Getting to Know Jesus in the Gospel of Mark
Study Twenty: Mark 4:10-12
10 And when he was alone, those around him with the twelve
asked him about the parables. 11 And he said to them, “To you has been given
the secret of the kingdom of God, but for those outside everything is in
parables, 12 so that
“they may indeed see but not perceive,
and may indeed hear
but not understand,
lest they should turn and be forgiven.” (Mark 4)
1. What does this
tell you about the way Jesus’ disciples related to the parables Jesus was
telling everyone?
2. In verse 11,
Jesus differentiates between two groups of people. How would you describe the
difference between the two?
3. Again in verse
11, what contrast does Jesus present in relation to his use of parables?
4. Verse 12 gives
us Jesus’ reason for using parables. Explain what this means.
5. The quote in
verse 12 is from the prophecy of Isaiah given by God approximately 700 years
earlier. It reads: “And he said, “Go, and
say to this people: ‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand; keep on seeing,
but do not perceive.’ Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy,
and blind their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears,
and understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
What does Jesus’ application of this quote to his ministry tell his disciples
about what is going on in the work of God?
6. What does this
understanding add to the reason that Jesus ended his teaching in parables with
the phrase, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (vs 9)?
7. Now that Mark is
showing that Jesus’ ministry will effectively create two groups of people,
where do you see yourself in the picture?
Unless otherwise noted,
Scriptures are from the English Standard Version (The Holy Bible, English
Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good
News Publishers.)
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