Gospel of Mark
Study
Week One
1.
Read Mark 1.1-8: What do we learn about Jesus?
2.
Reading Mark: Four directions[1]
a.
Downwards: focuses on how the text fits within
the whole book of Mark
b.
Sideways: compares the text with the other
Gospels (Matthew, Luke, John)
c.
Backward: focuses on the Old Testament
background
d.
Forward: focuses on how a theme is developed in
the rest of the New
Testament
3.
Mark 1.1 (downwards): everything in the book is
about Jesus and his identity as “the Son of God”
a.
Watch for this…
b.
Who understands the identity of Jesus?
c.
Who misunderstands the identity of Jesus
4.
Mark 1.2-3 (backwards): need to understand the Old
Testament story[2]
a.
Malachi 3.1
b.
Isaiah 40.3
5.
Mark 1.9-13 (sideways): compare to Matthew and Luke
a.
Matthew and Luke: fuller account
b.
Matthew: stresses Jesus/Israel parallels
c.
Each Gospel provides a unique perspective and
the uniqueness of the portrait is what the Spirit wants for us to see
6.
Mark 1.14-20 (forward): how is the “gospel” and
following Jesus developed in the rest of the New Testament?
7.
Author: Mark
a.
NT mentions Mark (John Mark or John) as
associated with both Peter and Paul
i. Acts
12.12 (John Mark)
ii. Acts
12.15 (John Mark)
iii. Acts
13.5 (John)
iv. Acts
13.13 (John)
v. Acts
15.37 (John Mark)
vi. Acts
15.39 (Mark)
vii. 1
Peter 5.13 (“my son” Mark)
viii.
Philemon 24 (Mark)
ix. Colossians
4.10 (Mark, cousin of Barnabas)
x. 2
Timothy 4.11 (Mark, useful in service)
b.
Early church fathers linked Mark with Peter à so Mark’s Gospel is
essential the recollections of the apostle Peter[3]
c.
Mark’s Gospel follows the pattern of Peter’s
preaching in Acts 10[4]
Acts 10
|
Mark
|
“good news” (v. 36)
|
“the beginning of the good news” (1.1)
|
“God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit” (v.
38)
|
The coming of the Spirit on Jesus (1.10)
|
“beginning in Galilee (v. 37)
|
The Galilean ministry (1.16-8.26)
|
“He went around doing good and healing all who were under
the power of the devil” (v. 38)
|
Jesus’ ministry focuses on healings and exorcisms
|
“We are witnesses of everything he did…in Jerusalem (v.
39)
|
The ministry of Jerusalem (chaps. 11-14)
|
“They killed him by hanging him on a cross” (v. 39)
|
Focus on the death of Christ (chap 15)
|
“God raised him from the dead on the third day” (v. 40)
|
“He has risen!
He is not here” (16.6)
|
8.
Date: AD 50’s – 70; likely date of around AD 65 (but see Wallace: mid-50’s)
9.
Audience and background
a.
Likely written from Rome
b.
Written to Gentiles: possibly to a Roman audience
i. Nero’s
persecution of Christians in Rome in the mid-60’s may be in the background
ii. Explains
Mark’s focus on suffering for disciples
10. Nature
of the Gospels: biographical sketch of Jesus from Mark’s perspective
·
Each Gospel has a unique perspective on Jesus
o Not
contradictions but complementary
·
Example: the temptation of Jesus
o Mark
1.12-13
o Matthew
4.1-11: Jesus as a renewed Israel
·
Watch for Mark’s unique perspectives in his
Gospel
11. Major
Structural Breakdown of Mark:
a.
Structure helps us to see how all the pieces fit: we see Mark’s main
focus
i. We
are to see the glory, power, and suffering of Jesus: Christology
ii. We
are to respond rightly to this portrait of Jesus: discipleship
b.
Structure can help in evangelism
12. Reading
Mark for the next seven weeks
a.
Read with your mind: think about; ask
questions
b.
Read with your imagination: place
yourself in the story and situations
c.
Read with your feelings: how does Jesus
make me feel—happy, sad, mad, confused?
13. Reading
for transformation: some thoughts by philosopher Gregory Ganssle
“How do we bring Jesus into our
core identities? … In my spiritual journey, I have found only two things that
help me bring Jesus into my core.
The first is obedience. The second is to meditate on the encounters
with Jesus in the Gospels.
“When discussing how our core
identities are formed, I mentioned that they come about as we inhabit certain
belief and value structures over time.
As we make choices along the contours of our core identities, they
become more deeply entrenched.
“It is easy to see how a person’s
choices to obey what she thinks God wants for her will bring Jesus more deeply
into her soul. Every choice she
makes to obey is a choice that following Jesus is more important or valued more
deeply than the alternatives. Thus
the person inhabits these value structures over time.
“Meditating on Jesus’ encounters
with others in the Gospel has also been fruitful for me. I began by asking questions about how I
fit into the story of the encounters.
·
When am I like the paralytic (I need to be in
the presence of Jesus but I cannot get there on my own)?
·
When am I like the crowd, so caught up in my own
concerns that I will not make room for others?
·
When am I like the Pharisees, standing in
judgment on what God is doing for others?
·
When am I like the four friends who would not
allow any obstacle to prevent them from bringing their friend to Jesus so Jesus
can do what only Jesus can do?
“Wrestling with these kinds of
questions brings me more deeply into the text. I see myself, my heart, my longings in a new light. And I see them within the story of
Jesus’ actions in the world. To be
honest, it takes me a long time.
Over the past decade, I have latched on to a few of these encounters and
thought about them constantly.
“As I see myself in Jesus’
encounters, I taste how he meets me
in more than my intellect. He
meets me in my affective world. I
find myself wanting him more. He
becomes more real. I begin to
experience the truth that Augustine observed: He has made me for himself.
I am restless until I find my rest in him.”[5]
14. Next
week’s reading: Mark 1.21—6.6
a.
Watch for the authority of Jesus. What does Jesus demonstrate authority
over in this section of Mark?
b.
In Mark chapter 2 the scribes, Pharisees, and
John’s disciples ask four sets of questions. What do Jesus’ answers show us about who is he and what his
character is?
c.
Which story/section did you find to be the most
moving emotionally? the most
challenging? the most confusing?
15. Schedule
a.
Week one: Mark 1.1-20
b.
Week two: Mark 1.21-6.6
c.
Week three: Mark 6.7-8.26
d.
Week four: Mark 8.27-10.52
e.
Week five: Mark 8.27-10.52 (cont’d)
f.
Week six: Mark 11-13
g.
Week seven: Mark 14
h.
Week eight: Mark 15.1-16.8
[2]
See Craig Bartholomew and Michael Goheen’s short treatment “The Story-line of
the Bible” for a quick overview.
Online: http://www.biblicaltheology.ca/blue_files/The%20Story-Line%20of%20the%20Bible.pdf.
[3]
“Clement of
Alexandria, Jerome, and Origen state that Mark wrote his Gospel while Peter was
still alive. If this is so, Mark
would have to have bee written prior to A.D. 64-66, assuming Clement of Rome is
correctly interpreted to be speaking of the double martyrdom of Peter and Paul
around that time.” Hans F. Bayer, A Theology of Mark: The Dynamic Between
Christology and Authentic Discipleship (Phillipsburg, New Jersey:
Presbyterian and Reformed, 2012), 166.
[5]
Gregory Ganssle, “Bringing Jesus Into My Core Identity” EPS Blog (March 22, 2012).
Online: http://blog.epsociety.org/2012/03/bringing-jesus-into-core-identity.html.
