Mark 1:1-15
“Prepare the Way”
1. Jesus—The King Revealed 🕊️
📖 Read: Mark 1:1–8; Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1
Mark’s gospel opens fast and urgent. He shows us Jesus not as a distant idea, but as the Son of God arriving on earth, fully prepared, fully anointed. John the Baptist is God’s appointed prophet, calling Israel to repentance and readiness for their King. Mark moves quickly—no excess detail, just truth and action: God is doing something now.
Key Insight:
📜 Jesus’ arrival is intentional, historic, and sovereign—God is not improvising; He is fulfilling His promises.
Discussion Questions:
Where do you see God’s plan at work in ways others might call coincidence?
How does John the Baptist’s role encourage you to prepare your heart for Jesus today?
Why might Mark emphasize action over long teaching at the start of the gospel?
2. Baptism, Spirit, and Identity 🌊
📖 Read: Mark 1:9–13; Isaiah 11:2; Isaiah 42:1
Jesus is baptized—not for repentance, but to receive the Spirit and show us the pathway to God. The Spirit descending, the heavens opening, the voice from heaven—all testify: this is God’s chosen Son. Even the wilderness and wild animals underscore His authority and peace with creation.
Key Insight:
⚡ God demonstrates Jesus’ divine identity through Spirit-filled action, not mere words.
Discussion Questions:
What does it mean that Jesus is Spirit-filled in a way we are not yet?
How does seeing Jesus at peace with the wild challenge your understanding of His power?
How does the baptism scene show God’s love and authority working together?
3. The Kingdom Is Here—Repent and Believe 👑
📖 Read: Mark 1:14–15
Jesus’ gospel is not a future promise—it is Kingdom life available now. Repentance is not a rule to follow, but a reorientation: all areas of life belong to Jesus. Money, work, relationships, time, and identity are meant to serve Him, not ourselves.
Key Insight:
🔥 Following Jesus demands reordering our lives around His reign—Kingdom living begins now.
Discussion Questions:
Which areas of your life are hardest to surrender to Jesus’ rule?
How does understanding the Kingdom as “here, but not yet complete” affect hope for the world?
What does repentance look like practically in your daily life?
4. Jesus’ Glory and Our Limitation ✨
📖 Read: John 3:31–36
Jesus is from heaven. He knows all. He gives the Spirit without measure. We are earthly, finite, limited. Recognizing His superiority is not discouragement—it’s why we adore Him. Salvation is His gift, eternal life belongs to those who believe.
Key Insight:
🌟 God’s love and grace are beyond our earning; we receive them in awe, trust, and worship.
Discussion Questions:
How does realizing Jesus’ supremacy inspire faith and humility?
Where do you rely on your own understanding rather than God’s?
How does eternal life as a gift reshape your daily choices and priorities?
5. The Kingdom—Already Here, Coming Fully 🌍
📖 Read: Psalm 42:1; Luke 4:18; 1 Corinthians 15:20
Jesus inaugurated the Kingdom, but it will only be complete when He returns. Meanwhile, signs of God’s Kingdom appear wherever people follow Him faithfully. The Church is a foretaste of eternity—healing, freedom, mercy, and life transformed.
Key Insight:
🌿 Kingdom life is experienced now and points to eternal reality—Jesus changes everything, starting in us.
Discussion Questions:
Where have you experienced the Kingdom “here and now”?
How can Citylight be a visible sign of God’s Kingdom this year?
What keeps you from fully embracing the Kingdom’s authority in your life?
6. Responding to the Gospel 💌
📖 Read: Mark 1:15; John 3:16
The gospel asks one thing: come to Jesus. Repent, believe, and receive His forgiveness and new life. Your identity, hope, purpose, and future are now found in Him, not in your own performance.
Key Insight:
🤍 God’s love is not earned—it is received when we come to Christ in faith and surrender.
Discussion Questions:
What fears or doubts hold you back from fully trusting Jesus?
How can we practically “come to Christ” in our everyday decisions?
What difference would it make if every area of life were lived for Jesus this year?
🙏 Prayer Prompts
Trust: “Lord, help me live under Your Kingdom, not my own rules.”
Surrender: “Jesus, I give You all of my life—time, work, relationships, and heart.”
Adoration: “Father, thank You for Jesus, my King, Savior, and Lord.”
Boldness: “Spirit, empower me to live and love boldly, reflecting the Kingdom now.”