Qtn.1. What does the term Gospel mean in Mark chap.1 verse 1 (Mark.1:1) mean?

Ans.1. Gospel means "good news". Mark is introducing us to the "good news about Jesus Christ the Son
of God".

Qtn.2. Mark1:1 introduced us to the title "Son of God". How may we understand what the title means in
the Bible?

Ans.2:

(i) First, the Bible teaches that the term "Son of God" is a title of divinity ie. Jesus is God.

(ii) In the ancient middle east, the phrase "Son of God" would have been used as a title of kingship and
authority.

(iii). In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus did not claim to be just an ordinary king ruling over a country. But Jesus
exercised a great authority. He came to earth as the rightful King over all creation.

Kian Ming: Qtn. 3. What is "Sin"?

Ans.3. Put simply,

(i). sin is an attitude of rebellion against God in our thought, our word or or deed(action).

(ii). sin involves our failure to follow or obey God's law. It also means that we break God's holy laws.

(iii). Sin also means we do what we want rather than what God wants.

Qtn. Is "sin" about what we do and what we say?

Ans. No Sin is not just words and deeds (eg. telling lies, not honouring our parents, wrong desires
(greed), killing etc), but also occurs in our thoughts.

For eg. Jesus taught that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgement, and.....
whoever insults his brother.....and says, 'You fool!' will be liable to the hell of fire." (Matthew 5:21-22).

Jesus also taught that "everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed
adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)

Qtn. Can a God who is holy and just, overlook our sin?

Ans. No, sin is a deep personal offence against God's holiness. God is our Creator and our rightful King.
He has authority over us (we are His creatures).

When we sin, we stand under God's judgement.

Qtn. What must we do about sin since we have offended the holy God with our sin?

Ans. We need God's forgiveness and we need to be reconciled with God who is offended by our sin.

We read in Mark 15:25, that Jesus was crucified(nailed) on the Cross at 9.00am. We were told that from
noon time to 3.00pm, there was darkness over the whole land (day-time).

Qtn. What did the darkness during daytime represent?

Ans. This darkness is a supernatural darkness. This darkness is a sign of: (1) God's judgement falling upon
the people for rejecting Son of God, the promised Saviour.

(2) It is also God's judgement falling on the innocent Son of God.

Qtn. What did Jesus do for sinners at the Cross?

Ans. At the Cross, Jesus died in the place of sinners on our behalf by becoming our "Substitute".

At the Cross, Jesus took our sins, our guilt and our shame upon His own body. He took the punishment
for all our sins (eventhough He had no sin of His own), and God's anger against sin fell on Jesus Christ.
He took our place - He was our substitute.

We learned about "The Great Exchange" last Saturday. The great exchange is what took place at the
Cross of Calvary.

Qtn: What was exchanged (or transferred) at the Cross between Christ and sinners who believed in Him?

Ans:

At the Cross, there was the exchange or transfer of "Debts" and the transfer of Righteousness.

Qtn: How did this exchange or transfer of Debts and Righteousness take place?

Ans.:

(1). Transfer of Debts. While Jesus was on the Cross, God took the sins of everyone who would ever
believe in Him, in every period of history, and transfer them (their sins) on Jesus. In other words, Jesus
bore the sins of millions. So, since God hates sin, all of God's anger and hatred of sin which should fall on
you and me, was transferred to Christ. Christ died as our Substitute.

This is one aspect of the Great Exchange.

(2). Transfer of Christ's Righteousness.

At the Cross, the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is transferred to sinners. So, a sinners who have
this "righteousness" transferred to them are declared by God as righteous. This forgiveness by God is
not automatically granted to anyone, but only to those who repent (turn away) from their sin and put
their faith in Christ's sacrifice for them.

Mark 10:45 tells us, "For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His
life a ransom for many.”

Qtn.: What is a "ransom" , and what does it mean that Jesus Christ (the Son of God) gave His life as a
ransom for many?

Ans:

(1). Ransom. A Ransom is a payment to claim back something or someone who has been lost, captured
or enslaved. [ Note : The Bible tells us that until we are freed by Christ, all men, women and children are
slaves to sin. We are in bondage (ie. held captive) to sin and will answer to a holy and just God who
hates sin and will punish sin.]

