Print
Authority –Authority has to do with having the power to make things happen. In the case of Jesus we see that he
had power and authority over all things (Matthew 28:19). That is how Jesus was able to heal, calm storms, and cast
out demons. When Jesus command things they happened because nothing else had more power or authority than
Jesus to keep him from doing his mission.
Baptism –Baptism literally means to immerse or submerge something. Christian baptism is part of the mission
Jesus’ sent his disciples to do in order to make disciples of those they preached to. It is something still practiced today
for people who want to become Christians and be connected with new life through Christ (Romans 6:4-7).
Beelzebub - A word that literally means “lord of the flies” and is another name for Satan.
Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit - See the next section for a full explanation.
Chief Priests –These were priests of high authority in the temple. It is possible that they were ex-high priests or
permanent temple staff and temple officials who ran the daily operation of the temple.
Christ -Christ is another word for messiah or anointed one. When you say Jesus Christ you aren’t giving his first and
last names. You are saying, Jesus the Messiah or Jesus the anointed one.
Covenant –Covenant means an agreement or treaty. In the Old Testament God made covenants or agreements
with Noah, Abraham, Moses and David. God’s New Covenant is made through Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20). That
agreement is God’s new arrangement to bring salvation to the world through faith in Christ.
Death –Death is the result of sin (Rom 6:23). When Adam and Eve committed the very first sin in Genesis 2:17 God
told them the punishment was that they would “surely die.” Death is the result of rebellion against God.
Disciple – A disciple is someone who follows someone else. They literally follow them or follow their teaching.
Since Jesus is no longer walking and talking in the flesh on the earth Jesus calls us to be disciples by living according
to his teaching. Often in scripture walk or walking is a symbol for the way you live for your life (See Psalm 1:1).
Eternal Life – This is more than just living forever, the length of time we can live our lives. It is also about the
quality of life God desires for us. God wants to bring us to victory over sin and death by giving us new life that is
eternal (See 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Faith –Faith is more than just belief. Satan and demons believe in God but that doesn’t mean they deeply trust in
God for their future or well being (James 2:19). Faith is about believing in God and his Son Jesus Christ so deeply that
you trust him enough to give your life over to him.
Gospel – The word literally means “good news” specifically the good news about Jesus resurrection and the life that
he offers to the world (Matthew 4:23).
Kingdom of God – Jesus taught about the kingdom of God as much as any other topic (Mark 1:15). God’s
kingdom is more than just heaven. It includes the way we live, act, and think here and now and whether or not what
we do lines up with God’s priorities for our lives.
Ministry –Ministry is simply service to God or people (Luke 3:23).
Miracles –Miracles are events that have no natural explanation. When Jesus calmed the storm it wasn’t that there
was some weather event that made the storm stop or that the day was getting nicer by the minute anyway. Jesus
commanded the waves and wind to stop and they did (Mark 4:39). That is a miracle.
Messiah – This means word anointed. In the Bible people were anointed for special purposes. David was anointed
to be king. Jesus was God’s anointed one. Jesus had a purpose that no one before him or anyone after him will ever
have. Jesus was anointed by God for the purpose of saving the world and giving us eternal life. Christ is another word
for messiah or anointed one. When you say Jesus Christ you aren’t giving his first and last names. You are saying, Jesus
the Messiah or Jesus the anointed one. See John 1:41
Messianic Secret –Over and over again in Mark Jesus tells people not to tell others about who he is. This
happens up until Mark 8 when Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is and Peter says he is the Christ or Messiah.
It seems kind of strange for Jesus to tell others not to tell people about what they have seen until half way through
the book. Some believe the reason for this is because Jesus didn’t want people to misunderstand his mission and
follow him for all the wrong reasons (to receive food like when he fed the 5000 in Mark 6).
Parable –They are like riddles. They can be hard to understand until you figure out what the different parts of the
story represent. Jesus uses parables to teach people about God, life, and what it means to be a disciple or follower of
Jesus. See Matthew 13 for a whole section of parables taught by Jesus.
Passover – Passover came from the Old Testament book of Exodus. God’s people, the Hebrews/Jews, were slaves in
Egypt. God used plagues in the Egyptians to motivate Pharaoh to let his people go free. The final plague involved the
death of the firstborn of Egypt. God told his people that if they wanted to avoid their first born dying that they should
kill a lamb and put its blood on the door frame of their house. That way the angel would see the blood and pass over
the house, leaving all inside safe. See Exodus 12. This has been practiced in the Spring (around Easter) every year for
thousands of years by the Jewish people.
Passover Lamb –At Passover a lamb would be killed, the blood put on the door post of the house, and the lamb
was eaten in a ceremonial meal that reminded them of how God brought them out of Egypt. As was mentioned
above, the Passover lamb died in place of the firstborn of each household when the Jews were in slavery in Egypt.
Jesus takes on that role in the New Testament (John 1:29). He died in our place so that we wouldn’t have to.
Pharisee – Pharisees were a religious and political group in Jesus day who focused on correctly interpreting the
Law (Genesis-Deuteronomy) and maintaining ritual purity.
Prophesy –People usually assume prophesy is telling the future. Prophesy is actually when God tells someone
what to say and they say it. Sometimes the content of the message is about the future and other times it may be
warnings, blessings, or many other things.
Prophet –Prophets are people God inspired to speak on his behalf. These are men like Elijah, Isaiah, Jeremiah,
Ezekiel, and many others.
Rebuke - This means to harshly criticize someone.
Repentance –This is a word that means to turn from evil and seek God. Repentance is the natural result of a heart
that is in tune with God. A person who seeks God will repent when they do wrong (Mark 1:15).
Salvation - God’s power to forgive sins and put people in a right relationship with him.
Satan –Satan is a word that means someone who stands in opposition to someone else. It can also refer to the
prince of darkness who leads the world astray (Rev 12:9).
Sin –Sin is rebellion and is usually associated with breaking one of God’s commands.
Tax collector – Tax collectors were hated because they often abused their power to collect money. They kept the
difference between what Rome demanded they collect and what they actually told people they owed Rome. This
caused a lot of resentment, especially when the tax collector was a fellow Jew extorting money from his own people.
Teachers of the Law –These were men who copied books of the Bible as well as interpreted and taught the
scriptures (Old Testament in Jesus’ day) to the people.
Temple – This is the house of God, where under the Old Testament Law, God was to be worshipped, sacrifices were
offered and the High Priest performed his duties.
Testimony - Stating the truth about something for others to understand it.
 
used by permission/Matthew Dabbs