Tuesday Night Group (TNG ) Notes
Stay up to date on our weekly study of the Gospel of Mark
Mark 6:1 – “Hometown” - Your hometown is a deeply personal concept, generally defined as the city or town where you were born and raised, or where you spent your most significant formative years. It can also be the place you feel the strongest sense of belonging or the location that had the most lasting impact on your personality. Jesus was born in Bethlehem, but his hometown was Nazareth. That is where he did the majority of his growing up.
Mark 6:2 – “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach” – This is Saturday. Jesus, being a good Jew, found himself in the synagogue. He was asked to teach because the custom of that day was to honor a guest by allowing them to teach from the prescribed scripture reading for that day. The expectation was that everyone asked to teach would simply repeat the teachings that have been passed down through the generations.
“Many who heard him were amazed” – Amazed not only because this man who was teaching was Jesus. Mary and Joseph’s kid from down the street. The same Jesus who played T-ball with their kids. But that Jesus taught as someone with authority. He didn’t simply spit back the typical company line. He, after all, was the author of the passage he was given to read. Thus, he shared an insight that the people had never experienced before.
Mark 6:3 – “And they took great offense at him” – To become deeply upset, angry, or feel hurt in response to something another person has said or done, often perceiving a personal insult or a threat to one’s values or beliefs.
Jesus didn’t fit their mold or their expectations. His very being threatened their grasp on reality. Instead of being open to the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah, they took offense to Jesus not being who they believed and knew Jesus to be. When we’re faced with a reality that doesn’t match our expectations, our initial response is generally to take offense.
Mark 6:4 – “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown” - This means that people are often overlooked or disbelieved by those who know them best, like their family and neighbors. Our familiarity with someone's humble origins or ordinary life can blind us to their unique talents, wisdom, or spiritual significance, causing us to reject or devalue their message or gifts, even if those outside the community recognize their worth.
Mark 6:5 – “He could not do any miracles there” – The ability for Jesus to work miracles in your life is directly related to your willingness to believe that it’s possible that Jesus can work miracles in your life. Your perspective matters. God can work with no belief, but not with unbelief.
Mark 6:6 – “He was amazed at their lack of faith” - We never read that Jesus was amazed by art or architecture or even the wonders of creation. We never read that he was amazed by human ingenuity or invention. He wasn’t amazed by the piety of the Jewish people or the military dominance of the Roman Empire. But Jesus was amazed by faith – when it was present in an unexpected place, and when it was absent in an expected place.
Mark 6:6 – “Jesus went around teaching from village to village.” – Jesus started his village to village preaching and teaching ministry in 1:38. Now, even after the set-back experienced in Nazareth, he goes right back to what he was meant to do. He grit his ministry. He quit ministering in Nazareth.
Mark 6:7 – “Send them out two by two” – The disciples first internship. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Also, having a witness allowed for constructive criticism and perspective.
“Gave them authority over impure spirits” – Pentecost light – Up to this point the Holy Spirit has been given to certain people, at certain times, for certain circumstances. Jesus now gave his disciples spiritual authority, as a tangible demonstration of the kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t send them out empty-handed.
Mark 6:8 – “Take nothing for the journey except…” – There was a Jewish rabbinical tradition that nobody could enter the temple area with a staff, shoes or a moneybag. For it would give the appearance of being engaged in some kind of business, other than the service of the Lord. The disciples were sent out to preach the gospel and bring God’s healing. Thus, Jesus didn’t want them to give anyone the impression that they had some other motive. The disciples were beginning to learn how to totally rely on God.
Mark 6:9 – “Wear sandals but not an extra shirt” – “Sandals” would’ve been needed for traveling. Unlike the Jewish rabbinical tradition of no sandals in the temple. This “shirt’ is the undergarment worn next to the skin under a cloak. Taking more than one would ensure sufficient warmth at night, while sleeping outside. This is foreshadowing Jesus’ command in the next verse.
Mark 6:10 – “Whenever you enter a house, stay there” – Jesus’ intention was not only for the disciples to get their feet wet preaching and healing. He also wanted them to start building relationships. They had to find and accept hospitality and live with others.
Our modern western culture doesn’t share the same perspective toward strangers and hospitality, as did the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day. People were expected to be hospitable to strangers. Thus, Jesus wanted the disciples to get good at accepting hospitality and getting to know the people. For this, along with preaching and miracles, is how the good news of Jesus would be shared. Relationship is the key!
