An Apprenticeship to Jesus
Gospel of Mark Study
Week 15
Introduction: 
Hey everybody, welcome to the podcast, I’m Nick and it’s fantastic to be here with you today. We are on week 15 of our weekly season called An Apprenticeship to Jesus: Gospel of Mark Study.
Last week, in Mark 14 we learned that devotion to Christ will often be misunderstood, but it matters deeply.
Spiritual alertness is essential in times of testing.
Obedience to God’s will may be costly, but it is the path to true life.
This week, we are going to see Jesus die on the cross and his followers burry him.
I am switching up the version again this week to the Message, because it speaks in a way that helps it to hit differently.
Make sure that you download the PDF of the study and listen with a friend.
Let’s jump in to the study. Would you pray with me.

Opening Prayer:
Heavenly Father, open our eyes to see Jesus. Open our ears to hear what you have to say to us and soften our hearts. Help us to be more like Jesus today. In His name we pray, Amen!

Read Mark 15

At dawn’s first light, the high priests, with the religious leaders and scholars, arranged a conference with the entire Jewish Council. After tying Jesus securely, they took him out and presented him to Pilate.
2–3  Pilate asked him, “Are you the ‘King of the Jews’?”
He answered, “If you say so.” The high priests let loose a barrage of accusations.
4–5  Pilate asked again, “Aren’t you going to answer anything? That’s quite a list of accusations.” Still, he said nothing. Pilate was impressed, really impressed.
6–10  It was a custom at the Feast to release a prisoner, anyone the people asked for. There was one prisoner called Barabbas, locked up with the insurrectionists who had committed murder during the uprising against Rome. As the crowd came up and began to present its petition for him to release a prisoner, Pilate anticipated them: “Do you want me to release the King of the Jews to you?” Pilate knew by this time that it was through sheer spite that the high priests had turned Jesus over to him.
11–12  But the high priests by then had worked up the crowd to ask for the release of Barabbas. Pilate came back, “So what do I do with this man you call King of the Jews?”
13  They yelled, “Nail him to a cross!”
14  Pilate objected, “But for what crime?”
But they yelled all the louder, “Nail him to a cross!”
15  Pilate gave the crowd what it wanted, set Barabbas free and turned Jesus over for whipping and crucifixion.
16–20  The soldiers took Jesus into the palace (called Praetorium) and called together the entire brigade. They dressed him up in purple and put a crown plaited from a thornbush on his head. Then they began their mockery: “Bravo, King of the Jews!” They banged on his head with a club, spit on him, and knelt down in mock worship. After they had had their fun, they took off the purple cape and put his own clothes back on him. Then they marched out to nail him to the cross.

21  There was a man walking by, coming from work, Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus. They made him carry Jesus’ cross.
22–24  The soldiers brought Jesus to Golgotha, meaning “Skull Hill.” They offered him a mild painkiller (wine mixed with myrrh), but he wouldn’t take it. And they nailed him to the cross. They divided up his clothes and threw dice to see who would get them.
25–30  They nailed him up at nine o’clock in the morning. The charge against him—the king of the jews—was printed on a poster. Along with him, they crucified two criminals, one to his right, the other to his left. People passing along the road jeered, shaking their heads in mock lament: “You bragged that you could tear down the Temple and then rebuild it in three days—so show us your stuff! Save yourself! If you’re really God’s Son, come down from that cross!”
31–32  The high priests, along with the religion scholars, were right there mixing it up with the rest of them, having a great time poking fun at him: “He saved others—but he can’t save himself! Messiah, is he? King of Israel? Then let him climb down from that cross. We’ll all become believers then!” Even the men crucified alongside him joined in the mockery.
33–34  At noon the sky became extremely dark. The darkness lasted three hours. At three o’clock, Jesus groaned out of the depths, crying loudly, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”
35–36  Some of the bystanders who heard him said, “Listen, he’s calling for Elijah.” Someone ran off, soaked a sponge in sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down.”
37–39  But Jesus, with a loud cry, gave his last breath. At that moment the Temple curtain ripped right down the middle. When the Roman captain standing guard in front of him saw that he had quit breathing, he said, “This has to be the Son of God!”

40–41  There were women watching from a distance, among them Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and Joses, and Salome. When Jesus was in Galilee, these women followed and served him, and had come up with him to Jerusalem.
42–45  Late in the afternoon, since it was the Day of Preparation (that is, Sabbath eve), Joseph of Arimathea, a highly respected member of the Jewish Council, came. He was one who lived expectantly, on the lookout for the kingdom of God. Working up his courage, he went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. Pilate questioned whether he could be dead that soon and called for the captain to verify that he was really dead. Assured by the captain, he gave Joseph the corpse.
46–47  Having already purchased a linen shroud, Joseph took him down, wrapped him in the shroud, placed him in a tomb that had been cut into the rock, and rolled a large stone across the opening. Mary Magdalene and Mary, mother of Joses, watched the burial.
Mark 15:1–47, MSG

Discussion:

What did Jesus say in this chapter?

What did Jesus do in this chapter?

What did you learn from Jesus?

What surprised you about Jesus?

What confused you about Jesus?

What questions do you have?

How can I be like Jesus this week?

Closing Prayer:
God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may You give us a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the full knowledge of You, and may the eyes of our hearts be enlightened, in order that we may know the hope to which You have called us, the riches of Your glorious inheritance in the saints, and the incomparable greatness of Your power toward us who believe.
Adapted from Ephesians 1:17-19

Exercises for the week (pick 1 new practice this week)
Coloring - This week, take some time and color the adult bible verse coloring sheets and create art before the Lord. There are 3 coloring sheets, color as many as you would like. 

Scripture Memory - This week, take time to commit the following verses to memory. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.”
1 John 4:7, ESV  

Gratitude Journal - At the end of the each day, write down at least 5 things that you are grateful to God for that you noticed that day. Share a few things next session. Feel free to jot down things as you go through the day. Make these exercises work for you and your personality.  

Assignment for next week : Read Mark 16

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Now, take what you’ve heard… and live it.
Until next time, keep slowing down, keep listening, and keep walking with Jesus.