Mistaken Identity Teacher's Manual sample

teacher's manual WRITTEN BY SIMON SMART

Mistaken

Identity?

INVESTIGATING THE REAL JESUS FROM MARK’S GOSPEL

Contents Using Mistaken Identity? Teacher’s manual

IV

Teaching Mistaken Identity?

VI

Five circles of learning

VII

Introduction Mark’s Gospel

1

Prologue Is this the one?

3

Mark 1:1–13 Lesson 1 Mistaken identity

9

Mark 1:14—3:6 Lesson 2 Confusion reigns

19

Mark 3:7—6:6a Lesson 3 Collision course

29

Mark 6:6b—8:21 Lesson 4 Turning point

43

Mark 8:22–30 Lesson 5 Kingdom lessons

51

Mark 8:31—10:52 Lesson 6 Into the furnace

65

Mark 11:1—13:37 Lesson 7 Mission accomplished!

77

Mark 14:1—15:47 Epilogue Mystery revealed!

91

Mark 16:1–8

References

103

Solution Crossword—Mark's Gospel

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Using Mistaken Identity?

Teacher's manual Welcome to Mistaken Identity? Teacher’s manual.

Mistaken Identity? will help students read Mark’s Gospel, bringing the narrative to life and highlighting the essential

This publication is written for teachers of students in years

message.

7–9, aged 12–15 years. It is designed to accompany Mistaken

Identity? Student handbook and the Gospel of Mark.

This message is the good news of Jesus. God’s Son has come to earth and through his life, work, death and

These resources are particularly focused on helping students

resurrection has opened up the kingdom of God to all who

engage with Mark’s narrative about Jesus.

respond to his call to follow him.

The resource confronts students with the reality of Jesus

As students are assisted through Mark’s account of Jesus’

today and highlights the difference he makes both now and in

life, the aim is that they will be confronted by the reality

the future. Rather than some remote historical religious figure,

of Jesus and the difference he makes to life today and in

Jesus is shown as a dynamic and surprising person who

the future.

cannot be ignored.

He is the one who delivers true life, and there is no other.

All CEP (Christian Education Publications) products are

Examine different world views

grounded in the belief that God is the source of all truth and his word, the Bible, is where God reveals himself and

In a safe and supportive environment students will be

his saving purposes. God has acted in Christ to achieve

encouraged to question, discuss and evaluate critically

his saving purposes for humanity.

other world views and practices.

CEP high school resources aim to help students grow

Learn about their Christian heritage

in their understanding of the Christian faith, to respond to the claims of Christ and to grapple with how to apply their faith to life.

CEP high school resources cover the following six aspects of the Christian Studies program assisting students to: Engage with the Bible Students will be helped to read, understand and learn to apply the Bible to their lives and will be introduced to the concept of biblical theology.

Know the gospel Students will learn about the life and teaching of Jesus, come to appreciate the significance of his death and resurrection and consider their own response to him.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

Students will have the opportunity to learn about key events and people who have impacted history as they have put their faith into action.

Examine ethical issues Students will be encouraged to see the relationship between faith and behaviour as they examine a range of personal and public ethical issues.

Have opportunity for personal spiritual growth Students will be encouraged to grow in their personal knowledge of God and in their worship, trust and obedience in the context of Christian community and through opportunities to serve others.

We have chosen this structure:

INTERVIEWS

• Introduction—Mark’s Gospel

Pages 34, 41 and 47 of the Student handbook add a break in

• Prologue—Is this the one? Mark 1:1–13

the text with interviews of contemporary Christians. These

• Lesson 1—Mistaken identity Mark 1:14—3:6

may serve to help bring the identity of Jesus into real-life

• Lesson 2—Confusion reigns Mark 3:7—6:6a

situations that the students can relate to.

• Lesson 3—Collision course Mark 6:6b—8:21 • Lesson 4—Turning point Mark 8:22–30

Give the students time to read these in order to consider

• Lesson 5—Kingdom lessons Mark 8:31—10:52

the way that the Jesus they learn about in this unit is still

• Lesson 6—Into the furnace Mark 11:1—13:37

impacting lives in the 21st century.

• Lesson 7—Mission accomplished! Mark 14:1—15:47 • Epilogue—Mystery revealed! Mark 16:1–8 Of all the Gospel writers Mark is especially concerned to indicate the mystery that surrounded Jesus and to show that very few people ‘got it right’ when deciding who Jesus was and what he was about. Much of the time it was very much a

UNIT AIM Through the Gospel of Mark to introduce students to Jesus as God’s King in whom they can place their belief, trust and hope.

case of mistaken identity.

The disciples are shown to be deaf and blind in their

OUTCOMES

estimations of Jesus. Various people along the way recognise

By the end of the unit the students will:

him as someone special but mostly they are either wholly or largely mistaken as to Jesus’ true purposes.

know about: • the story of Jesus as told by Mark’s Gospel

Jesus himself appears to allow these misunderstandings to continue, repeatedly instructing those he had healed not to tell anyone. He uses the ambiguous term ‘Son of Man’ and

• Mark’s portrayal of Jesus as the suffering servant Messiah • the call to follow Jesus as the living King.

commands the demons, the only ones who truly knew who he was, to be silent about his identity. Jesus would not allow false Messianic hopes to get in the way of his mission.

be able to: • recognise the way a Gospel works • begin to analyse the artistry and intention of the writer in

His mission was to suffer and die, laying down his life for others. While Peter correctly declares Jesus to be the Messiah at chapter 8:29 not even he could come to terms

compiling the narrative • be able to recognise how the Gospel of Mark fits into the Bible as a whole.

with a ‘Christ’ who would suffer and be killed. have had the opportunity to: From this midpoint in the Gospel, Jesus sets his sights on Jerusalem and the inevitable conflict he would have with his

• appreciate the unique sacrifice of Jesus as the suffering servant Messiah

enemies, the religious authorities. It is in this section that

• consider Jesus as the King worthy of our allegiance

Jesus emphasises that the call to follow him will involve

• express opinions about Mark’s presentation of Jesus

suffering and putting others’ needs before your own. That he

• engage with the Gospel at a personal level, considering

modelled this action so perfectly is a compelling aspect of

the call to follow Jesus as the means to attaining

the story.

authentic life.

