Review of Session 3: The Covenants and the Disciple
· Even though Jesus only used the word “covenant” once in his teachings, that use was crucial. At the last supper—with the figure of the Passover lamb slain in commemoration of the exodus in mind—Jesus proclaimed that the wine symbolized “the new covenant in my blood.” Hence, he identified himself with the Passover lamb, slain for sinners.
· Thus, disciples of Jesus need to regularly partake of that sacrament of the Lord’s Supper where, as the Confession says, they feed upon Christ spiritually, and are nourished in their spirits by him.
· The New Covenant, as described by Paul, brings with it a “new glory” for disciples. That glory—based on the work of Christ—has at its heart the idea of approval: God delights in us, the creatures He has made even as we live to “glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”
A Thought Question
According to the author Dallas Willard, every one of us has a “kingdom” or a “queendom” defined as a realm uniquely our own, where our choice determines what happens. Reflect on that a moment and share what your particular kingdom is.
Thought Question Number 2
In light of your response to the first thought question, what is meant by the phrase “Kingdom of God” or “Kingdom of Heaven”? Is it synonymous with heaven itself? React to John Calvin’s comment:
They are mistaken who think the Kingdom of God means Heaven. It is rather the spiritual life, which is begun by faith in this world and daily increases according to the continual progress of faith. (Commentary on the Gospel of John)
Mark 10:13-16
1. What do we learn about the Kingdom of God from this passage?
2. What does it mean to receive the Kingdom of God like a little child?
Mark 10:17-23
1. What did the kneeling man want from Jesus?
2. How did Jesus react to the man’s claim that he had kept all the commandments from his boyhood?
3. What was the cost of discipleship for this man? Was he willing to pay the cost?
4. What do we learn about the Kingdom of God from this encounter?
Mark 10:24-31
1. What metaphor does Jesus use to illustrate the difficulty in entering the Kingdom of God?
2. What is needed to overcome this difficulty?
3. What claim does Peter make about his own “cost of discipleship”? Do you believe him?
4. What does Jesus say will be given to those who give up everything to follow him? When will it be given? Are you surprised by this?
5. Is this passage endorsing a “health and wealth” gospel? Why or why not?
6. When Jesus talks about receiving “a hundred times in this present age” does he mean this in some spiritual sense, or does he mean it literally?
7. Can you think of some examples in the Bible and in contemporary life in which disciples got a hundred times more in this present age as a direct result of becoming disciples of Jesus?
8. Please react to the following commentary on these verses by the late James Montgomery Boice:
…the text is a great promise, and it does have to do with earthly relationships and material possessions. At the least, it means that the true follower of Christ will not lack for any good thing (“My cup overflows,” Psalm 23:6) and that, in normal circumstances, a Christian will be blessed with earthly good abundantly. Personally I am convinced that Jesus gives us every good that He can possibly give us without rendering us unfit for His work or destroying our souls. The reason many of us do not have more is that the Lord knows we would misuse it.
9. Along with all the blessing that Jesus enumerates in this passage he also includes “persecutions”. What does that mean? What are some examples from both the Bible and contemporary life?
10. Why do you think Jesus throws in this “zinger” at the end that “the first shall be last, and the last first”? Is there any connection with Peter’s claim that began this section?
11. Where are we in our understanding of how much we have given up to follow Jesus, and how much we have received of the hundredfold blessing that he has promised?