Study Questions for April 13, 2025

Read Mark 13:1-39

We tend to skip over the death of Jesus and rush to the resurrection. Is it essential for you to take this week and sit in the sadness and darkness of this event? How do you mingle the specifics of this event with hope?  Consider that in light of Mark 10:45 and 2 Corinthians 5:21.

In verses 1-15, Pilate questions Jesus and offers to release either Jesus or Barabbas. What do you think motivated the crowd to choose Barabbas over Jesus, and how does this reflect human nature or societal pressures? Have you ever been swept away by the crowd?

Verses 16-20 describe the soldiers mocking Jesus, dressing Him in a purple robe and a crown of thorns. The irony! How does this treatment of Jesus contrast with His identity as the King of Kings? Use Isaiah 53 for your reflection

In verses 33-39, Jesus cries out to God and dies, followed by the tearing of the temple curtain and the centurion’s declaration, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”  What is the significance of these events happening together, and how do they shape our understanding of Jesus’ death?

How is Mark 15:39 in keeping with Mark's confessional structure? How does this particular confession strike you?  Contrast it with Mark 8:29.