The last couple of weeks we’ve been working at the inductive method in the Jesus Class. Observe. Interpret. Apply. We spent an hour or so looking at Mark chapter 6. Give it a read if you have a minute – here’s a link to the text:

Mark 6:1-32 Jesus rejected in his hometown. The Twelve sent out in mission. Flashback to John the Baptist’s execution!

The class did a great job coming up with questions that drew out the application issues from this text. What do we make of people being rejected for directly obeying Jesus? Was John the Baptist’s example of costly obedience relevant for our faith today? Here are a few samples of the kind of questions we collected from class:

1. Why do we insist on doing so many thing in isolation as Christians when Jesus set such a strategic pattern for us of sending people in pairs?
2. How could everything we do be improved by working in teams and pairs?
3. Has Jesus really empowered me to actually heal sick people today? Why or why not?
4. Am I actually more like the people in Jesus hometown than I want to admit? In what ways does familiarity with Jesus dull my belief in him?
5. How does my lack of faith affect God’s ability to work in my life and in the life of those around me?
6. Why do I struggle so much to be available to Jesus when he looks for someone to “send on assignment”?
7. What are the actual fears and excuses that prevent us from obeying?
8. Could I persevere in the face of actual persecution for my faith or would it shut me down? Explain.
9. Where am I putting my security other than in Jesus?
10. What would I be willing to give up in order to obey God?
11. What is Jesus asking you to sacrifice in order to spread the Gospel?
12. Why do I have such a hard time trusting what Jesus tells me?
13. Why is it that the people you grow up with are the ones most skeptical and hardest to connect with?
14. What might be preventing Jesus from doing miracles in my life?
15. Am I willing to do without creature comforts for the sake of the cause of Christ?
16. How can God’s path or plan for us coincide with the free will he gave us? Why does it ultimately matter whether or not we pray?
17. What would I do if people close to me reject me for trying to share my faith with them? How can I talk about my faith without unnecessarily offending?
18. Does worrying mean I have no faith?
19. What do I do if Christians around me aren’t helping me follow Jesus with my choices?
20. Would I be willing to risk everything in order to follow Jesus?
21. Is my view of Jesus too small?
22. What habits do I have that stand in the way of trusting Jesus?
23. How great would by life be if I really did hand it over to Jesus’ control?
24. What does it mean to be truly teachable?
25. Jesus told us to scatter the seed everywhere – why am I so afraid of throwing it out there to the “hard soil” people?
26. Who are you more comfortable sharing the Gospel with – close family and friends or mere acquaintances?
27. Can I trust Jesus with my financial issues?
28. Are there parts of my life Jesus can’t touch because of my total lack of faith?
29. Who do I identify with more: Herod – powerful, comfortable yet compromised by status; or John the Baptist – humble, pennyless yet boldly pointing people to Jesus and living right before God? Explain.

So what kind of questions are important to ask when you’re trying to figure Jesus out? If you’re going to get anything out of the bible, your mind learns how to ask three distinct kinds of questions.

Facts. Our minds first take things in at a basic level of content. What are the words saying? This gets at the speaker or writer’s choice of ideas, turn of phrase, illustrations etc. In communication theory we refer to it as locution. What in fact is the person saying. Great fact questions include things like:

• The typical reporter questions – who, what, where, when and how?
• Who is the writers audience? In narrative writing, who is the main character and who is listening or interacting?
• What action is taking place? What is causing it and what are the results?
• Key words. Words I don’t understand. Words that might mean something different in the passage than they do today?

Meaning. If locution is a matter of the words themselves, illocution gets at the intended meaning of those words. What is the author or speaker or actor intending to convey by what he says or does? When we speak we use our words (locution) to get what we mean from our mind into the mind of our audience. Questions that get at the meaning of what is being said are essential at this level of reading:

• What did Jesus mean when he said, “If anyone doesn’t welcome you shake the dust off your feet as a testimony against them?”
• What is the context in which words or actions are to be understood? What has been happening immediately before and after the part of the text in question?
• How do others in the narrative understand what is being said or done based on their reaction?
• What meaning do we see in the text? How might our desires or assumptions play into what we think a text means?
• What is the simplest explanation that accounts for what is being said or done?

Application. Once we’ve clearly seen what is in the text (locution) and arrived at the best interpretation of what the author means to say by it (illuction), we have to ask the most troubling of all questions: How are we to respond. This is what we call application. Communication theorists call it Perlocution: what response or reaction is the author calling for by what he’s written. Great application questions include things like:

• Does the text make it explicit what we are to do? “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
• If the text doesn’t make it quite that easy for us, what is it the passage implies believers should do – an action to follow-through on, an attitude to follow, an example to avoid, etc?
• What truth about God is being taught that our world needs to know today?
• How does the text challenge God’s people today? What can/should Christians do differently?
• How does what the author says challenge the broader culture of our day?

Just a quick note to let you know that if you participated in the Jesus Class during the past couple of months, we’d like your input on how we can improve the way we lead the class. We have gotten great feedback from people who were in class last weekend. If you happened to be in the Jesus Class and would like to give us your thoughts, hit on the link below, download the form and bring it to class filled out.

There are also some next step opportunities you can indicate interest in for after the class is over. Even if you missed a few weeks of class, we’d really like to hear from you. Here’s the link:

Jesus Class Evaluation Form

Thanks so much!

Let me give you 111 reasons I’m stoked about Jesus Class.

For starters there are exactly 100 people who attended last weekend’s Case for Christmas who indicated on their follow-up card they are interested in The Jesus Class. This week we’re busily making connections with them and helping them get signed up.

Second of all I’m thrilled with the fact that there are 10 Jesus Class teachers currently meeting and getting ready to teach TJC (The Jesus Class) starting Jan 10th. Each venuue, 9am at Old Mill, 10:45 at Old Mill and 10:45 at Sarpy, will have more than one teacher during the 8 week TJC experience.

Last… and most thrilling, TJC offers 1 fascinating subject: the life, teachings and actions of Jesus. See some of my previous Jesus Class posts. Here’s more info on what its all about:

TJC – The Biography of Jesus According to the Gospel of Mark

An Eight-Week experience looking at the life and teachings of Jesus. Class participants will read Mark’s account of Jesus in manuscript format.

Class time will be divided between small group interaction and whole group dialogue with the class teacher. There will be lots of opportunity for question and answer each week. Seekers, people new in their faith and life-long followers of Jesus will all enjoy the interaction.

Participants will receive a complete, 3-ring bound manuscript of Mark’s gospel, informative handouts and a package of color pencils! Homework assignments and personal application will stimulate learning outside the classroom.

There will be a $10 fee for materials – pay when you show up at class!

Hit this link to register for TJC.