Adult Bible Studies Spring 2022 Student: Follow

By Rev. Dr. Rita B. Hays

Adult Bible Studies Spring 2022
Theme: Follow

The lessons this quarter are confined to two units so that we can observe the season of Lent. Authentic discipleship involves imitating Jesus, and we must begin with an understanding of Jesus as Messiah and the kingdom to which he invites us to belong. We soon discover as we follow Jesus that his kingdom turns our expectations totally upside down. As we walk with Jesus, we must admit that we sometimes totally miss the mark. Yet Christ forgives us, restores us, and equips us to live into our identities as Christ-followers.
As his followers, we have responsibilities and opportunities to help grow the kingdom. One way is through stewardship, a concept that is much broader than we may think. Our role involves using not only our physical resources but indeed our very lives as grace-filled cohabitants in God’s marvelous creation.

Unit 1: The Mark You Make
Discipleship in Mark’s Gospel is often described as the way of the cross because of the repeated emphasis upon following Jesus on the way to Jerusalem and the command to take up one’s cross and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34). In this season when we commemorate Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem, we give our attention to various aspects of discipleship we find in Mark’s Gospel.
Scriptures: Mark 8:27-38; Mark 9:38-50; Mark 10:35-45; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25; Mark 13:5-8, 28-37; Mark 14: 27-42; Mark 16:1-8
Spiritual Practice: Reflection and self-examination

Unit 2: The Steps You Take
Creation care has become a prominent topic of discussion in Christian congregations and seminaries during the last couple of decades. While disagreement exists about human responsibility for climate change and to what extent we should limit human activity for the purpose of preservation of endangered species and habitats, Scripture makes clear that God takes pleasure in creation and that our role as stewards requires that we appreciate creation and take our responsibility as stewards seriously.
Scriptures: Psalm 104; Leviticus 25:1-13; Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Job 38:4-11; Joel 2:18-26; Romans 8:19-22; 2 Corinthians 9
Spiritual Practice: Nurture and care of all creation

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Cokesbury
• Release date: Jan 18, 2022
• ISBN: 9781791006617

Rev. Dr. Rita B. Hays

Rev. Dr. Rita Hays, an ordained deacon in the Tennessee Conference, is Associate Pastor for Children, Visitation, Education, and Family Ministries at Connell Memorial United Methodist Church in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. She has served in the local church in the area of Christian Education for over twenty-five years and has led numerous workshops on the district, conference, and national levels for The United Methodist Church. Hays also serves as an adjunct professor at Lindsey Wilson College in Columbia, Kentucky. Dr. Hays is the author of The Children s Minister and The Most Important Space in the Church: The Nursery, both published by Discipleship Resources, and All in the Family: Faith Issues for Families Facing Addiction, published by WestBow Press.

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Unit 1

The Mark You Make

Our lessons in this unit focus on authentic discipleship that involves imitating Jesus. We begin with an understanding of Jesus as Messiah. We move from there to explore our relationship with other disciples who travel with us on our quest toward faithful living.

Along the way, we discover that the kingdom Jesus proclaimed turns our expectations totally upside down. Furthermore, Jesus modeled for us a mature prayer life based on forgiveness and faith that centered upon the power of God working in and through us. We discover that one of the pivotal requirements of a sincere believer involves vigilance on our part.

We join the disciples as Jesus rapidly makes his way toward his destiny. We sense Jesus’ urgency to arrive in the Holy City and fulfill his calling. The cross at Golgotha captures our attention. Jesus repeatedly spoke of his rejection and foretold his impending death. The disciples failed to listen or comprehend what Jesus meant. Will we act in the same way, or will Christ find us faithful? Like those first followers, we admit we often totally miss the mark. But the assurance awaits us that Christ forgives us and offers a second chance.

We stand with the women at the cross, pondering Christ’s sacrifice and giving serious thought to the admonition to take up our own crosses and follow the obedient one. We consider Christ’s death and comprehend its meaning and purpose for our salvation.

Then, we arrive at the empty tomb to hear the good news of resurrection and new life. Many strong emotions arise within us, and we take time to evaluate these. Our reflection leads us to respond individually to the way the story impacts us on a personal level.

