Sermon Outline:
- The Beginning of the Gospel.
- The Gospel Begins with Announcements.
- The Gospel Begins with Repentance.
- The Gospel Begins in the Wilderness.
Family Discussion Questions:
- When you read a textbook or a novel, you are reading them in different ways, looking for different things. How should you read a Gospel? What are you looking for and what response does it require?
- Mark’s Isaiah quote actually also quotes Malachi quoting Isaiah! And all this points to John as he points to Jesus! What is Mark showing us in this squished together reference to so many prophets?
- What does John tell us about the uniqueness of Jesus?
- Why is it important for the whole Trinity to be visible at once during the baptism of Jesus?
- What does it mean that John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins?
- What is repentance? Would repentance be the same as feeling sorry for your sin?
- Why is repentance the way that John gets people ready for the coming of Jesus?
- Look at your experience in your family, at church, at your work or in other relationships. Would you say your trust in the Gospel has come with humility and repentance? Or would experience show you are trying to trust in Jesus without ever admitting your sin and repenting of it?
- What is the significance of the wilderness? Why does the Gospel start there?
- What is the Gospel that you believe? Is it the same as Mark’s good news? Is there anything missing or confused in your understanding?
- Do you believe that Jesus it Christ (Messiah, Anointed Saviour-King), the Son of God, who came as a man to fulfill all righteousness, so that He could take the punishment for your sin on the cross, rise again, and save you along with all of the people of His Kingdom who trust in Him?