V

Teaching Mistaken Identity?

This teaching resource allows for flexibility in the activities chosen, to fit a wide range of contexts. It is not expected

Mistaken Identity? uses the following icons in the Follow it up sections:

that all activities will be attempted. Different learning styles, interests and abilities have been catered for.

a

Bible exploration: These activities encourage students to use their Bibles to expand and extend their learning and

The introductory page for each lesson gives the Core

understanding of the Core concepts of the lesson.

concept(s) or key idea that will be explored. This is followed by an Aim and Outcomes that will provide focus and allow

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Discussion: Students form pairs or small groups and contribute to their knowledge development according

for evaluation of the lessons.

to the Aims and Outcomes of the lesson. Whole class Background notes provide the teacher with some

discussions may also be recommended.

understanding of the passage and places it in the context of Mark’s Gospel. The major emphases of each chapter are

Ë

Write/create: These activities require students to write and/or create to increase their comprehension of the key

fleshed out here and lead in to the activities.

ideas in a lesson.

The main components of each lesson are then built around the Kick off!—Engage—Follow it up structure.

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Application/do: In these activities, students are encouraged to apply their new knowledge, sometimes in a new and novel way. Reflection may also play a part

KICK OFF! These activities get the students thinking about the key

as students personalise their learning and discover how each lesson’s content is relevant to their everyday lives.

issues in this lesson. They involve some form of discussion introducing some concepts to be dealt with in the subsequent lesson.

ENGAGE These pages provide you with a mini version of the student pages. You can see how suggested activities link to the Student handbook, and provide a guide through the material

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Extra Online Resources

In addition to the content within this Teacher’s Manual, there is a wealth of extra material designed to assist you in delivering this unit at cepteacherslounge. com. Log on and head to ‘Mistaken Identity’.* You will find:

in Mark.

• PowerPoints for each lesson which include a unit overview, various activities contained

FOLLOW IT UP Extension activities building on the Core concepts of each lesson are provided here. There are a variety of options— discussion, role-play, short writing tasks, group work and personal response. Many of the activities come with Extra resources for you to photocopy or print (also see cepteacherslounge.com.au) and use in class.

During the ‘Follow it up’ activities there is a repeated activity

within the Student handbooks, revision quizzes and more. The PowerPoints match the colour and style of the Student handbooks, so we encourage their use for every lesson.

• A PDF of each lesson’s Extra resource(s) for easy printing.

• Additional videos and articles not produced by CEP, but which support the material within this unit and have been vetted by us.

titled Telling the story. This examines the literary skill and

The CEP Teachers Lounge (cepteacherslounge.

artistry of the writer and the major emphases that spring

com) is an invaluable resource through which CEP

from the particular way that Mark lays down his narrative.

is continually improving and adding value to our

For higher ability classes, this can add a dimension to their

curriculum. We recommend you bookmark it.

understanding of the Gospel as a dynamic piece of literature.

Thinking about the impact of Mark’s techniques and the intention of the writer in presenting these truths in his distinctive manner, is worthwhile.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

* Currently, each user needs to register to access the material on this site.

Approval can take up to 24 hours, so we encourage you to register as soon as you can.

Introduction

Mark’s Gospel

Student handbook introduction Pages 2–4 of the Mistaken Identity Student handbook offer an age-appropriate introduction to Mark’s Gospel. It is recommended that students read this introduction before lessons begin, if possible, so that they are aware of the cultural and historical context of this text.

The Introduction includes the following sections: • Who was Mark?

• What is a gospel?

• Why were the Christian Gospels written?

• Telling the story • The text • The date • The world Jesus lived in While teaching this unit you may choose to bring your students back to this section to remind them of context.

Alternatively, fast finishers might like to read through these sections in order to learn more about Mark’s Gospel.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

Lesson 1

Mistaken identity

MARK 1:14—3:6

Core concepts » Jesus demonstrated authority in teaching, power in healing and compassion for people. » These characteristics were identified by people in different ways and resulted in varied responses.

The evil spirit (1:21–28) has the clearest idea of the identity of Jesus as the ‘holy one of God’. This dramatic incident leads the reader where the characters in the story are as yet unable to go. The spiritual battle that Jesus is involved in is brought out with impact.

AIM To pick up the clues in Mark’s narrative that indicate that Jesus is God’s promised Son.

OUTCOMES By the end of the lesson the students will: • know the details of the early ministry of Jesus as healer, teacher and the ‘holy one of God’ • understand that the words and actions of Jesus were not

This incident introduces the 'Messianic secret ' which is so much a part of Mark's Gospel.

Jesus was determined not to allow knowledge of his true identity to hinder the carrying out of his full mission.

