Section One Discipleship - NATURE of Discipleship

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2 Section One Discipleship - NATURE of Discipleship The Calling of the Disciples Jesus gathers his followers The word disciple means follower, and is often used to refer to one of Jesus followers from the Gospel. But it can also be used more generally to mean any Christian you, me, Mother Teresa, Martin Luther King etc. What do these stories teach us? The disciples abandoned their jobs, friends and families to follow Jesus. Modern followers are asked to make sacrifices as well. Jesus didn t choose to call well educated and religious men. Instead he called common fishermen to learn from him. Modern followers don t have to be special, smart or religious to follow Jesus anyone can be a follower if they are willing. The Mission of the Disciples Go out and preach Jesus chose 12 men from his group of followers to become the twelve. These men would be responsible for telling people about the good news of the kingdom of God. The twelve had to trust in God a great deal because they weren t allowed to take a lot and it was a dangerous job! What does this story teach Christians today? Just like the Twelve had to trust God, so do modern Christians. We are taught to put out trust in God when things are hard or in scary times We should be charitable, we should be the ones that welcome and help those who spread the word of God rather than turn them away.

3 Section One Discipleship COST of Discipleship Jesus True Family A follower of Jesus has given up their family and friends to follow Jesus but they shouldn t be upset about this. Jesus is showing that a disciple s true family is his fellow believers. What does this story teach Christians today? Followers of Jesus will receive a new family a spiritual family, one that is united together by their devotion to God. Each Christian belongs to a bigger family than the one they have at home. In following Jesus, we become part of a worldwide family of believers. Disciples and Christians today do not forget their family they remember they are part of a new one! True Greatness The disciples learn an important lesson in what it means to be a disciple and the sacrifice they have to make. They learn that a disciple must become a servant of all. What does this story teach Christians today? Being truly great means serving others That we should put ourselves last Being a disciple is hard and involves a lot of sacrifices

4 The Rich Man This story is a hard one for Jesus disciples and Christians to understand. Jesus tells his disciples that to be disciples we must follow the commandments and give all we have to the poor! What does this story teach Christians today? That being rich in material things (money, clothes, etc) will mean it s hard to get into heaven Christians should not collect material things but give them away to help the poor We should follow the 10 Commandments faithfully If we make these sacrifices now; we will be rewarded 100 times over in heaven. How does this story cause problems for Christians?? If we sell all our possessions we wouldn t be able to look after ourselves or our families? How rich is too rich? We all have a lot of clothes, mobile phones, ipods etc? Christians today fail to keep all the commandments. Most Christians will work on the Sabbath even though we re told not to! The Parable of the Tenants Jesus taught the disciples by telling them stories. Some were simple and straight forward; others needed a little detective work to understand what Jesus was really trying to say. The parable of the Tenants is one of those stories whose meaning needs to be worked out What does this story teach Christians today? The story warns that being a follower of Jesus can be dangerous and responsible job Christians can still face persecution, discrimination and death in some parts of the world today

5 Section One Discipleship PROBLEMS of Discipleship Disciples Couldn t Cast out a Spirit When Jesus chose his twelve disciples he gave them authority over evil spirits (and to preach). They were expected to cast out spirits and heal, just like Jesus did. However the disciples didn t always understand what was needed and so they failed. What does this story teach Christians today? Even Jesus chosen disciples sometimes didn t understand and made mistakes. So don t worry if you do. Christians need to remember to have faith in Jesus everything is possible Prayer is an important part of being a follower we need to pray more The Parable of the Sower Jesus uses an allegory (a story that uses symbols) with seeds and the soil representing the word of God and the people that hear the Gospel. This is a strange passage, Jesus says to the disciples that he spoke in parables because he didn t want just anyone to understand or they might all want to turn and be forgiven. Jesus was disappointed that the disciples didn t understand, they needed him to explain the parable they failed to understand.

6 More failures: Rivalry, Gethsemane and Peter s Denial It wasn t easy being a disciple of Jesus. Mark highlights, in particular, the failing of those closest to Jesus Peter, James and John. These stories cause problems for some modern Christians, if the disciples couldn t obey Jesus and repeatedly failed him what chance do we have? On the other hand, the humanity of the disciples can help Christians to cope with their own failings. Jesus loved his disciples despite their shortcomings he didn t expect perfection from them, just as he doesn t expect it from us. Read Mark s Gospel, it s easy to see Peter as a failure. He questioned Jesus, didn t seem to understand a lot of the time, fell asleep at Gethsemane, ran away when Jesus was arrested and denied knowing him three times. But it was Peter who first recognised Jesus as the Messiah (Christ), and who led the Church following the resurrection.

