Gospel of Mark
Study
Week Six
1.
Jesus in Jerusalem - a potential chiastic
structure
A (11.1) “approached Jerusalem, at
Bethphage and Bethany, near the Mount of
Olives
B
(11.11) “Jesus entered
Jerusalem and came into the temple”
C
(11.15) “came to Jerusalem…entered the temple and began to drive
out those who were buying and
selling in the temple, and
overturned the table of the money
changers and the seats of
those who were selling doves”
(MONEY)
D
(11.27) “came again to
Jerusalem…walking in the
temple”
·
Challenge: “By what authority are you doing
these things?”
E (12.1-34) Challenge
and Counter-challenge
o Jesus’
challenge à
parable (12.1-12)
o Pharisees
and Herodians challenge (12.13-17)
o Sadducees
challenge (12.18-27)
o One
of the scribes’ challenge (12.28-34
D1 (12.35) “he taught in the temple”
·
Challenge: “How do scribes say that the Christ
is the Son of David?”
C1 (12.41) “he sat down opposite the
treasury…observing how the
people were
putting money into the treasury”
(MONEY)
B1 (13.1) “As he was going out of the temple…”
A1
(13.3) “As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the
temple…”
Notes:
1. Movement into Jerusalem and
the temple and then movement back out again.
2. The center seems to be the
challenges of D, E, and D1.
3. If I had to pick the exact
center I would choose 12.1-12 which is the parable of the vineyard. This has allusions to Isaiah 5.1-7 and
its message of judgment upon God’s people in Jerusalem. On either side of this center there is
teaching about God’s judgment (cursing fig tree—11.12-14, 20-25; discourse on
the destruction of Jerusalem (13.3ff).
2.
Scripture used in Mark 11-12[1]
a.
11.9 - Psalm 118.26
b.
11.17 - Jeremiah 7.11; Isaiah 56.7
c.
12.1 - Isaiah 5.1-7
d.
12.10 - Psalm 118.22-23
e.
12.19 - Deuteronomy 25.5
f.
12.26 - Exodos 3.6
g.
12.29-31 - Deuteronomy 6.4-5; Leviticus 19.18
h.
12.33 - 1 Samuel 15.22
i.
12.36 - Psalm 110.1
3.
Cursing the Fig Tree (11.12-14; 20-22)
a.
Only destructive miracle
b.
Acted out parable in reference to the coming
destruction of Jerusalem
i. Jesus
quotes Jeremiah 7.11 (Mark 11.17) and alludes to Jeremiah 8.11-13 (Mark 11.13)
ii. Related
to Jesus’ action in the Temple (Mark 11.15-18)
4.
Jesus’ Temple action: “cleansing” (reform) or
parable of destruction
a.
“…what Jesus is doing in the Temple is cognate
with what he is doing to the fig tree.
He has come seeking fruit, and, finding none, he is announcing the
Temple’s doom. The fig tree action
is therefore an acted parable of an acted parable.”[2]
b.
“Why would Jesus banish the traders?... I
suspect that the answer lies closer to the mechanics of what actually happened
in the Temple. Without the
Temple-tax, the regular daily sacrifices could not be supplied. Without the right money, individual
worshippers could not purchase their sacrificial animals. Without animals, sacrifice could not be
offered. Without sacrifice, the
Temple had lost its whole raison d’etre. The fact that Jesus effected only a
brief cessation of sacrifice fits perfectly with the idea of symbolic
action. He was not attempting a
reform; he was symbolizing judgment.”[3]
5.
Mark 13: Theme = “Be on the alert/beware”
a.
v. 5: “See to it that no one misleads you”
b.
v. 9: “But be on your guard”
c.
v. 23: “But take heed”
d.
v. 33: “Take heed, keep on the alert”
e.
v. 35: “Therefore, be on the alert”
f.
v. 37: “Be on the alert”
6.
Mark 13: Judgment on Jerusalem in AD 70
a.
v. 30 “this generation”
i. cf.
Matthew 24.34; Matthew 23.34-39 (v. 36 à
“this generation”)
ii. Usage
in Matthew: 11.16; 12. 41, 42, 45; 23.36
iii. “all
these things” (ταῦτα πάντα)
1.
“Although it is sometimes argued that ταῦτα πάντα in v. 30 is limited only
to the events prior to v. 24, I do not find this view persuasive in light of
the natural progression in the discourse (i.e. from crises to climax). Often, the reasoning is based on an a priori understanding of vv. 24-27 as a
reference to the parousia…. But if v. 30 refers to the entire discourse, vv.
24-27 cannot refer to the parousia,…”[4]
b.
vv. 24-25 à
sun, moon, and stars - Language of judgment in OT
i. Isaiah
13.1, 17, 19 (especially vv. 10-13) - Babylon
ii. Isaiah
34.3-5 - Edom
iii. Ezekiel
32.2, 7-8 - Egypt
iv. Jeremiah
4.11, 23-24, 29 - Jerusalem destroyed by Bablonians
c.
v. 26 - Son of Man coming in the clouds
i. Daniel
7.13-14
ii. “clouds” = symbolic of judgment - Isaiah 19.1
iii. “The
‘coming of the son of man’ is thus good first-century metaphorical language for
two things: the defeat of the enemies of the true people of god, and the
vindication of the true people themselves. Thus, the form
that this vindication will take, as envisaged within Mark 13 and its parallels,
will be precisely the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple… As a prophet,
Jesus staked his reputation on his prediction of the Temple’s fall within a
generation; if and when it fell, he would thereby be vindicated.”[5]
d.
v. 27 - gathering the elect
i. “A
prediction of restoration immediately after a prophecy of judgment is a common
pattern found throughout Israel’s history. In the OT and postbiblical Jewish literature, no prophecy of
judgment, be it apocalyptic or prophetic by nature, is entirely complete
without a promise of national unity and vindication… The point to which I would
like to draw attention is the fact that the gathering is understood as a recurring
event and thus should be interpreted typologically in Mark 13:27.”[6]
ii. “angels” - “Several scholars have
identified these messengers with the preachers of the gospel who will gather
the elect through the missionary enterprise.”[7]
iii. No
mention of general resurrection argues against the view that this is the end of
history.
7.
Next week: Read Mark 14.1-72 (perhaps a few
times)
a.
Consider the amount of space Mark has given to
just the last week of Jesus prior to the crucifixion (Mark 11-16). What does this say about Mark’s focus
on the cross?
b.
Approach this chapter meditatively. What scenes or words particularly stand
out to you?
c.
Jesus in Gethsemane (14.32-42). Meditate on the distress and grief felt
by Jesus. Meditate on his prayer
in v. 36—in what ways might this be a model prayer for us? Some have claimed that other people
have met death with more courage than Jesus (i.e., Socrates, soldiers on the
battlefield)—what do you think of that, agree, disagree?
d.
For those who want to read about the rooster
crowing twice (14.30, 72) instead of once as in the other Gospels: https://www.apologeticspress.org/apcontent.aspx?category=6&article=759
[1]
Even though he is writing to a predominately Gentile audience Mark assumes that
his readers have a basic knowledge of the Old Testament. “The fact that he does not explain
these [references to the OT—rjk] to his readers, whereas in 7:3-5 he does
explain the post-OT Jewish rituals of washing, indicates that he assumed these
OT materials required no explanation.
His readers must therefore have possessed a fairly extensive knowledge
of the OT.” Robert H. Stein, “Is
Our Reading the Bible the Same as the Original Audience’s Hearing It? A Case
Study in the Gospel of Mark” JETS 46
(2003), 66.