What an adventure awaits us as we travel with Jesus and his disciples! Prepare yourself. The time has come to give our full and undivided attention to the various aspects of discipleship we find in Mark’s Gospel.

March 6

Lesson 1

Titles Matter

(First Sunday of Lent)

Focal Passage: Mark 8:27-38

Background Text: Same

Purpose Statement: To identify Jesus as Messiah and understand what that title means for his followers

Mark 8:27-38

²⁷Jesus and his disciples went into the villages near Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked his disciples, Who do people say that I am?

²⁸They told him, Some say John the Baptist, others Elijah, and still others one of the prophets.

²⁹He asked them, And what about you? Who do you say that I am?

Peter answered, You are the Christ. ³⁰Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone about him.

³¹Then Jesus began to teach his disciples: The Human One must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and the legal experts, and be killed, and then, after three days, rise from the dead.

³²He said this plainly. But Peter took hold of Jesus and, scolding him, began to correct him. ³³Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, then sternly corrected Peter: Get behind me, Satan. You are not thinking God’s thoughts but human thoughts.

³⁴After calling the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them, All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me. ³⁵All who want to save their lives will lose them. But all who lose their lives because of me and because of the good news will save them. ³⁶Why would people gain the whole world but lose their lives? ³⁷What will people give in exchange for their lives? ³⁸Whoever is ashamed of me and my words in this unfaithful and sinful generation, the Human One will be ashamed of that person when he comes in the Father’s glory with the holy angels.

Key Verse: He asked them, ‘And what about you? Who do you say that I am?’ Peter answered, ‘You are the Christ’ (Mark 8:29).

After finishing seminary, I searched diligently for a church position in the large city where my husband and I resided. Unable to find one, I took a job in an accounting office, but I still felt the strong call to serve in a ministry setting. Frustrated, I turned to one of the leaders at my alma mater for guidance. He suggested that I might consider being a church volunteer. This advisor admitted the difficulty of latching on to a ministry position in a town where the seminary was located. He also hinted that, being a woman, I might experience rejection elsewhere. He failed to grasp my situation, and I left his office feeling dismissed and unworthy.

Not long after that, my husband and I moved to a much smaller city. The first day there, my husband opened the newspaper and read aloud to me an advertisement for a youth pastor at a United Methodist church. Having been raised in another denomination, I balked at the idea. The first words out of my mouth were, But the church is Methodist! My husband assured me that Methodists are nice people. He persuaded me to send in my application, and I was hired!

It might sound strange that I did not leap with joy at the opportunity when it first presented itself. After all, I yearned to serve the Lord, and prior to that time, no opportunity had presented itself. This appeared to be a gift sent from God, so why was I so reluctant?

It all had to do with my upbringing and my faith background. It turns out my entire discipleship journey evolved around the denomination in which I was raised. My family ties remained strong in that religious body. Plus, my college and graduate work took place in institutions affiliated with that group.

From these particular Christians, I learned who Jesus is. They taught me about the cross of Christ. They instructed me on ways to live out my faith. My baptism marked me. My home church shaped me. My identity as a disciple of Christ was wound up so strongly with that particular branch of Christendom that I found it difficult to comprehend my faith journey veering into a separate arena.

Now, after 40 years of ministry in The United Methodist Church, my perspective has changed. God taught me that discipleship formation has little to do with denominational labels. Rather, a great deal of it centers on our relationship with Christ and with others. I thought my Christian character and growth were dependent on remaining in the comfort zone of my childhood. God steered me forward in a new direction. In doing so, God brought me to a more mature understanding.

The focal passage for this lesson centers on Jesus’ identity. We will explore ways in which Jesus’ role as Messiah just might require us to reorient our way of thinking about discipleship.

A Question of Vital Importance

Titles associated with our names often define us. For example, at times people address me formally as Dr. Hays, but I prefer the less formal salutation of Reverend Rita. I am also known as Mom and Grandmother Rita. These titles identify various roles I live out.

Jesus asked his disciples an important question about his identity. Specifically, Jesus inquired about what title they associated with him and his mission. Interestingly, these followers based their answers on what others around them were saying.

