Book of Mark Quiz Part 1: The Galilean Ministry

1. Unlike Matthew and Luke, how does Mark's Gospel begin?

1. Abruptly — with the ministry of John the Baptist, skipping Jesus' birth entirely
2. With a genealogy tracing Jesus back to Abraham
3. With a prologue about the Word becoming flesh
4. With the Sermon on the Mount

2. Mark is noted for its fast pace. Which word does Mark use repeatedly to move quickly from one event to the next?

1. 'After this'
2. 'At once'
3. 'Immediately'
4. 'Then'

3. After Jesus was baptised by John, where did the Spirit immediately send him?

1. Into the wilderness
2. To Galilee to begin preaching
3. To Nazareth to visit his family
4. To the temple in Jerusalem

4. What were Simon and Andrew doing when Jesus called them to follow him?

1. Casting a net into the Sea of Galilee
2. Mending their fishing nets by the shore
3. Repairing their boat after a storm
4. Selling fish at the market in Capernaum

5. In the Capernaum synagogue, an evil spirit cried out at Jesus. What did the spirit call Jesus?

1. 'Jesus of Nazareth — the Holy One of God'
2. 'Prophet and teacher of the Most High'
3. 'Son of David, King of Israel'
4. 'The Messiah and Anointed One of the Lord'

6. Mark 1 describes a busy day in Capernaum. After healing at the synagogue, where did Jesus go and what did he do?

1. He walked to the shore and addressed the crowds from a boat
2. He went to Simon and Andrew's home and healed Simon's mother-in-law of a fever
3. He went to the temple and taught the priests
4. He withdrew to a hilltop and prayed through the night

7. After a busy day of ministry, what did Jesus do very early the next morning while it was still dark?

1. He began teaching in the synagogue again
2. He set out toward the next town to preach
3. He walked on water alone before the disciples woke
4. He went to a solitary place and prayed

8. In Mark 2, Jesus healed a paralysed man whose friends lowered him through a roof. Jesus first said 'Your sins are forgiven.' Why did the teachers of the law object silently?

1. They believed healing on a weekday was forbidden
2. They felt the man had not truly repented
3. They thought only God could forgive sins, so Jesus was blaspheming
4. They were jealous of the crowd's admiration of Jesus

9. Jesus was criticised for letting his disciples pick grain on the Sabbath. He referred to King David who ate consecrated bread when hungry. What was Jesus' conclusion about the Sabbath?

1. 'God desires mercy, not sacrifice'
2. 'The law is fulfilled in acts of love'
3. 'The Sabbath is holy and must be kept above all other laws'
4. 'The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath'

10. In Mark 3, what nickname did Jesus give to James and John, the sons of Zebedee?

1. 'Brothers of Fire'
2. 'Pillars of the Church'
3. 'Sons of the Kingdom'
4. 'Sons of Thunder'

11. In Mark 4, Jesus explained why he spoke in parables. What would happen to outsiders who heard but did not understand?

1. They would be excluded from the kingdom completely
2. They would be judged more harshly at the last day
3. They would have no further opportunity to receive the truth
4. They would see but not perceive, hear but not understand, otherwise they might turn and be forgiven

12. In Mark 5, after Jesus healed the Gerasene demoniac, the man wanted to go with Jesus. What did Jesus tell him to do instead?

1. 'Follow me and proclaim the kingdom of God'
2. 'Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you'
3. 'Go to the temple in Jerusalem and be certified clean by a priest'
4. 'Stay here and prepare for the others I will send to you'

13. In Mark 6, Jesus was rejected in Nazareth and could do very few miracles there. Why?

1. Because of their lack of faith
2. His disciples did not pray enough for the healings to take place
3. The people were ritually unclean and he could not touch them
4. The Pharisees had warned the people not to approach him

14. In Mark 6, Herod had John the Baptist beheaded. What prompted Herodias's daughter to ask for John's head on a platter?

1. Herod demanded a death as a symbol of his authority at the feast
2. Herodias had planned this in advance and instructed her daughter to ask
3. The girl consulted her mother Herodias after Herod offered her anything she wanted, and Herodias told her to ask for John's head
4. The girl was angry at John for rebuking her father

15. In Mark 7, Jesus declared all foods clean. Who was he responding to when he said this?

1. A crowd of Gentile converts who were confused about what they could eat
2. A Gentile centurion who asked about Jewish dietary restrictions
3. His disciples, who were struggling with Jewish food laws
4. The Pharisees and teachers of the law who criticised his disciples for eating with unwashed hands

16. In Mark 7, Jesus healed a deaf-mute man. What unusual thing did Jesus do in healing him?

1. He made mud with saliva and applied it to the man's ears
2. He put his fingers in the man's ears, spat and touched the man's tongue, then said 'Ephphatha' (Be opened)
3. He simply spoke the word from a distance and the man was healed
4. He touched the man's eyes and commanded him to hear

17. Mark 8 records a second miraculous feeding. How many people were fed and how many loaves and fish were used?

1. 3,000 people with 5 loaves and 5 fish
2. 4,000 people with 7 loaves and a few small fish
3. 5,000 people with 5 loaves and 2 fish
4. 7,000 people with 10 loaves and 3 fish

18. In Mark 8, Jesus healed a blind man at Bethsaida in two stages. What did the man see after the first stage of healing?

1. 'I see people; they look like trees walking around'
2. Colours, but everything was blurred
3. Light and shadows, but no shapes
4. Nothing — the healing took full effect only in the second stage

19. At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples 'Who do people say I am?' Which answer did NOT appear in their responses?

1. Elijah
2. John the Baptist
3. Moses
4. One of the prophets

20. After Peter's confession at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus taught about the cost of discipleship. What did he say about saving your life?

1. 'Life is only found in giving it away for the sake of others'
2. 'Those who save their life will live long, but those who lose it for me will live forever'
3. 'True life is found only in obedience to my commands'
4. 'Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it'