Mark 6:11 – “And if…” – Contingency plan: If the people won’t listen to you, don’t waste any more time there. It wasn’t the disciples’ job to change people’s minds. They were simply to present the message and let the chips fall where they may. If the people didn’t accept the message, they were to quit and move on to the next place.
“Shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them” – If Jewish people had to go in or through a Gentile city, as they left they would shake the dust off their feet. It was a gesture that said, “We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us.” Thus, when the disciples encountered people who wouldn’t believe, Jesus didn’t want them to take the sting of rejection with them, to the next village. This meant that the disciples wouldn’t be successful in every village they entered.
Mark 6:12 – “They went out and preached” – It’s one thing for God to call you to do something. It’s quite another to actually get up and go. To preach simply means to proclaim, to tell others in the sense of announcing news to them. Some of the best and most effective preaching happens outside a church. It happens when followers of Jesus are one-on-one with others, sharing what Jesus has done for them.
“Repent” – To turn around and head in a different direction. The basic message was that the people were going in the wrong direction. The disciples were to invite people to repent, to turn around, and go in a new direction. This is the message that, if not received, the disciples were to quit and leave that village.
Mark 6:13 – “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people” – The key term here is “many”. Part of the lesson of this internship was for the disciples to learn that they won’t succeed all the time. Even Jesus didn’t succeed all the time. As was witnessed in Nazareth.
John the Baptist: Isaiah 40:3 – “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Mark 1:4 – “And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. This makes Jesus and John second cousins. John’s conception was a miracle, for Zechariah and Elizabeth had not been able to have children. When Mary found out that she was pregnant with Jesus, she went to stay with Elizabeth.
John lived as a hermit in the Judean wilderness. He clothed himself with camel’s hair and ate locust and wild honey, until the word of God came to him and he began preaching and baptizing, preparing the way for Jesus. In Mark 1:9, John baptized Jesus.
John was bold in his teaching and unafraid to identify sin when he saw it, even in the lives of those in power. One such person was the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas. Herod was Jewish, but served at the mercy of the Roman government. In Mark 3:6 the Herodians, people loyal to King Herod, joined forces with the Pharisees, unlikely bedfellows, to plot how they could kill Jesus.
The problem was that Herod had divorced his wife, in order to marry his brother’s wife, Herodias. She had, in turn, divorced Herod’s brother, Phillip, in order to marry Herod. Divorce was not allowed according to Jewish law and John called Herod and Herodias out publicly. To add icing to the cake, Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother. So, Herodias was Herod’s step-niece. Let’s see how that turned out.
Mark 6:14 – “King Herod had heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known.” – Herod, upon hearing about Jesus, wondered who he was. The story you’re about to read is a flash-back. Mark is simply using this break in the action, the disciples first internship, to go back and fill us in on what happened to John the Baptist.
Mark 6:16 – “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” – Herod, wondering who Jesus was, asked others for their opinions. Some said he was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This thought, of Jesus being a reincarnated John the Baptist, caused Herod a great deal of stress.
Mark 6:17 – “He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife” – John was arrested by Herod because Herodias saw John as a threat to her way of life. Reality TV has always been a thing! This practice of divorce and remarriage was acceptable in the Roman culture, but not in the Jewish culture. Thus, John called Herod and Herodias out publicly, since they were both Jewish.
Mark 6:20 – “Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.” – Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod had a soft place in his heart for John. Herod knew that John was something special. John puzzled Herod, but Herod liked to listen to him.
Mark 6:21-28 – Herodias will finally get her way, with a little help from her beautiful, dancing daughter Salome, some alcohol and an oath that Herod couldn’t take back. It was Herod’s birthday and he threw a big party. Salome danced for Herod and it pleased him.
This is unusual because it wasn’t common for Jewish people to celebrate their birthdays, this was a Roman tradition. Also, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Salome was only fourteen years old.
Herod was so pleased by Salome’s dance that he made an oath to give her anything she desired, up to half his kingdom. Which was impossible. His kingdom was controlled by Rome. Thus he didn’t have the power to give any of it away.
Combine this with the fact that he made this oath in the presence of all of his guests. Which meant that he would suffer public disgrace if he didn’t keep his oath. So, Salome went to Herodias for guidance on what to ask for. Herodias seized the opportunity and told Salome to ask for John the Baptist’s head.
When Salome made this request, Herod was “greatly distressed”. For he didn’t want to kill John the Baptist. But he also couldn’t go back on his oath. Herod wanted to save face over and above saving John the Baptist. So, Herod gave the order for John’s head to be brought to Salome on a platter. Salome then quickly gave John the Baptist’s head to her mother.