The blindness of the Pharisees to recognise Jesus becomes a strong theme for Mark. It is ironic that the religious leaders

those of an ordinary man—this was someone who was

were the ones unable to see past their self-righteous and

very special

legalistic systems, to know the one they should have been

• understand that reactions to Jesus were extremely

looking for. This is a strong part of the tragedy of this story.

varied • be struck by Jesus’ compassion for broken people.

The morally bankrupt leaders are more concerned for rules than they are with people. This is shown by their complaints

BACKGROUND NOTES Uncovering the mystery

that Jesus would dare to heal someone on the Sabbath day.

Jesus’ declaration that the ‘Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath’ captures something of the tension between Jesus and the ‘religious’ leaders.

This first section of the narrative introduces many of the big ideas that dominate the Gospel—the identity of Jesus, the nature of his mission and the reaction of those who came into contact with him.

Most prominent in this section of the Gospel is Jesus’ ability and willingness to heal broken people. A sick woman, a man with leprosy, a paralytic, a man with a withered hand, are all restored to full health. The calling of the tax collector Levi indicates Jesus’ desire to heal not only the physically afflicted,

At the end of this episode the Pharisees went out and began to plot to kill Jesus heightening the sense of dramatic tension already in the story.

This material presents some big challenges to our own reactions to Jesus. Mark gives early indications that Jesus is someone worth paying attention to. The students are asked to begin to consider Mark’s message for their own lives as the mystery continues to unfold.

but the spiritually unwell, or ‘sinners’ as Jesus comes as the ‘doctor to the heart’. Jesus has compassion for the people who come to him—a side of his character that is repeatedly seen in the Gospel.

The reactions to Jesus are varied. Some are powerfully drawn to him and are unable to resist his call to follow. The first disciples Simon and Andrew, James and John, along with Levi at the tax collector’s booth all leave what they are doing to devote themselves to Jesus. They do this even when

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CEP Teachers Lounge

his full identity is not yet apparent to them. This shows the

PowerPoint presentations for this lesson are available

magnetic power and the presence of Jesus.

at cepteacherslounge.com. There are also PDFs, links to articles, videos and more.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

Kick off!

Engage

LEADING THE BLIND

1. JESUS IS …

Gear required: a blindfold, and an object of your choice.

Allow the students room to express their opinions here regardless of how informed these might be. The aim

Blindfold a volunteer and then produce your chosen object.

is to allow for a gradual challenge to perceptions, and

This can be anything that might take a number of guesses to

illumination of Jesus’ identity for students, as is evident in the

figure out—a stapler, a coffee mug, a calculator or hole punch

Gospel itself.

would work.

The blindfolded person may ask questions of the other students relating to the object, but these must require a yes/no answer.

This activity is used to introduce the idea of ‘blindness’ and ‘sight’ in relation to who Jesus is. Explain to the class that the mystery of who Jesus is begins to unfold in this section of the

2. THE DISCIPLES AND THE EVIL SPIRIT Emphasise the authority that Jesus clearly possessed. People and spirits who recognised how special he was were quick to obey him.

Gospel. Some people begin to get a sense of Jesus’ identity while others remain blind to who he is.

SINNERS AND REJECTS As a class, brainstorm to create a list of the types of people they think the church would typically regard as ‘sinful people’.

Students will tend to come up with a list that would include things like those who rob, steal, cheat, are sexually immoral, murderers, liars, violent people, drunks, gamblers and so on.

Ask the students what they think God’s attitude is towards sinners.

In this section of the Gospel it is striking to see Jesus’ attitude towards those who were regarded as ‘sinful’ and those who were the ‘religious’ people of the day. This might come as something of a surprise to students.

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY

11

5. YOUR LIFE

7. RULES OR PEOPLE?

This exercise can help to bring a personal response to the

Jesus clearly had the interests of people in mind far above

news about Jesus—bringing him into the realm of the real

that of concern for the overbearing traditions of the Law

world of the lives of the students. Encourage the students

that the Pharisees insisted upon. His reaction shows where

to consider the things they would like to have fixed in their

his heart lay—in love for others, not in restrictions and

own lives. They could write about these or draw symbols to

uncompassionate adherence to the letter of the Law.

represent their thoughts. A wide range of responses could be expected to a question such as this, and all people will have disappointments and sadness to contend with. The hope is

8. REACTIONS TO JESUS

that the students begin to appreciate a link between Jesus

The pattern of opposition, support of some kind and confused

and his promises and the realities that we all face.

reactions to Jesus continues throughout the Gospel. The students should try to be conscious of various designations

6. THE DOCTOR OF THE HEART

people had for Jesus as the narrative unfolds. Of course the

It is important for students to gain an appreciation and

challenge is for students to have an informed and carefully

understanding for the type of person Jesus typically

thought out response of their own.

same pattern remains in the contemporary world and the

associated with. Many students would not appreciate the ‘scandal’ of Jesus’ social life in his compassion for the truly sinful and marginalised of the society. This is an important aspect

9. WHO CARED ABOUT WHAT?

of Jesus’ mission to understand and one that might challenge

Hopefully the students will pick up on what Jesus’ main

misconceptions students may hold. It might be that many are

concerns were and realise how appealing this makes him.

surprised and encouraged to approach Jesus even though

Jesus forms a striking contrast to the uptight and heartless

they may not have felt ‘good enough’ to do so in the past.

religious leaders of the day.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

10. BLINDNESS/SIGHT Indicate here that there were varying degrees of understanding of who Jesus was. Some missed him completely. Others were close without full understanding.

