An Argument Of The Gospel Of Mark
By: David Malick
MESSAGE STATEMENT:
JESUS AS THE SERVING MESSIAH URGES HIS FOLLOWERS TO UNDERSTAND
THE SUFFERING ASPECTS OF HIS MINISTRY OF REDEMPTION AND THUS, TO
FOLLOW IN HIS EXAMPLE AS THEY FAITHFULLY PROCLAIM HIM AS MESSIAH
I. THE PROLOGUE / IN THE WILDERNESS: The good news that Jesus
is Messiah is affirmed in accordance with Scripture, and
then demonstrated through Jesus' baptism and temptation
whereupon Jesus goes north to Galilee in order to proclaim
the good news of the Kingdom urging all to repent and to
believe 1:1-15
A. Introducing Prologue and Gospel: This is the good news
about Jesus who is Messiah, Son of God, the coming
deliverer of Israel 1:1-2
1. This is the beginning of the good news about
Jesus, Messiah--Son of God 1:1
2. Jesus is the deliverer spoken of through Isaiah
the prophet (Isa. 40:3) which Israel should
prepare to meet 1:2-3
B. John: John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness as
the prophetic-messenger of the coming deliver before
whom all should repent because he will baptize with the
Holy Spirit 1:4-8
1. John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness
proclaiming a gospel of repentance for the
forgiveness of sins 1:4
2. All of the people of Jerusalem and Judea were
going out to John and being baptized in the Jordan
river confessing their sins 1:5
3. John was dressed like a prophet (Elijah, cf. 2 Ki.
1:8; Mal 3:1; Zech. 13:4) 1:6
4. John was proclaiming that One was going to follow
him who was greater then he in that He will
perform a baptism of the Holy Spirit 1:7-8
C. John and Jesus: Jesus comes from Nazareth to the Jordan
river to be baptized by John, and is then confirmed by
the Father to be His Servant-Messiah 9-11
1. Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee to the
wilderness-Jordan area where John was baptizing,
and was baptized by John 1:9
2. When Jesus came up from John's baptism, the Father
confirmed him as being His Messiah/Servant (cf.
Ps. 2:7; Isa. 42:1) 1:10-11
D. Jesus: After Jesus' baptism, he demonstrates himself
to be the second Adam who is victorious over Satan, and
in harmony with fallen creation, whereupon he takes up,
in John's detainment, the prophetic proclamation of the
good news of the kingdom urging the people of Galilee
to repent and to believe 1:12-15
1. After Jesus is baptized he is demonstrated to be
the new Adam who is victorious over Satan's
temptations, is at peace with the wild beasts, and
is ministered to by angels 1:12-13
a. Immediately after Jesus' confirmed baptism,
the Holy Spirit impelled Him to go into the
wilderness 1:12
b. Jesus was tempted by Satan for forty days in
the wilderness 1:13a
c. After the temptation Jesus was shown to be
the new Adam who is at rest with nature (wild
animals), and is ministered to by angels
1:13bMark accentuates terse but significant
parallels between the first and Second Adam
in his two verse temptation account:While I
have related the beast to Adam in his pre-
fallen state, Goppelt significantly notes
that, "This connection seems to indicate that
"as Adam was once honored by beasts in
Paradise ..., so Christ is with the wild
beasts after overcoming temptation. He thus
ushers in the paradisacal state of the last
days when there will be peace between man and
beast (Is. 11:6-8; 65:25)."1 While it is not
impossible that both pictures are present in
this narrative, Goppelt's suggestion goes
beyond the contrasting comparisons of Paul
(Romans 5) to a true similarity between the
two Adams in that Jesus, after the fall,
regains the harmony with creation that the
original Adam once had. Therefore Jesus can
bring with Him this harmony for all to enjoy
as He sets up His kingdom. "Jesus opens
paradise closed to the first man."2
Old Adam
New Adam
in paradise
in the wilderness
rules over the animals
is among wild animals
is tempted by Satan
is tempted by Satan
succumbs to temptation
overcomes temptation
is guarded against by an angel
is ministered to by angels
2. After John was arrested, Jesus went north into
Galilee proclaiming the good news that God's rule
was present and the people should thus repent and
believe 1:14-15
a. John was taken into custody 1:14a
b. Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the good
news from God 1:14b
c. The content of Jesus' good news was that this
was the fulfilled time when God's rule was
present, thus the people should repent and
believe in the good news
II. EPISODES AT OR NEAR THE SEA OF GALILEE: Through numerous
scenes around the Sea of Galilee Jesus continually
authenticates Himself as Messiah/Lord to His disciples
urging them to follow Him, obey Him, and to not remain
hardened (in the national pattern), but to understand who He
is 1:16--8:21
A. Segment One--Jesus' Choice and Selection of Disciples:
Jesus calls His disciples to follow Him and to preach
for Him in a context of validation through cures and
controversies which authenticate Jesus' authority and
ministry to help men in accordance with the Scriptures,
but the religious plot to destroy Him 1:16--3:19
1. Call of the Four Disciples: As Jesus was walking
along the Sea of Galilee He saw two sets of
brothers who were fishermen (Simon & Andrew; James
& John), and urged them to follow Him as
disciples, whereupon, they left their work and
followed Him 1:16-20
a. Setting: Jesus is walking by the Sea of
Galilee 1:16a
b. Jesus saw Simon and Andrew, his brother,
fishing and exhorted them to follow Him as
disciples in order to fish for people, and
they immediately followed Him 1:16b-18
c. Jesus saw James and his brother John, the
sons of Zebedee mending their nets, and
exhorted them to follow Him as disciples, and
they left their work and followed Him 1:19-
20
2. Jesus Demonstrates Who He Is Through Cures and a
Conflict: Jesus demonstrated his authority over
demons, sickness, leprosy and paralysis in order
to affirm his message that He had authority over
the forgiveness of sins, but he was often
prevented from proclaiming that message as the
people gathered for the miracles 1:21--2:12
a. Authority Over The Demonic: As Jesus teaches
in a synagogue in Capernaum with authority,
and then demonstrates His authority over an
unclean spirit, the people marvel, question
what they are seeing, and recognize His
authority thus spreading the word about Him
to the surrounding district of Galilee 1:21-
28
1) Setting: The disciples and Jesus enter
into the town of Capernaum (to the north-
west of the Sea of Galilee), and Jesus
entered a synagogue on the Sabbath to
teach 1:21
2) Response to Jesus' Teaching: The people
were amazed at Jesus' authoritative
teaching which was unlike the scribes
1:22
3) A Demon Cast Out: As the people were
amazed with Jesus' authoritative
teaching, He demonstrated His authority
by casting an unclean spirit out of a
demonized man 1:23-26
a) As the people were being amazed
with Jesus' teaching, a man with an
unclean spirit cried out 1:23
b) The unclean spirit asked Jesus
whether this was the proper time
for Him as God's representative
(Holy One of God; cf. Ps. 106:16;
Judges 16:17 in LXX) to destroy
them 1:24
c) Jesus rebuked the spirit and
ordered the unclean spirit to be
quiet and to come out of the man
1:25
d) The unclean spirit violently came
out of the man 1:26
4) The Response to Jesus' Work: The people
were amazed over Jesus' work, debated
its nature among themselves, recognized
his authority, and spread the news about
Him in the surrounding district of
Galilee 1:27-18
a) The people were all amazed 1:27a
b) The people debated among themselves
about the nature of Jesus' words
and works, and recognized his
authority 1:27b
(1) The people wondered what the
nature was of Jesus' words and
works 1:27c
(2) The people recognized Jesus'
new teaching to be with
authority as he commanded
unclean spirits and they
obeyed Him 1:27d
c) The news about Jesus spread out
into the surrounding district of
Galilee 1:28
b. Authority Over Sickness and Demons: As Jesus
demonstrates his authority over sickness and
demonization by healing Simon's mother-in-
law, and the people who came to him, the
multitude flocked to him, whereupon he chose
to move throughout Galilee preaching and
casting out demons 1:29-39
1) When Jesus and his disciples left the
synagogue at Capernaum, they came to
Andrew and Simon's house where Jesus
healed Simon's ill mother-in-law 1:29-
31
a) Setting: Immediately after coming
out of the synagogue of Capernaum,
Jesus and his disciples (including
James and John) came into the house
of Simon and Andrew and spoke to
Jesus about Simon's sick mother-in-
law 1:29-30
b) Jesus healed Simon's mother-in-law
and she served them 1:31
2) On the evening of the sabbath when it
was "legal" for the multitudes, they
brought their sick and demonized to
Jesus, whereupon He healed many and cast
out demons forbidding them to identify
Him 1:32-35
a) Setting: On the evening of the
sabbath when it was "legal" for the
people to move with their ill, the
whole city gathered at the door
with the sick and demonized 1:32-
33
b) Jesus healed many of the sick, and
cast out many demons forbidding
them to testify to his identity
1:34
3) When the disciples found Jesus praying
early the next morning and told him that
the people were seeking him, He
expressed his desire to go to the nearby
towns in order that he may preach where
he did preach and cast out demons
throughout Galilee as he went to the
synagogue 1:35-39
a) On the morning following the
sabbath Jesus went out early to
pray, and was found by Simon and
his companions 1:35-37a
b) When they told Jesus that everyone
was looking for Him, He expressed
his desire to go elsewhere in
Galilee so that He may preach his
message as he desired 1:37b-38
c) Jesus preached and cast out demons
in the synagogues throughout
Galilee 1:39
c. Authority Over Leprosy: Jesus demonstrated
his authority over leprosy by willingly
healing a man with leprosy, but lost his
ability to preach in the cities because the
man told all of the people about his healing
rather than going to the priests first as
Jesus directed him 1:40-45
1) Setting: a leper came to Jesus begging
him to make him clean if he was willing
1:40
2) Jesus was filled with compassion,
expressed his willingness to cleanse the
leper, and cleansed him 1:41-42
3) Jesus warned the leper not to tell
others what had occurred to him until he
was proclaimed clean by the priest in
accordance with the Law of Moses (Lev.
14:2-7) as a testimony to them 1:43-44
4) Because the man did not obey Jesus, but
went out proclaiming his healing freely,
Jesus could not minister openly among
the people, and had to go to the
unpopulated areas, but the people kept
coming to him from everywhere 1:45
d. Authority Over Sin Leading to Controversy:
When Jesus returned to Capernaum and was
speaking to a large group, he was interrupted
by men lowering a paralytic through the roof,
forgave the man's sins, and then healed him
in order to demonstrate to the suspicious
scribes who were present that he had the
authority to forgive sins 2:1-12
1) Setting: Jesus returned to Capernaum
after several days and was speaking the
word a large crowed gathered at a house
(Simon's ?) 2:1-2
2) Four men, carrying a paralytic, were not
able to enter through the door because
of the crowd, so they let him down
through the roof to Jesus 2:3-4
3) Seeing the faith of the men, Jesus told
the paralytic that his sins were
forgiven 2:5
4) Some of the scribes were accusing Jesus
in their hearts of blaspheming by
proclaiming the forgiveness of the man's
sins since only God could forgive sins
2:6-7
5) Jesus perceived the accusations of the
Pharisees and physically healed the
paralytic in order to demonstrate that
he had spiritual authority on earth to
forgive men of their sins 2:8-11
6) When the paralytic arose, took up his
bed and went out before all of the
people, they were amazed, and glorified
God affirming that they had not ever
seen anything like what had occurred
2:12
3. Call of Levi: As Jesus was teaching the
multitudes by the Sea of Galilee, he saw Levi, the
tax collector, and invited him to follow Him, and
he did 2:13-14
a. Setting: Jesus is out again by the seashore
(where he last called disciples to follow
Him; cf. 1:16) and is teaching the multitudes
who have come to Him 2:13
b. As Jesus passed by, he saw Levi the son of
Alpheus sitting in his tax office, invited
him to follow him, and Levi followed 2:14
4. Conflicts and a Cure--Jesus Explains His Ministry:
Through a series of controversies (over dining,
fasting, the Sabbath) and a cure Jesus
demonstrates that He has come to minister to man's
needs in fulfillment of Scripture and against
rigid Pharisaic interpretations, whereupon the
religious leaders sought to destroy Him 2:15--
3:12
a. Conflict Over Company: When the scribes and
Pharisees questioned the disciples about the
rightness of Jesus' dining with such people
as tax-gatherers and sinners, Jesus
proclaimed that he had come to help those who
were in need--the sick, sinners 2:15-17
1) Setting: After some time Jesus and his
disciples were having dinner at Levi's
house among many sinners and tax-
gatherers who were following Jesus 2:15
2) The scribes and Pharisees asked Jesus'
disciples why Jesus was dining with such
people3 2:16
3) When Jesus overheard the question of the
religious leaders he affirmed that He
had come, as a physician, to help those
who were sick--who were sinners, and not
those who thought that they were
"righteous" 2:17
b. Conflict Over Fasting: When those from an old
Pharisaic system criticize Jesus' disciples
for not fasting like they and John's
disciples, He explains that His disciples are
part of a new, incompatible system that
recognizes His presence with them, and will
only fast when He is taken away from them
2:18-22
1) Setting: The disciples of John, and the
Pharisees were fasting 2:18a
2) The Pharisees came and asked Jesus why
it was that John's disciples fast, but
His disciples do not 2:18b
3) Jesus explains to the Pharisees that one
cannot combine the new and the old
systems of thinking about the Lord in
that His disciples are not fasting (like
they) because they recognize that He,
the bridegroom, is presently with them,
but they will fast when he is taken away
from them 2:19-22
a) Likening Himself to a bridegroom,
and his disciples to attendants,
Jesus explains to the Pharisees
that his disciples do not fast
because He is with them, but will
fast when He is taken away from
them 2:19-20
(1) Using the imagery of a
bridegroom and his attendants,
Jesus argues that they do not
fast because he is with them
2:19
(2) Jesus note that the attendants
will fast when the bridegroom
(He) is taken away (ajparqh'/)
from them 2:20
b) Using the images of mending, and
wineskins, Jesus argues that one
cannot place his new message into
the form of their old Pharisaic
system because it will ruin both
systems 2:21-22
(1) Using the imagery of mending
Jesus argues that His presence
cannot be combined with the
older Pharisaic system because
it will destroy the old
system, and ruin the new 2:21
(2) Using the imagery of wine in
wineskins Jesus argues that to
try and put his message into
the form of the old message
will ruin them both; Jesus'
message must be placed into a
completely new system 2:22
c. Conflict Over the Sabbath/Healing: Through
two Sabbath controversies (over grain, and
healing) Jesus affirmed that He had come to
offer the helpful rest of the Sabbath rather
than the rigid limitations of the Pharisees,
and the Pharisees plotted to destroy Him
2:23--3:6
1) Over Grain: When Jesus is confronted by
the Pharisees that His disciples are
breaking the Sabbath law because they
are picking grain as they walk, Jesus
corrects them by arguing that He was
restoring the proper sense of the
Sabbath law which the Scriptures affirm
as being for the rest of man 2:23-28
a) Setting: On the Sabbath, Jesus and
his disciples were passing through
grainfields, and his disciples
began to pick heads of grain as
they walked 2:23
b) The Pharisees asked Jesus why His
disciples are breaking the Sabbath
law4 2:24
c) Jesus corrected the strict view of
the Pharisees by showing how the
Scriptures did not hold to such a
rigid interpretation of the
Sabbath, and by affirming that He
as the Lord of restoration was
restoring the proper sense of the
Sabbath which was to bring about
rest for mankind 2:25-27
(1) Jesus affirms through the
example of David that the
Scripture did not enforce such
a rigid interpretation of the
Law as the Pharisees because
David was not condemned for
his actions (cf. 1 Sam. 21:1-
6)
(2) Jesus proclaims the essence of
the Sabbath law as being for
the benefit of man 2:27
(3) In view of the above principle
Jesus proclaims Himself as the
one who will restore the
proper sense of the Sabbath
