Discover JesusSample

Week 4 - Day 6

An Unexpected Ending | Read

It’s worth noting the place of women in the last scenes that Mark records for us. A couple of women stay at the cross until the end and witness where his body is put. Some of these same women are the first to receive the amazing news of the resurrection. This is significant because, in Jesus’ day, women were treated as second-class citizens: they couldn’t even give evidence in court because of the low view that male society had of them. But Jesus treated women with dignity and worth. They felt valued and welcomed as His followers. Ultimately they get entrusted with the resurrection message to pass on to the disciples. Jesus honors them and their faith.

You see, Jesus consistently chose to associate with the very people that were viewed as outcasts or worthless. Jesus invited the most unlikely people to discover the reality of God's Kingdom. Every person who trusted Him was accepted into His community of faith. That same invitation is still open for you today.

Questions | Reflect & Respond

How do you think Mark should’ve ended this story? Why?

Why would Mark end the story here?

A New Beginning | Pray

Praying is right at the heart of faith. Trusting Jesus begins (and continues) as a conversation with God. If you've completed this biography of Jesus and you’ve found it hard to chat with God, that’s ok. Faith is simply about living with the knowledge that the things Jesus said and did are true. We experience the reality of God when we open ourselves to the possibility that these things are real. And praying is the best place to start.

The end of this biography is just the beginning of your journey exploring who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him! Discovering God’s plan for you is a lifelong adventure. He will change who you are and what you live for, but there’s nothing more exciting than exploring the reality of a relationship with God. He knows you, He made you and He has wired you to experience life in all its fullness. Why don’t you chat with him about what you’ve discovered so far?

Next Steps:

We hope this plan has helped you to discover who Jesus is.

We'd love to connect with you and encourage you to keep exploring what following Jesus looks like. It would be great to talk to your leader about what baptism is and how you can take that next step.

We’d love to check in to encourage you and hear what you're discovering. And if you don't have anyone that you're sharing the journey with visit hopeuc.com to get connected. Find a campus near you, or join us online.

If you don't have a local church that you are a part of, you can check out hopeuc.com online.