Why do you think that Jesus went into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan?  Why is it noteworthy that he decided to do this?

What are the theological implications of Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness?  What does it mean for us as Christians today?

How does Jesus’s temptation help him to sympathize with sinners?  How does it serve to encourage us, when we are experiencing temptation?

Who is it that drives Jesus out into the wilderness?  Why is this detail significant?  What does it teach us about the sovereignty of God?  (Particularly over suffering, and sin, and temptation?)

How does Jesus’s temptation in the wilderness (along with his baptism in 1:9-11) reinforce the connection between Jesus and Israel, and establish Jesus as the new Israel?  What was God’s mandate for the nation of Israel?  How does Jesus fulfill that mandate?

If you read the parallel passages (Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1-13), you’ll see that those authors include quite a few details that Mark omits.  And yet, Mark is careful to include one detail that they do not - that Jesus was “with the wild animals”.  Why do you think that Mark includes this detail?  Why is it significant?

What are some strategies that Satan uses to tempt believers?  (Strategies that we see him use in Scripture, and that you have experienced him use against you in your own life.)

What are some strategies that we can use to overcome temptation, and persevere when we are experiencing it?  (Strategies that we see commanded in Scripture, and strategies that you have found effective in your own life.)

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