DQ What did Jesus considered to be the primary problem of the man on the stretcher - his paralysis or his spiritual needs?

DQ What are the pros and cons of associating with people involved in immorality or outside the circles of social respectability?

DQ8 Why would Jesus leave the crowds in order to train the twelve apostles? (Note Mark 9:30-31).

DQ10 What were others saying to Jesus' disciples about His identity?

DQ13 What ideas would most people of the first century associate With the Messiah if He were a descendant of King David?

DQ14 Is it surprising that Peter felt Jesus' idea about suffering was repulsive?

What does Peter's response indicate about his messianic expectations? Did Jesus ever reconsider the Messianic role when his closest friends (Peter and His apostles) suggested that God would not allow Him to suffer as Messiah? Which aspect of Jesus nature does your answer emphasize - His humanity or His Deity?

DQ15 What important lessons about His Messianic role did the apostles still have to learn?

TN1 If Jesus was such a popular teacher, Why did He arouse such hostilities among Jewish religious authorizes? Who were Jesus' primary critics? From what you know about Pharisees, why would they be opposed to Jesus?

TN2 The references to wine and wineskins suggest that Jesus' ministry is too Vital and alive to be contained in old structures. Like new wine, the spirit of His ministry breaks the old molds.

TN3 Note: Jesus focused on the spiritual initially. When the text says that Jesus saw the faith of the men, the plural does not exclude the individual on the stretcher. It was actually easier to say, "Your sins are forgiven, because that could not be verified while everyone would soon know whether He had the ability to help the man with paralysis walk. The argument which Jesus had with the legalists was their misapplication of the law. While they may have been sincere, they mistakenly confused their interpretation of Scripture for the meaning of Scripture. From the perspective of the legalist the condition of the man did not create an emergency; and Jesus' ministry to him could have been delayed until the Sabbath had passed. From Jesus' perspective, any delay in meeting human need is a failure to keep the spirit of the Sabbath.

TN 4 .In Mark 7:24, Jesus withdrew to Tyre and Sidon and tried to hide from people. Why did Jesus try to hide from people? What could be more important to Jesus than ministering to human need?

TN5 Luke 13:31-35 indicates that Pharisees warned Jesus that Herod Antipas wanted to kill Him (Antipas had already had John the Baptist executed). Knowing that His fate would be decided in Jerusalem, Jesus began to move out of Galilee, the area under the authority of Antipas.

TN6 After feeding the multitude, Jesus had to withdraw because there was an attempt to force Him to become an earthly king (Cf. John 6:15).

TN7 Mark 6:46 states that Jesus dismissed the crowd and went up into the mountain to pray.

TN9 Caesarea Philipi was named after two of the most famous men of that area. Herod Philip had rebuilt the city and named it in honor of Emperor Caesar and himself. While most of the people of this region northeast of Galilee would have had some knowledge of those two men, hardly anyone would have had any idea about the idenity of Jesus.

TN11 Peter's statement identified Jesus as the Messiah, The Anointed One."

TN12 Even though Jesus commended Peter for his insight (note Matt. 16:17), the disciples were not ready to talk to others about their discovery because they still had misconceptions about the Messianic role.