Follow it up

The evil spirits were the clearest in their designation of the identity of Jesus.

Ë The exercise where students plot on the line where each

SUM IT UP

character (or group) belongs in terms of their understanding or

Ask the students to re-read Mark 1:15. Ask them to write

how they ‘see’ who Jesus is should highlight a key concern

their own version of the verse in contemporary language and

of Mark’s Gospel. The students need to be aware of the

then to make a poster of it for display. This can be illustrated

blindness not only of Jesus’ opposition but of his supporters

any way they like, trying to capture in words and image

as well. None of the key characters in the narrative had a full

something of the essence of this summary of what Jesus

picture of who Jesus truly was until after the resurrection.

was about.

A continuum displaying the various degrees of blindness and sight can be useful in bringing this aspect of Mark’s Gospel to light.

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FILL IN THE GAPS

The Gospel narratives give us bare bones and only what is

GATHERING THE CLUES

essential. There are many parts of the story that we do not

The idea is that the students build up a picture of who Jesus

the story that surrounds the main body of the text.

know about. It can be a valuable exercise to consider some of

is as reported by Mark.

Ask the students to write a diary entry for the man healed of leprosy in 1:40–45 on the night that he was healed of his illness. The aim is for the students to consider the miraculous nature of the healing, along with the radical change this would have represented in the life of the man. Ask them to think about and include in their entry: • what this man might have known about Jesus prior to going to him for healing • how he felt in the presence of Jesus • the emotions he experienced once he had been healed • his reaction in wanting to tell people about Jesus.

It would be worth explaining to the students just how rejected and outcast lepers were in the society of the first century.

Leprosy probably referred to a range of skin diseases that would have included the condition we would give the term today. Anyone regarded as a leper was very much excluded from the community—living in isolation until such time as the condition was overcome. Others who came into contact with a leper would also be regarded as ‘unclean’ so the sense of being a social outcast was thorough and complete.

Use a photocopy of Extra resource 1 from page 16 for writing the diary entry.

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY

13

Ë

ROLE-PLAY

Episodes B and B’ are closely related. Both have to do with eating and uncleanness (in the first instance eating with

Ask two suitable students to perform the role-play that you

sinners and in the second, eating on the Sabbath, both of

can photocopy from Extra resource 2 on page 17. This aims

which were regarded as serious breaches of the Law). In

to imaginatively recreate the scene of a witness to the healing

both episodes there is an action by Jesus, an objection by the

of the paralysed man from 2:1–12, telling a friend about the

authorities and Jesus’ explanation. In both incidents Jesus

incident.

answers with a proverb and a statement about who he is and what his purposes were.

The setting is in a cafe. The two are having a drink and one of the characters is in an excited state having just witnessed this

Use the diagram on Extra resource 3 from page 18 to explain

remarkable incident.

the structure to the students. Ask them to try to identify as many connections between the episodes of A and A’; B and

The students who perform the role-play will need some time

B’ as they can.

to prepare for the presentation.

The four episodes form an inner and outer ring around a

a

TELLING THE STORY

central episode C—Jesus’ teaching about fasting. Jesus’ response here sheds light on all of the other episodes.

It can be helpful to introduce the students to the artistry of

When he speaks of the bridegroom being taken away there

Mark in putting this gospel together. This is done in enormous

is a foreshadowing of the consequences of opposition of

depth by scholars of narrative theology. It can be a bit

the authorities in A and A’ which is the death penalty for

daunting but need not be. The students can be introduced to

blasphemy or violation of the Sabbath. The mention of putting

this gradually and simply.

new wine in old wineskins represents the fact that the authorities are using old categories of Law to judge Jesus,

EPISODES IN CONCENTRIC PATTERN1 Mark uses a common practice of ancient storytelling that involved organising material in such a way that a central episode was surrounded by rings of related episodes.

The five conflicts between Jesus and the authorities in Galilee in Section 1 convey a concentric relationship of A, B, C, B’, A’.

Paired episodes A and A’ as well as B and B’ form an outer and inner ring around a central episode, C. The structure looks like this: A The healing of the paralysed man 2:1–12 B Eating with tax collectors and sinners 2:13–17 C Fasting 2:18–22 B’ Eating by picking grain on the Sabbath 2:23–28 A’ Healing the man with the withered hand 3:1–6 Episode A and A’ have very similar content and themes. The healing of the paralysed man and the man with the withered hand both occur indoors and include Jesus, the authorities and the person who is healed. In both incidents there is a break in the story of the person being healed as we are told of unspoken accusations against Jesus. On both occasions Jesus responds with rhetorical questions.

1.

14

Rhoads, pp. 52–54.

Mistaken IDENTITY?

who brings in a new age.

The students are asked a question relating to this. They will need some help in answering.

The whole series of episodes constrasts the authority of the Jewish leaders with that of Jesus. Jesus is presented as having authority to forgive sins (A), and he eats with sinners (B). He is clearly someone who is unique and important (C). He has authority over the Sabbath (B’) and heals on the Sabbath (A’).

The final episode climaxes with the Pharisees going away to plot how they might kill Jesus.

Having introduced something of the artistry of Mark’s narration, encourage the students to look for other patterns in the way the story is related. What impact do these patterns have? We will revisit some of these as our study progresses.

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FOLLOWING IN JESUS’ FOOTSTEPS

A strong element of Mark’s Gospel is the picture it paints of Jesus’ great compassion for people (1:41). He spends time with the outcasts of society and is concerned for the physical wellbeing of the people who come to him. This is evident in his healing of the sick and his feeding of the hungry (6:30–34; 8:1–10).

