Lecture Two: The Gospel of Mark - How Jesus Became King

The Jerusalem Ministry (11:1–13:37)

Jesus Comes to Jerusalem as King (11:1-11)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 21:1-11

Jesus Curses a Fig Tree and Clears the Temple Courts (11:12-26)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 21:12-22

The Authority of Jesus Questioned (11:27-33)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 21:23-27

The Parable of the Tenants (12:1-12)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 21:33-46

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar (12:13-17)

Covered more thoroughly in Luke 20:20-26

Marriage at the Resurrection (12:18-27)

Covered more thoroughly in Luke 20:27-40

The Greatest Commandment (12:28-34)

While Jesus was debating with the Sadducees a scribe was impressed and asked Jesus a question: What is the most important commandment?

Jesus recites the Shema in response, saying, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”

He then adds that the second is to “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

The scribe strongly agrees with Jesus on this, and Jesus tells him that he is not far from the Kingom of God.

Scribe’s reply to Jesus about importance of loving God and neighbor (12:32-34) unique to Mark’s Gospel

Whose Son Is the Messiah? (12:35-37)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 22:41-46

Warning Against the Teachers of the Law (12:38-40)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 23:1-39

The Widow’s Offering (12:41-44)

Jesus was at the Temple and sat across from the offering place and watched people come and give offerings.

He saw many rich people come and put in bunches of money, but then he also saw a poor widow put in two small copper coins.

Jesus then said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times (13:1-31)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 24:1-35

The disciples were impressed with the large stones used to build the Temple, so Jesus began to tell them about the future and how all these stones would be toppled over.

He began to tell them about the terrible days that would come in the future, and the signs that would appear in the sky, and the false messiahs who would come, and how one day he himself – the Son of Man – would appear in the clouds in power and glory to gather up his children from the earth.

The Day and Hour Unknown (13:32-37)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 24:1-35

But then he added no one knows when this is all going to take place – no one – not the angels, not even Jesus himself – only God the Father knows. It will be a surprise, so be prepared!

Parable of the Doorkeeper

He adds:

“It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.”

“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Analogy of man going on journey and leaving doorkeeper to be on watch (13:34) unique to Mark’s Gospel

Mark’s Passion Narrative: Jesus’ Trial and Crucifixion (14:1–15:47)

Jesus Anointed at Bethany (14:1-11)

Covered more thoroughly in Luke 7:36-50

The Last Supper (14:12-26)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 26:17-30 and Luke 22:7-23

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial (14:27-31)

After Jesus shared his last Passover Meal with his disciples, they sang a hymn and went to the Mount of Olives.

Jesus predicts that all of the disciples will fall away from him, reciting, “Strike the shepherd, scatter the sheep.”

But he promises that after he rises he will go to Galilee and meet them there.

Peter then declares his loyalty to Jesus saying he would never fall away.

Jesus says to him, “I tell you the truth, today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”

But Peter insisted, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same thing.

Gethsemane (14:32-42)

Jesus took his disciples to a place called Gethsemane and had them sit and pray while he took Peter, James, and John along with him.

“The word gethsemane means ‘olive press’ and symbolizes the weight that Jesus carried as He went to the cross. The gethsemane was symbolic of a human burden in Christ’s time, too, but it was on the shoulders of the Jewish people. The gethsemane was an economic leash, tying the lower classes of society to the purse strings of the wealthy who owned the olive presses. The masses looked to the promised Messiah, who would come from the ‘stump’ - understood to be an olive tree - of Jesse, to release them from their burdens.”

Jesus became deathly terrified at this point and told them to stay and keep watch.

Jesus went off a bit further by himself and began to cry out to God, saying, “Abba! You can do anything! Take this cup away from me! But don’t do what I want, do what you want.”

Jesus came back to his disciples and found them asleep, so he said to Peter, “You’re asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Jesus went to pray again and when he came back later he found them sleeping again and they didn’t know what to say to him.

This happened a third time and Jesus exclaimed, “Are you still taking a nap? Enough already! The hour has come! Look! The Son of Man is being handed over to sinners! Get up! Let’s go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Jesus Arrested (14:43-52)

Just then Judas showed up with an armed crowd of thugs from the chief priests and torah-teachers.

Judas came over and kissed Jesus, which was his signal to the crowd to come arrest that man.

The men seized Jesus, and one of the disciples panicked, grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of the servants of the high priest.

Jesus then spoke up: “Am I leading a rebellion that you have come out with swords and clubs to capture me? Every day I was with you, teaching in the temple courts, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must be fulfilled.”

Then everyone with Jesus ran away and hid.

“A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.”

The naked young man running away (14:51-52) unique to Mark’s Gospel

Jesus Before the Sanhedrin (14:53-65)

Covered more thoroughly in Matthew 26:57-68

Peter Disowns Jesus (14:66-72)

Covered more thoroughly in Luke 22:54-62

Jesus Before Pilate (15:1-15)

Very early in the morning, the Sanhedrin decided to drag Jesus over to the Roman Governor Pilate for a decision on what to do with him.

