Date: January 24th
Speaker: RJ Dugone
Text: Mark 1:9-11 (NASB) 12 And immediately the Spirit *brought Him out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him.

• How long without food does it take for you to get hungry?  (How hungry would you be after fasting for 40 days?)
• After 40 days of praying and fasting, Jesus would have been spiritually strong and physically weak.  How do you think Jesus' spiritual and physical status impacted His time of temptation?

Big Idea: Although the Gospel of Mark does not give us the details of Christ’s Temptation, we know that this experience was divinely appointed by God as Jesus is being led by the Holy Spirit.  This is also an affirmation of Christ’s humanity.  God cannot be tempted, but the human side of Christ was not immune from the attempts of the Enemy.  This truly makes Jesus into an advocate who understands “us.”

• How would you explain the idea of Jesus being a man in the flesh and Almighty God simultaneously in one physical body?
• Why was it important for Jesus to experience temptation?

Cross References:  Hebrews 4:14-16 (NASB) 14  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. 16  Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

• The writer of Hebrews explains the reason that Jesus needed to experience temptation.  
• When we "come" before God, we are received with mercy and grace.  How would you define the concepts of "mercy" and "grace?"

Matthew 4:1-11 (NASB) 1  Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2  And after He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry. 3  And the tempter came and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread." 4  But He answered and said, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.'" 5  Then the devil took Him into the holy city and had Him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6  and said to Him, "If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, 'HE WILL COMMAND HIS ANGELS CONCERNING YOU'; and 'ON their HANDS THEY WILL BEAR YOU UP, SO THAT YOU WILL NOT STRIKE YOUR FOOT AGAINST A STONE.'" 7  Jesus said to him, "On the other hand, it is written, 'YOU SHALL NOT PUT THE LORD YOUR GOD TO THE TEST.'" 8  Again, the devil *took Him to a very high mountain and *showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory; 9  and he said to Him, "All these things I will give You, if You fall down and worship me." 10  Then Jesus *said to him, "Go, Satan! For it is written, 'YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD, AND SERVE HIM ONLY.'" 11  Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.  

• It has often been pointed out by theologians that Jesus answered Satan with scripture.  Why is this important? 
• Which temptation seems to be the most tempting?

Theology/Apologetics: I think that there are 3 big takeaways from the story of Christ's temptation. 

1. Jesus has experienced the temptation of the flesh as a human; which means, Jesus is empathetic to us.
2. Jesus endured temptation without falling into sin.  Remaining free from sin so that Jesus could atone for our sin was a critical piece of Christ's mission.
3. ​This was not the last time Jesus would be tempted.  Satan was as bold as to use Peter to speak against the necessity of going to the cross.  To which Jesus said, "Get thee behind me Satan..."

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Date: January 10th
Speaker: RJ Dugone
Text: Mark 1:1-8 (NASB) 1  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2  As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; 3  THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" 4  John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5  And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6  John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. 7  And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8  "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

• Why was it important for God to appoint someone to prepare the way for Jesus?
• John the Baptist was counter-cultural, how did this help John the Baptist in his calling as a prophet?
• How are action verbs "repentance" and "forgiveness" related in your opinion?

​Big Idea: John the Baptist’s role was important in establishing Jesus’ spiritual credibility.  In the eyes of the Religious leaders, Jesus would have been viewed as a relatively unknown, self-appointed Rabbi from the wrong side of the tracks.  John’s role was crucial in preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry.

• Why did the Jews look down on people who came from the region of Galilee?  (It was an area that was occupied by Gentiles)
• Why are a spiritual leader's reputation and spiritual credibility important in the work of the ministry?

Cross References: (Synoptic Gospels) Matthew 3:1-17; Luke 3:1-22.  (Origins of John the Baptist) Luke 1:5-80. (Prophesies concerning John the Baptist) Isaiah 40:1-5, Malachi 3:1.

• John the Baptist was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born.  How does this relate to the value God places on unborn children?
• How did John's ministry prepare the way for Jesus?

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Theology/Apologetics: The angel of the Lord appeared to Zacharias, (the father of John the Baptist) and delivered a prophetic word concerning God’s purposes for the yet to be born baby.  Luke 1:11-17 (NASB) 11  And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. 12  Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. 13  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. 14  "You will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. 15  "For he will be great in the sight of the Lord; and he will drink no wine or liquor, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit while yet in his mother's womb. 16  "And he will turn many of the sons of Israel back to the Lord their God. 17  "It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." 

•  ​John the Baptist was predestined to go before Jesus as a forerunner. John’s ministry was to break the ice for a greater ministry.  John understood his role.  John 3:30 records John the Baptist declaring, “He must increase and I must decrease.” Ephesians 2:10 (NASB)
• Important theological implication: God has “predestined” the elect of God with Kingdom purposes.  Ephesians 2:10 states: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”  John the Baptist understood and walked in the purposes of God; the question that each Believer needs to consider is this: “Do I know what God has prepared for me to do and am I submitting to His plan?”
• Special Note: The Gospel of Mark makes a strong declaration in verse one by calling Jesus, "Son of God."  The whole narrative of Mark's Gospel is about establishing Jesus' divinity and His spiritual authority as the Son of God.