Christian charity organisations try to emulate something of Christ’s concern for the marginalised, the lost and the poor. It might be appropriate in your context to become involved with one of these groups in a short term project as a means of highlighting some of what Jesus was about.

Try the following websites to find a suitable project: • Compassion / compassion.com.au • Tear Australia / tear.org.au • Anglicare / anglicare.org.au • Micah: Do just together / micahaustralia.org

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EXPRESS YOURSELF

Ask the students to re-read 3:1–6. Give them the option of creating either a painting/drawing, a poem or sculpture to represent the events in this passage.

Focus could be given to: • the straightforward events of this incident • Jesus’ attitude to the man with the withered hand • the reaction of the man to the healing • the attitude of the Pharisees • the conflict between Jesus and the Pharisees.

The creations could be as literal or as abstract as the students choose. This activity is a good way of engaging the students with the material at a personal level and allowing for different talents and skills.

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY

15

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY / EXTRA RESOURCE 1

Dear Diary,

Mistaken IDENTITY? © Christian Education Publications 2005 / The purchaser of this manual is entitled to photocopy this page for classroom purposes.

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY / EXTRA RESOURCE 2

Role-play

The two people are seated in a cafe, each with a drink. One of the characters, Jacob is telling the story of the healing of the paralysed man from Mark 2:1–12. His friend Isaac listens intently to the story.

Isaac: Jacob: You just wouldn’t believe what it was like. There

Yeah I know who you mean—hasn’t been able to walk for years and years.

we were, all jammed into this house. There were so many people there, the place was literally packed to

What did Jesus do?

the rafters.

Jacob: I was very close to this. Everyone went quiet—you Isaac:

How did you get in—were you able to see what was

could hear your own breathing it was so quiet. We

going on?

were all waiting to see what he would do.

Jacob: Well, we’ve all been hearing about this Jesus. I

Jesus didn’t do anything—he just said ‘Son, your sins

got a tip from a friend that Jesus was coming back

are forgiven’ or something like that.

into Capernaum and I got there really early. Others obviously heard the same thing and soon Simon’s

Isaac:

all the way down through the roof to hear that.

house was jammed with people. There were hundreds out on the street straining to see and hear what was going on. I had a front row seat to all this,

Jacob: No, and you can imagine what the teachers of the law were thinking—only God can forgive sins

my friend. It pays to be prepared!!

Isaac:

right, so who did this Jesus think he was. It was unbelievably tense.

Tell me what was it like? What is Jesus like? What did he have to say?

Isaac:

Jacob: He is amazing. He has this air about him. It is like nothing you have ever heard before. Not like the

So what then—did he just leave him there?

Jacob: No he didn’t. He addressed the ‘teachers’ and said ‘which is easier: to say your sins are forgiven or get

usual religious stuff we get either—this is very

up and walk?’ They didn’t know what to say to that.

different. Jesus was preaching about the kingdom

Next thing, he says to the guy on the mat, ‘Get up,

of God, that it had arrived and that time was up—it’s

take your mat and go home’.

time to turn back to God.

Guess what? He did. The same bloke we have been

The teachers of the law were there as well—

walking past and ignoring as he begged for money

they were all dressed up in their finery looking

for years, got up in front of our eyes and walked out

all disapproving.

Isaac:

What! Your sins are forgiven!! I bet he didn’t come

of there. Just like that. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it. It happened right in front of me.

Yeah I bet—what else went on?

Everyone was stunned. Jesus eventually left and

Jacob: Well this is the thing. As I said you couldn’t get near the place. People are always trying to get to Jesus.

everyone was praising God—everyone was saying

He can hardly come into town any more. Anyway,

they’d never seen anything like it.

he’s preaching away, and next thing we hear some

I’m telling you this Jesus is not someone to ignore. I

rustling on the roof, there’s a few bits of straw and

am going to find out where he is next and get along

mud falling down, and a hole opens up and there’s

to hear him.

this bloke being lowered down to Jesus on a mat.

His mates were up there dropping him in. You’d

Isaac:

Count me in. I want to see this guy for myself.

recognise him—he’s the paralysed guy from the synagogue who begs for money.

Jacob: You won’t be disappointed.

Mistaken IDENTITY? © Christian Education Publications 2005 / The purchaser of this manual is entitled to photocopy this page for classroom purposes.

LESSON 1—MISTAKEN IDENTITY / EXTRA RESOURCE 3

T

g n i l el

t h e st ory A

The healing of the paralysed man Mark 2:1–12

Concentric pattern

B eating with tax collectors and sinners Mark 2:13–17

C fasting Mark 2:18–22

B' eating by picking grain on the sabbath Mark 2:23–28

A' healing the man with the withered hand Mark 3:1–6

What links can you find between A and A'?

What links can you find between B and B'?

In what way does the central episode C shed light on the other four episodes?

Mistaken IDENTITY? © Christian Education Publications 2005 / The purchaser of this manual is entitled to photocopy this page for classroom purposes.

Lesson 7

Mission accomplished!

MARK 14:1—15:47

Core concepts » Jesus submitted to God and willingly gave himself over to die to fulfil God’s salvation plan for the world. » Jesus’ humiliating treatment and agonising death,

The scene in Gethsemane gives a striking picture of Jesus’ humanity. To fully understand what he was about, his humanity alongside his divinity needs to be grasped. Here

along with the desertion of his closest friends

Mark’s Gospel helps us out. Jesus says he is overwhelmed

represents part of an enormous sacrifice and act of

with sorrow ‘to the point of death’.

true love resulting in the reconciliation of those who follow him as Saviour and King. This is God’s love in action and was his intent from before the creation of the world.