(Son of Man; cf. Dan. 7:13) as
he brings about the true
Sabbath rest for man 2:28
2) Over Healing: When Jesus healed a man
with a withered hand on the Sabbath
affirming that it was better according
to the law to do good rather than evil,
the Pharisees left and took counsel with
the Herodians about how they might
destroy Jesus 3:1-6
a) Jesus entered a synagogue on the
Sabbath where there was a many with
a withered hand and the religious
leaders were watching to see
whether He was going to heal on the
sabbath 3:1-2
b) Jesus had the man with the withered
hand come forward, and asked the
religious leaders whether it was
lawful on the Sabbath to do good or
to do harm--to save a life or to
kill 2:3-4a
c) When the religious leaders would
not answer, Jesus was angered and
grieved at their response, and
healed the man with the withered
hand 2:4b-5
d) The Pharisees responded by leaving
the synagogue and taking counsel
with the Herodians about how to
destroy Jesus 2:6
5. Choice of the Twelve: As Jesus again withdrew to
the Sea of Galilee with His disciples, He is
pressed upon by multitudes seeking healing, and
summons His followers to a near by mountain where
he appoints twelve to preach and have authority
over demons 3:7-19
a. Jesus again withdrew to the Sea of Galilee
with His disciples (cf. 1:16; 2:13) and
greeted by multitudes from all around who
sought healing from sickness and demons 3:7-
12
1) Setting: Jesus withdrew to the sea with
His disciples 3:7a
2) A great multitude of people came to the
sea to be healed by Jesus because they
had heard of His marvelous work 3:7-12
a) A great multitude of people from
Galilee, Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea
(N-S), beyond the Jordan , and Tyre
and Sidon (NW) heard of all that He
was doing and came to Him 3:7b-8
b) Jesus had his disciples prepare a
boat for Him to great the people in
because of their crowding around
Him for healings since they had
heard of all that He had done 3:9-
10
c) When the unclean spirits (demons)
beheld Jesus they would identify
Him as Messiah (Son of God), but He
would forbid them to speak 3:11-12
b. Leaving the pressing multitude, Jesus
summoned those whom He wanted to follow Him,
and appoint twelve to go out and preach, and
to have authority over demons 3:13-19
1) Setting: Jesus went up the mountain (by
the sea?) summoning those whom He wanted
to follow Him, and they came 3:13
2) Jesus appointed twelve men among His
followers so that they might go out and
preach and have authority over demons
3:14-19
a) Jesus appointed twelve among those
who followed Him 3:14a
b) Jesus appointed the twelve so that
they might go out and preach and
have authority over demons 3:14b-
15
c) The Twelve whom Jesus appointed
were as follows:
(1) Simon (whom he later called
Peter) 3:16a
(2) James and his brother John,
the sons of Zebedee (whom he
later called Boanerges meaning
"Sons of Thunder) 3:17
(3) Andrew 3:18a
(4) Philip 3:18b
(5) Bartholomew 3:18c
(6) Matthew 3:18d
(7) Thomas 3:18e
(8) James the son of Thaddaeus
3:18f
(9) Thaddaeus 3:18g
(10) Simon the Zealot 3:18h
(11) Judas Iscariot (who also
betrayed Him) 3:19
B. Segment Two--The Disciples Are Part of the True Family
of Jesus: Distinguishing between those who appear to
be part of Jesus family naturally, and those who are a
part of His family by believing and obeying, Jesus
instructs his true family members as to the life giving
nature of the Kingdom which he is bringing, and
confirms His words through expressing His power over
forces which threaten life (a storm at sea, demons, and
illness) 3:20--6:6
1. The True Family of Jesus: Unlike all of those who
would desire to prevent Jesus from His work (be
they scribes or physical family), Jesus proclaims
that all of those who do the will of God are truly
part of His family 3:20-35
a. When Jesus returned home and was not able to
eat because of the multitude which was
gathering, His family (mother and brothers)
came to take Him away because they believed
He had lost His senses 3:20-21
1) Setting: Jesus came home, and the
multitude gathered to such an extent
that they could not even eat a meal
3:20
2) When Jesus' family (3:31) heard of the
situation with the multitude (that he
was not eating), they came to take Him
away considering Him to be emotionally
disturbed 3:21
b. When the scribes from Jerusalem accused Jesus
of being possessed by Satan, and casting out
demons by the power of Satan, He corrected
their faulty logic, and warned them of the
sever, eternal consequences of blaspheming
against the work of the Holy Spirit which
they should have recognized even if they did
not fully recognize Him 3:22-30
1) Setting: The scribes who came down to
Capernaum from Jerusalem accused Jesus
of (1) being possessed by Beelzebul, and
(2) casting out demons by the power of
this ruler of demons 3:22
2) Speaking to the people through
proverbial language, Jesus affirmed that
the accusations of the scribes are wrong
because Satan is not becoming weaker,
but is being defeated by One who is
stronger than he 3:23-27
a) Jesus called the people unto him
(including the scribes) and spoke
to them through proverbial speech
(language of comparison) 3:23a
b) Jesus first dealt with the second
accusation by affirming that Satan
could not be casting out himself
because this would lead to
weakness, but Satan is strong 3:23-
26
(1) Jesus questioned the
possibility of Satan casting
out Himself 3:23b
(2) Jesus affirmed that Satan
could not be casting out
himself because logically one
knows that the division of a
kingdom leads to weakness,
(but Satan is strong) 3:24-26
c) Jesus next dealt with the second
accusation by affirming that he is
not possessed by Satan, but is
stronger than Satan (cf. 1:8) as He
defeats his domain 3:27
3) Because the scribes were saying that
Jesus had an unclean spirit, He warned
them that even though all sins shall be
forgiven men (including blasphemies),
they will not be forgiven of blaspheming
against the Holy Spirit 3:28-30
a) Jesus solemnly warns that all sins
shall be forgiven men (probably
referring to their lack of complete
recognition of his veiled Self)
3:28
b) In contrast to the forgiveness of
their recognition of Jesus, He
warns that they will not be
forgiven of the work of the Spirit
which was a sign of God's intrusion
of the Kingdom of God 3:29
c) This warning is specifically
related to the historical context
of those who were continually
(imperfect tense) accusing Jesus of
having an unclean spirit 3:30
c. When Jesus learned that his natural family
was waiting outside for Him, He took the
opportunity to teach that those who truly
belong to His family are those who obey the
word of God 3:31-32
1) Jesus' mother and brothers arrived
standing outside of the house, and sent
word to Him 3:31
2) The multitude who were sitting around
Jesus told Him that his mother and
brothers were outside looking for Him
3:32
3) Jesus responded to the multitude by
identifying them (or perhaps the Twelve
and any others) as part of His family
because they do the will of God 3:33-35
a) Jesus responded to the multitude by
asking them who his mother and
brothers (family) were 3:33
b) Looking at the multitude Jesus
called them his mother and his
brothers (family) 3:34
c) The reason Jesus called the
multitude sitting around Him his
family is because people who do the
will of God are part of His family
3:35
2. Teachings of Jesus: Through parables to the
multitudes and explanations to his disciples,
Jesus taught that although many will not respond
to the word, some will; therefore, the disciples
should proclaim it knowing that it will bring
about (the spiritual form of) the kingdom which
will start small, but will expand, under its own
power, to be harvested by God 4:1-34
a. Setting: Jesus began to teach in parables a
great multitude by the sea of Galilee from a
boat 4:1-2
b. A Teaching within a Teaching: Through the
parable of the soils, Jesus taught His
disciples that the word will fall upon many
who will not respond properly (sovereignly
fulfilling the hardness of Israel), but it
will fall upon those who will accept it and
be fruitful (as God has given them the
ability to understand) 4:1-20
1) Jesus urged the people to listen 4:1
2) Through the parable of the sower and the
soils Jesus proclaimed, for those who
wished to hear, that the farmer will sow
seed upon many soils where it will die
on most, and thrive on some 4:3-9
a) The sower (farmer) went out to sow
4:3
b) In the farmer's sowing some seed
fell beside the road and the birds
came and ate it up 4:4
c) Some seed fell on the rocky ground,
sprang up quickly (for lack of
depth) and withered under the heat
because it had no root 4:5-6
d) Some seed fell among the thorns and
was chocked out 4:7
e) Some seed fell upon the good soil
and yielded a bountiful crop 4:8
f) Exhortation: Jesus urged those who
desired to hear to hear these words
4:9
3) When Jesus was alone with His curious
followers, He explained to them that God
is sovereignly allowing then to
understand the mystery of the Kingdom,
but is speaking in parables to everyone
else in order that they may fulfill the
national pattern of hardness spoken of
by Isaiah 4:10-12
a) Setting: When Jesus was alone, His
followers, along with the Twelve,
began to ask Him about the parables
4:10
b) Jesus proclaimed to his disciples
that God sovereignly allows for
them to understand the mystery of
God's kingdom, but Jesus speaks to
the rest in parables in order that
they might fulfill the nation's
pattern of hardness 4:11-12
(1) Jesus proclaimed to His
disciples that it has been
given for them to know the
mystery of God's Kingdom, but
those outside of this group
gets everything in parables
4:11
(2) The reason those who are not
disciples receive things in
parables is in order to
fulfill God's purpose for the
nation as it continues in its
pattern of hard heartedness
just as was written in Isaiah
6:9-10 (4:12)
4) Because the disciples did not understand
the parable of the soils, and because
this parable was central to one's
ability to understand other parables,
Jesus explained that the seed was the
word, and the soils represented several
negative responses to the word, and one
fruitful response to the word 4:13-20
a) After asking His disciples if they
understood the parable about the
sower, He proclaimed that they
would not understand the rest of
the parables if they did not
understand this one 4:13
b) Jesus explains that the seed that
the sower sows is the word 4:14
c) Those on the side of the road are
the ones from whom Satan takes away
the word which was sown in them
4:15
d) Those identified with the rocky
places are the ones who at first
joyfully receive the work, but then
when persecution arises because of
the word, they quickly fall away
because the work is not firmly
rooted in them 4:16-17
e) Those identified with the thorns
are the ones who have heard the
word, but concerns of life chock it
out making the word unfruitful
4:18-19
f) Those identified with the good soil
are the ones who hear the word,
accept it, and bountifully bear
fruit 4:20
c. Parable of the Lamp: Using the imagery of a
lamp, Jesus urges his listeners (who are
perhaps still the disciples, "to them") to
understand that He has not been brought
forward to be hidden, but to be revealed
4:21-23
1) Through the imagery of a lamp, Jesus
proclaims that He has not come to be
hidden, but to be manifested 4:21
2) Jesus explains through the practice of
men that God has not brought Jesus forth
to keep Him forever hidden, but to
reveal Him 4:22
3) Jesus urges his listeners to hear this
deeper significance 4:23
d. Parable of the Measure: Jesus urges His
followers (who perhaps are still the
disciples, "to them") to heed what they hear
(about Jesus' mission) because they will be
recompensed by God for their faithfulness or
lack there of to it 4:24-25
1) Jesus urges the listeners to take heed
to what they hear 4:24a
2) As one gives out (measures) the truth
about the Kingdom, so will he receive
from God (be measured) and even more at
the future revelation of the kingdom
4:24b
3) The reason Jesus warns them to hear well
is because there will be a future
recompense for faithfulness to what they
have heard in that he who has been
faithful will receive more, while he who
has not been faithful will receive
absolute loss 4:25
e. Through the imagery of seed, Jesus describes
the Kingdom of God (in its spiritual aspects)
as that which will grow under its own power
through the scattered word until it will at
last be harvested 4:26-29
1) Jesus compared the Kingdom of God to a
farmer who casts seed upon the soil, and
sees it grow, but does not know how it
grows 4:26-27
2) The soil gradually produces crops by
itself 4:28
3) When the crop is fully produced, the
farmer harvests the crop 4:29
f. Jesus, searching for the best image,
describes the Kingdom of God as a mustard
seed that begins in insignificance, but
eventually expands to a kingdom which will be
greater than the rest, and provide protection
for those under its reign 4:30-32
1) Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a
mustard seed which is sown upon the soil
4:30-31
2) Although the mustard seed is sown as
smaller than other seeds, it grows to an
enormous size allowing the birds to nest
in it for protection 4:32
g. Jesus spoke the word of God to everyone in
parables as they were able to hear it, and
privately explained everything to His
disciples in private 4:33-34
1) Jesus spoke the word to the people in
many parables as they were able to hear
it 4:33
2) Although Jesus did not speak to the
people without a parable, He explained
everything to His own disciples in
private 4:34
3. Miracles of Jesus: Through overruling life
threatening obstacles of a raging sea, destructive
demons, and serious physical illnesses, Jesus
demonstrates to His disciples that He is the One
who brings the hopes of the kingdom as he revealed
Himself to be in the parables 4:35--5:43
a. Jesus Calms the Sea: On the evening of the
day that Jesus had spoken to the multitudes
in parables, He delivered Himself and the
disciples from a severe storm by calming the
wind and sea through a rebuke, and then
rebuked His disciples for not having faith in
Him (as the One whom He had revealed Himself
to be in the parables), whereupon, they
showed their lack of understanding by
questioning who He was since he could do such
things 4:35-41
1) Setting: On the evening of the day when
Jesus had spoken to the multitudes in
parables he suggested that the disciples
and He go over to the other side of the
Sea of Galilee 4:35
2) The disciples left the multitude and
took Jesus along with them and other
boats across the Sea of Galilee 4:36
3) When a fearce wind arose and water began
to fill the boat, the disciples awoke
Jesus and asked Him whether He cared
that they were all perishing 4:37-38
4) Jesus arose, rebuked the wind, and
commanded that the storm be muzzled, and
the wind died down and the sea became
perfectly calm 4:39
5) Jesus then rebuked the disciples because
they were fearful and did not have faith
in who he was (as the parables had
revealed) 4:40
6) The disciples then expressed their lack
of understanding by being fearful of
Jesus and wondering who He was who could
rule over creation (cf. Ps. 33:7; 65:7;
77:16; Job 12:15) 4:41
b. Life Threatening Exorcism and Cures by Jesus:
On each side of the Sea of Galilee Jesus
demonstrates to His apostles His ability to
overrule life threatening attacks as He casts
demons out of a man, heals a woman with a
blood hemorrhage, and raises Jairus' daughter
from the dead 5:1-43
1) The Gerasene Demoniac: As Jesus and His
disciples came out of the boat, they met
a severely demonized man, and Jesus
delivered Him from the destruction of
thousands of demons by allowing them to
enter and destroy a herd of pigs causing
the people in fear to ask Him to leave,
yet leaving a witness through the
delivered man to the people of the
Decapolis 5:1-20
a) Setting: The disciples and Jesus
came to the other side of the lake,
and to the country of the Gerasenes
5:1
b) A demonized man who dwelt among the
tombs and was unrestrainable and
self-destructive met Jesus when He
came out of the boat 5:2-5
c) When the demonized man saw Jesus
from a distance he ran, bowed down
and asked Him whether this was the
proper time for the exercise of
authority over him, begging Jesus
not to torment him since Jesus was
commanding the demon to come out of
him 5:6-8
d) When Jesus asked the man his name,
the demons revealed that they were
thousands, and were permitted by
Jesus to enter a herd of pigs,
whereupon they drove them into the
sea to drown 5:9-13
(1) When Jesus asked the man his
name, he answered that the
demons were legion (3,000-
6,000), and begged Jesus not
to send them out of the
