The Gospel of Mark
Jesus as the Servant of God (Key verse: Mark 10:45)
Jesus who understands human suffering
· Mark is the shortest of the Gospels
· Author generally thought to be influenced by Peter
· Written during a time of suffering for the early Christians, during the mid-60s. It was probably written before the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE. (See Mark 13:2)
· Mark’s audience is Gentile and probably Roman. Neither the genealogy of Christ, nor the “Sermon on the Mount” are included in this gospel as these draw heavily on a Jewish understanding
· Mark take opportunity to translate Aramaic words into Greek (5:41, 7:34, 15:22)
· This gospel emphasizes what Jesus did, rather than what he taught (as in Matthew who records at length the Sermon on the Mount, and teachings about the kingdom of God, and Luke which relies heavily on parables).
· Mark contains relatively little that Jesus said, compared to the other gospels. Rather, Mark speaks of what Jesus did. This is underscored by the heavy use of the word “immediately” which occurs more than 40 times. “Immediately, someone did this or that….”
· Mark is thought to be the earliest Gospel, with both Matthew and Luke drawing material from Mark (This is referred to as “Markan Priority”)
· Only 7% of Mark contains material that is not found in the other gospels
- 80% of Mark reproduced in Matthew
- 65% of Mark reproduced in Luke
- Matthew and Luke share 220-235 verses not in Mark
- Mark is the least polished Greek, most reliant on “oral tradition”
· All of the gospel writings are held to be inspired by God and authoritative for the church.
· In comparing the gospels, it appears that Matthew and Luke may have used or drawn material already contained in Mark, as well as another source, which scholars call Q. They then added other material which would have been appropriate for their particular purpose
· The historical perspective: what happened in the life of Christ
· The first century church perspective: how this particular account of the life of Christ would have been understood by early Christians
· Application for us today: how does this text speak authoritatively to the church today
The Gospel of Mark
page 2
· Preparation for Service (Mark 1:1-13)
- John the Baptist’s work: preparing the hearts of the people (Mark 1:1-8)
- Jesus’ baptism (1:9)
- Reception of the Holy Spirit (1:10)
- The Divine Call of God (1:11)
- The testing of Jesus (1:12-13)
· Jesus’ Work as the Servant of God (Mark 1:14-8:30)
- Jesus taught with authority, and performed miracles with power and authority throughout the gospel (see Mark 1:21-28)
- Examples where Jesus demonstrated his authority:
1. In his teaching – Mark 1:22
2. Over evil spirits – Mark 1:27, Mark 5:1-19
3. Over sickness – Mark 1:29-30, and 40-45
4. Over sin – Mark 2:1-17
5. Over nature – Mark 4:35-41
· Jesus teaches on what it means to be a servant (Mark 8:31-15:47)
- The meaning of being servant: Mark 8:31-38
- Who is the greatest? Mark 10:35-45, note vs. 45)
- Recognition of Jesus as the “Son of God” by a Roman soldier, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)
· Jesus is the Servant of God who is Exalted (Mark 16:1-20)
· The Four Parables Contained in Mark
· Jesus: The Servant Who is the Manifestation of God in the Midst of Human Suffering
- Numerous occasions when he healed the sick, not necessarily always tied to an expression of someone’s faith. Jesus healed out of his compassion for their condition showing that God cares about meeting us in our need. Examples:
1. Mark 1:29-34
2. Mark 1:40-45
- Jesus fed the crowds out of compassion for their need. Mark 6:30-44, see vs. 34
- Jesus showing God’s presence in the midst of the storm. Mark 6:45-52