7 Section Two Conflict and Argument Conflict with JEWISH LAW There s evidence of conflict all through Mark s Gospel. And some of the most memorable parts of the Gospels are where Jesus argues about the Law (laws handed down by God in the Torah) with the Pharisees. Pharisees and Scribes were Experts The Pharisees were a Jewish group who studied the Law of Moses, and where dedicated to keeping the Jewish faith alive. They believed that obedience to the Law was all important. The Scribes were religious lawyers. They made copies of the Torah, and so knew the law very well. Jesus was often in conflict with the Pharisees and scribes for breaking laws and traditions. For example, Jesus dined with sinners and his disciples didn t fast. Jesus explained that his followers would only fast once he was dead. Jesus forgave and healed a paralysed man Jesus healed a man whose faith was strong and so forgave him for his sins. Some scribes thought this was blasphemy, since only God could forgive sins. The man then got up and walked, proving that the Son of Man (Jesus) has authority on earth to forgive sins.

8 Section Two Conflict and Argument Conflict with JEWISH LAW People are more important than the Sabbath The Sabbath is the Jewish day of rest; Jews were expected not do any work. However in the story where the disciples picked corn and when Jesus healed the man with the paralysed hand Jesus justified working on the Sabbath on the grounds that human need should come before religious laws, and that preventing/repairing harm is always a good thing. Jesus challenged Jewish Traditions Mark tells us that Jesus challenged the traditions of ritual cleanliness and corban. Jesus argued that it s not what goes into a person that makes them unclean, but rather, what is in their heart. Jesus also argued that Jews were more concerned with their own traditions than God s word. These views would have caused major conflict within the Jewish community at the time. But many Christians believed that putting people s welfare before strict religious rules, and always trying to be a good person should be the basis for good community cohesion (living in harmony as a community).

9 Section Two Conflict and Argument Conflict with AUTHORITY It wasn t just the Pharisees and Scribes (lawyers) that Jesus fought with. Jesus wasn t a fan of authority in general The Sadducees were a group of priests who ran the Temple in Jerusalem. They believed sticking very strictly to the books of the Torah and believed only what was found in the Torah. For example they don t believe in resurrection or angels. The Chief Priest feared Jesus and he wanted him dead Jesus Entered Jerusalem When Jesus entered Jerusalem at the end of his journey, he entered as a king. He rode in on the back of a donkey (colt) while people greeted him with loud cheers and by placing coats/palm branches for the donkey to walk on. Jesus was just a Carpenter but his entry into the great city of Jerusalem shows that he is special and should be welcomed as a King of Peace Cleansing of the Temple When Jesus reached the Temple, the most sacred place for Jews, he found a market. The place was not being used as a house of prayer but for people to sell and buy things. Jesus overturned the tables saying the Authorities (Sadducees) had turned it into a den of thieves. Jesus is showing the Sadducees that they aren t doing their job properly; he is showing them that his authority is greater because he is acting for God.

10 Authority of Jesus is Questioned The Authority question Jesus so they can trap him and give them a reason to have him arrested. Instead of giving the Authorities a straight answer Jesus asks them where they think John the Baptist got his authority from. By doing this Jesus is showing that he too can be cleaver and trap his opponents. This would have greatly embarrassed the Authority. Argument about Resurrection The Sadducees don t believe in Resurrection (life after death) because it isn t written in the Torah. This story is an important one for modern Christians because it shows the idea of resurrection was around before Jesus. So do we still need to believe in Jesus to receive eternal life? Jesus describes an (after) life very different to the one we have now, where we will be more like angels and there will be no such thing as marriage. It is important to remember that Jesus said that God is God of the living meaning that judgement happens at the time of death rather than people having to wait and remaining dead until the Last Day.