AIM To expose the students to the ‘gutsy love’ shown by Jesus in

It is a huge comfort to realise that Jesus truly knows the feelings of loneliness, fear, anxiety, and emotional and physical pain.

giving himself over to torture, humiliation and death in order to make us right with God.

When we pray to him, he understands—a point that students need to be exposed to.

OUTCOMES

The trial before the Sanhedrin and before Pilate is a sham.

By the end of the lesson the students will:

The injustice and corruption of each character involved contrasts with Jesus’ reserve and dignity. His silence in the

• know the timeline of Jesus’ final hours: his betrayal, trial, torture and death • understand more deeply that Jesus willingly submitted

face of questioning and false accusations before the high priest is broken only to answer in the affirmative the question, ‘Are you the Christ?’ ‘I am’ he says, and his fate is sealed.

himself to crucifixion and death so that God’s new

Pilate, the only one who could have spared his life at this

covenant could be established

stage, is more concerned with the feelings of the mob, than

• be confronted by the enormity of Jesus’ sacrifice and the

with justice.

relevance this has for their lives.

What follows is a brutal crucifixion Roman style. They were well versed in the ways of torture and death, and

BACKGROUND NOTES We come now to the heart of the Christian message —the cross! On one level this story is extremely familiar and yet ever challenging, disturbing and mysterious. The final hours of Jesus’ life incorporating his last meal, betrayal, trial, torture,

Jesus experiences the most degrading of executions.

That the Messiah could be treated in this way is beyond comprehension and the irony in the mocking of Jesus as ‘king of the Jews’ and the ‘Messiah’ is a bitter experience for the reader.

crucifixion and death are given due treatment in a detailed

In this crucial part of the story the aim is to reveal the true

account over two substantial chapters. Mark retains something

act of courage and sacrifice these moments represent. This is

of his staccato style, moving the reader quickly through the

personal—it affects us all, and involved an excruciating choice

details and not lingering over moments of emotional reflection.

for Jesus as a real man. The challenge is for the students

The foreboding approach of travail is evident however and one

to see that this is not some distant and remote figure; but

can virtually feel the darkness of the moment approaching.

the one who went willingly to his death for each of them.

The utter desolation that Jesus experiences is revealed.

He knows what awaits him, and yet goes to meet his fate

May they experience the brilliance of this and build on their understanding of who Jesus is and why he matters today.

willingly. Despite promises to stick with him even to death, the disciples prove alarmingly (and yet understandably) weak in their resolve in the face of real danger. Jesus is

ø

CEP Teachers Lounge

left completely alone—‘everyone deserted him and fled’

PowerPoint presentations for this lesson are available

(14:50). The triple denial of Jesus by Peter, the most vocal

at cepteacherslounge.com. There are also PDFs, links

in professing his undying loyalty, indicates just how isolated

to articles, videos and more.

Jesus was.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

Kick off!

Engage

IMAGES OF JESUS

1. PERCEPTIONS OF THE CROSS

As you begin this section of Mark’s Gospel, lead a discussion

Allow the students to express their views here without

of perceptions the students have about Jesus. Ask them to

comment from you. They should be encouraged to consider

consider the type of images that come to mind when they

these perceptions as they look more closely at the Gospel

think of Jesus.

account of the trial and crucifixion.

On a blank sheet of paper ask them to write down a list of words that capture something of their image of Jesus. Once they have done this, ask them to share with the group in a brainstorming session.

A close look at the later chapters of the Gospel might challenge some of these perceptions of Jesus, especially those that sentimentalise him into a quaint figure that can easily be ignored.

REJECTED, DESERTED AND ALONE Ask the students to think about a time when they have felt rejected, deserted by friends or alone. How did that feel?

What about a time when they themselves have deserted friends who needed them for support—perhaps because of the group pressure. How did that feel?

This section of the Gospel presents an opportunity to think about how Jesus and the disciples felt when the hour of Jesus’ great suffering arrived.

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3. THE OLD COVENANT VS THE NEW COVENANT You could talk the students through this exercise.

Important aspects of the new covenant: • The new covenant is sealed with the blood of Jesus.

• Jesus replaces the Passover lamb and is sacrificed.

• Jesus’ death and resurrection is God’s greatest saving act.

The exercise is not hard but might give a sense of what the ‘sacrifice’ element of the cross was about. Explain that the Old Testament showed that a holy God required a price to be paid for sin and rebellion. In Jesus’ death, God pays the price himself.

As in the Exodus from Egypt when the blood of the lambs spared the people and made it possible for them to escape, so the blood of God’s Son is shed for freedom and protection of the people under the new covenant. Importantly this is now open to all people, not just Israel. It brings to fruition the promise to Abraham that ‘all the earth will be blessed through you’ (Genesis 12:3).1

1.

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Barnett, p. 268.

Mistaken IDENTITY?

4. TRUE COURAGE Help the students to see the notion of true courage and the type of gutsy love on display here. The idea is that they begin to think about Jesus willingly going to a brutal death for others, and largely for people who ignore him!

This exercise could lead to a useful discussion of the notion of sacrifice and giving something up for others as being truly courageous. In discussion try to draw out this notion with the students in order to give them a fuller sense of what Jesus did for them on the cross.