(2). Mark 10:45 reveals to us that God has purchased our freedom through the death of His Son, Jesus
Christ.

On the Cross, Christ paid the debt which we were not capable of paying, and paid our ransom.

This is the great hope and joy of every Christian, that in His death, Jesus pays the price that sets men
free. (See Romans 8:1).

Jesus gave His life freely as the ransom. According to the will of God, Jesus laid down His life on His own
accord, paid our ransom in order to set sinners free.

We have learned that Jesus became a substitute for sinners when he bore the penalty (punishment) of
sin for those who trust in Him (ie. believers) in every age and generation.

Qtn: What other thing did Jesus achieve on the Cross for sinners?

Ans:

Remember, on the Cross, God (who is perfectly loving and perfectly just), was punishing sin.

Jesus's death on the Cross also served to reconcile us to God by being our ransom.
By dying on the Cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the sins of those who trust in God's promise of
salvation in order to set them free from God's judgement.

Qtn: Was Jesus' death, and rising from the dead (his resurrection) intended by God and Jesus before He
went to the Cross?

Ans:

Yes, Jesus' death and rising again was intended by God. Jesus Himself predicted this 4 times even before
dying in the Cross. Please read the following 4 occasions when He predicted His own death and
resurrection: 👇

1. Mark 8:31

2. Mark 9:9

3. Mark 9.31

4. Mark 10:32-34

Jesus clearly knew that He would not only die a humiliating death, but that He will rise again 3 days
later, and later ascend into Heaven. Christ's death & resurrection were God's intent all along.

Qtn.: What Three facts that we must know and believe in order to be a Christian (ie. a child of God)?

Ans.: The 3 facts that a person must believe to become a Christian are:

(1). Jesus is the Son of God.

(2). He died on the Cross as our substitute, to ransom us from our slavery to sin, and,

(3). He physically rose from the dead (ie. He was resurrected).

Read slowly and try to appreciate the 3 facts above. These 3 facts are summarised for us in 1 Corinthians
15:1,3-4,

"Moreover, brethren, I declare to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and
in which you stand, For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our
sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according
to the Scriptures,....."
Evidence & Eye-Witness to Christ Resurrection

Qtn. What did each of the following instances tell us regarding Jesus' resurrection?

1. John 20:1-9 -

2. John 20:10-18 -

3. John 20:19-20 -

4. John 20:24-29 -

5. John 21:1-7 -

Ans. The following instances are Eye-Witness account of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.

1. John 20:1-9. Mary Magdalene, Simon Peter, John "saw the linens cloths lying there" (ie. inside the
tomb). Simon Peter went into the tomb; and saw the linen cloths lying there, and the handkerchief that
had been around Jesus' head, not lying with the linen cloths, but folded together in a place by itself.

Then John went into the tomb also and he saw and believed.

2. John 20:10-18. Mary Magdalene saw 2 angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the
feet, where the body of Jesus had lain.

Then, she saw Jesus standing there, but did not recognised Him at first.

Later, when Jesus called her, she turned around and immediately recognised that it was Jesus. Jesus
then told her that He will ascend to His Father.

Mary then informs the other disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken to her.

3. John 20:19-20. Jesus appeared to the disciples when the door was shut. He showed them His pierced
hands and side. "The disciples were glad when they saw the Lord."

4. John 20:24-29. Thomas, one of the disciples, was not with the others when Jesus first appeared to
them. The other disciples said to Thomas, "we have seen the Lord,". But Thomas did not believe and
wanted to see proof.

Eight days later, Jesus appeared to the disciples again (and the door was shut). Jesus showed Thomas
the wounds on His hands and side, and said to Thomas, "Reach your finger here, and look at My hands;
and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing."

Thomas answered and said to Jesus, "My Lord and my God!".

5. John 21:1-7. Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He showed Himself in
this way:

- He stood at the shore, and asked them, "Children, have you any food?

- He then tell the disciples to cast their net on the right side of the boat, and they suddenly caught a
huge number of fishes.
- John, one of the disciples, recognised the Lord Jesus.

These are all eye-witness account of people who saw Jesus after He had rose from the dead. They all
believed that Jesus rose from the dead. Do you?

Jesus said to Thomas, "...because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not
seen and yet have believed."