Mark is a wonderful storyteller! His Gospel moves at a terrific pace and tells the amazing story of Jesus, the action man. The scenes are full of graphic detail and move with breath-taking rapidity. Jesus is constantly on the go! This is good news for all who will listen:
‘The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah.’ (Mark 1:1)
Mark offers us the earliest account that we have of the life and teachings of Jesus. Although it appears as the second book in the New Testament, it was undoubtedly the first gospel to be written, and was quoted extensively by Matthew and Luke. (In fact, there are only 24 verses in Mark that do not appear in either Matthew or Luke.) In Mark, we have the gospel in its purest, and earliest form.
The author
The gospel, as we have it, is the writing of John Mark, one of the earliest followers of Jesus (Acts 12:12,25). He was a cousin of Barnabas and probably just a teenager during the ministry of Jesus – too young to be one of the twelve disciples. It is possible that his mother owned the upper room, where Jesus shared in the Last Supper with the disciples. Although Mark is credited with the actual writing of the book, this gospel is thought to be the memoirs of Peter, as recorded by Mark. Mark certainly worked very closely with Peter. Peter describes Mark as ‘my son’ (1 Peter 5:13). It is, therefore, an eyewitness account of Christ’s ministry.
Mark 14:51-52 is widely taken to be Mark’s “autograph” in the narrative:
‘A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.’
For whom was the Gospel written?
Mark’s gospel was probably written around 64-65AD, about thirty years after the Resurrection of Jesus, during the reign of the emperor Nero. Christians were facing the first serious bout of persecution. (It was around this time that both Peter and Paul were martyred in Rome.) Some Gentile believers were struggling to understand how Jesus could be fully divine (God), whilst also being completely human. As the first generation of ‘eye-witness’ believers began to die out, the time had come when an accurate, written account of the life of Jesus was needed, in order to maintain the truth for future generations of believers.
Mark was writing for a Gentile, Roman, audience. He gives us a very practical account of the ministry of Jesus that makes no reference to specifically ‘Jewish’ issues, such as genealogies, or attempts to ‘prove’ the OT scriptures. Matthew, by contrast, seeks to depict Christ as the fulfilment of the Jewish scriptures. There is no evidence of this in Mark, although he does seek to explain certain Jewish customs for a Gentile audience e.g.:
· The Pharisaic custom of hand washing and purification rituals.(7:3-4)
· Some Aramaic expressions: e.g. Talitha cumi (5:32) Ephpatha (7:34), Corban (7:11),
Abba (14:36).
Background to the Gospel.
Mark is a Gospel of great candour. It emphasises the servant nature of Jesus. We see him as the humble but perfect servant, who has come to do his Father’s work.
He depicts the disciples, ‘warts and all’. Frequently, they fail to understand what Jesus is saying, or doing. 4:13: Then Jesus said to them, “Don't you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable?”
Jesus’ relatives are described with equal frankness. They considered him to be mad.
3:21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
Jesus’ inability to perform miracles in Nazareth, his hometown, is attributed to the lack of faith of the people.
6:5-6 He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their lack of faith.
Characteristics of Mark’s Gospel.
· Simplicity of style
Mark writes in simple sentences. It is easy to read.
· Vivid narrative
The story moves along quickly. Jesus is always on the go. Such words as: ‘And then’, ‘Again’, ‘Whilst’, ‘Immediately’, punctuate the text. Mark is keen to portray the action and seems to be asking his reader to react and respond. Jesus is a man of action. As we watch, the things he does convince us that he is the Son of God.
· Vivid details
Mark is a great storyteller. He gives us lots of detail to bring his narrative to life.
1:41, ‘Filled with compassion’.
1:43, ‘A strong warning’
4:38, ‘sleeping on a cushion’
5:6 ‘ ‘fell on his knees’
6:34-45 - Feeding of the 5000 - note the detail in the story.
10:13-16. ‘Little children’, ‘indignant’, ‘took the children in his arms’
· The Realism of Christ’s humanity
Jesus is depicted as a very real, human person, who experiences emotion, and human feelings.
1:35 He takes time to pray.
4: 38 He gets tired.
6:3 He is a humble carpenter.
6:34 He is filled with compassion, concerned for others.
7:34: He sighed deeply.
9:36 He took a little child .
· Jesus the strong Son of God.
Jesus is the Messiah - the one who has been sent by God.
1:1 The Son of God.
1:22, 27 He taught as one who had authority.
2:12 ‘We have never seen anything like this’.
4:41 Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him.
6:2 Many who heard him were amazed.
10:24 The disciples were amazed at his words.
16:8 The women were afraid.
Mark’s portrayal of Jesus.
Son of God. Jesus is evidently more than a human person. We see divine activity in his life. He has power over all types of illness and casts out evil spirits. He stills storms and has power over nature. The Roman centurion asserts, ‘This man was the Son of God (Mark 15:39).’
Son of Man. The use of this title refers to the full humanity of Jesus. We note his human reactions: compassion, severity, anger, sorrow, tenderness, and love. He needs to pray (1:35, 6:31). He has a resolute steadfastness in his journey up to Jerusalem. He frequently mingles with the ordinary people. He stands in line with other people at his baptism – no special fast-track for him! He is ‘a man among men’. The mystery of this gospel is that Jesus frequently tells people to keep quiet about his true identity – often referred to as ‘the Messianic Secret: 8:30 Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him. He did not wish to proclaim publicly his Messiahship but prefers to be one of the people.
The humble servant of God. The story begins with Jesus’ baptism and ministry. He is depicted as the servant who is bringing good news. The message is direct – there are only four parables recorded (compared to fourteen in Matthew), but twenty miracles - Christ the servant is working.