5. DARKNESS DESCENDS

6. ARREST!

It might be worth showing only the opening scene from the

The scene here is a chaotic one. There are people running

film The Passion of the Christ. This depicts the agonised

for cover in all directions. Betrayal and cowardice abound.

moments of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane as he prays

The disciples show themselves to be completely unworthy of

to the Father that this cup be taken from him. Preview the

Jesus while he is a picture of resolve and dignity. We have to

scene first to assess its suitability to show to your class. An

ask ourselves, would we be any different to the disciples in

alternative would be to show the corresponding scene from

the same situation? The danger here is very real.

the Jesus film (go to https://www.jesusfilm.org/watch/jesus. html/english.html).

One of the disciples (we learn from John 18:10 that it was Peter), used a sword to cut off the ear of the servant of the

After reading Mark 14:32–42, students make four different

high priest. This action of violence by Peter is completely

lists. This can be an effective way for the students to draw

out of character with the mission of Jesus. It shows the

information from the text. They will focus on the details of

continued misunderstanding of the disciples of Jesus’ mission

this episode and hopefully pick up on the intense drama of the

and purpose. Jesus asks the arresting party ‘Am I leading a

moment. It is worth noting that Jesus prays that this ‘hour’

rebellion … that you have come out with swords and clubs

could pass from him. He quickly adds ‘not what I will, but

to arrest me?’ It seems that Peter and the others were more

what you will’, a prayer of true obedience and commitment.

ready to fight alongside Jesus in an armed rebellion, than

Interestingly he calls God ‘Abba’. For Jews to call God ‘Abba’

they were ready to go the way of the cross—submission and

(Dadda)—a very personal term for the intimate relationship of

service. It is not until the resurrection that the ‘penny drops’

a child with their father— would have been scandalous. This

for them in realising just what Jesus was doing.

intimacy with God was to become a key aspect of Christian faith and is how Paul encourages Christians to think when addressing the Father (Galatians 4:6 and Romans 8:15).2

2.

Barnett, p. 273.

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7. PETER’S WORST DAY

6B. TRIAL 2

There might still be the issue of fear that causes people to

The city of Jerusalem and the province of Judea was a

deny Jesus. Such things as fear of rejection, and fear of being

‘subject’ territory and under the jurisdiction of Rome. While

labelled as strange or different are often a problem. This

they were allowed quite a degree of self government the

could be a very real issue for your students. There are other

Roman magistrate was the sole bearer of imperial authority—

issues of course. Our own selfish desires lead us away from

so in matters as serious as death sentences, the Jewish

Jesus who calls us to a life of service of others and love for

leaders were obliged to hand their prisoner over to the

our neighbour. Pride remains a big stumbling block. Many of

Romans. Pilate could confirm or reverse the death sentence

us prefer a life of independence and perceived freedom over

handed down by the Jewish authorities.

reliance on God and submission to him. All of these things (and more) might be brought out in answer to the question.

The Sanhedrin therefore had to convince the Roman governor that Jesus had committed a capital offence under Roman law.

Blasphemy was not relevant, so the charge of high treason was put in its place.3

8. THE END … OR IS IT? CRUCIFIXION, DEATH AND BURIAL ‘The miracle of the cross is that there was no miracle.’

This quote might need some explanation. It is clear that if Jesus is who he says he is, then at any time he could have called down from heaven a legion of angels to end the pain, crush the people and take him back to heaven. The ‘miracle’ therefore is in his restraint and determination to get the job done, so that God’s means of providing mercy to people might be achieved.

3.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

Lane, pp. 547–548.

The humiliation and degradation of death by crucifixion is well known. It was a death reserved for slaves, criminals and those in rebellion against Rome. It was not for Roman citizens, and was deliberately designed as a warning against rebellious behaviour. The two ‘robbers’ mentioned here are likely to have

Follow it up

been rebels against Rome. The word used by Mark is frequently used for those committed to armed conflict against Rome.4

µ Give the students time to sit and read the passage a few

THE NEW COVENANT

times for the activity where they write words or phrases

Use the Extra resource 1 worksheet from page 87 to

onto the cross that express what occurred. Such words as

examine the details and significance of the new covenant

injustice, cruelty, pain, humiliation, degradation, violence,

brought into being by Jesus. It is often unclear to people why

fear, evil would apply here. The students might need some

Jesus had to die in the manner he did. The richly symbolic

prompting to get them started but should have no trouble

actions and words recorded in the Gospels need to be

once they have the idea. Volunteers could share their

considered carefully.

thoughts once the exercise is complete.

Ask the students to use the headings on the worksheet to

The centurion’s reaction to the death of Jesus is a profound

make point form notes about each one (see notes in Engage

admission by one who had just witnessed the torture and

section). You will need to guide them through this exercise.

death of a condemned man. ‘That a Roman, for whom

A discussion once it is complete would be worthwhile.

crucifixion was an unmentionable obscenity, declares a crucified Jew to be the Son of God is astonishing. Romans only applied that title to the Roman Emperor, who was

± EXCURSION

associated with power and triumph. But this soldier applies

Linking Jesus’ last supper with the remembrance services

the title to Jesus—a poor, humiliated, crucified man.’5

still followed by evangelical Christians today is useful. An assignment for individuals could be based around a visit to a communion service at a local church. As part of the unit on Mark students could be asked to attend a local church service on a day when Communion (or the Lord’s supper)

4.

Lane, p. 568.

is celebrated. (As this does not occur every week in many

5.