Pilate: Are you the King of the Jews?

Jesus: You said it.

The priests started accusing Jesus of all kinds of stuff, but Jesus didn’t say anything, so Pilate was like, “Aren’t you going to say something in your own defense?”

But Jesus still said nothing and Pilate was amazed at him.

At this point the narrator informs us that it was traditional for a prisoner to be released once a year at the request of the people. He also tells us that there was at this time a known terrorist and murderer locked up in prison named Barabbas.

The crowd chose this opportunity to ask Pilate for the traditional release of a prisoner.

Pilate was like, “Uhh… okay. Do you want this ‘King of the Jews’ back?”

But the crowd had turned against Jesus, and they were like, “No! Give us the terrorist! Set Barabbas free!”

Pilate thought this was kind of stupid, so he was like, “What should I do with this ‘King of the Jews’ then?”

The crowd shouted, “Crucify him!”

Pilate was dumbfounded, and asked, “Why? What crime has he committed?”

But the crowd kept screaming “Crucify!” so Pilate gave in to them. He released Barabbas, and had Jesus flogged and handed him over to be crucified.

Christus Caesar

“Mark was traditionally a Roman disciple of Peter, who recorded Peter’s account of Jesus’ life and ministry, primarily to a Roman audience.”

“As such, a number of contemporary scholars have noted how, during the story of Jesus’ passion, Mark calls out specific details which seem to mirror that of the Roman Triumphus, as does Matthew (who had been a Roman tax collector).”

“We are given a perfect example of a meta-narrative in which Jesus is being coronated as the Son of God; he is contrasted with Caesar, who can only pretend to be a god.”

“This was a highly subversive message, particular between the reigns of Nero and Trajan when people were executed for not recognizing the ‘godhood’ of Caesar, and it is a subversive message for us today.”

Step One

The Praetorian Guard, the elite of Caesar’s troops and personal bodyguards, would assemble in the Praetorium, surrounding the Caesar, along with his key supporters (the senate, magistrates, etc.)

Jesus is brought to the Praetorium and surrounded by the company of soldiers (Mark 15:16) – note that a company of soldiers is 6,000 people! Matthew and Mark both call out the place as the Praetorium (which is not a Greek word, and is unusual to be called out specifically, using the Latin word).

Step Two

A golden olive-wreath (signifying a crown of victory) was removed from the Temple of Zeus, along with a purple robe (signifying royalty) and a scepter (symbolic of the full authority of Rome) were brought to the Caesar, who would wear the wreath on his head, the robe on his body, and carry the scepter to show his authority.

Jesus is given a purple robe and a crown of thorns (and is beaten with a scepter) (Mark 15:17-19) – According to Roman law, only those with a rank of Equestrian could wear purple (with Pilate and Herod as the only eligible people in Judea), yet they found one to borrow to use on Jesus.

Step Three

The Praetorian Guard would chant “Hail Caesar! Triumphe! Show us you are a god!” over and over, in recognition of him, paying personal homage before the public procession.

The soldiers chant “Hail, King of the Jews!” and pay homage to him (Mark’s words) (Mark 15:18-20)

Step Four

Chanting, the procession would go out from the Praetorium, through the streets of Rome, led by the Roman soldiers, followed by Caesar. Behind him, or along with him, was the sacrificial bull that would be sacrificed to give him entrance into the pantheon of the gods. A servant would accompany the bull, carrying a large axe, which would be used to sacrifice the bull to the gods. Additionally, soldiers would carry burning incense to spread the scent of victory for the Caesar – so that his aroma would be throughout the city.

Jesus is taken in procession out to the streets, where Simon the Cyrene follows along with him, carrying the instrument of execution. (Mark 15:21)

Step Five

The procession continued to the top of the highest hill in Rome – the Capitoline, whose name means “Head Hill” (based on the myth that an undecayed human head was found there during the building of Rome) and stop in front of the Capitoleum.

They took Jesus to a hill called Golgotha (which literally translates “Head Hill”). (Mark 15:22)

Step Six

There, at the Capitoleum, the emperor would come forward with the bull and the servant/executioner, where he would be offered a bowl of wine mixed with myrrh. He would refuse the bowl and pour it out onto the bull, symbolically placing something from himself onto the bull so as to symbolically share its fate. As soon as he had poured out the wine, the bull was killed, so that the linkage of the sacrifice and Caesar’s godhood were clear to all of the people.

They offered him wine mixed with Myrrh, which he refused. Immediately after this refusal, they crucified him. (Mark 15:23-24)

Step Seven

Taking his first-in-command on his right and his second-in-command on his left, the Caesar would ascend into the Capitoleum to the throne and symbolically to godhood.