Mark 6:2 – “When the Sabbath came, he began to teach” – This is Saturday. Jesus, being a good Jew, found himself in the synagogue. He was asked to teach because the custom of that day was to honor a guest by allowing them to teach from the prescribed scripture reading for that day. The expectation was that everyone asked to teach would simply repeat the teachings that have been passed down through the generations.
“Many who heard him were amazed” – Amazed not only because this man who was teaching was Jesus. Mary and Joseph’s kid from down the street. The same Jesus who played T-ball with their kids. But that Jesus taught as someone with authority. He didn’t simply spit back the typical company line. He, after all, was the author of the passage he was given to read. Thus, he shared an insight that the people had never experienced before.
Mark 6:3 – “And they took great offense at him” – To become deeply upset, angry, or feel hurt in response to something another person has said or done, often perceiving a personal insult or a threat to one’s values or beliefs.
Jesus didn’t fit their mold or their expectations. His very being threatened their grasp on reality. Instead of being open to the possibility that Jesus was the Messiah, they took offense to Jesus not being who they believed and knew Jesus to be. When we’re faced with a reality that doesn’t match our expectations, our initial response is generally to take offense.
Mark 6:4 – “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown” - This means that people are often overlooked or disbelieved by those who know them best, like their family and neighbors. Our familiarity with someone's humble origins or ordinary life can blind us to their unique talents, wisdom, or spiritual significance, causing us to reject or devalue their message or gifts, even if those outside the community recognize their worth.
Mark 6:5 – “He could not do any miracles there” – The ability for Jesus to work miracles in your life is directly related to your willingness to believe that it’s possible that Jesus can work miracles in your life. Your perspective matters. God can work with no belief, but not with unbelief.
Mark 6:6 – “He was amazed at their lack of faith” - We never read that Jesus was amazed by art or architecture or even the wonders of creation. We never read that he was amazed by human ingenuity or invention. He wasn’t amazed by the piety of the Jewish people or the military dominance of the Roman Empire. But Jesus was amazed by faith – when it was present in an unexpected place, and when it was absent in an expected place.
Mark 6:6 – “Jesus went around teaching from village to village.” – Jesus started his village to village preaching and teaching ministry in 1:38. Now, even after the set-back experienced in Nazareth, he goes right back to what he was meant to do. He grit his ministry. He quit ministering in Nazareth.
Mark 6:7 – “Send them out two by two” – The disciples first internship. “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves.” (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Also, having a witness allowed for constructive criticism and perspective.
“Gave them authority over impure spirits” – Pentecost light – Up to this point the Holy Spirit has been given to certain people, at certain times, for certain circumstances. Jesus now gave his disciples spiritual authority, as a tangible demonstration of the kingdom of God. Jesus didn’t send them out empty-handed.
Mark 6:8 – “Take nothing for the journey except…” – There was a Jewish rabbinical tradition that nobody could enter the temple area with a staff, shoes or a moneybag. For it would give the appearance of being engaged in some kind of business, other than the service of the Lord. The disciples were sent out to preach the gospel and bring God’s healing. Thus, Jesus didn’t want them to give anyone the impression that they had some other motive. The disciples were beginning to learn how to totally rely on God.
Mark 6:9 – “Wear sandals but not an extra shirt” – “Sandals” would’ve been needed for traveling. Unlike the Jewish rabbinical tradition of no sandals in the temple. This “shirt’ is the undergarment worn next to the skin under a cloak. Taking more than one would ensure sufficient warmth at night, while sleeping outside. This is foreshadowing Jesus’ command in the next verse.
Mark 6:10 – “Whenever you enter a house, stay there” – Jesus’ intention was not only for the disciples to get their feet wet preaching and healing. He also wanted them to start building relationships. They had to find and accept hospitality and live with others.
Our modern western culture doesn’t share the same perspective toward strangers and hospitality, as did the Jewish culture of Jesus’ day. People were expected to be hospitable to strangers. Thus, Jesus wanted the disciples to get good at accepting hospitality and getting to know the people. For this, along with preaching and miracles, is how the good news of Jesus would be shared. Relationship is the key!
Mark 6:11 – “And if…” – Contingency plan: If the people won’t listen to you, don’t waste any more time there. It wasn’t the disciples’ job to change people’s minds. They were simply to present the message and let the chips fall where they may. If the people didn’t accept the message, they were to quit and move on to the next place.
“Shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them” – If Jewish people had to go in or through a Gentile city, as they left they would shake the dust off their feet. It was a gesture that said, “We don’t want to take anything from this Gentile city with us.” Thus, when the disciples encountered people who wouldn’t believe, Jesus didn’t want them to take the sting of rejection with them, to the next village. This meant that the disciples wouldn’t be successful in every village they entered.
Mark 6:12 – “They went out and preached” – It’s one thing for God to call you to do something. It’s quite another to actually get up and go. To preach simply means to proclaim, to tell others in the sense of announcing news to them. Some of the best and most effective preaching happens outside a church. It happens when followers of Jesus are one-on-one with others, sharing what Jesus has done for them.
“Repent” – To turn around and head in a different direction. The basic message was that the people were going in the wrong direction. The disciples were to invite people to repent, to turn around, and go in a new direction. This is the message that, if not received, the disciples were to quit and leave that village.
Mark 6:13 – “They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people” – The key term here is “many”. Part of the lesson of this internship was for the disciples to learn that they won’t succeed all the time. Even Jesus didn’t succeed all the time. As was witnessed in Nazareth.
John the Baptist: Isaiah 40:3 – “A voice of one calling: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’” Mark 1:4 – “And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” John was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.
John was the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. Elizabeth was Mary’s cousin. This makes Jesus and John second cousins. John’s conception was a miracle, for Zechariah and Elizabeth had not been able to have children. When Mary found out that she was pregnant with Jesus, she went to stay with Elizabeth.
John lived as a hermit in the Judean wilderness. He clothed himself with camel’s hair and ate locust and wild honey, until the word of God came to him and he began preaching and baptizing, preparing the way for Jesus. In Mark 1:9, John baptized Jesus.
John was bold in his teaching and unafraid to identify sin when he saw it, even in the lives of those in power. One such person was the ruler of Galilee, Herod Antipas. Herod was Jewish, but served at the mercy of the Roman government. In Mark 3:6 the Herodians, people loyal to King Herod, joined forces with the Pharisees, unlikely bedfellows, to plot how they could kill Jesus.
The problem was that Herod had divorced his wife, in order to marry his brother’s wife, Herodias. She had, in turn, divorced Herod’s brother, Phillip, in order to marry Herod. Divorce was not allowed according to Jewish law and John called Herod and Herodias out publicly. To add icing to the cake, Herodias was the daughter of Herod’s half-brother. So, Herodias was Herod’s step-niece. Let’s see how that turned out.
Mark 6:14 – “King Herod had heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known.” – Herod, upon hearing about Jesus, wondered who he was. The story you’re about to read is a flash-back. Mark is simply using this break in the action, the disciples first internship, to go back and fill us in on what happened to John the Baptist.
Mark 6:16 – “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!” – Herod, wondering who Jesus was, asked others for their opinions. Some said he was John the Baptist raised from the dead. This thought, of Jesus being a reincarnated John the Baptist, caused Herod a great deal of stress.
Mark 6:17 – “He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife” – John was arrested by Herod because Herodias saw John as a threat to her way of life. Reality TV has always been a thing! This practice of divorce and remarriage was acceptable in the Roman culture, but not in the Jewish culture. Thus, John called Herod and Herodias out publicly, since they were both Jewish.
Mark 6:20 – “Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.” – Herodias wanted John dead, but Herod had a soft place in his heart for John. Herod knew that John was something special. John puzzled Herod, but Herod liked to listen to him.
Mark 6:21-28 – Herodias will finally get her way, with a little help from her beautiful, dancing daughter Salome, some alcohol and an oath that Herod couldn’t take back. It was Herod’s birthday and he threw a big party. Salome danced for Herod and it pleased him.
This is unusual because it wasn’t common for Jewish people to celebrate their birthdays, this was a Roman tradition. Also, according to the Jewish historian Josephus, Salome was only fourteen years old.
Herod was so pleased by Salome’s dance that he made an oath to give her anything she desired, up to half his kingdom. Which was impossible. His kingdom was controlled by Rome. Thus he didn’t have the power to give any of it away.
Combine this with the fact that he made this oath in the presence of all of his guests. Which meant that he would suffer public disgrace if he didn’t keep his oath. So, Salome went to Herodias for guidance on what to ask for. Herodias seized the opportunity and told Salome to ask for John the Baptist’s head.
When Salome made this request, Herod was “greatly distressed”. For he didn’t want to kill John the Baptist. But he also couldn’t go back on his oath. Herod wanted to save face over and above saving John the Baptist. So, Herod gave the order for John’s head to be brought to Salome on a platter. Salome then quickly gave John the Baptist’s head to her mother.
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