Encounter Jesus – Mark Week 1

What’s the Big Picture of the Gospel of Mark? Jesus the Son of God

Mark 1: 1-11

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Mark Week 1 Handout

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Lesson Notes

What’s the Big Picture of the Gospel of Mark?

Introduction

  • Very strong historical tradition this was written by John Mark, the relative of Barnabas who is in Acts and referenced by Paul in epistles.
  • Strong 2nd century support he recorded the words of Peter, either before or after Peter died. I believe this because:
    • Very detailed episodes involving Peter
    • Extremely negative about Peter – no deference to him or his status at all
    • Widespread, early acceptance of a gospel written by a non-apostle. Likely used as a source by both Matthew and Luke.

Organization – There is much less of it than Matthew(!)

  • 2 Broad Sections
    • First Half – Very fast-paced, episodic. Episodes separated by “euthys” – “immediately” or “and then…”
      • Familiar stories of Jesus, fired one after another
      • Climaxes in Mark 8: 27 – Peter’s Confession at Caesarea Philippi – the climax of the whole gospel of Mark
    • Second Half – It slows down considerably
      • More than 1/3 of the gospel is the last week of Jesus’ life

Style

  • “Immediately” – that sense of urgency, like a real-time news report, particularly in the original language
  • Individual stories have more detail than in Matthew, but overall it’s the shortest gospel
  • Less emphasis on what Jesus taught, more on who He was, what He did, how He suffered
  • Lots of Intercalations (“Oreos”)
  • Arguably a lot of chiasm

2 Really Big Ideas

  1. Who Is This Man?
    • The emphasis of the 1st half.
    • Heavy emphasis on “the Son of God” – note Mark 1:1 vs. Matthew 1:1
    • You see a lot of Jesus trying to keep it quiet – not because He wasn’t there to share the truth, but to try and control the narrative about Himself. It wouldn’t be a complete picture until He died and rose. Also crowd control.
  2. The Nature of Discipleship
    • What it means to be a disciple
    • Discipleship failure (which is encouraging for us when we mess up)
    • Suffering of Jesus and the disciples of Jesus

Jesus the Baptized (Read Mark 1: 1-11)

  • Verse 1 – Intro – Clear identification of what the book is and who Jesus is
    • Good News!
    • The Son of God
    • Identity is the subject of the 1st half of Mark, but Mark tells us right here.
    • Repeated in Mark 1:11 and just about every time Jesus meets a demon.
  • Verses 2-3 – Combine Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 (which is describing the new Exodus)
    • Remember in Malachi – the one who went before the Lord is like Elijah
  • Verses 4-6 – the Baptism of John
    • A baptism of repentance – symbolizes confessing and turning away from sins
    • Possibly the ritual used by non-Jews to convert, but may not have been true then
    • Salvation wasn’t just automatic because of ethnicity, they needed to repent
    • Wilderness & Jordan – bringing to mind a new Exodus and a new crossing over into the Promised Land. This was widely anticipated based on passages like Isaiah 40. Note that Jesus often does things that parallel the Exodus / Crossing.
    • The camel’s hair and leather belt = Elijah-wear -> 2 Kings 1: 7-8
  • Verses 7-8 – John’s Assessment of the One to Come
    • Far greater than he is, and he is a genuine Old-Testament-style prophet
    • Sandal removal was a nasty job beneath even a Jewish slave. That’s how much greater than John the Messiah would be
    • He will release the Holy Spirit – Joel 2: 28 – widespread pouring out of the Spirit.
    • We know this happened at Pentecost as Jesus had promised His disciples in John.
  • Verses 9-11 – The baptism of Jesus
    • Verse 10 – The heavens being torn open and Spirit descending -> Isaiah 64: 1 – this is the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prayer
    • Mark 15:38 – Curtain of the Most High Place torn when Jesus died. That curtain was an image of heaven (blue, purple, and scarlet with cherubim on it)
    • Jesus is God’s answer to Isaiah’s prayer. God has come down in Jesus Christ. No more separation from mankind.
    • Verse 11 – The Voice of God
      • Trinitarian moment – Father, Son, and Spirit
      • God speaks again in Mark 9:7 (Transfiguration) – “This is my beloved Son”