11 Argument about Taxes Again the Authorities try to trap Jesus with a question about taxes. This passage can be used to justify different points of views. For example Religion (God) and the Government (state) should be seen as two separate things. It is also an important message for modern Christians because it shows them that they have to live by the laws of God but that earthly (government) laws need to be obeyed as well. Jesus was prepared to challenge authority when he felt it was necessary, but he didn t want to cause trouble. He didn t tell his follows not to pay taxes, and most of his anger was directed at what he saw as hypocrisy (two faced) and impiety.

12 Section Two Conflict and Argument Conflict with his FOLLOWERS Jesus predicts his passion (death) three times The passion is known as the suffering of Jesus leading up to his crucifixion. Jesus knew this was going to happen and so predicted the events to his disciples three times. Jesus told his disciples that he would suffer and die for many but Peter refused to believe what Jesus was saying. Jesus reaction is very strong; he compares him to the devil because Peter s reaction is tempting Jesus away from his fate. Jesus predicts his death two more times, each time they are getting closer to Jerusalem. On these occasions the disciples were described as being afraid and astonished but they never asked Jesus what he really meant because they were scared. Christians today accept that Jesus passion (death) is necessary only through his sacrifice can Christians find salvation. Anointing at Bethany This can be a strange story; it doesn t fit with the rest of Jesus teachings especially about the Young Rich Man. Jesus is telling his disciples that it was okay to spend 300 on him this sounds quite selfish. Messiah means anointed one, so some Christians today believe she was showing her faith that Jesus was the Messiah. Kings and Queens are still anointed, so this is a reference to Jesus kingship. Some Christians also believe that the disciples anger showed they don t believe Jesus would die only Jesus and the woman really understood what was about to happen.

13 Judas and the Plot to Kill Jesus The Jewish authority in Jerusalem wanted to arrest and kill Jesus, but not during the Passover festival because he had too many followers and they might riot (fight). But when Jesus own disciple Judas decided to betray him they took the opportunity. Something Jesus had predicted at the Last Supper.

14 Section Three Death and Resurrection LAST SUPPER The Last Supper This is the last meal Jesus and the Twelve ate together. They were celebrating the Feast of Unleavened Bread the first night of the Jewish Passover festival. Passover commemorates the release of the Jews from slavery in Egypt and is a very important festival. During the feast, Jesus predicted that one of the disciples would betray him. Each disciple denied that it would be him. Jesus then broke a piece of bread and said, Take it; this is my body. He passed round a cup of wine and said This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. This is a very important passage for Christians, as it is the origin of the Eucharist (Holy Communion). Many Christians believe that they receive the saving power of Jesus by eating the bread and drinking the wine at the Eucharist. Holy Communion reminds Christians of the new covenant made with God through the death of Jesus. After Supper Jesus felt that his death was near and when to the Mount of Olives where he predicted Peter s denial.

15 Section Three Death and Resurrection TRIALS Jesus prayed at Gethsemane That night, after the meal, Jesus went with Peter, James and John (PJJ) to the garden of Gethsemane to pray. Peter, James and John were to keep watch while he prayed but they failed. Mark writes that Jesus was deeply distressed saying that his soul was overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Jesus prayed for God to take this suffering away from him BUT only if it would fit God s plan. Jesus didn t want to die if he didn t have to, but he would obey God. This passage shows Jesus humanity and so cause problems for some Christians. Some feel that if Jesus was God (as part of the Trinity), then he should know that his death was necessary and not question his fate. Others think that, by praying to God, Jesus shows that he s separate from him. Jesus was betrayed, arrested and tried Judas arrived in Gethsemane to betray Jesus with a crowd armed with swords and clubs. Judas has a signal the person he kissed was the one they should arrest. This is a problem for some Christians Judas betrayal is a sore subject for some. Christians believe that what he did dammed him to hell for betraying God and sending a good man to his death. BUT if Jesus death was necessary for our salvation, then was Judas action necessary?

16 Section Three Death and Resurrection TRIALS Jesus was put on trial before the High Priest and the rest of the Jewish council (Sanhedrin). Mark writes that the council were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death. As far as Christians are concerned, this wasn t a real trial, and it has nothing to do with justice. The chief priests felt threatened by Jesus and this was an opportunity to get rid of him. Many people testified falsely against Jesus, but their stories didn t agree with each other. Jesus stayed silent he didn t try to defend himself, only when the High Priest asks Jesus directly if he is the Son of God does he reply I am. This is enough to condemn Jesus of blasphemy insulting God.