Rumors abounded that Jesus might be John the Baptist come back from the dead. Gossip circulated that he fell in line with the prophets—Elijah and others. True, Jesus aligned with the prophets and John’s mission, but these descriptions of him were inadequate, so Jesus pressed his disciples further. He wanted to know what they thought and not just what others had said.

Apparently, Peter had already pondered the issue at hand. He quickly answered, You are the Christ (Mark 8:29). Wouldn’t you think that Jesus would want the disciples to go out immediately and share this good news? But, no, Jesus admonished them to remain quiet. Why?

Remember that the Jewish people longed for the Messiah to arrive. They had waited for centuries. The writer of the apocryphal book Psalms of Solomon described the Messiah as a charismatic teacher, one who offered the correct interpretation of Mosaic law, restored Israel, and judged humankind.

In opposition to this image, many believed the anointed one would come with force and vengeance, riding on a majestic war horse, easily capable of overthrowing evil Rome by toppling all its power in one swift stroke. Jesus knew the misunderstanding of Messiah that had emerged over time as opposed to the correct one God revealed to him.

Like so many others, Peter misunderstood. When Jesus pointed toward his death on the cross, Peter refused to wrap his mind around the concept of Messiah that entailed rejection, pain, and suffering.

Jesus rebuked Peter because this disciple failed to envision that Messiah equaled suffering servant. Jesus attributed Peter’s word to Satan. Recall Jesus’ temptations, and consider the tricky ways in which the evil one tried to convince Jesus to take the easy path. But Jesus rejected any form of Messiah that evolved around glory rather than humility.

Jesus calls disciples in all times and places. Christ assigns each of us with the task of making his purposes known to the world, but first we must possess a clear picture of what it means to call Jesus our Messiah. If we as his followers desire to follow in his footsteps, we must seek to emulate Christ. God chose only one Messiah, but the way Jesus lived out that role should cause us to think about our own discipleship journey.

Knowing Jesus as Messiah carries with it great responsibilities. We count the cost and find that true commitment requires a reevaluation of our priorities and our lifestyles. And just as Jesus asked his disciples that pivotal question in a village in Caesarea Phillipi, Jesus inquires of his followers today, Who do you say that I am? Our answer to that question guides and directs us daily as we seek to share Christ with others.

How does your understanding of Jesus as Messiah impact your Christian life and witness?

Three Components of Discipleship

The title associated with Jesus’ early followers was not that of Christian. Rather, society marked them as people of The Way. Instead of being characterized by a set of beliefs, these faithful communities distinguished themselves by their character in the world. Christian faith equated itself with a way of life more than with a set of beliefs.

Before his Damascus Road experience, the apostle Paul set as his goal the fierce and bold determination to snuff out completely the people of The Way. Jesus’ voice informed Saul on the road to Damascus that his efforts to harass, abuse, and kill followers of The Way actually resulted in persecution of the Messiah!

Being a follower of Jesus aligns one closely with Christ. The marks of discipleship suggested in our Focal Passage involve an active faith and way of life. Certainly, our beliefs are important, but they must motivate us and inspire us to move forward into growth and maturity.

In verse 31, Jesus shares with his disciples exactly what awaited him: suffering and rejection. Then, in verses 34-38, Jesus enlarges his audience to speak to all who would follow him, saying, All who want to come after me must say no to themselves, take up their cross, and follow me (verse 34). Jesus links our fate to his. As you consider the three imperatives Jesus lines out for us, seriously ponder ways in which you have taken on these tasks faithfully or failed to do so.

I used to think that denying self meant giving up something for Lent or belittling myself before others because of my own weaknesses. What I have discovered is the radical nature involved in this admonition. Jesus demands that we reorient our lives to focus on Christ’s priorities rather than our own. We place Jesus’ purposes ahead of any others. We set out each day determined to suffer the consequences of faithful living by taking up our cross daily.

A question comes to mind when we think about the cross. What kind of God required Jesus’ violent death so that humanity might be redeemed? How can God be considered loving if salvation had to come through brutality and violence?

We must view such questions by looking at the entire gospel portrait. Jesus