country 5:9-10
(2) The demons asked Jesus to send
them into the swine feeding on
the mountain 5:11-12
(3) Jesus gave the spirits
permission to entered the
swine, and they did driving
about two thousand of them
down into the sea to drown
5:13
e) When the herdsmen reported what had
happened, the people came out and
were fearful asking Jesus to leave,
but the man remained under Jesus'
direction to testify to God's work
among his people in Decapolis 5:14-
20
(1) The herdsmen of the pigs ran
and reported in the city and
in the country what Jesus had
done, and the people came to
see 5:14
(2) The people saw the demonized
man under self-control, and
heard from those who had seen
all what had happened so that
they became fearful and asked
Jesus to leave 5:15-17
(3) The man who had been delivered
from the demons sought to go
with Jesus, but was exhorted
to go home to his people and
testify to that which the Lord
had done, and he did in the
Decapolis causing the people
to marvel 5:18-20
2) When Jesus returned across the Sea of
Galilee and was met by a large
multitude, He demonstrated His power
over life threatening sickness by
healing a woman with a severe blood
hemorrhage, and by raising Jairus'
daughter from the dead 5:21-43
a) Setting: Jesus passed over the Sea
of Galilee again by boat and was
met by a great multitude, and he
stayed by the sea shore 5:21
b) A synagogue official named Jairus
besought Jesus to come and heal his
very sick daughter, and Jesus went
with him followed and pressed by
the crowds 5:22-24
(1) One of the synagogue officials
named Jairus came and begged
Jesus to come and heal his
daughter who was near death
5:22-23
(2) Jesus went with Jairus and was
followed and pressed upon by a
great multitude 5:24
c) As Jesus was traveling with Jairus,
a woman secretly touched Jesus'
cloak and received healing from Him
for a hemorrhage of blood,
whereupon, He stopped to identify
her, and to encourage Her in her
faith 5:25-34
(1) As Jesus was going with
Jairus, a woman with a severe
blood hemorrhage who had not
been helped by physicians,
touched Jesus' cloak with the
hope of getting well, and was
immediately healed 5:25-29
(2) Jesus perceived that power had
gone out from Him and asked
aloud who had touched Him
5:30
(3) The disciples considered
Jesus' question to be foolish
in view of the multitudes
around Him, but the woman came
forward and told Him that it
was she 5:31-33
(4) Jesus responded by affirming
her faith, and urging her to
leave in peace and in her
healing 5:34
d) Although a report came to Jairus
that his daughter had died while
Jesus was still speaking to the
woman he had just healed, Jesus
urged Jairus not to fear, but to
believe, and Jesus then went to
Jairus house and raised his
daughter from the dead with
warnings to tell no one of this
event 5:35-43
(1) While Jesus was still speaking
to the woman a message came to
Jairus that his daughter was
dead, so he should not bother
Jesus any longer but Jesus
overheard the messenger and
told Jairus not to fear, but
to believe 5:35-36
(2) With no one but Peter, James
and John, Jesus entered the
mourning house of Jairus 5:37-
38
(3) When all of the people laughed
at Jesus for questioning their
commotion since the girl was
not dead, but asleep, Jesus
put them out, and entered the
child's room with His
companions and her parents
5:39-40
(4) Jesus took the twelve year old
girls hand, and order her to
arise, whereupon, she
immediately rose up and began
to walk 5:41-42a
(5) The people were astounded, and
Jesus commanded them to tell
no one about what had
happened, and to feed the girl
5:42b-43
4. The Supposed Family of Jesus: Jesus is rejected
by His closest natural relationships and marvels
over the people's unbelief as He teaches in the
villages, and is not free to heal many 6:1-6
a. Setting: Jesus went out from Jairus' house
and returned with his disciples to His home
town (Capernaum) 6:1
b. On the Sabbath Jesus began to teach in the
synagogue and those who listened to Him were
astonished over His wisdom, and His miracles,
but took offense at Him because they knew him
to be one of them (the carpenter, son of
Mary, brother of James, Joses, Judas, and
Simon, with sisters) 6:2-3
c. Jesus responded to the people of Capernaum by
affirming that He is being rejected by His
own people (including family) even though he
is honored by others, and by marveling at
their unbelief as He went around teaching and
only being free to perform a few miracles of
healing 6:4-6
1) Jesus responded by noting that a prophet
is honored everywhere except in his home
town, and among his own family 6:4
2) Jesus was not able (in the sense that He
was not free) to do many miracles in His
home town, but heal a few sick people
6:5
3) Jesus wondered at the unbelief of those
in Capernaum, as He went around the
villages teaching 6:6
C. Segment Three--Jesus urges the disciples to open their
Minds: Jesus continues to urge His disciples to
unharden their hearts and thus understand who He is
rather than being corrupted by the infectious attitude
of Herod and the Pharisees against Him 6:7--8:21
1. Herod/Five Thousand: Jesus continued to present
His ministry to the nation Israel through His
apostles and as the Prophet like Moses even though
Herod killed the forerunner of Jesus' ministry--
John the Baptist 6:7-44
a. Jesus' ministry, which was in line with John
the Baptist, continued through His Twelve
apostles among the people of Israel even
though Herod as a Roman/Jewish ruler beheaded
John the Baptist 6:7-33
1) Sending of the Twelve: Jesus sent His
Twelve disciples out in pairs to
dependently proclaim repentance, and to
validate their words through authority
over demons and sickness 6:7-13
a) Jesus sent out the Twelve in pairs
giving them authority over demons
6:7
b) Jesus instructed His disciples to
not make provision for themselves
as they go out on this journey 6:8-
9
c) Jesus instructed the Twelve to stay
with those who invite them in until
they leave a town, and visibly
separate themselves from those who
do not receive them as a testimony
of judgment against them 6:10-11
d) The Twelve when out preaching that
men should repent, and
authenticating their messages
through casting out demons and
healing many people 6:12-13
2) When Herod heard reports about Jesus and
His disciples, He considered Jesus to be
John raised from the brutal death which
he had inflicted at the whim of his
wife, Herodias, and her daughter 6:14-
29
a) When the reports about Jesus and
His disciples reached Herod, many
postulated as to who Jesus was
(Elijah, the Prophet like Moses),
but Herod believed that He was a
risen John the Baptist whom he had
beheaded 6:14-16
b) Although Herod was afraid of John
as a righteous man, he beheaded him
because John had been critical of
Herod's marriage to his brother's
wife, Herodias, and she wanted him
dead 6:17-20
c) Herod ordered that John be beheaded
in response to a promise to the
daughter of Herodias who pleased
him at a high ranking banquet, and
then sought her mother's wish when
Herod offered her anything up to
half of his kingdom 6:21-29
3) When the apostles gathered with Jesus
and told Him all that they had done and
taught, He urged them to come away from
the people to a lonely place by
themselves, but as they were going in
the boat, the people saw them and ran
ahead of them to meet them 6:30-33
a) Setting: The apostles gathered
with Jesus and reported all that
they had done and taught 6:30
b) Jesus urged the disciples to come
away from the needy people to a
lonely place where they may find
rest 6:31
c) The apostles went away in the boat
to a lonely place to be by
themselves 6:32
d) The people saw the apostles going
and ran to where they were going
from all the cities and got there
ahead of them 6:33
b. Feeding the Five Thousand: When Jesus came
ashore, He saw the people (of Israel) as
sheep without a shepherd and began to act as
their shepherd as he taught them and feed
them through His apostles as the prophet like
Moses 6:34-44
1) Setting: When Jesus came ashore with
His weary apostles, He saw the
multitude, felt compassion for them in
their shepherdless state, and began to
teach them 6:34
2) When it was getting late, Jesus'
disciples urged Him to disperse the
people to the surrounding villages so
that they may get some food to eat 6:35-
36
3) Jesus responded to the apostles'
suggestion by urging them to feed the
multitude 6:37a
4) When the apostles objected that to feed
the multitude would cost an enormous
amount, Jesus used the apostles to feed
more than five thousand with five loaves
and two fish 6:37b-44
a) The apostles questioned Jesus'
exhortation to feed the multitude
because it would cost so much (two
hundred denarii) 6:37b
b) Learning that the multitude had
five loaves of bread and two fish
among them, Jesus instructed the
apostles to have the multitude
recline in groups on the grass, and
they did--in groups of fifties and
hundreds 6:38-40
c) As the Prophet like Moses (Deut.
18:15) Jesus fed the people through
the disciples with the five loaves
and two fish until they were all
satisfied with twelve (like the
twelve tribes) baskets (kofivnwn)
of bread and fish left over 6:41-
43
d) Five thousand men ate the loaves of
bread 6:44
2. Jesus On the Sea/Heard Hearts: Sending His
disciples ahead of Him to Bathsaida while He
dismissed the people and prayed, Jesus later
revealed Himself to the disciples as YHWH who
rules the sea, but the disciples were greatly
astonished because their hearts were hardened, and
thus did not understand the significance of His
feeding the multitudes 6:45-52
a. Setting: While Jesus remained to send the
multitude away and then to pray, He sent His
disciples ahead of Him on the Sea of Galilee
to Bethsaida 6:45-46
b. When it was evening and Jesus saw from the
land the disciples straining on the Sea
against the wind, He came walking (at about
3:00 A.M.) on the Sea to them and intending
to pass by them (as a theophany; cf. Ex.
33:19,22; 1 Ki. 9:11; Job 9:8,11) 6:47-48
c. When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the
water they thought that He was a water ghost
and began to cry out 6:49
d. Jesus allayed the fears of His disciples by
urging them to take courage because He was
not a ghost but God Himself (ejgwv eijmi ;
cf. Ex. 3:14) 6:50
e. Jesus got into the boat and the wind stopped
leaving the disciples greatly astonished
because they had not gained any insight from
the loaves since they had hard hearts 6:51-
52
3. Pharisees/Four Thousand: Through the example of
the people, a conflict with the religious leaders,
and the ministry of Jesus among Gentiles,
uncleanliness is expressed as coming from the
heart rather than external causes 6:53--7:37
a. Wherever Jesus went, the people brought out
their sick to be healed by Him, but there is
no report of a continuation of Jesus'
preaching to these people 6:53-56
1) Setting: The disciples and Jesus
(perhaps blown off course from
Bethsaida) crossed over the Sea of
Galilee to its northwest area at the
shore of Gennesaret 6:53
2) When the people recognized Jesus coming
out of the boat, they ran and brought
their sick to the place where He was
6:54-55
3) Wherever Jesus went people brought their
sick and were seeking to simply touch
His cloak which led to healing 6:56
b. Uncleanliness/Gentiles: Through a conflict
with the Pharisees over "cleanlinees" and
several examples where Jesus went to those
whom the Jews considered to be unclean (the
Syrophoenician woman, the deaf-mute of the
Decapolis, and feeding the four thousand of
the Decapolis), Jesus demonstrated that the
heart makes one unclean and not externals
such as Gentiles since Jesus significantly
ministered among the Gentiles 7:1--8:9
1) In a conflict with the religious leaders
who accused Jesus' disciples of breaking
the "tradition of the elders" Jesus
proclaimed, Scripturally supported, and
demonstrated through a case study of
honoring parents that the leaders use
their "traditions" in order to set aside
the commandments of God 7:1-13
a) Setting: The Pharisees and some of
the scribes from Jerusalem gathered
around Jesus when they saw that His
disciples ate their food with
impure hands as the "tradition of
the elders" which they followed
required, and they asked Jesus why
His disciples did not wash (7:1-5)
b) Jesus answered the religious
leaders by affirming that they
appear to be honoring God, but
their hearts are far from Him as
they neglect God's commandments in
order to keep their traditions 5:6-
8
(1) Jesus answered the religious
leaders by affirming that they
were hypocrites as Isaiah
prophesied 7:6a
(2) Jesus cited Isaiah 29:13 which
affirmed the hypocrisy of the
religious leaders because they
spoke as those who honored
God, but their hearts were far
from God as they vainly
worship God teaching precepts
of Men as doctrines 7:6-7
(3) Jesus accused the religious
leaders of using their
traditions to break the
commandments of God 7:8
c) Jesus illustrated the religious
leaders' use of the oral law (the
traditions of men) in order to set
aside the written Law through their
"legal" provisions for neglecting
one's parents 7:9-13
(1) Statement of Thesis: The
religious leaders set aside
the commandment of God to keep
their own tradition 7:9
(2) Jesus cited a portion of the
written Law (Ex. 20:12; Deut.
5:16) commanding all people to
honor their parents 7:10
(3) In contrast to the written law
Jesus notes one case among
many, namely, the religious
leaders allow one to neglect
the needs of one's parents in
order to give to the temple
thereby invalidating the word
of God 7:11-13
2) In view of Jesus' discussion concerning
the "tradition of the elders" he
explained to the multitude and to His
disciples that external things
(especially food) do not make a person
unclean, but internal evil does because
it flows from the heart 7:14-23
a) In metaphorical language Jesus
proclaimed to the people that it is
not that which is without that
makes one unclean, but that which
is within 7:14-16
(1) Setting: After Jesus'
confrontation with the
leaders, He called the
multitudes to Him urging them
to listen and understand 7:14
(2) Jesus explained that a man is
not made unclean by that which
comes from without, but by
that which comes from within
7:15-[16]
b) When the disciples asked Jesus in
private about the parable which He
had just spoken in public, He
rebuked them for not understanding,
and then explained that the heart
is the central issue in cleanliness
and not external matters such as
food 7:17-23
(1) Setting: When they Jesus and
the disciples were in private,
they asked Him about the
parable which He had spoken
7:17
(2) Jesus first rebuked the
disciples for not
understanding what He had said
7:18a
(3) Jesus then explained that
physical things which enter a
man do not defile him because
they do not enter his heart,
but his stomach and are then
eliminated (thereby intimating
that all foods are clean)
7:18b-19
(4) Jesus also explained that
those things which come out of
a man defile him because they
come from the heart (including
evil thoughts including (1)
evil acts--fornications,
thefts, murders, adulteries,
deeds of coveting and
wickedness--and (2) moral
defects-- deceit, sensuality,
envy, slander, pride, and
foolishness) 7:20-23
3) In the Gentile land of Tyre Jesus cast
out a demon from a Gentile,
Syropheonician, woman's daughter when
the woman understood and agreed to
receive that portion of His ministry
(the kingdom) which Jesus could offer
her without interrupting His ministry to
the nation Israel 7:24-30
a) Setting: From Galilee, Jesus went
in privacy (to teach His disciples
[cf. 6:32-34,53-56]?) northwest to
the Gentile region of Tyre, but he
was recognized, and a Gentile woman
who was Syropheonician came
continually asking for help for her
daughter who had an unclean spirit
7:24-26
b) Jesus responded to the woman by
metaphorically proclaiming that the
benefits for Israel must first be
given to Israel (children), before
they are shared with Gentiles
(dogs) 7:27
c) Using Jesus' image, the woman
agreed only asking for that which
might be provided without
interrupting Jesus' ministry to
Israel 7:28
d) Because of the woman's agreeable
understanding Jesus agreed to her
request and from afar cast the evil
spirit from her daughter as the
woman discovered when she returned
home 7:29-30
4) When Jesus came from Tyre and Sidon to
the Gentile region of the Decapolis, He
sensitively healed a deaf man with a
speech impediment, and the people,
though warned not to tell anyone,
proclaimed widely the Messianic work of
Jesus 7:31-37
a) Setting: Jesus left the region of
Tyre and Sidon, through Galilee to
the Gentile region of the Decapolis
7:31
b) The people brought to Jesus a
person who was deaf and spoke with
difficulty (mogilavlon; cf. Isa.