17 Section Three Death and Resurrection CRUCIFIXION and RESURRECTION Sanhedrin turned him over to Pontius Pilate Jesus was turned over to Pontius Pilate the Roman governor of Judea. Only he had the power to sentence Jesus to death. The priests accused Jesus of many things before Pilate, but again, Jesus refused to answer the accusations. According to Mark it was custom to release a prisoner to mark Passover. The crowd having been stirred by the chief priests, called for Barabbas to be realised instead. Pilate agreed to crucify Jesus to keep the crowd happy. So according to Mark, the priests and the Jewish crowd were responsible for Jesus death, not Pilate. This view was probably influenced because Mark and his readers lived in Rome, he might have felt it wise to paint the Roman Pilate in a good light. Modern Christians tend to lay some of the blame for Jesus death with Pilate. As a Roman governor he had the power to refuse to do what the priests wanted, but he chose to go along with them.

18 Jesus was crucified and died Jesus was lead to Golgotha where he was to be crucified nailed to a cross to hang until he was dead. Simon of Cyrene helped carry his cross. Jesus refused the drugged wine he was offered, instead choosing to suffer. A sign was fixed to Jesus cross that read The King of the Jews, to record the charge against him. Passers-by threw insults at Jesus, saying that he could save others but couldn t save himself. Christians believe that it was by dying on the cross that Jesus truly saved his followers from death. They believe that God had placed all the sins of the world on Jesus while he hung on the cross As Jesus died, the curtain of the Temple tore in two. This would have been a symbol of mourning to the Jews, who tear their clothes when a loved one dies. It is also a symbol of the divide between God and humans. On the third day he was resurrected As soon as the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome went to Jesus tomb to anoint his body. A young man (angel) told them that Jesus has risen and for them to tell the disciples. The women ran from the tomb in terror and didn t tell anyone (The oldest copies of Mark s gospels ends here).

19 Later copies of Mark go on to say that the resurrected Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, and then to the eleven remaining disciples. He told them to preach the good news to all creation. Christians believe that Jesus resurrection was physical, not just spiritual. The risen Jesus wasn t a ghost he rose again in flesh, showing his power over death. It is not enough to just know what happened you need to know the significance to Christians of all the events leading up to Jesus death and resurrection.

20 Section Four Identity of Jesus EVENTS The Baptism The start of Jesus ministry was marked by his baptism by John the Baptist. John was baptising people in the river Jordan for the forgiveness of sins. The people confessed their sins and John immersed them in the river to symbolise the sins being washed away. This causes problems for some Christians today because if Jesus was the Son of God and without sin, why did he need to be baptised? Some Christians believe that Jesus was trying to teach his disciples that they too should be baptised and that this is the start of his ministry. However, for Mark this is where he tells us that Jesus is the SON OF GOD. Peter s Confession at Caesarea Philippi Confession just means acknowledging something Peter is making a statement of belief. Peter calls Jesus Christ. This was the first time that one of Jesus disciples had openly declared him to be the Christ or Messiah. Jesus told them not to tell anyone who he was this is often called as the Messianic Secret. Matthews Account is also important In Matthew s gospel, Jesus responds to Peter s confession by offering him the keys of the kingdom of heaven. For Roman Catholics, this passage marks the foundation of their Church, with Peter as the first Pope. Mark s gospel doesn t include any mention of this, so Matthews record is more important for Roman Catholic Christians.

21 The Transfiguration In this story, Jesus appearance changed in front of Peter, James and John. The prophets Moses and Elijah appeared, and were talking to Jesus. Elijah is the Old Testament prophet (who is believed to return before the Messiah) and Moses represents the Jewish Law. This is the most openly god like thing that Jesus is recorded as having done in Mark s Gospel. Some Christians have problems with this story they find it hard to match up this event with the person of Jesus, it seems out of character. While the disciples stood there terrified, a cloud came down and a voice said This is my own dear son, listen to him! Just like at the baptism this is the voice of God himself declaring Jesus to be his son. The voice is also saying that Jesus teachings should be listened to, above those of Elijah and Moses! Jesus again told Peter, James and John not to tell anyone what they d seen until after he d risen from the dead. But if the three disciples had witnessed this transfiguration, seen the prophets and heard the voice of God, it is hard to understand why they struggled to accept the idea of Jesus resurrection.