The Redeemer. The ransom for many (10:45). The emphasis on the Passion narrative shows the importance attached to it by Mark. A greater proportion of his gospel focuses upon the passion than any other Gospel writer. This emphasises the significance of the cross. He describes a Christ who has come to suffer.
The purpose of the Gospel.
1:1 An account of the good news about Jesus Christ. This is not a biography, in the conventional sense of the word. The cross and resurrection are central features of the gospel story. Although similar to the other gospels, Mark lacks large blocks of teaching material. There is very little of Jesus’ teaching. But from the very beginning, Jesus is depicted as a remarkable man, who can only be described as, ‘The Son of God’. For Gentiles, this title is more significant than ‘the Christ’ (a Hebrew concept).
1:14 Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come; the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the gospel.” The urgency of the message comes across. Now is the moment to do something about it.
8:29 - 30 “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”
Jesus spells out his reasons for coming to earth. 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark set out to tell certain facts about Jesus: his deeds more especially than his words. His aim is essentially evangelistic. He seeks to prove that Jesus is the Son of God by telling us what he accomplished during his life. He is not concerned about the birth narratives, or Jesus’ early life. The story begins with the reality of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, fulfilling his mission on earth.
Contents of Mark
Prologue 1:1-14
John the Baptist; Baptism; Temptation.
Jesus public ministry begins with John the Baptist. Mark sees no need for birth narratives. He has no need to prove that Jesus is the fulfilment of Scripture
Galilean Ministry 1:14 - 8:26
Teaching on the kingdom of God. 1:14-45,4:1 - 5:43
The call of the Twelve, mission and
teaching with the Twelve. 3:13-19; 6:7-13; 8:14-21
· Nature Miracles
Feeding of 5000 6:30-44
Feeding of 4000 8:1-10
Walking on Water 6:45-52
· Healing Miracles
Healings at Genneseret 6:53-56
Syro-Phoenician Woman 7:24-30
Deaf-Mute 7:31-37
Blind Man 8:22-26
In the person of Jesus, God has entered into human history. Through him, the human race is called to repentance. The kingdom of God is the sovereign rule of God over the whole field of human life. It is about the fact that God reigns. With the coming of Jesus, the kingdom has arrived. It is not just a far-off hope, but a present reality. God is with us!
The Journey up to Jerusalem 8:27 - 10:52
Confession at Caesarea Philippi 8:27-30
Jesus predicts his death 8: 31-38
The Transfiguration 9:2-13
Events on the journey 9:14 - 10:52
Even before the Resurrection, we note that Jesus’ disciples ranked him as greater than the OT Patriarchs. As Messiah, he had a unique status, God’s representative, come to earth with authority to judge mankind, deliver his people, and bring the world back to God. To call him Messiah was to put him in a category above humanity, a man among men, yet at the same time, God among men.
The Messianic Secret perhaps gives an insight into how Jesus himself perceived his ministry. He is the suffering servant, as depicted by the prophet Isaiah, not a mighty warrior king. His mission was to die, not to compel belief, but to offer life to those who would follow in his way.
From this point on in the story, tension creeps in to the narrative. Jesus makes greater demands of the disciples e.g.
8:34: ‘If anyone would come after me, he must take up his cross and follow me.’
9:42-50: We have warnings against causing others to sin.
Ministry in Jerusalem 11:1 - 13:37
Triumphal Entry 11:1-11
Cleansing of the Temple 11:12-19
Authority and Teaching 11:27-12:44
Apocalyptic Discourse 13:1-37
We have a chronological account of the events of Jesus’ last week on earth. We are shown the evidence that the time has come for him to assume the role of the Messiah:
· He enters Jerusalem on a donkey - (Zechariah 9:9) The Messiah comes in peace.
· He cleanses the Temple – thus making a frontal attack on the state religion
(Malachi 3:1-3). The Temple was to be a house of prayer for all nations. (Isaiah 56:7).
· He curses the fig tree - a symbol of the curse on the barrenness of the faith of
Israel.
Passion and Resurrection 14:1 - 16:20
Conspiracy, Anointing, Betrayal 14:1-11
Passover, Last Supper 14:12-25
Mount of Olives, Gethsemane 14:26-52
Trial, Cross, Burial 14:53 - 15:47
Visit to the Tomb 16:1-8
Resurrection Appearances 16:9-20.
The Lost Ending.
In its original form, the gospel stops at verse 16:8. The last twelve verses (16:9-20) do not appear in any of the earliest manuscripts. The style of the Greek in these verses is quite different.
So how should we understand the ending of Mark’s Gospel?
Surely the original gospel cannot have meant to stop at Mark 16:8. It stops in the middle of the story. So what happened? We cannot say for sure. Possibly, Mark died before completing it, or more likely, the last sheet of Mark’s manuscript got lost at an early stage, i.e. whilst there was still only one copy, and a later disciple added an appropriate ending.
What does Mark say to us?
Jesus, through his teaching, and his actions, proclaims the reality of God's kingdom, but he does more than offer us vague hope for the future - he embodies God's kingdom. He demonstrates God's rule at work. In his own person, God's kingdom has come and is a part of our present reality. Jesus is nothing less than God speaking and acting out his rule among men. Faith is for now, and the invitation is for everyone. Jesus makes it clear that his invitation to enter God’s kingdom is not confined to the virtuous, but is open to all, irrespective of background.
‘It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.’ (2:17)
The message of Mark is good news. It begins with Mark announcing that he has good news to share. It concludes with the death and resurrection of Jesus. At the moment of his death, Mark tells us that the curtain in the Temple was torn, from top to bottom. This is a picture of the good news: Christ, by his death has destroyed the barrier between man and God; by his resurrection he offers us the promise of eternal life. We are challenged to believe this good news and allow Jesus Christ to be Lord and Master of our lives.
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