35:6 "the dumb) for Him to heal
7:32
c) In a visual manner (for the sake of
the deaf man) Jesus demonstrated
that He was going to heal the man
7:33-34
(1) Jesus took the man aside from
the multitude (to emphasize
the privacy for this
relationship) 7:33a
(2) Jesus demonstrated that He was
going to heal his hearing
(fingers in his ears), and his
speech (spitting to bring
forth the tongue whereupon he
touched it with his siliva to
emphasize healing) 7:33b
(3) Jesus demonstrated that God
was going to do this miracle
by looking up into heaven
7:34a
(4) Jesus then said an Aramaic
word "Ephphatha" so that the
man could read his lips and
know that Jesus had commanded
the man's ears to be opened
7:34b
d) The mans ears were opened, his
speech impediment was gone, and he
began to speak plainly 7:35
e) Although Jesus ordered the people
not to tell anyone about what He
had done, they spread the word
widely telling all in astonishment
that Jesus is bringing in the
Kingdom promises (He makes the deaf
to hear and the dumb to speak; cf.
Isa. 35:5-6) 7:36-37
5) Feeding the Four Thousand: Out of
compassion for the (Gentile?) multitude
which had gathered (in the Decapolis) to
hear Jesus teach for three days, Jesus
fed them to their satisfaction through
His disciples with seven loaves and some
fish, and before they departed seven
large baskets of leftovers were gathered
8:1-9
a) Setting: When Jesus was in the
Decapolis (in those days) a great
multitude was gathered with nothing
to eat 8:1a
b) Jesus called His disciples and
exclaimed His compassion toward the
multitudes because they had been
listening to Him teach for three
days, and were now in need of
something to eat for their long
journey home 8:1b-3
c) Jesus' disciples asked Jesus about
the possibility of finding enough
bread for this people in such a
desolate place 8:4
d) When Jesus learned from His
disciples that they had seven
loaves of bread, He directed the
people to be seated, blessed the
bread, and distributed it through
His disciples to serve to the
multitude along with some fish that
they had 8:5-7
e) When the multitude of about four
thousand ate to their satisfaction,
they picked up seven large baskets
(spurivda") full of leftovers, and
Jesus sent the people away 8:8-9
4. Transition: The religious leaders re-affirm their
hard heartedness by testing Jesus through the
insistence of a sign, but Jesus refuses through a
vow not to show them a sign which will lessen
their responsibility to exercise faith 8:10-13
a. Setting: After sending the four thousand
away, Jesus entered the boat with His
disciples, and sailed west to the district of
Dalmanutha (which may have been Magdala)
8:10
b. The Pharisees came out and argued with Jesus
so as to test Him seeking a sign from heaven
(which they could not attribute to Satan;
perhaps fire from heaven as with Elijah) from
Him 6:11
c. Upset over His generations' insistence upon a
sign, Jesus vowed not to perform a sign (to
take away their opportunity to make a
decision of faith) and left them to go to the
other side of the Sea 6:12-13
5. Closing Scene: As Jesus leaves Dalmanutha with His
disciples He warns them of the infectious
corruption of the Pharisees and Herod who question
Jesus' identity, and then urges them in their lack
of understanding to consider the testimony of the
miracle feedings to His identity 8:14-21
a. Setting: As Jesus and the disciples were in
the boat leaving the district of Dalmanutha
they were with only one loaf of bread among
them 8:14
b. Jesus instructed the disciples to watch out
for the leaven (infectious sinful attitude,
corruption) of the Pharisees and of Herod
8:15
c. The disciples demonstrated that they did not
understand what Jesus was saying to them
because they responded by quarreling over
whose fault it was that they did not have any
bread 8:16
d. Jesus responded to their lack of
understanding by explaining that
1) Jesus rebuked his disciples for not
understanding the meaning of his words
by describing them as walking in the
hardened pattern of the nation Israel
(cf. 4:12; Isa. 6:9; Jer. 5:21; Ezk.
12:2) 8:17-18
2) Reminding the disciples of His
miraculous feeding of the five and four
thousand, Jesus urged them to understand
(the significance about who He was even
though the leaders sin against Him)
8:19-21
III. EXPLANATIONS OF THE WAY: Through the literary techniques of
bookend-signs around several messages Mark unfolds Jesus'
clarifying instructions to His disciples concerning His
suffering Messiahship and its requirements upon them as His
followers 8:22--11:10
A. The Blind See/Who is Jesus: Through the literary
technique of sign-sermon Mark demonstrates the growth
in understanding that Jesus will bring about in that
just as the man was physically blind and was brought to
gradual clear vision, so is it that Jesus will bring
his disciples from spiritual blindness (cf. 8:21) to
spiritual insight as the suffering concept of Jesus as
Messiah becomes better understood 8:22-30
1. Sign--A Blind Person Sees: Through the image of
gradually enabling a physically blind man to see,
Mark sets the scene for the increased insight
which Jesus' disciples will obtain through Jesus'
ministry among them 8:22-26
a. Setting: When the disciples came to
Bethsaida (NE on The Sea of Galilee) a blind
man was brought to Jesus so that He would
heal (touch) him 8:22
b. Jesus took the blind man out of the village,
placed spit upon his eyes, laid his hands
upon the man and asked him if He saw anything
8:23
c. The man told Jesus that he could vaguely see
men walking around, but they looked like
trees 8:24
d. Jesus again laid his hands upon the man's
eyes, and the man's sight was completely
restored 8:25
e. Jesus sent the man home instructing him to
not even enter the village (lest the message
of the healing become public and obstruct
Jesus' opportunity to speak to the people for
want of more miracles) 8:26
2. Sermon--Who Is Jesus: Through a dialogue with the
disciples, they affirm (see?) that Jesus is
Messiah, and are then warned not to tell others
about His identity 8:27-30
a. Setting: Jesus went north from Bethsaida to
Caesarea Philippi with His disciples
questioning them concerning Who people say
that He is 8:27
b. The disciples answered that the people
identify Jesus with several different people:
John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the
prophets (e.g., Deut. 18) 8:28
c. Jesus asked the disciples about Who they
thought that He was 8:29a
d. Peter answered (for the disciples) by
identifying Jesus as Messiah (the Christ)
8:29b
e. Jesus then warned the disciples to not tell
anyone about who He was 8:30
B. Prediction-Misunderstanding-Instruction-Elijah: Jesus
works to clarify the disciples sight concerning the
necessity for Him as Messiah to suffer by predicting
His suffering, correcting their resistance to His
suffering, affirming through the transfiguration His
Messiahship, and rebuking their unbelief through a
discussion about Elijah, and the deliverance of a
demonized boy 8:31--9:29
1. Prediction: Jesus begins to clarify the concept
of Himself as Messiah by predicting that the Son
of Man (cf. Dan. 7:13) must suffer, be rejected by
the religious leaders, be killed and rise again
after three days 8:31
2. Misunderstanding--Peter: As with the blind man
who at first could not see clearly, so was it with
the disciples who were rebuked through Peter for
resisting Jesus' revelation that He as Messiah
must suffer 8:32-33
a. As Jesus was stating the suffering aspects of
His Messiahship plainly, Peter (on behalf of
the Twelve) took Jesus aside and rebuked Him
8:32
b. As Jesus turned around and looked at his
disciples, He then rebuked Peter for being
Satan's tool by emphasizing personal
interests over God's interests 8:33
3. Instruction: As Jesus summoned the multitude
along with His disciples, He worked to clarify
their insight by teaching them that they must
follow Him as the suffering Messiah in order to
partake of the Kingdom life which He will
certainly bring as He will show some of those who
are with Him 8:34--9:1
a. Setting: Jesus then summoned the multitude
along with His disciples and taught them
8:34a
b. As Jesus deals with the people's Messianic
concerns He explains that they must follow
Him as the suffering Messiah in order to
partake of the Kingdom life which He will
bring with certainty as He will show some of
those who are with Him 8:34b--9:1
1) Jesus urged those who wanted to follow
after Him to deny themselves (die to
their own desires for Messianic rule as
they are in conflict against God's; cf.
8:33), identify with Jesus as the
suffering Messiah (take up his cross),
and then to follow 8:34
2) The reason Jesus urges His listeners to
follow Him as the suffering Messiah is
because kingdom life (saved life) is not
available by applied effort, but by
following the suffering Messiah 8:35
3) The reason life will only be saved
through following the suffering Messiah
is because material gain (at the expense
of obeying God) has no value when
compared to the life (soul) which God
will give to those who will follow him
in suffering 8:36-37
4) The reason one can loose his life for
not following Jesus as the suffering
Messiah is because He will reject those
who rejected Him when He comes to
establish His kingdom in the greatness
of the Father and with the holy angels
(c.f., 2 Thess. 1:7; Rev. 19:11ff) 8:38
5) Jesus then promised that some of those
who were present would not die until
they saw the Kingdom of God in its power
9:1
4. Insight: Through the transformation of Jesus into
His glorious state along with Moses and Elijah and
the Father's confirmation, Peter, James and John
were demonstrated the Messiahship of Jesus, but
were exhorted not to tell others of this until
after Jesus' resurrection from the dead which they
did not understand 9:2-10
a. Setting: Six days later Jesus brought Peter,
James, and John with Him to a high mountain
by themselves 9:2a
b. Upon the high mountain Jesus was transfigured
in glory before the disciples who also saw
Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus 9:3-4
1) Jesus was than transfigured before them
as His garments became exceeding white
9:3
2) Elijah and Moses (representing the Law
and the Prophets) appeared to the
disciples talking with Jesus 9:4
c. Being terrified and not knowing exactly what
to say, Peter spoke for the disciples urging
Jesus to celebrate the fulfillment of the
feast of tabernacles (the Kingdom) 9:5-6
d. Through a cloud that formed around them the
Father identified Jesus as Messiah (beloved
Son) whom the disciples should listen to as
the prophet like Moses (Deut. 18), whereupon
only Jesus was with them (in an un-
transfigured state) 9:7-8
e. As they were coming down from the mountain
Jesus commanded that they not tell what they
had seen until Jesus rose from the dead, but
they did not understand what He meant by
rising from the dead 9:9-10
5. Elijah: Through discussion about prophecies
concerning Elijah and the Elijah like deliverance
of a demonized boy, Jesus continues to instruct
His disciples on the need for Messiah to suffer,
and thus about their unbelief 9:11-29
a. Peter, James, and John question Jesus about
His Messiahship in view of the insistence of
the scribes that Elijah must come before
Messiah comes 9:11
b. As the disciples question Jesus about the
Scriptural necessity for Elijah to precede
Messiah and the restoration of the Kingdom,
Jesus explains that it is true that Elijah
must first come in accordance with Scripture,
but that Scripture also foretells of
Messiah's suffering which was prefigured in
the Elijah figure who preceded Him (John the
Baptist; cf. 6:14ff) 9:12--13
1) Jesus agreed with the scribes that
Elijah was to first come and restore all
things 9:12a
2) In contrast to Elijah's coming Jesus
asks the disciples about what is also
written in the Scriptures that Messiah
(the Son of Man) must suffer (Ps. 22;
Isa. 53) 9:12b
3) Jesus then explained to the disciples
that Elijah did already come in
accordance with the Scriptures but was
rejected (intimating that the same will
come of Jesus as He follows John's
pathway) 9:13
c. Through the deliverance of a demonized boy
which the disciples were unable to help,
Jesus demonstrated to the disciples that they
were not dependently trusting in God (cf.
Elijah imagery 1 Ki. 17:7-24) 9:14-29
1) Setting: When Jesus, Peter, James and
John came back to the disciples there
was a large crowd around them, and the
scribes were arguing with them, when the
crowd saw Jesus and began to run to Him
9:14-15
2) Jesus inquired of the crowd about what
their discussion was over (with the
disciples/scribes?) 9:16
3) One from the crowd explained to Jesus
that he had brought his son who was
tormented by demons to Jesus and His
disciples were not able to cast the
demon out 9:17-18
4) Jesus rebuked the disciples and the
crowd for their unbelief and then the
man whose son was brought forward for
his unbelief, whereupon, the man
affirmed his belief in Jesus, and asked
for help with His unbelief 9:19-24
a) Jesus rebuked his disciples (and
the crowd?) for continually not
believing in Him and then urged the
demonized boy to be brought to Him
9:19
b) When the boy was brought the demon
began to terrorize Him, and the
father, explaining that he has been
this way since childhood asked
Jesus to help them if He was able
9:20-22
c) Jesus picked up on the condition of
ability and explained to the man
that all was possible for Him, but
the man needed to believe in Him
9:23
d) The man immediately affirmed his
belief in Jesus and asked Jesus to
help him with his unbelief 9:24
5) As a crowd was gathering, Jesus rebuked
the deaf and dumb demonic spirit who
violently left the man for what the
crowd considered to be dead, but Jesus
raised him up 9:25-26
6) When the disciples privately inquired of
Jesus as to why they were not able to
cast this demon out of the boy, Jesus
explained that it was because they were
not dependent upon God's work 9:28-29
a) When the disciples where in private
with Jesus, they began to ask Him
why they could not cast out the
demon from the boy 9:28
b) Jesus explained to his disciples
that this demon will only come out
by expressions of dependence upon
God (prayer) 9:29
C. Prediction-Misunderstanding-Instruction-Moses: After
Jesus predicted his future suffering, He then had to
instruct His disciples about the suffering/serving
pathway for them to true greatness before God 9:30--
10:31
1. Prediction As Jesus was going with His disciples
throughout Caesarea, He predicted His future
passion and resurrection, but the disciples did
not understand and were afraid to ask Him about it
9:30-32
a. Setting: From the region of Caesarea
Philippi Jesus was privately going with His
disciples throughout Galilee instructing His
disciples 9:30
b. Jesus was teaching His disciples that as
Messiah (the Son of Man) He must be delivered
into the power of men to be killed and then
rise three days later (cf. 8:31) 9:31
c. The disciples did not understand Jesus' words
about the suffering of Messiah, but were
afraid to ask Him about them 9:32The fear
may possibly have been due to an Aramaic term
which He used for His crucifixion which could
have meant exaltation or crucifixion (cf.