Barnett, p. 298.

churches, some enquiries would need to be made regarding the right time to come.)

The students could be asked to write a report on the service.

They should consider such things as: • the words spoken • the use of symbolism • any use of colour, song, silence • the perceived attitude of the participants in the service.

For instance, was there an air of reverence, celebration, sombre reflection, a combination of different emotions?

• a personal response to the nature of the service.

If the reports were presented to the class, a comparison of different experiences would be interesting.

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EXPRESS YOURSELF

Ask the students to design a poster or stained glass window to represent the events of the trial of Jesus. This could be labelled ‘The greatest injustice!’ The aim would be to capture something of the drama of the event as well as a personal response to it.

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Ë

ARRESTED!

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EXPRESS YOURSELF!

As a way of engaging with the material on the arrest and trial

Having spent some time reading and thinking about the arrest,

of Jesus, give the students the completion exercise on Extra

trial, crucifixion and death of Jesus, the students should be in

resource 2 from page 88. This is a charge sheet that they

a good position to process some of this information creatively.

can fill in. It is designed as an imaginary recreation of events surrounding the arrest of Jesus and subsequent trial.

Invite them to present an aspect of the story in either a painting, a sketch, a poster, a poem, a song, a sculpture,

Ask the students to imagine a ‘charge sheet’ or ‘arrest sheet’

essay, or photograph. The work could be abstract or more

that the Jewish authorities would have to hand to the Romans

concrete. A personal response is the aim, and giving the

after the first trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin. They should

student a range of possibilities in which to express this

imagine they have been asked to fill in the details so it can go

response could be of value.

to the Romans as Jesus appears before Pilate.

a Ë

JOURNAL ENTRY

FOUR MAJOR SIGNS

Mark’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ death as the ‘hour’ of God,

Ask the students to write a journal entry for Peter on the night

and there is a strong sense that there is more happening

that he denied knowing Jesus. Ask them to include in the

than meets the eye at the precise moment of Jesus giving

entry some of the details of the arrest, and the events leading

up his spirit. Paul Barnett points to four signs of this ‘hour of

up to the denial. As well as including accurate details of the

God’. The information below will help the students to fill in

situation, they should try to capture some of the feelings that

the details on the Extra resource 3 from page 89 and allow

Peter might have experienced. Remind the students that

them to express their understanding of the significance of the

Peter was the most vocal in expressing his undying loyalty to

four signs.

Jesus (see Mark 14:29–31).

Ë

TV NEWS REPORT

In groups of five, ask the students to present a news report on the arrest and trial of Jesus. This could take the form of a presenter (in the studio) who could ‘cross live’ to various scenes in and around Jerusalem.

The report should attempt to include all the details of the events as relayed by Mark. There could be crosses to the house of the high priest, discussing evidence brought forward against Jesus, and interviews of witnesses to the various

SIGN NUMBER 1 At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. (Mark 15:33) This was a sign from God of something of extraordinary significance. There is a sense here of God’s disapproval of the injustice of this cruel treatment of the innocent Jesus.

There is the deeper level of what Jesus had to do in dying and taking on the sins of the world. In order to break the power of evil, Jesus has to take on and suffer at the hands of evil, in order to eventually defeat it.

scenes involved. The trial before Pilate should be a part of the reporting. Some short scenes could be acted out to go alongside straight reporting.

SIGN NUMBER 2 And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud

Encourage some different angles being brought to the

voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?’ (which means ‘My

reporting of the facts. Designate the following roles for some

God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’). (Mark 15:34)

of the group: • some crews being deliberately biased in favour of the Jewish authorities • some to be telling the events from a Roman perspective that is more neutral and dispassionate • some from a stance more sympathetic to Jesus.

The Aramaic words quoting Psalm 22 tell us a great deal about what Jesus was experiencing. As the only one who was worthy to suffer for other people he took on the wrath of God that others deserved. While the pain of crucifixion was immense, the greater pain involved the break in relationship between the Father and the Son. That this break was caused not by Jesus’ sin but by that of the people he came to save, makes this an extraordinary gift of self-sacrifice.

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Mistaken IDENTITY?

SIGN NUMBER 3 The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. (Mark 15:38) Jesus had predicted the destruction of the temple (13:2) and this third sign points towards this. That prophecy, interpreted in a distorted way was one of the reasons Jesus had been handed over to the Romans. When Jesus died the curtain was torn from the top—indicating the action of God and signalling the end of the role of the temple in the life of the people of God. With Jesus’ resurrection the temple is restored in the form of the followers of Jesus—the ‘body of Christ’. Both the destruction of the temple (c. 70 AD) and the rise of the Christian church come directly out of the death of Jesus.

SIGN NUMBER 4 And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, ‘Surely this man was the Son of God!’ (Mark 15:39) Just as God had spoken of Jesus as his Son in Mark 1:11, here the centurion echoed the words of God in declaring that the crucified Jew in front of him was the Son of God. This is truly a remarkable confession. Persecuted Christians in Rome hearing Mark’s Gospel would no doubt gain much encouragement from this first Gentile to acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God.

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MEMORIES OF A ROMAN SOLDIER

Distribute copies of Extra resource 4 from page 90 to each student. This asks them to complete a piece of creative writing that is begun for them. They are to imagine the writing comes from a Roman soldier who spent time in Judea and is now in retirement back in the capital, having served his time in the army. The soldier was a witness to the beating, torture and death of Jesus.

LESSON 7—MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

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