They crucified two zealots/terrorists with him, one on his right and one on his left. (Mark 15:27) (Note: The term for ‘robbers’ indicates that they were likely political prisoners who were zealots, rather than common thieves.)

Step Eight

When he got to the top of the steps, the crowd would continue to acclaim him – “Hail Caesar! Triumphe! Show us you are a god!”

“Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, ‘So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!’ In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. ‘He saved others,’ they said, ‘but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.’ Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.” (Mark 15:29-32)

Step Nine

They would then wait for the gods to send them a sign that the gods were recognizing him (On at least one occasion, there was an eclipse on the same day), after which Caesar was declared to be a true son of the gods.

Then, darkness fell over the land for three hours (Mark 15:33), and God gave a sign by tearing the Temple veil in two (Mark 15:38) and caused an earthquake and mass-resurrection of many holy people (Matt 27:51-53) and a Roman soldier declared that Jesus was surely the Son of God. (Mark 15:39)

The Soldiers Mock Jesus (15:16-20)

Jesus is brought to the Praetorium and surrounded by the company of soldiers

Jesus is given a purple robe and a crown of thorns and is beaten with a scepter.

The soldiers chant “Hail, King of the Jews!” and pay homage to him.

The Crucifixion of Jesus (15:21-32)

Jesus is taken in procession out to the streets, where Simon the Cyrene follows along with him, carrying the instrument of execution.

They took Jesus to a hill called Golgotha

They offered him wine mixed with Myrrh, which he refused. Immediately after this refusal, they crucified him.

He is placed on the cross at 9:00am, at the exact time of the daily morning sacrifice at the Temple

The Death of Jesus (15:33-41)

He dies at exactly 3:00pm, at the exact time of the daily afternoon sacrifice at the Temple

And the curtain in the Temple was suddenly torn in two from top to bottom at this very moment – no more separation from God

When a Roman soldier saw the way Jesus dies and everything that had happened he declared, “Surely this man was the son of God!”

The Burial of Jesus (15:42-47)

Jesus was dead and the Sabbath would begin at sunset, so a man named Joseph who was from Arimathea went to Pilate and demanded Jesus’ body.

Joseph was a member of the Jewish council who believed in Jesus and did not take part in their plot against him.

Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the centurion as witness and the centurion confirmed Jesus’ death.

Pilate asking whether Jesus was already dead (15:44) unique to Mark’s Gospel

Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock.

Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb while Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph watched.

Postlude: The Empty Tomb (16:1-8)

“When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.”

“Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, ‘Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?’”

Question about who will roll away the stone (16:3) unique to Mark’s Gospel

We learn from Matthew’s Gospel that they weren’t concerned about moving the stone because it was too heavy for them, but because it had Pilate’s seal on it.

“But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.”

“As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were afraid.”

The young man in white said:

“Don’t be afraid! You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. Look! You can see where they laid him! But go! Tell his disciples, especially Peter, that he is going ahead of you into Galilee. And you will see him there, just like he told you.’”

Shaking from fear and confused, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.

Disciples afraid and not telling anyone (16:8b) unique to Mark’s Gospel

Later Additions to the Postlude (16:9-20)

Mark originally ended with them being afraid and not telling anyone anything.

This was perhaps his way of saying that the story of Jesus wasn’t over yet, and it was up to the reader to decide whether or not they would put their faith in the resurrection.

However, later members of the church apparently thought Mark’s gospel was a bit too open-ended and needed more closure, so they added to it details taken from the other three canonical gospels to help clean up Mark’s rather abrupt and confusing ending.

They came up with both a short ending and a longer ending for Mark.

The short version sums things up this way:

“Then they quickly reported all these instructions to those around Peter. After this, Jesus himself also sent out through them from east to west the sacred and imperishable proclamation of eternal salvation. Amen.”

The longer version takes details from the other gospels and Acts:

From Matthew and John:

The book describes Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene, who is now described as someone whom Jesus healed from possession by seven demons. She then tells the other disciples what she saw, but no one believes her.

From Luke:

Then Jesus appears "in a different form" to two unnamed disciples. They, too, are disbelieved when they tell what they saw.

From Matthew, Luke, and John:

Jesus then appears at dinner to all the remaining eleven Apostles. He rebukes them for not believing the earlier reports of his resurrection and gives them instructions to go and preach his message to all creation. Those who believe and are baptized will be saved, but unbelievers will be condemned.

From Acts:

In verses 17-18, Jesus states that believers will "speak in new tongues." They will also be able to handle snakes, be immune from any poison they might happen to drink, and will be able to heal the sick.

From Luke and Acts:

According to verse 19, Jesus then is taken up into heaven where, Mark claims, he sits at the right hand of God. The right hand is seen as the position of power.

After the ascension, his eleven disciples then went out and preached "everywhere," and several signs from God accompanied their preaching.