Power and Authority | Portrait of Jesus | Mark 1: 21-28

We begin our series, Portrait of Jesus, with an opening scene in the Gospels where Jesus declares that God’s kingdom has come with His arrival and immediately he begins to not only teach this—leading to proclamations of amazement among the people—but demonstrated the kingdom through casting out evil spirits. What’s the significance of it all? Jesus is saying, “The King has come and He comes with authority and power.” And what do we do before a true king? We bow. Jesus calls His discipled and He calls us to follow Him too—to bow down in submission—that we might discover the joy of becoming like Him. In discovering the true portrait of Jesus, we see ourselves as we were truly created to be.

1. Have you ever met someone of great power, fame and worth? What was it like?
2. Scott said Jesus comes to us as a king but an unexpected one, to be sure. He gives us a glimpse into His power over life itself in a cosmic showdown with evil but is determined to keep a low profile all the same. How do you make sense of this seeming paradox? What does it teach us for our own lives as His followers?
3. Scott said we all have “kings” that we bow down to, pay homage too. What “kings” have you been following lately in the place of the true King?
4. Scott concluded by noting we have been called to follow Him and this means to “repent and believe” but that is not a one time event as Christians but an ongoing reality. How is God speaking to you about this right now?