Lane, p. 337). In view of this they were
afraid to ask Jesus about what He had said
2. Misunderstanding--the Twelve: As the party was
walking to Capernaum, the disciples demonstrated
that they did not understand the significance of
suffering upon the greatness of Messiah as they
argued over who among them was the greatest 9:33-
34
a. Setting: As they came to Capernaum and were
in private, Jesus asked the disciples about
what they were debating about (dielogivzesqe)
as they were walking 9:33
b. The disciples were quiet because they were
arguing over who was the greatest among them
9:34
3. Teaching: In private Jesus taught the Twelve that
true greatness will come through serving others
because as one receives them in their gospel
ministry they will be receiving the Father and the
Son 9:35-37
a. Setting: Jesus sat down in the house and
called the Twelve to Him to teach them 9:35a
b. Jesus taught that true greatness will come
through serving others (Loving Man) because
as one receives even the least of them it
will be as one is receiving Jesus and the
Father 9:35-37
1) Jesus taught that the greatest of all is
the one who serves all 9:35
2) Jesus illustrated His instruction about
the significance of servanthood through
holding a child and affirming that as
they are welcomed (received) as the
least-esteemed, it is like someone is
welcoming Jesus and the Father 9:36-37
4. Insight: Jesus not only disagreed with the
exclusivity of the Twelve as they forbade another
servant from casting out demons in Jesus' name,
but warned them to take drastic steps to not cause
other servants to stumble, but to watch themselves
so that they might be at peace with one another
9:38-50
a. Another Servant: When John speaks on behalf
of the Twelve about their exclusivity as they
rebuked another servant from casting out
demons in Christ's name, Jesus corrected them
by describing him a fellow servant 9:38-40
1) John (like Peter before, cf. 8:32; see
also James and John in 10:35-37) speaks
for all of the disciples by objecting to
another servant who was not part of the
Twelve, but was casting out demons in
Jesus name 9:38
2) Jesus commands the Twelve not to stop
this other servant because he is a
servant of Christ's 9:39-40
b. Any Servant: Jesus honors anyone who serves
Him in His name and warns the disciples to
not do anything which would cause them to
stumble, but to preserve themselves and to be
at peace with one another 9:41-50
1) Jesus explains that anyone who serves
them in the name of Christ will be
rewarded by the Lord 9:41
2) Jesus then warns the disciples that if
they cause one of these inexperienced
members of the community (little ones)
to stumble, that God will deal very
severely with them 9:42
3) Jesus urges the disciples to take
drastic measures not to cause themselves
to stumble (probably in relationship to
one another) because otherwise they will
be severely judged in Hell rather than
entering into the Kingdom 9:42-49
4) Jesus urges the disciples to preserve
themselves and at be at peace with one
another 9:50
5. Moses: Playing off of the writings of Moses (cf.
10:3,19), Jesus teaches His disciples that they
should be obedient, humble, and sacrificial 10:1-
31
a. In a discussion with Pharisees in the cross-
Jordan of Judea Jesus proclaimed Moses'
commands concerning divorce to be a
concession due to the hardness of Israel's
heart, and proclaimed God's design from
creation as being toward permanence 10:1-9
1) Setting: When Jesus left Capernaum and
entered Judea on the east of the Jordan
many crowds gathered around Him, and He
began to teach them 10:1
2) Some Pharisees came to Jesus and tested
Him concerning whether it was lawful for
a man to divorce his wife 10:2
3) Jesus asked them what Moses had
commanded them concerning divorce 10:3
4) The Pharisees affirmed that Moses
permitted divorce (Deut. 24:1-5) 10:4
5) Lessening the significance of Moses'
command as a toleration due to the
sinfulness of Israel, Jesus proclaims
that God's design has been for
permanency in marriage 10:5-9
a) Jesus affirmed that the commandment
from Moses was because of Israel's
hardness of heart 10:5
b) Jesus affirmed that God's design
was for permanency in marriage, and
thus no one should divorce 10:6-9
(1) God's design has always been
for one man and one woman in a
marriage relationship (He made
them male and female, they
became one flesh) 10:6-8
(2) Jesus urges no one to separate
those whom God has joined
together 10:9
b. When Jesus was alone with His disciples He
answered their continued questions about
divorce by affirming that whoever divorced
his partner and remarried another would be
committing adultery 10:10-12
1) Setting: In private the disciples began
to question Jesus about divorce again
10:10
2) Jesus explained that whoever divorced
their partner, and remarried committed
adultery 10:11-12
a) Jesus affirmed that whoever
divorces his wife, and marries
another woman commits adultery
against his divorced wife 10:11
b) Jesus also affirmed that if a woman
divorced her husband and married
another, she would be committing
adultery against her divorced
husband 10:12
c. Through an incident over children Jesus calls
His followers to true discipleship and
obedience to the intention of God as He
rebukes the disciples for "forbidding" the
children from coming to Him as examples of
the weak, and dependent who may receive the
Kingdom of God 10:14-1610:13-16
1) Setting: The older children (or perhaps
fathers [note "them" is masculine,
aujtoi'o" ] were bringing the younger
children to Jesus so that He might touch
them, and the disciples rebuked the
children 10:13
2) Jesus called the disciples to alignment
with God's intention by rebuking them
for forbidding the weak and helpless
(children) from coming to Him since the
Kingdom of God belongs to such humble
ones who will receive it 10:14-16
a) When Jesus saw the disciples
rebuking the children, He became
indignant at their behavior 10:14a
b) Jesus sternly instructed the
disciples to not hinder the
children from coming to Him, but to
permit them to come 10:14b
c) The reason Jesus instructed the
disciples to allow the children to
come to Him was because the Kingdom
of God belongs to people like
children who had no apparent
importance 10:14
d) Jesus then solemnly warned the
disciples that whoever did not
receive the Kingdom of God as a
child (who knows that he is
helpless and without claim) shall
not enter it 10:15
e) Jesus then demonstrated that the
blessings of the Kingdom are freely
given as He took the children in
His arms and began to bless them
10:16
d. When a wealthy man sought out Jesus to learn
how to inherit eternal life, Jesus explained
to the man and to His disciples that eternal
life is a provision given from God to those
who are willing to sacrificially follow Him
10:17-31
1) As a man seeks Jesus to learn how to
inherit eternal life, Jesus redirects
his focus upon God's design for goodness
and sacrificially following Him as
Messiah whereupon the man leaves in
sadness because he is not willing to
become humble and needy by sacrificing
what He has to follow Jesus and thus
receive eternal life as a gift 10:17-22
a) Setting: As Jesus was setting out
on a journey, He was approached by
a man who respectfully inquired
about how to inherit eternal life
10:17
b) Jesus responded to the man's
question by emphasizing that the
goodness necessary to inherit
eternal life is the goodness of God
as revealed in the moral law in
relationship to man 10:18-19
(1) Jesus inquired as to why the
man addressed Him as good
since no one except God is
good (He is switching the
focus from a human evaluation
of goodness to a divine
evaluation) 10:18
(2) Jesus than cites from the
human side of the Decalogue
(Ex. 20:12-15; Deut. 5:16-20)
to express the necessity for
one to be good in alignment
with the revealed will of the
goodness of God in order to
inherit eternal life 10:19
c) The man insisted that he had kept
the moral law all of his life
10:20
d) Out of love for the man Jesus
exhorted him to sacrificially
follow Him 10:21
(1) Jesus responded to the man out
of love for him 10:21a
(2) Jesus urged the man to become
needy (like children above) by
sacrificially following Jesus
10:21b
e) The man responded in disappointment
and sorrow because he had many
possessions, and was not willing to
part with them (thus showing that
he was not willing to follow a
suffering Messiah [cf. 8:34] 10:22
2) After the man left Jesus explained that
a man will not be able to enter the
Kingdom of God by his own ability or
merit, but by God's provision as one
receives it 10:23-27
a) Looking around at His disciples,
Jesus explained that it is
difficult for the wealthy to enter
the kingdom of God (because they
wish to earn it rather than realize
that they need to receive it)
10:23
b) When the disciples responded with
amazement to Jesus' words, Jesus
proclaimed that it was very
difficult (impossible from a human
perspective) for a rich man to
enter into the Kingdom of God
10:24-25
c) When the disciples were even more
astonished that the rich (who were
supposed to be the blessed ones--
Deut. 28; Job 1:10; 42:10; Ps.
128:1-2; Isa. 3:10) would find it
so difficult to enter into the
Kingdom of God, they asked who then
could be saved 10:26
d) Jesus explained that salvation will
come through the ability of God
and not men 10:27
3) When Peter expressed that the Twelve had
sacrificially followed Jesus, He
affirmed that they would receive from
God for all of their sacrifice (along
with persecution), and that God would
exchange the rank of people in the
future 10:28-31
a) Peter, speaking for the Twelve,
affirmed to Jesus that they (unlike
the rich man) had left everything
and followed Jesus 10:28
b) Jesus affirmed that God would
supply for those who sacrificially
followed Him, and would switch the
order of the "great" in the Kingdom
10:29-31
(1) Jesus affirmed to the Twelve
that all who have
sacrificially chosen to follow
Him will receive multiplied
relationships now (through
believers) along with
persecutions and eternal life
in the age to come (the
Kingdom) 10:29-30
(2) Jesus summarized His message
to followers in that those who
are first now will be last
later, and those who are last
now, will be first later (cf.
Mark 9:35) 10:31
D. Prediction-Misunderstanding-Instruction-Insight: After
Jesus predicted His upcoming suffering and resurrection
in Jerusalem, James and John stirred up jealousy among
the disciples as they misunderstandingly asked for
positions of honor in Jesus' upcoming kingdom,
whereupon, Jesus taught that the greatest among them
will be the servant among them after the pattern of
Messiah 10:32-45
1. Prediction: When Jesus' disciples were amazed and
fearful of His determination to go up to
Jerusalem, He took the Twelve aside and explained
to them His upcoming passion at the hands of the
religious leaders and the Gentiles, and His
resurrection to follow 10:32-34
a. Setting: As Jesus and His disciples were on
the road going up to Jerusalem, and the
disciples were amazed and fearful at His
determination to go to Jerusalem, Jesus took
the Twelve aside and again explained what was
going to happen to Him 10:32
b. Jesus explained his upcoming passion and
resurrection to the Twelve 10:33-34
1) His Passion: Jesus explained that they
were going up to Jerusalem where He
would be delivered to the religious
leaders (chief priests and scribes), who
will condemn Him to death and deliver
Him to the Gentiles who will mock Him,
spit on Him, scourge Him, and kill Him
10:33-34a
2) His Resurrection: Jesus also explained
that three days after He was killed He
would rise again 10:34b
2. Misunderstanding--James and John: When James and
John presumed to request of Jesus that He might
give to them the seats of honor in His kingdom,
Jesus explained that even though their request
would certainly require suffering with Him, those
seats were not for Him to promise, but were
already determined by God, whereupon, the
remaining disciples became angry with James and
John over their request 10:35-41
a. Setting: The brothers Zebedee (James and
John) requested Jesus to grant their request
of Him 10:35
b. When Jesus asked James and John of their
requests, they revealed that they desired for
Him to grant them seats of honor in His
kingdom (being insensitive to his prediction
of suffering at Jerusalem) 10:36-37
1) Jesus asked them what they wanted Him to
do 10:36
2) They requested that Jesus grant to them
the seats of honor beside of Him (who
was Messiah) 10:37
c. Jesus told James and John that they did not
understand what they were requesting, and
agreed with them that they would suffer as He
was about to suffer, but could not promise
seats of honor because God had already
determined those who would sit in them 10:38-
40
1) Jesus told them that they did not
understand what they were requesting
10:38a
2) Jesus asked them if they were able to
enter into the suffering that He is
about to enter into (drink the cup, be
baptized) 10:38b
3) When they said that they were able,
Jesus prophesied that they would indeed
suffer with Him (Acts 12:2; Rev. 1:9),
but the seats of Honor are for those for
whom God has prepared them 10:39-40
d. When the other ten disciples gained news of
the request of James and John they became
angry with them 10:41
3. Teaching: Jesus corrects the jealousy among the
disciples by insisting that they great among them
would not be the one who exercises authority over
others as in he natural world, but would be the
one who serves the others 10:42-44
a. When the ten disciples became angry with
James and John, Jesus called the Twelve
together to teach them 10:42a
b. Jesus taught that unlike the leaders of the
world who exercise authority over their
people, the great and first among the
disciples will be the one who serves the
others 10:42b-44
4. Insight: Jesus gives insight to his principle of
service through the model of Messiah (the Son of
Man) who did not come to be served by others but
to serve others by giving His life for them 10:45
E. The Blind See/Who is Jesus: Through the literary
technique of an enclusio Mark proclaims Jesus to more
clearly (single restoration of sight) be Messiah who is
Lord of the Temple, but is also humble (the suffering
servant) 10:46--11:10
1. A Blind Person Sees: When Bartimaeus, a blind
man) on the road out of Jericho, identified Jesus
as Messiah and requested that He restore his
vision, Jesus agreed because of the man's faith in
Him, and the man began to follow Jesus 10:46-51
a. Setting: After Jesus and His disciples came
and were going out of Jericho a blind beggar
began to repeatedly beseech Jesus as Messiah
(Son of David) to have mercy on Him (to heal
him) 10:46-48
b. When Jesus stopped and requested of the crowd
to call the blind man to Him, they did and he
came 10:49-50
c. When the man requested to receive his sight
from Jesus, He healed him because of his
faith (in Jesus as Messiah; cf. Isa. 29:18-
19; 35:4-5; 61:1), and the man began to
follow Him 10:51-52
2. Who Is Jesus: Through a veiled entry into
Jerusalem Jesus proclaims Himself to be the humble
and thus suffering Messiah and Lord of the temple
for whom Israel is not ready 11:1-10
a. Setting: Jesus and his disciples approached
Jerusalem near the Mount of Olives at
Bethphage and Bethany 11:1a
b. Jesus sent two of His disciples to obtain a
colt (on which no one had ever ridden [Zech.
9:9] and tied [Gen. 49:11]) in the opposite
village in accordance with the preparations
which He had already made 11:1b-2
c. The disciples went, found the colt, told
those who were around of Jesus' need, were
given leave of the colt, returned with it to
Jesus, and placed their garments on it 11:4-
7a
d. Jesus sat upon it and many covered the path
of the colt with their garments and
proclaimed Jesus as the coming Messiah (Psalm
118:26; Gen. 49:10) 11:7b-10
e. Jesus entered Jerusalem and the temple (as
its Lord; cf. Mal. 3:1), whereupon, he looked
around and departed for Bethany with the
Twelve since it was late 11:11
IV. INSTRUCTION IN AND NEAR JERUSALEM: Jesus made final
preparations for His upcoming passion through an interchange
of exposing revelation (concerning the nation, His
authority, the consummation of the Kingdom, and the
significance of the His death) and exhortation to His
disciples (with regard to prayer, models, spiritual
alertness, and spiritual wrestling with God) 11:12--14:52
A. A Parable and Its Outworking: Through the image of the
fig tree, the cleansing of the temple, and the withered
fig tree, Mark proclaimed Israel's upcoming judgment
because they appeared to be fruitful, but were lacking
in righteousness (cf. Jer. 8:13; 19:17; Hos. 9:10,16;
Joel 1:7; Micah 7:1-6; Hos. 2:12; Isa. 34:4; cf. Lk.
13:6-9) and urged the disciples to make their requests
of God with confidence in Him and a heart of
forgiveness 11:12-26
1. After Jesus had left Bethany on the day following
His triumphal entry He became hungry, and not
finding any fruit on a fig tree whose leaves were
full, He cursed it 11:12-14
a. Setting: On the day after Jesus' triumphal
entry, when they had departed from their
place of residence in Bethany, Jesus became
hungry and went to a fig tree in leaf looking
for fruit, but found none 11:12-13
b. While Jesus' disciples were listening, He
pronounced a curse upon the fig tree that no
one would ever eat from it again 11:14
2. When Jesus came to the temple, He cleansed the
court of the Gentiles in accordance with Scripture
(in order to prepare for the Passover) resulting
in fearful plotting against Jesus' life by the
religious leaders, whereupon Jesus and his
disciples left in the evening 11:15-19
a. Setting: Jesus and His disciples came to
Jerusalem 11:15a
b. Jesus began to cleanse the temple for the
Passover as the One who will judge the nation
for their evil in turning the Gentiles place
of worship into a den of thieves 11:15-17
1) Jesus entered the temple and began to
cast out those who were defiling the
temple with their marketing 11:15-16
2) Jesus proclaimed from Scripture (Isa.
