NASHVILLE (BP) — This weekly Bible study appears in Baptist Press in a partnership with Lifeway Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention. Through its Leadership and Adult Publishing team, Lifeway publishes Sunday School curricula and additional resources for all age groups.
This week’s Bible study is adapted from the Explore the Bible curriculum.
Bible Passage: Mark 3:20-30
Discussion Questions:
- Who are some authorities we all answer to in our daily lives?
- How does knowing that Jesus holds authority over all things impact your faith?
- What kinds of attitudes might keep someone from recognizing Jesus as the Christ?
Food for thought:
Ours is an age of self-proclaimed autonomy. “No one is going to tell me what to do!” is a familiar refrain. Many assert that they are accountable only to themselves.
In self-authority, the only guidance a person seeks is one’s own wisdom, and the only allegiance given is to one’s own self-interest. Of course, when every person is their own authority, the result is relational chaos. In Mark 3, we learn Who rightfully holds authority over all people.
Jesus had visited a house for a meal, but it was far from typical. First, Jesus’ family sought to restrain Him because they thought He was insane. Then, the religious leaders portrayed Jesus as being demon-possessed or performing miracles through demonic power. Jesus addressed His family and the religious leaders using parables about a kingdom and a house being divided. Both situations would lead to disaster.
Jesus noted that the house cannot be plundered until the strong man is bound by a stronger man. This indicated that His deity and His miracles opposed the works of Satan, freeing people from the devil’s power. Jesus issued a warning that all sins can be forgiven except for blaspheming the Holy Spirit. This sin is seen in the continued dismissal of Jesus’ works or the attribution of those works to demonic sources.
Christians can trust that Jesus has authority over all things, including Satan. Jesus came to defeat the power of evil and rescue humanity from the enemy. Christ is our Savior, and as such, He reigns over all things. This is good news indeed.
Explore the Bible
Explore the Bible is an ongoing Bible study curriculum that helps groups dig into the key truths of each Bible book, while keeping the group on pace to study through the Bible books in a systematic way. More information can be found at Lifeway.com/ExploreTheBible.
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