I like to read and sometimes I like to read biographies. Usually I will read a biography when a person has intrigued me and I want to know more. Two great biographies that I have read are Truman and John Adams. Both of these were written by David McCullough who won the Pulitzer Prize for each.
While Mr. McCullough makes these men come to life it was not his writing that made these men. The lives of these men had made the writing important or valuable. I wanted to know more because these men had done so much.
Biography in the Bible
The New Testament begins with four books: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. These books have a different style than a modern biography, but can still be considered biographical. Just as David McCullough did not make John Adams into the hero that he was the writer of the book of Mark does not make Jesus into the man that he was. John Adams lived and made an impact, and so did Jesus the Christ.
This book begins with the following verse:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1–ESV)
When this book was written Jesus had stature as the Messiah. Jesus had a following and that is why the book ended up having a following. This book of Mark was valid because Jesus had been validated. He had identity as the son of God. David was a man after God’s own heart. Jesus was a man of God’s heart. One imitated God and the other was God. David lived like God a lot of the time, but Jesus demonstrated God’s style all of the time. This book did not make the man. The man made the book.
Lesson date: August 7th, 2016
Mark 1:2-8 »» Revival gone viral
Mark 1:9-13 »» Med School, Medicine, the Messiah & Me
Lesson date: August 14th, 2016
(a post related to Mark 1) Mark 1:14-20 »» Disciples are made, but I want it NOW!
Mark 1:14-15 »» Good News is here!
Mark 1:16-20 »» Follow me and I will…
Mark 1:21-28 »» The Charisma of Godliness
Mark 1:29-39 »» Busy yet Balanced
Lesson date: August 21st, 2016
Mark 2:1-12 »» “So that you might know…”
Mark 2:13-17 »» We are all disqualified
Lesson date: August 28th, 2016
Mark 3:1-6 »» Shriveled hands and shriveled hearts
Mark 3:7-12 »» Bait with felt needs and switch to real ones
Lesson date: September 4th, 2016
(a post related to Mark 4 & Parables) »» Will there be video games in heaven?
Mark 4:10-12 »» Learning and teaching with parables
Lesson date: September 11th, 2016
Mark 5:1-13 »» A naked man, demons, pigs and Jesus
Mark 5:14-17 »» “Jesus, would you PLEASE leave?”
Lesson date: September 18th, 2016
Mark 6:1-6 »» Amazement wasn’t good in Nazareth
Mark 6:7-11 »» The time had come…first forays into life’s mission
Lesson date: September 25th, 2016
Mark 7:1-5 »» Clean vultures anyone?
Mark 7:6-13 »» Don’t bring a knife to a gun fight
Mark 7:14-23 »» Detangling the masses
Lesson date: October 2nd, 2016
Mark 8:1-3 »» A crowd like Mary: open, humble, interested
Mark 8:3-10 »» The perfect provision of Jesus
Mark 8:11-21 »» The yikes of yeast.
Lesson date: October 9th, 2016
Mark 9:2-4 »» The Transfiguration: Help from God.
Mark 9:5-13 »» What God said: Hear about the cross.
Lesson date: October 16th, 2016
Mark 10:1-12 »» Divorce? Man’s plan, not Gods
Mark 10:13-16 »» Healthy kids need Jesus too
Lesson date: October 23rd, 2016
Mark 10:17-31 »» Mired by money but anxious for his soul
Mark 11:1-11 »» You will understand later
Lesson date: October 30th, 2016
Mark 12:1-12 »» What is your vineyard? Do you tend it?
Mark 12:13-17 »» Jesus teaches out of a trap on taxes
Lesson date: November 6th, 2016
Mark 13:1-2 »» A reality check, not a warning against futility
Mark 13:3-13 »» Perfect answers to questionable questions
Lesson date: November 13th, 2016
Mark 13:14-27 »» Practicality in a prophetic passage
Mark 13:28-31 »» How a fig tree can be a clock
Lesson date: November 20th, 2016
Mark 14:3-9 (take 1) »» No backhanded compliments from Jesus
Mark 14:3-9 (take 2) »» Mary was the best listener
Mark 14:3-9 (take 3) »» While people rattled Jesus had poise
Lesson date: November 27th, 2016
Mark 15:1-5 »» No self-defense against injustice?
Mark 15:6-15 »» Pilate’s quandary: Jesus, justice or the crowd?
Mark 15:16-20 »» Be creative with worship
Lesson date: December 4th, 2016
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