 46. True. 47. The Second VaCcan Council clearly taught in the document Nostra Aetate that the Jews should not be blamed for Jesus' crucifixion, as all people are responsible for his death and all are in need of his salvaCon. The document also emphasizes the importance of mutual respect and understanding between ChrisCans and Jews.