• Journal

  Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

  • Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
  • Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
  • List out all that you are grateful for.
  • Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.

   Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:

  • A Guide to Journaling & Prayer
  • A Guide to Self-Reflection
  • A Chart to help articulate feelings

• Bible Text: Mark 1:9-11

  ⁹ In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

• Questions

  The gospel of Mark opens with these words:

  Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  

  And Jesus’ first message to the world was:

  Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

  Please choose from one or more of the prompts below to reflect over and apply today’s text.

  • What do I need to repent of? 
  • What false beliefs do I need to reject? 
  • What do I need to believe? 
  • How is the gospel good news for me?
  • What does this text reveal about Jesus?
  • What does this text reveal about me?

  Prayer 

• Journal

  Please use one of the prompts below to get your journaling started.

  • Explore your fears and what’s behind them.
  • Write about a relational conflict you are experiencing.
  • List out all that you are grateful for.
  • Recall a significant reaction, conversation or event.
   Here are some tools to help you with the devotionals:
  • A Guide to Journaling & Prayer
  • A Guide to Self-Reflection
  • A Chart to help articulate feelings

• Bible Text: Mark 1:1-8

  ¹ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

  ² As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

  “Behold, I send my messenger before your face,

      who will prepare your way,

  ³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness:

      ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,

      make his paths straight,’”

  ⁴ John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶ Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

•  

  Questions

  The gospel of Mark opens with these words:

  Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  

  And Jesus’ first message to the world was:

  Mark 1:15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

  Please choose from one or more of the prompts below to reflect over and apply today’s text.

  • What do I need to repent of? 
  • What false beliefs do I need to reject? 
  • What do I need to believe? 
  • How is the gospel good news for me?
  • What does this text reveal about Jesus?
  • What does this text reveal about me?

  Prayer 

MARK 15-16

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 13-14

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 11-12

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 9-10

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 7-8

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 5-6

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

MARK 3-4

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages. 

[ For commentary & Bible Project sketchnotes for the Gospel of Mark, please see HERE. ]

Study through the Gospel of Mark

Widespread evidence from the early church fathers affirms that Peter passed on reports of the words and deeds of Jesus to his attendant and writer, John Mark. Of particular significance in this regard are the brief statements by Papias (Bishop of Hierapolis; c. A.D. 120), preserved by Eusebius of Caesarea (260–340). Papias states that he received oral tradition from John the elder and apostle, and he passes on the following regarding Mark: (1) he was the writer for Peter; (2) he wrote down accurately as much as he could remember of Peter’s words, which the latter had adapted to the needs of the moment; (3) he was not an eyewitness of Jesus, nor a disciple (but see note on Mark 14:52); and (4) it was his desire not to omit or misrepresent anything. Papias concluded that the Gospel of Mark gains its apostolic and reliable character from its Petrine origin (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.15.1–2; 3.39.14–16).

Internal evidence also supports the Patristic testimony that Peter stands behind Mark’s Gospel. Mark’s account is especially vivid when recounting incidents involving Peter. It presents the weaknesses of Peter, as well as the disciples as a whole, and omits praiseworthy or noticeable references to Peter reported in Matthew and Luke. It has also been observed that there exists a certain structural proximity between Peter’s Caesarea speech (Acts 10:34–43) and the Gospel of Mark.[1]

Although Mark is the earliest of the four Gospels, because it is shorter and has much less teaching than the others, it has often tended to suffer neglect. At one level his story is straightforward. After a prologue, which introduces us to the good news about Jesus Christ (1:1-15), the story unfolds in four parts. In part 1 (1:16-3:6), Jesus goes public with the announcement of the kingdom.

With rapid-fire action he calls disciples, drives out demons, heals the sick, and announces that all of this has to do with coming of God’s rule’ in the process he draws amazement from the crowds and opposition from the religious and political establishment, who early on plot his death.

Part 2 (3:7-8:21) develops the role of the three significant groups. Jesus’ miracles and teaching are sources of constant amazement to the crowds; the disciples receive private instruction (4:13, 34) and join in the proclamation (6:7-13), but are slow to understand (8:14-21; cf. 6:52); the opposition continues to mount (7:1-23; 8:11-13).

In part 3 (8:22-10:45), Jesus directs his attention primarily to the disciples. Three times he explains the nature of his kingship–and hence of discipleship (8:34-38)–as going the way of the cross (as Isaiah’s suffering servant; Mark 10:45), and three times the disciples completely miss it.

Part 4 (10:46-15:47) brings the story to its climax. The king enters Jerusalem and the crowds go wild with excitement, but in the end the opposition has its day. Jesus is put on trial, found guilty, and turned over to the Romans for execution on the cross–as “the king of the Jews” (15:2).

A brief epilogue (16:1-8) reminds Mark’s readers that “[Jesus] has risen!” [2]

[1]  ESV: Study Bible : English Standard Version. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles, 2008. 1889.

[2]  Fee, Gordon D, and Douglas K. Stuart. How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour. Grand Rapids, Mich: Zondervan, 2002. 277-278.

MARK 1-2

READ • REMEMBER • REFLECT

• Read the passages slowly. Write out the verses you want to remember. Write how God spoke to you through the passages.

PRAYER

• Write a prayer of Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication using specific phrases from today’s passages.