56:7; Zechariah 14:16-21; Jer. 7:11)
that the temple was to be a place for
all people to pray, but those present
had made it a den of thieves to steal
from the "Gentiles" 11:17
c. When the religious leaders (chief priests and
scribes) heard Jesus' condemnation of those
in the temple, they began to consider how
they could destroy Him because they were
afraid of Him and the people's response to
Him 11:18
d. Whenever evening came, Jesus and His
disciples would go out of the city 11:19
3. On the next morning when Peter pointed out to
Jesus that the fig tree was withered as they were
passing by, Jesus exhorted the disciples to make
their kingdom requests with confidence in God and
with hearts that forgive those who have sinned
against them 11:20-26
a. Setting: On the next morning when Jesus and
His disciples were passing by the fig tree
they saw that it had withered and Peter
pointed it out to Jesus 11:20-21
b. Jesus taught the disciples about the need for
them to pray with confidence in God's
faithfulness to answer their prayer, and with
an attitude of forgiveness toward those who
have done anything against them 11:22-26
1) Jesus urged the disciples to trust God
(who is faithful) 11:22
2) Jesus urges the disciples to pray with
confidence in God's faithfulness to be
able to answer your prayer 11:23-24
3) Jesus also urges the disciples to
forgive those whom they have anything
against before asking God to work His
kingdom promises 11:25-26
B. At the Temple--Jesus is Challenged Over Authority and
Replies: As Jesus is constantly challenged by the
religious leaders as to His authority, He refuses to
directly respond (due to their intention to do evil),
but indirectly presents Himself as the Father's Son in
fulfillment of a proper understanding of Scripture
(unlike that of the religious leaders), and then warns
the people to not be like the scribes in their
hypocritical evil, but like a poor widow who gives out
of her poverty to the Lord 11:27--12:44
1. When Jesus and his disciples entered the temple in
Jerusalem, the religious leaders questioned
(challenged) Him as to the source of His
authority, but Jesus would not answer them
directly because of their duplicity, but did
through a parable tell them that He (and thus His
authority) was from the Father whom they were
rebelling against, and they desired to seize Him
11:27--12:12
a. Setting: When Jesus and His disciples
entered the temple in Jerusalem, the
religious leaders (chief priests, scribes,
and elders) came and began to inquire about
the authority by which He does the things
that He does 11:27-28
b. When the religious leaders refused to answer
directly Jesus' question about the source of
John's authority, He refused to directly tell
them the source of His authority 11:29-33
1) Before Jesus answered their question He
asked the leaders to tell Him whether
John the Baptist's baptism was from
heaven's authority or from men's 11:29-
30
2) When the leaders decided (for reasons of
fear) to tell Jesus that they did not
know about the source of John's
authority, He refused to overtly tell
them of the source of His authority
11:31-33
c. Jesus then cryptically revealed His authority
as being form the Father in Heaven to the
religious leaders through the parable of the
vineyard owner and the vine-growers who
rebelled against the owner's servants and
murdered His son, and through a reference to
Psalm 118:22-23, but the leaders sought (in
character) to destroy Him but were hindered
by their fear of the people 12:1-12
2. On the same day when the religious leaders left,
they sent Pharisees and Herodians to trap Jesus,
and Jesus exposed their ignorance by responding to
their question concerning the legality of giving
to Caesar with the instruction that one should
give back to Caesar and to God the things which
bare their respective images, causing the people
to be amazed 12:13-17
a. Setting: On the same day the religious
leaders sent some of the Pharisees and the
Herodians to Jesus in order to trap Him in a
statement 12:13
b. Couching their question in an atmosphere of
requiring Jesus to directly face the question
they were asking of Him, they asked Him if it
was lawful or not to pay a poll tax to Caesar
12:14-15a
c. Knowing that they were not seeking a true
answer, but to trick Him, Jesus used a
denarius to expose their misunderstandings by
teaching that one should render to Caesar and
to God those things which bare their
respective images upon them 12:15b-17a
1) Jesus knew that they were not truly
seeking an answer, and asked them as to
why they were testing Him 12:15b-c
2) When they brought Jesus a denarius, at
His request, Jesus noted Caesar's
inscription and exhorted them to give to
Caesar those things which bare His
image, and to God those things which
bare His image (one's self) 12:15-17a
3) The people were amazed at Jesus'
response to the question 12:17b
3. Although the Sadducees tried to stump Jesus
concerning the doctrine of the resurrection, He
skillfully corrected their ignorance by affirming
that the resurrected are not married to one
another as they suppose, and by explaining that
the resurrection must occur for God to complete
His covenant promises to the patriarchs 12:18-27
a. Setting: Some of the Sadducees (who did not
believe in the resurrection) came to Jesus
and began to question the existence of the
resurrection through a hypothetical case of a
woman who had been part of seven marriages
(in accordance with Moses' commands in Deut.
25:5), and then died to be "resurrected"
along with her seven "husbands" 12:18-23
b. Proclaiming that the Sadducees were mistaken
about the resurrection out of ignorance
concerning the Scriptures and the power of
God, Jesus explained that the resurrected are
not married but find communion with God, and
that the resurrection is necessary for God to
fulfill His covenant promises to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob (the patriarchs of the nation
of Israel) 12:24-27
1) Jesus suggested that the Sadducees were
mistaken about the resurrection because
they neither understood the Scriptures
nor the power of God 12:24
2) Jesus explained that they did not
understand the Scriptures concerning
levirate marriage because these
marriages are not binding in heaven
since the resurrected are like angels
who do not marry (but find life in
communion with God) 12:25
3) Jesus then explained the (Mosaic)
Scriptures and the power of God through
recounting that there must be a
resurrection in order for God to fulfill
His covenant promises to the patriarchs
(Gen. 12; Ex. 3:6) 12:26-27
4. Jesus responded to the sincere searching of a
scribe concerning the greatest commandment of the
Old Testament by affirming the ethic of the Mosaic
Law, and then exhorting him to pursue his search
for the Kingdom of God, whereupon, the people
stopped asking Him questions 12:28-34
a. Setting: One of the scribes who heard Jesus'
good response to the Sadducees asked Jesus
which commandment was the most important of
all 12:28
b. Jesus began His response by affirming the
uniqueness of YHWH as the One God in all of
life (Deut. 6:4-9), and then proclaimed the
moral law--to fully Love God--(and then its
natural expression to fully love men) as the
greatest commandment of the Law 12:29-31
c. The scribe agreed with Jesus' answer and
himself identified love as greater than
ceremonial sacrifices 12:32-33
d. When Jesus saw the scribes good response, He
stimulated his search by proclaiming that he
was not far from the Kingdom of God 12:34a
e. After Jesus' response with the scribe, no one
dared to ask Him any more questions 12:34b
5. To the crowd's delight Jesus explained through the
use of Psalm 110 that Jesus must not only be the
"son" of David (as the scribes affirmed), but must
also divine because He is also David's Lord 12:35-
37
a. Setting: When no one dared to ask Jesus any
more questions, He responded to their initial
concern about His authority by asking them a
question 12:35a
b. Jesus confronted the simple understanding of
the scribes that Messiah was (only) David's
son, since David himself identified Messiah
as His Lord 12:35-37
1) Jesus asked what the scribes meant when
they identified Messiah with the son of
David 12:35b
2) Jesus presented David's concept of his
son as being his Lord when he wrote in
Psalm 110 about the enthronement of
Messiah 12:36
3) Jesus therefore asked about the sense in
which Messiah was David's son since he
called Him Lord 12:37a
c. The crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus 12:37b
6. Through two contrary images Jesus warned those
listening to Him to not model their lives after
the religious leaders who will be judged for their
veiled evil, but to be like the poor widow who
sacrificially gave from her poverty to the Lord
12:38-44
a. Jesus warned the people to beware of the
scribes who look pious, respected, and
honored because they will receive greater
judgment for their evil toward the weak
(widows), and their hypocrisy 12:38-40
b. Jesus then honored a poor widow who unlike
all of the rest in the temple who were giving
out of their surplus, sacrificially gave all
that she owned out of her poverty 12:41-44
C. Jesus teaches His disciples Concerning the Future: In
a conversation with His disciples as they left the
temple and sat across from the temple on the Mount of
Olives Jesus explained that the temple would be
destroyed and the consummation of God's program would
be signaled by the ascension of one who would make an
abomination in the temple, but no one knows when the
final events will begin; therefore, the disciples
should be spiritually alert so that they will not be
found spiritually asleep by the Lord upon His return
13:1-37
1. Setting: As Jesus was going out of the temple one
of His disciples remarked about the splendor of
the temple (beautiful stones, wonderful
buildings!) 13:1
2. Jesus responded noting that these great buildings
will be destroyed so that not one stone will be
left upon another 13:2
3. As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives
opposite the temple Peter, James, John, and Andrew
were questioning Him privately for more
information about His prediction: (1) when these
things (tau'ta; plural emphasizing the destruction
of the temple and other events) will be, and (2)
the sign when all these things (tau'ta...pavnta)
are going to be fulfilled (suntelei'sqai ; cf.
Zech. 14) 13:3-4
4. Jesus teaches His disciples that even though the
appearance of one in the temple who makes an
abomination is a sign that marks the coming of the
Lord, that no one know when this entire event
known as the Day of the Lord will begin,
therefore, all believers should be watchful so
that they are not found spiritually ineffective
when the Lord returns 13:5-37
a. The Second Question--The Sign: Jesus warns
His disciples to not be mislead that the end
has come by the many difficulties which will
come, but explains that the sign of the end
will be when the one shows up in the temple
who make an abomination, because he will make
a great desolation; thus, all should then
flee and not be deceived 13:5-27
1) Negatively--False Signs: Jesus warns
His disciples to not be misled that the
end has come by the many difficulties
which will come (false Messiahs, wars
and natural disasters, and even
suffering) 13:5-13
a) Jesus warns the disciples not to be
misled by those who will mislead
many others by coming and calling
themselves Messiah 13:5-6
(1) Exhortation: Do not let
anyone mislead you 13:5
(2) Reason: Many will come and
identify themselves as Messiah
misleading many 13:6
b) Jesus urges His disciples not to be
frightened by wars and natural
disasters which will arise because
they are not the end, but
necessarily precede the end 13:7-8
(1) Exhortation: Do not be
frightened when you hear of
wars and rumors of wars 13:7a
(2) Reason: The wars and natural
disasters which will come are
not signs of the end, but
precede the end as necessary
birth pangs 13:7b-8
c) Jesus exhorts the disciples to be
prepared for suffering as they
present God's message which must
first be preached to all nations
13:9-13
(1) Exhortation: Be prepared for
suffering (Be on
guard/watchful) 13:9a
(2) Reason: Persecution will come
through the Jews, Gentiles and
family as they present God's
message world wide, but God
will enable them and they are
to persevere (remain loyal to
Christ) to the end to
experience God's ultimate
deliverance 13:9b-13
2) Positively--Tribulation and Advent:
Jesus explains that the sign of the end
will be when the one shows up in the
temple who make an abomination, because
he will make a great desolation; thus
all should flee Jerusalem, and not be
deceived by the wonders of false
Messiahs and prophets because the Lord's
return will be in full vision resulting
in the gathering of believers 13:14-27
a) Jesus positively identified the
sign of the coming end ("all these
things" 13:4) with the abomination
of Desolation standing in the
temple in accordance with
Scripture5 13:14a
b) Jesus urges those who see the one
who makes an abomination in the
temple to flee immediately from
Jerusalem and pray for good weather
during this difficult time 13:14b-
18
(1) Those in Judea should flee to
the mountains beyond the
Jordan river of Perea 13:14b
(2) No one should try to salvage
any thing from their private
lives, but should flee 13:15-
16
(3) It will be a difficult time
for those will children 13:17
(4) Pray that it does not come in
winter 13:18
c) The reason one should immediately
flee is because this tribulation
will be the most severe of times
13:19-20
(1) These days will be a time of
greater tribulation than has
ever or will ever exist 13:19
(2) The tribulation will be so
great that it would destroy
all life if the Lord had not
shortened those days 13:20
d) Jesus exhorts His disciples to not
be deceived by false Messiahs whom
others point to with miraculous
ability because when He (the Son of
Man) returns it will be in full
vision resulting in the gathering
of all the elect by His angels
13:21-27
(1) Exhortation: During the time
of the tribulation do not
believe those who come along
and point to one as Messiah
13:21
(2) Reason One: The reason one
should not be deceived is
because Jesus is telling in
advance that false Messiahs
and prophets will arise who
will show convincing signs
13:22-23
(3) Reason Two: During the time
of cataclysmic chaos (Isa.
13:10; 34:4) Messiah (the Son
of Man; Dan. 7:13) will come
in full vision of all to
gather together His elect
(resurrected OT saints and
tribulation believers; cf.