22 Section Four Identity of Jesus HEALING MIRACLES According to Mark s Gospel, Jesus performed many miracles. These miracles showed that he had God s power, but they also demonstrated the importance of faith. Healing Miracles and faith Jesus showed his own faith every time he performed a miracle. And he showed that people could be cured miraculously of both physical and mental illness as long as they had faith. There are two ways of look at the healings of Legion and Jairu s daughter 1) They are descriptions of real events 2) Symbolic of Christian teachings Where the miracles seem to be treating what we would now consider mental illness (e.g. Legion), most Christians see how faith could have a profound effect. But healing physical illness or even death through faith alone is harder for some modern Christians to accept. Many Christians believe that the story of Legion is symbolic, where a man represents the whole of humanity being plagued by the many demons of sin.

23 Section Four Identity of Jesus NATURE MIRACLES Mark also describes several nature miracles, in which Jesus shows his power over nature. Taken at face value, these stories can cause problems for some modern Christians. In a world that follows the normal physical laws, you can t turn 5 loaves and 2 fish into enough food to feed thousands of people, or walk on water as though it was solid ground. Some Christians believe that the physical laws didn t bind Jesus, because he was the Son of God, and had God s power. Other Christians prefer to view the stories as symbolic. For example, the feeding of the 5000 can be seen to represent God providing for those who trust and have faith in him.

24 Section Four Identity of Jesus TITLES OF JESUS In Mark s Gospel, Jesus is called by a number of titles, each of which gives us a clue as to Jesus identity. MESSIAH The words Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) both mean anointed one. Modern day Kings and Queens are still anointed to show they have been chosen by God. In the Jewish scriptures, the Messiah is the promised King of Israel who will deliver the Jews from suffering and bring in the messianic age an age of peace when everyone will worship God. Christians believe that Jesus was the Messiah promised in the books of the Old Testament, they believed that during his life time he started to fulfil some of these prophecies. When Jesus comes back (the second coming) he will bring in the Kingdom of God SON OF MAN When Jesus refers to himself in Mark s gospel, he uses the title Son of man. Healing of the Paralysed man Passion predictions In response to James and John s request Many Christians see the title as a reference to Jesus humanity, they believed that he lived, suffered and died as a man. As a human, Jesus could atone for the sins of humanity.

25 SON OF GOD Christians believe that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity and the Son of God. There is evidence in the Gospel At the baptism and transfiguration, God s voice declared Jesus as his son Miracles show Jesus has God s power Jesus confirmed he was at his trial before the Jewish council (Sanhedrin) Not everyone is convinced from Mark s gospel, that Jesus was divine (God). He showed normal, human emotions at Gethsemane and up until his trial, he never claimed to be the Son of God. Others don t trust the evidence of Mark s Gospel. It was probably written sometime after Jesus death, by someone who wasn t a first hand witness of things he is describing.

26 Do Well In Your Exams You ve learnt all the facts now it s time to get the grades. Easy marks for knowing what words mean a) What does disciple mean? (2marks) Two marks for just knowing what the important terms mean. These questions don t carry a lot of marks, so keep your answers short and to the point BUT make sure you define the word properly. What do you think? There is no right answer to this kind of question only good answers will get you lots of marks. A good answer will give clear developed reasons; use the facts to help make your argument. Remember you don t personally have to believe in what you re writing, as long as you can argue the point well. b) Do you think Jesus chose his disciples well? Give two reasons for your point of view (4 marks)

27 You ll have to explain why For C questions, take time to check your spellings, punctuation and grammar. You could get marks for this and for including key terms in your answer. c) Explain why the parable of the Tenants is important for Christians today (8 marks) If you structure your answers well you ll get more marks so make sure you plan before you write your answer. The best marks will go to those who put in four reasons that are well developed. These questions carry the highest marks so make sure you spend time writing down and explaining your points! You need to know both sides of the argument These questions are where you need to understand other people s opinions. You need to give reasons for what you think and why people would disagree with you. So spend time and effort on each part. You will need to refer to the Gospel of Mark here, so make sure you do. If you don t do this, you can only get half marks. d) Jesus rose the dead In your answer you should refer to Christianity (i) Do you agree? Give reasons for your opinion (ii) Give reasons why some people may disagree with you (3 marks) (3 marks)