Dan. 12:2; Rev. 6:9-11) from
all over the world 13:24-27
b. The First Question--When?/A Parable--the Fig
Tree: Even though the above signs will tell
those who are watching that the Lord's return
is near, Jesus affirms that no one knows when
the "Day of the Lord" will commence (because
of the rapture), and thus the disciples and
all believers should be watching for it as
faithful servants 13:28-32
1) Just as one can tell that summer is near
from the new growth and leaves on a fig
tree, so will one be able to tell that
the Lord's return is near when one sees
the (above) things (tau'ta) take place
because that generation (with the
near/far view equaling the
disciples/future generation) will not
pass away until all these things (tau'ta
pavnta; cf. 13:4) certainly take place
according to Jesus' certain word 13:28-
29
2) The exact time of these things is only
known by the Father who will bring them
into effect6 13:32
3) Jesus urges His disciples and all people
to be faithfully watching for the Lord's
return (cf. Lk. 19:11-27) lest He return
as the master of a house and find his
servants asleep (spiritually negligent;
cf. 1 Thess. 5) 13:33-37
a) Jesus urges the disciples to watch
and be on the alert for they do not
know when the time is going to be
13:33
b) Using the imagery of a doorkeeper,
Jesus commands the disciples to be
on the alert lest the master of the
house come and find them asleep
13:34-36
(1) Jesus likens the alertness of
the disciples to that of a
doorkeeper who is commanded to
watch while his master is away
13:34
(2) Jesus urges the disciples to
watch like the doorkeeper
because they do not know when
the master is coming and they
do not want to be found by Him
asleep 13:35-36
c) Jesus' admonition to be on the
alert is not only to the disciples,
but to all 13:37
D. Jesus Prepares His disciples for His Passion: During a
time when the religious leaders were seeking to
secretly abduct and kill Jesus, He prepared His
disciples for His upcoming passion by honoring the
woman who anointed Him for his upcoming death, by
keeping the meeting place for the Passover meal secret
so that Judas could not betray Him too soon (before He
trained the Twelve), by teaching them of the
significance of His death, by demonstrating to them the
place of prayer during deeply troubling times, and by
being arrested alone in fulfillment of Scriptures and
of His words to the Twelve 14:1-52
1. Setting: The feasts of Passover and Unleavened
Bread were two days off and the religious leaders
were looking for a way to secretly abduct and kill
Jesus, but they were afraid to do so during the
festival because the people might riot 14:1-2
2. When Jesus received the woman's deed of honor of
anointing Him at the home of Simon the leper in
Bethany, Judas decided to turn Him in to the chief
priests, and began to look for an opportune time
to hand Him over 14:3-11
a. Setting: While Jesus was dinning in Bethany
at the home of Simon the leper a woman (Mary,
Jn. 12:3) anointed His head with very costly
perfume 14:3
b. Some of those present severely rebuked the
woman for her extravagant use of such a
commodity (worth three hundred days wages)
which might have been used to help the poor
14:4-5
c. Jesus corrected the woman's critics affirming
her beautiful work as an expression of love
for Him while He was with them and as an
anointing for His future burial which will be
spoken of wherever the gospel goes in the
whole world 14:6-9
d. Judas responded to Jesus' acceptance of the
woman's deed by going to the chief priests in
order to betray Him, and they were glad for
his help and offered money, whereupon, Judas
looked for an opportune time 14:10-11
3. On the first day of Passover (Thursday, Nisan 14)
Jesus sent two of His disciples to find the room
for which He had already made secret preparations
(because of Judas), and urged them to prepare for
the Passover there 14:12
a. Setting: On the first day of Passover when
the Passover Lamb was being sacrificed
(Thursday, Nisan 14), Jesus' disciples asked
Him where He wanted them to go to prepare for
the Passover 14:12
b. Jesus told two of His disciples in a cryptic
way (due to Judas, 14:10-11) were the room
was to be for the Passover 13:13-15
1) Go into a city 13:13a
2) Follow a man carrying a pitcher of water
13:13b
3) Wherever he enters ask the owner of the
house, "The Teacher says, 'Where is My
Guest room in which I may eat the
Passover with My disciples?'" 13:14
4) When he shows the disciples a large
upper room furnished and ready prepare
the Passover there 14:15
c. The disciples found all of the preparations
to be just as He told them, and they began to
prepare for the Passover 14:16
4. At the Passover meal Jesus announced that one in
the group would betray Him, and that the elements
of the meal were symbolic of His upcoming
provision for many proclaiming that He would not
feast with them again until in the coming Kingdom
14:17-25
a. As they were eating the Passover meal in the
upper room, Jesus announced, to the denial of
the group, that one among them was going to
betray Him in accordance with Scripture, and
that his destiny would be terrible 14:17-21
1) Setting: When it was evening (on
Thursday), Jesus came to the upper room
with the Twelve 14:17
2) As they were eating, Jesus announced
that one of the Twelve who was eating
with them would betray Him 14:18
3) They were grieved at Jesus' announcement
and said one by one that it was not them
14:19
4) Jesus again affirms that one who was
eating with them would betray Him just
as Scripture had written,7 but a
terrible destiny awaits the one who
betrays Him 14:20-21
b. At the Passover meal Jesus took the bread and
proclaimed it to be His body which they were
to participate in, and the cup as His blood
which was going to inaugurate the New
Covenant, then, He announced that He would
not feast with them again until He ate with
them in the future Kingdom 14:22-25
1) When they were eating Jesus took some
bread, blessed it, gave it to the
disciples and told them to take it as
participation in His body 14:22
2) Jesus also took the cup, gave thanks,
gave it to His disciples and they all
drank from it as He proclaimed it to
represent His sacrificial life (blood)
which inaugurates the (New) covenant to
be shed instead of many 14:23-24
3) Jesus proclaimed that he would certainly
not any more (emphatic) drink wine in a
festive way with the disciples until the
future time when He would drink it in a
new kind of way in the Kingdom 14:25
5. After singing a hymn, Jesus and His disciples went
out to the Mount of Olives where He foretold their
future defection of Him, unveiled His agony,
showed them how to pray, and exposed their
unwillingness to fight spiritually before they
entered into the physical realm of the struggle
14:26-31
a. Setting: After singing a hymn8 Jesus and the
disciples went out to the Mount of Olives
14:26
b. Jesus prophesied in accordance with Scripture
of the disciples' defection from Him when He
would be taken, and countered Peter's
insistent resistance with specific prophecy
that He would deny Jesus three times before
the cock crowed twice 14:27-31
1) Jesus foretold that when He was taken,
the disciples would all flee in
accordance with Scripture (Zech. 13:7),
but that He would rise and go before
them into Galilee 14:27-28
2) Peter responded by affirming his loyalty
above all others because He would not
leave Jesus even if all others did
14:29
3) Jesus then predicted that Peter would in
fact deny Jesus three times before a
cock crowed twice 14:30
4) Peter kept insisting (along with the
others) that he would never deny Jesus
even if it cost him his life 14:31
c. When Jesus and his disciples came to
Gethsemane, He took James, John, and Peter
with Him, expressed His inner agony to them,
and their need for vigilance in prayer before
the physical battle comes, exposing their
unwillingness to fight spiritually before the
physical battle arrived 14:32-42
1) Setting: Jesus and the disciples came
to Gethsemane and He commanded them to
sit there until He had prayed 14:32
2) Taking Peter, James, and John along with
Him, Jesus showed them his agony and
then exhorted them to remain where they
were while He went on by Himself and
wrestled with the Father about the path
which He must walk 14:33-36
3) Coming back to the small group of
disciples, Jesus found them asleep, and
rebuked Simon (his old name) for not
even watching with Jesus for one hour,
thus exhorting them all to watch and
pray in order that they might not fall
into temptation since the spirit is
willing, but their flesh is weak 14:37-
38
4) Jesus went again and prayed to the
Father, only to return and find the
disciples sleepy, and again to pray,
whereupon He returned and woke them from
their rest and told them that they were
now going to be thrust into the physical
struggle as Jesus was now going to be
betrayed 14:39-42
6. As soon as Jesus had spoken to His disciples, He
was hypocritically arrested under the betrayal of
Judas, abandoned by Jesus' own disciples in
fulfillment of Scripture, and even abandoned by a
committed believer when he escaped from being
apprehended 15:43-52
a. As soon as Jesus had spoken, Judas arrived
with Roman and Temple guards, identified
Jesus with a kiss, and the guards seized Him
14:43-46
b. One of those among Jesus' disciples (Peter,
cf. Jn. 18:10) resisted the arrest by
striking the slave of the high priest with a
knife and cutting off his ear 14:47
c. Jesus then questioned the procedure of those
arresting Him since they did not dare
approach Him while He was among the people
each day, and then proclaimed that their
arrest had fulfilled the Scriptures9 14:48-
49
d. When Jesus made it clear that He would not
resist His arrest, the disciples' loyalty and
confidence in Him collapsed, and they
deserted Him just as Scripture said that they
would 14:50
e. Jesus was completely forsaken as not only the
Twelve deserted Jesus, but also as a
courageous young man (Mark?) fled naked from
Jesus when He was seized for following Him
14:51-52
V. TRIALS-CRUCIFIXION-RESURRECTION-ASCENSION: Although Jesus
was unjustly condemned, abused, and crucified in fulfillment
of the Scriptures, He provided access to God for all men,
proclaimed His resurrection to His followers, commissioned
them to proclaim the Gospel to all people, and ascended to a
position of power and authority at the right hand of God
where He confirmed those who proclaimed the gospel with
miraculous signs 14:53--16:20
A. The Questionings: While Peter lied (in fulfillment of
Jesus' words) during his inquisition about his
knowledge of Him, Jesus told the truth before the
Sanhedrin and Pilate, and was unjustly condemned,
scourged, and handed over to be crucified, 14:53--15:15
1. Jesus before the Sanhedrin: When Jesus was led to
the Sanhedrin, he refused to answer the false
accusations brought against Him, but did affirm
His Messiahship offering proof when He returned as
Judge with God 14:53-65
a. Setting: Literarily, Jesus and Peter are
compared (for the later comparisons of their
questionings) as Jesus is led to the
Sanhedrin, and Peter follows behind to watch
from the court of the high priest 14:53-54
1) Jesus was led away to the Sanhedrin
(chief priests, elders, scribes) who
were gathered together that evening
14:53
2) Peter followed Jesus as a distance into
the court of the high priests where he
sat with the officers and warmed himself
at the fire 14:54
b. Death Sentence Testimony: The Sanhedrin
unsuccessfully sought out testimony in order
to put Jesus to death, but they were not able
because the false testimony was inconsistent,
even concerning Jesus' words about the temple
14:55-59
1) The Sanhedrin kept trying to obtain
testimony against Jesus in order to put
him to death, but were unsuccessful
because many were giving inconsistent,
false testimony against Him 14:55-56
2) In particular some gave false testimony
that Jesus was against the temple (He
would destroy it, and build another in
three days), but they were not
consistent 14:57-59
c. Even though Jesus would not respond to the
false accusations, He did affirm that He was
Messiah and the coming judge, whereupon He
was condemned to death, and physically abused
by many of those present 14:60-65
1) Question: The high priest asked Jesus
if he did not have an answer to those
who were testifying against Him 14:60
2) No Reply: Jesus kept silent and made
no answer (Isa. 53:7) 14:61a
3) Question: The high priest then asked
Jesus if He was the Messiah (Christ) and
even God10
4) Reply Jesus proclaimed that He was
Messiah and that He would one day (at
their resurrection) prove that when they
saw Him coming as the Judge of the world
14:62-65
a) Jesus proclaimed that He was
Messiah (ejgwv eijmi) 14:62a
b) Jesus also offered proof of His
affirmation when He said that they
(the human judges) would see Him
coming as Judge from heaven (the
Son of Man) at the right hand of
God (Power) (cf. Ps. 110:1; Dan.
7:13) 14:62
5) Response: When the Sanhedrin heard
Jesus' affirmation of Messiahship, the
high priest rent his robes (cf. Num.
14:6), the council condemned Him to
death, and the people, including the
officers, spat at Him, mocked Him, and
beat Him 14:63-65
a) Considering Jesus' words to be
blasphemy, the high priest tore his
clothes and the council responded
by condemning Him to death 14:63-
64
b) Jesus was then physically abused as
some began to spit at Him, mock
Him, and beat Him 14:65
2. Peter before Inquisitors: When Peter was in the
court yard of the high priest and was recognized
three times as being from the party with Jesus, he
denied it three times whereupon the cock crowed a
second time and Peter, remembering Jesus'
prediction, wept 14:66-72
a. Setting: As Peter was in the courtyard of
the high priest, one of the high priest's
servant-girls came and saw Peter warming
Himself by the fire 14:66-67a
b. Question: The servant Girl accused Peter of
also being with Jesus the Nazarene 14:67b
c. Reply: Peter denied that he was with Jesus
and went out to the gateway 14:68
1) Peter denied that he was with Jesus
affirming that he neither knew nor
understood what she was talking about
14:68a
2) Peter went out to the gateway 14:68b
d. Question: When the servant-girl again saw
Peter at the gateway she again began to
identify Him as one of those who was with
Jesus 14:69
e. No Reply: Although Peter's words are not
given, the narrator tells the readers that He
was again denying her charge 14:70a
f. Question: After a little while the
bystanders also began to identify Peter as
one of those with Jesus because He was
clearly from Galilee (due to his dialect; cf.
Matt. 26:73) 14:70b
g. Reply: Peter responded by cursing and
swearing while he said that he did not even
know the man about whom they were talking
14:71-72
h. Response: As the cock crowed a second time
and Peter remembered Jesus' prediction that
he would deny Him three times before the cock
crowed twice, Peter wept 14:72
1) Immediately a cock crowed a second time
just as Jesus had predicted 14:72a
2) Peter remembered Jesus' prediction that
he would deny Him three times before the
cock crowed twice (cf. 14:30) 14:72b
3) Peter began to weep 14:72c
3. Jesus before Pilate: When Jesus was delivered
early in the morning by the religious leaders to
Pilate, He again cryptically identified Himself as
Messiah, refused to respond to the false charges
of the religious leaders, and was unjustly
delivered by Pilate over to be scourged and
crucified because of the influence of the chief
priests upon the multitude, while Barabbas (a
known law breaker) was set free 15:1-15
a. Setting: Early in the morning the Sanhedrin
held a council and led Jesus bound to Pilate
15:1
b. Question: Pilate asked Jesus if He was the
King of the Jews 15:2a
c. Reply: Jesus told Pilate in a cryptic way
that what he had said was so (suV levgei",
"you say", "the designation is yours) 15:2b
d. Question: As the chief priests began to
harshly accuse Jesus, Pilate asked Him if he
was not going to defend Himself 15:3-4
1) The chief priests began to harshly
accuse Jesus 15:3
2) Pilate asked Jesus if he did not have an
answer to all of the charges the chief
priests were bringing against Him 15:4
e. No Reply: Once again (cf. 14:61) Jesus did
not answer their charges and Pilate was
amazed 15:5
f. Response: Pilate graciously delivered an
insurrectionist, known as Barabbas (son of
the father) and connected with a murder over
to the Jews for freedom, and unrighteously
delivered Jesus over to be scourged and
crucified due to the insistence of the people
under the influence of the chief priests
15:6-15
1) Setting: During the time when Pilate
usually released a prisoner for the Jews
as part of the Passover feast, a man
named Barabbas was imprisoned for being
part of an insurrection (against Rome?)
which involved the murder of someone
15:6-8
a) Pilate used to release one prisoner
for the Jews at the feast of the
Passover 15:6
b) Barabbas was one who was imprisoned
as an insurrectionist when a murder
had been committed during an
insurrection 15:7
c) The multitude came to Pilate and
began to request that they set a
prisoner free as was his custom
15:8
2) Death Sentence Given: Even though Pilate
did not know of any reason why Jesus
should be crucified, he graciously
released Barabbas and then scourged and
delivered over Jesus to be crucified
because of the cry of the people who
were influenced by the chief priests
15:9-15
a) Knowing that the chief priests had
delivered Jesus up to him because
they were envious of Him, Pilate
asked the people if they wanted him
to release "The King of the Jews"
(Jesus) 15:9-10
b) The chief priests stirred up the
crowd to ask for the release of
Barabbas rather than Jesus 15:11
c) Pilate then asked the multitude
about what he should do then with
the one called the "King of the
Jews" (Jesus) 15:12
d) The people shouted back that Pilate
should crucify Him 15:13
e) Even when Pilate asked the people
to identify the evil which Jesus
had done, they continued to shout
out that he should crucify Him
15:14
f) Wishing to satisfy the people,
Pilate delivered Barabbas over to
them, and had Jesus scourged and
delivered to be crucified 15:15f
B. The Crucifixion: Although Jesus was severely mocked,
abused, and thus weakened by the Roman soldiers, He
completely endured the crucifixion as the Davidite who
fulfilled the sufferings mentioned in Scripture, and
thus, provided access for men with God; whereupon, He
was buried by Joseph of Arimathea while two women
watched 15:16-47
1. The Way to Golgotha: After Jesus was severely
mocked and abused by a cohort of Roman guards in
the Praetorium, He was led in a weakened state to
Golgotha, and fully experienced His crucifixion
15:16-24
a. In the Praetorium: When Jesus was delivered
over to be crucified, a cohort of Roman
soldiers (600?) severely mocked Him by
disdaining His kingship through humiliating
apparel, and abusive treatment 15:16-19
1) When Jesus was delivered over to be
crucified (15:15), the soldiers took
Jesus in to the palace (the Praetorium)
and called the Roman cohort together
15:16
2) The soldiers severely mocked Jesus by
dressing Him in a royal color (purple),
putting a woven crown of thorns on His
head, hailing Him as "King of the Jews",
beating Him, and then kneeling and
bowing before Him 15:17-19
b. Golgotha: Jesus was led to Golgotha in such
a weak state that Simon of Cyrene was
enlisted to carry His cross bar, but Jesus
refused to take anything that would deaden
His pain, so He was crucified, and the
soldiers cast lots for His possessions
(garments) 15:20-24
1) After the soldiers had mocked Jesus,
they put His clothes back on and led Him
out to crucify Him 15:20
2) As they were going they pressed Simon of
Cyrene (of North Africa, father of
Alexander and Rufus, cf. Rom. 16:13)
into service to bear Jesus' cross, and
brought Jesus to Golgotha (Place of the
Skull) 15:21-22
3) Unwilling to take that which would
deaden the pain of His crucifixion
(suffering for all of mankind) Jesus was
crucified and His garments were divided
up among the soldiers who cast lots for
them (Ps. 22:18) 15:23-24
2. The Final Hours: From 9:00 A.M. until evening
Jesus fulfilled the Scriptures by being crucified
and separated from God as the Davidite thereby
providing access for men into the presence of God,
and was buried before evening by Joseph of
Arimathea under the witness of two women 15:25-47
a. The Third Hour: When Jesus was crucified at
9:00 A.M., He was being abused in fulfillment
of Scripture as He was numbered among
transgressors (the robbers on either side,
Isa. 53), and as He was mocked in His agony,
Ps. 22) 15:25-32
1) Jesus was crucified at the third hour
(Jewish time, 9:00 A.M.) with the
inscription of the charge above Him--
"THE KING OF THE JEWS" 15:25-26
2) In fulfillment of the scripture from
Isaiah 53:12, Jesus was numbered with
transgressors as He was crucified with
two robbers, one on either side 15:27-
28
3) Jesus was mocked by many at his
crucifixion: passers by, the chief
priests, and the robbers next to Him
(Ps. 22:8) 15:29-32
a) Jesus was mocked by the passers-by
who jeered that if He could destroy
the temple and rebuild it in three
days, He could surely save Himself
15:29-30
b) Jesus was mocked by the chief
priests and the scribes who jeered
that He should save Himself as the
Christ so that they might see and
believe 15:31-32a
c) Jesus was mocked by those being
crucified along with Him 15:32b
b. The Sixth to Ninth Hours: From 12:00 to 3:00
Jesus experienced separation from God
symbolized by darkness over the land around
Him, then, although misunderstood, He
proclaimed His separation from God with the
words of David, and consciously gave up His
life, whereupon, God symbolically
demonstrated that a way of access to Him had
been provided through the renting of the
temple veil, and the words of the centurion,
under the witnessing eyes of several faithful
women from Galilee 15:33-41
1) From the sixth to ninth hours (12:00 to
3:00 P.M.) darkness fell over the whole
land (symbolic of separation) 15:33
2) At the ninth hour (3:00 P.M.), Jesus
cried out with the words of David
expressing His separation from God (My
God, My God, Why have You forsaken Me?
cf. Ps. 22:1) 15:34
3) Some bystanders (deliberately)
misinterpreted Jesus words (Eloi, Eloi)
as a call to Elijah to deliver Him, so
they gave Him a drink in hopes of
preserving His life a little longer to
see if He would be delivered by Elijah
15:35-36
4) Jesus uttered a loud cry (indicating
that He was fully conscious), and died
15:37
5) Responses: When Jesus gave up His
physical life God symbolically expressed
the significance of Jesus' sacrifice by
splitting the veil of the temple in two
in order to express the access which all
now had to Him through Jesus' sacrifice,
and a Roman soldier experienced that
access as He proclaimed Jesus as the Son
of God at His death 15:38-39
a) When Jesus gave up His physical
life, the veil of the temple was
torn in two (by God) from top to
bottom indicating that access was
now available for all into the
presence of God through the
superior sacrifice of Jesus 15:38
b) When a Roman soldier (the centurion
in charge of the execution squad)
saw Jesus' last breath, he
proclaimed that Jesus was the Son
of God (a divine man--god) in spite
of the mocking that had gone on
15:39
6) There were several women from Galilee
who looked on from a distance at the
cross as faithful witnesses of Jesus'
crucifixion (Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James the younger, Salome, as
well as other Galilean women) 15:40-41
c. The Evening: Between the time of Jesus'
death and sunset, Joseph of Arimathea
courageously procured Jesus' body from
Pilate's authority, prepared it for burial,
and placed Him in a hewn out tomb with a
stone sealing its entrance while two woman
intently witnessed His burial 15:42-47
1) Because it was the evening (3:00 P.M.-
sunset) before the sabbath, Joseph of
Arimathea, a prominent member of the
Sanhedrin, and one waiting for the
Kingdom of God (a devout Pharisee who
regarded Jesus as Messiah, though
secretly, cf. Jn. 19:38), courageously
went to Pilate to request the body of
Jesus 15:42-43
2) Although surprised that Jesus was
already dead, Pilate granted His body to
Joseph after he learned of His death
from the centurion in charge of the
execution 15:44-45
3) Joseph took Jesus down from the cross,
quickly prepared Jesus' body for burial
with a linen cloth, laid Him in a tomb
which had been hewn out of rock, and
rolled a stone against the entrance of
the tomb 15:46
4) Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Joses intently witnessed to the burial
of Jesus 15:47
C. The Resurrection and Ascension: After an announcement
of the resurrection by an angel in the tomb to three
woman, personal appearances of the risen Jesus to Mary,
to two on a road, and to the eleven, and a commission
to proclaim the gospel to all people, Jesus ascended to
his position of power and authority at the right hand
of the God, and the disciples went out proclaiming the
gospel to everyone with the empowering confirmation of
signs by the Lord 16:1-20
1. The Resurrection Announced: When the women came
to the tomb early on the morning after the
Sabbath, they found the stone covering the
entrance rolled away, and a man in white inside
who explained that Jesus had been raised and they
should tell the disciples that He would meet them
in Galilee, whereupon they ran in fear from the
tomb telling no one anything 16:1-8
a. Setting: When the sabbath was over, three
women (Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of
James, and Salome) came very early on the
first day of the week to the tomb in order to
anoint Jesus' body with spices, but they
wondered who would roll away the stone before
its entrance for them 16:1-3
b. When the women saw that the large stone had
been rolled away, they entered the tomb and
learned from an angel that Jesus had been
raised and that they should go and tell the
disciples to meet Him in Galilee, whereupon,
they ran from the tomb, telling no one and
full of fear 16:4-8
1) When the women looked up, they saw that
the large stone had been rolled away
16:4
2) When the women entered the tomb they saw
a man (angel) who explained to them that
Jesus was not there because God had
raised Him, and that they should now go
to the disciples and tell them to go to
Galilee where the Lord would meet them
just as He promised 16:5-7
a) When the women entered the tomb
they saw a young man (angel),
wearing a white robe, and sitting
to the right (of where the body of
Jesus would have been), and they
were alarmed 16:5
b) The man in the tomb told the women
that Jesus was not there because
God had raised Him from the dead,
and thus they should go and tell
the disciples, and Peter, that
Jesus has gone before them into
Galilee just as He said, and that
they would see Him there 16:6-7
(1) The man told the woman to not
be alarmed because even though
this is the place were the
crucified Jesus was laid, He
is not here because He was
raised (by God) 16:6
(2) The man then told the women to
go tell the disciples and
especially Peter that Jesus is
going before them into Galilee
where they will see Him (1
Cor. 15:5) just as He said to
them (14:28) 16:7
3) The women went out of the tomb, and ran,
saying nothing to anyone for they were
afraid 16:8
2. The Appearances: Through appearances to Mary
Magdalene, and two on a road in the country, Jesus
gave varied testimony to His resurrection to His
disciples, but then appeared to them rebuking them
for their unbelief, and commissioning them to
proclaim the Gospel to all people 16:9-1811
a. Mary Magdalene: Jesus first appeared in His
risen state to Mary Magdalene who went and
told the others who were mourning, but they
did not believe her 16:9-11
1) The Appearance: After Jesus had risen
He first appeared to Mary Magdalene for
whom He had provided great deliverance
from demons 16:9
2) The Witness: Mary went and told those
in their mourning who had been with
Jesus (the disciples) about His
resurrection and appearance to her, but
they refused to believe it 16:10-11
b. Two in the Country: After Jesus appeared in
a form which was different than they were
accustomed for Him to two who were walking
along in the country, they also returned and
reported it to the disciples, but they did
not believe them either 16:12-13
1) The Appearance: After Jesus' appearance
to Mary, He appeared, in a different
form, to two who walking along in the
country (cf. Luke 24) 16:12
2) The Witness: The two went and reported
to the others (the disciples) Jesus'
appearance to them, but they did not
believe them either 16:13
c. The Eleven: When Jesus appeared to the
eleven disciples, He rebuked them for their
unbelief and commissioned them to proclaim
the gospel which would be confirmed through
miraculous signs to all people 16:14-18
1) The Appearance: Jesus then appeared to
the eleven disciples while they were
eating, and reproached them for their
unbelief and hardness of heart because
they did not believe those who had
witnessed to them 16:14
2) The Commission to Witness: Jesus
exhorts the disciples to go into all of
the world and to proclaim the gospel of
faith in Jesus for spiritual salvation,
encouraging them that their message will
be confirmed by miraculous signs 16:15-
18
a) Jesus exhorted the disciples to go
into all of the world and to
proclaim the good news (cf. 1:1) to
all people 16:15
b) Jesus explains that whoever
believes and confirms that faith
with baptism will be saved, while
whoever does not believe (thus not
confirming that faith with baptism)
will be condemned (in the day of
the final judgment, cf. 9:43-48)
16:16
c) Jesus proclaimed that miraculous
signs would accompany those who had
believed in Jesus as authenticating
evidence of the message (cf. 2 Cor.
12:12; Heb. 2:3-4): they will cast
out demons, speak with new tongues,
pick up serpents and not be hurt by
poison (Acts 28:3-5), heal the sick
(Acts 28:8) 16:17-18
3. The Ascension: When the Lord completed HIs
commission of the disciples, He ascended to heaven
taking His place of honor and authority at the
right of the father, and the disciples went out
witnessing to the world with the confirming work
of miraculous signs through the empowering of the
Lord 16:19-20
a. When the Lord completed His commission to the
disciples, He was received up into heaven and
sat down at the right hand of God (Ps. 110)
16:19
b. Then the disciples proclaimed the good news
everywhere with the confirming work of the
Lord through miraculous signs 16:20
___________________________
1 Goppelt, TYPOS, p. 98. Goppellt relates the angels of
Mark 1:13 to a rabbinical understanding that Adam was fed by
angels. One wonders concerning this analogy (p. 98 n. 176).
2 Ibid., p. 98.
3 Sinners and taxgathers; cf. Mishnah, Demai II.2; II.3; B.
Tal. Berachoth 43b; J. Tal. Sappath 3c.
4 But this was only Halakah. Mishnah Shabbat 7:2 reads as
follows: "The main labors [prohibited on the Sabbath] are forty
less one: sowing, ploughing, reaping, binding sheaves, threshing,
winnowing, cleansing [or sifting the coarse dross by hand or by a
coarse sieve]," etc.
Talmud Sabbath 70b-71a reads as follows: "Raba said: if one
reaped and ground [corn] of the size of a dried fig in
unawareness of the Sabbath but awareness in respect of the
labors, and then he again reaped and ground [corn] of the size of
a dried fig in awareness of the Sabbath but unawareness in
respect of the labors, then he was appraised of the reaping
and/or grinding [performed] in awareness of the Sabbath but
unawareness in respect of the labors: [71a]
5 This was referred to in Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11; cf.
Matt. 24:15); it occurs in the second half of the tribulation
period
Theologically, other historical events are related to this
final conquest of Jerusalem as foretastes of the end (Destruction
by Antiochus Epiphanes in 167 B.C.; Destruction by Titus in A.D.
70)
6 This probably does not refer to Jesus' return to earth,
but the initiation of the entire process beginning with the
pretribulational rapture (Jesus does not directly discuss this at
this point because the "Church" [a necessary prerequisite] is not
yet established); the logic is as follows:
"Day" in 13:32 probably refers to the "Day of the Lord"
The Day of the Lord is a broad concept including: (1) the
tribulation, the Second Advent, the Millennium (cf. Isa. 2:12-22;
Jer. 30:7-9; Joel 2:28-32; Amos 9:11; Zeph. 3:11-20; Zech. 12--
14).
The Day of the Lord will begin suddenly and unexpectedly (1
Thess. 5:2), and thus, logically, be preceded by the rapture (1
Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 3:10); therefore, no one but the Father
knows when this moment (the rapture) will begin.
7 Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; 2 Samuel 16:15--17:23; 1 Chronicles
27:33; Psalm 69:20-25.
8 Probably from Psalms 113-118.
9 Isaiah 53:3, 7-9, 12.
10 The Son of the Blessed One; (cf. Mishnah Berachoth 7.3)
14:61b.
11 Note well the textual problem in Verses 9-20:
1. EXTERNAL EVIDENCE favors the verses from the point of
the majority of witnesses, and the best geographical
distribution. But the earliest texts are without the verses;
however, they do leave blank space after verse 8 suggesting that
they knew of a longer ending:
The earliest manuscripts do not contain 9-20 ( a and B--both
of which are Alexandrian and fourth century. This is, however,
poor geographical distribution.
The majority of manuscripts do contain verses 9-20 from the
fifth century on: A (5,Byz), C (5, Alex), D (5/6, Western), K (9,
Byz), X (?), D (9, Alex), H (9, Caesarean), P (9, Byz), BYZ.
This is by far the majority of texts, and the greatest
geographical distribution of the text.
Some texts include the shorter (dubious) ending with the
longer ending: L (8, Alex), J (8/9, Alex).
Therefore, though not without difficulties, the external
evidence does favor the inclusion of verses 9-20
2. INTERNAL EVIDENCE is not determinative even though it
does allow for an explanation as to why the shorter view would
not be as easy to explain as an addition as the long view would.
Rough transition from verse 8 to verse 9 (women to Jesus).
But this is not determinative.
The introduction of Mary is as though she is unknown to the
reader even though we have Mk. 15:40, 41; 16:1. But this could
be descriptive of the greater ministry the Lord had with her, as
she now proclaims his resurrection.
Style is not Marken: One third of the words are not
"Marken," style lacks vividness, He does not mention the
appearance of Jesus in Galilee but Jerusalem--this is not
expected in view of so much of the book occurring in Galilee.
This is conjecture and hard to support in such a few verses
If Mark ended his Gospel abruptly with verse 8, it is easier
to see why some early copyist(s) wanted to provide a "suitable"
ending for the Gospel from other authoritative sources. However,
if verses 9-20 were part of the original, it is difficult to see
why the early copyists would have omitted it. This is an
important point! It is also true that the abrupt ending would
fit with the style of Mark. However, the focus upon the
disciples in 9-20 would also be an understandable emphasis.
Perhaps it was not included for theological reasons in terms of
the difficulty of the final verses.
3. CONCLUSION: Based upon the strong external evidence and
the possible explanations for the internal evidence, its seems
like 16:9-20 were part of the original text.
Although Grassmick, along with Metzger, reject the text as
being from Mark, they feel that the historical evidence is so
strong that they include it as canonical based upon the
communities' acceptance of them since the fifth century.
