Notes from Mark Study 2016

Steve Thomason

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Jan. 10 | | Baptism of Jesus

The first step in bible study is to observe the text. Read through it a few times and make note of what the text actually says. Then ask questions of the text. Here is a quick example of how I worked through :

vv. 1-3. Mark connects this story to the Promises of the Hebrew scripture. What is the Promise that God has been working throughout the story so far?

vv. 4-8. John the Baptizer is the foretold prophet.

v. 10. The Heavens are torn apart. A foreshadowing of what Jesus will do. What was the understanding of "the heavens" in the ancient world?

vv. 10-11. The Trinity is revealed:

The Spirit of God descends upon Jesus. How had the Spirit of God functioned in the story so far in the history of Israel?

The voice from Heaven says, You are my SON (implying a parent, therefore God is also Father/Mother). What is the significance of Jesus being interrelated to the Spirit and the parental voice from Heaven?

vv. 12-13. The Spirit leads (drives) Jesus. What does this indicate regarding the relationship/function of the Spirit in Jesus' life? in our lives?

v. 13. Jesus experiences 40 days of wilderness and temptation by the adversary (the meaning of the term satan). Why was it necessary for Jesus to experience these 40 very unpleasant days before he started his public ministry? Why is there an adversary, if God is all-powerful?

v. 14. Jesus proclaimed the Gospel (good news) of God. If he could proclaim the Gospel at this point in his ministry, how is the death and resurrection of Jesus part of the Gospel?

v. 15. The Key verse is 15. "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe the good news."

vv. 16-20. Jesus invited common people to leave their work and follow him.

Unpacking the message of Jesus in Mark 1:15

The time is fulfilled...

the term time translates the Greek word kairos. It has more to do with a pregnant moment of opportunity than with a tick-tock movement of time.

Fulfillment implies an expectant waiting. Something new is being born. Is this connected to the tearing open of the heavens?

the kingdom of God has come near (is at hand)...

the idea of coming near, or being at hand, is as much about physical proximity as it is about time. Jesus declares that the kingdom of God is here. You can live in it now. This is less about a place to go when you die, or an overthrow of the Roman Empire, than it is about a way of being in the world that resonates with the way of God. Jesus will demonstrate that through his life and ministry, ultimately expressed in his death and resurrection.

repent...

this is the Greek word metanoia. It means to change one's mental framework. We need to see the world through new lenses. It is less about giving up sinful behaviors in exchange for righteous behavior (the purpose of the Law) and more about rethinking how we perceive reality. We are invited to walk as if the kingdom of God were our present reality.

believe...

this is the greek word pistis. It is more about trusting than about intellectual agreement. To pisteuo is to jump in with both feet.

the good news (Gospel).

the Greek term is euangellion. You can see the word angel in there. angel means messenger, angellion means message. put eu- in front of any word and it makes it good. The Gospel is the good message. This phrase is present in the Hebrew scripture, but it is also a political commentary that pokes fun at the Roman Empire. Caesar believed that, through his military conquest of the world, he had brought peace to the earth, and this was good news. The Good News of God is that peace will come to the world, not through military conflict and oppression, but through the self-sacrificing mercy of God made real through Jesus.

Jan. 11-16 daily readings

Jesus Heals

More Healing

Jesus calls Levi

The healing gathers a crowd

Jesus' disciples and true family

Jan. 17 | Mark 4:1-20 The Parables of the Soils and Mustard Seed

‎Mark 4:1-20

‎

Observations:

‎Jesus was a rockstar. He now has a large following who crowd around to hear what he has to say. Why is he so popular? In chapters 2 and 3 he began casting out demons, healing the sick, and speaking with authority.

‎He taught in parables.

‎Jesus quotes . At first glance it seems like God is purposefully causing people to not hear. However, the point is that the people have been long ignoring God's Word, yet Isaiah and Jesus (and any prophet of God) preaches it anyway.

‎Anyone who has ears to hear can hear. In other words, God invites anyone who truly wants to understand the secret of the Kingdom of God to learn more about it and grow deeply into it.

‎Who is the sower? Is it God? Is it the prophet/preacher? I think it is both.

‎The sower was generous. He spread the seed everywhere. We should not be afraid or operate from a mindset of scarcity.

‎The Kindom doesn't always work. Jesus is warning his disciples that the mission of proclaiming the good news that the kingdom of God is at hand () is one that will be met with varying degrees of receptivity.

‎Some will simply reject it. Satan snatches it away.

‎Some will get excited, but will bolt at the first sign of persecution. It is interesting that Simon's name was changed to Peter, which means "the Rock." He was the prime example of rocky soil when he denied Jesus three times at the end of the story.

‎Some will be interested, but the cares of the world, the lure of wealth and the desire for other things choke out the kingdom.

‎Some will accept it. What does that mean? This ties back into Jesus main message: The Kingdom is at hand. Repent and believe the good news.

‎The kingdom of God multiplies. Later on in this passage Jesus compares the Kingdom of God to a mustard seed. It is tiny, but it spreads like crazy and is hard to stop once it gets going.

Jan. 18-23 daily readings

Jesus stills a storm

Jesus heals the Demoniac

Jan. 24 | - Jesus heals Jairus' daughter and the woman with the flow of blood.

Can I use the Jesus roller coaster to frame the story and establish why Jesus was so popular?

Observations:

Jesus is still surrounded by a large and eager crowd. His rockstar status continues.

Jairus is a community leader. This is a big move of humility for him to bow down at Jesus' feet.

If an important leader's child becomes sick, you go. Imagine if the Presiden'ts daughter became very ill. Don't you think they would call in the best of the best to save her?

There are two healing stories in this passage. The story of the woman in inserted into the middle of the story of the girl. If we read from v. 24a "So he went with him." And jump to v.35 "While he was still speaking..." The story of the girl makes sense.

How does the story change with the story of the woman inserted?

Would the doctor called to help the President's daughter stop her trip to address the poor, sick, bleeding woman?

The woman is unclean, because the Law of Moses says that a woman is unclean during her menstrual cycle and must be outside the camp. This was called the "Red Tent." This woman had been in a continual state of uncleanness for twelve years. That means she had no physical contact with other people. I can't imagine that kind of disconnectedness and feeling like you are marginalized.

Not only was this woman sick and marginalized, she was also poor. She spent all that she had to try to find a cure. Now she is nothing in society.

If Jesus was being pressed in on all sides by a large crowd, many people must have touched him. What makes the woman's touch so special?

Jesus said that it was the woman's faith that healed her. What implications does that have for others who are sick but are not healed? Do they not have enough faith?

I wonder if the girl would have died had Jesus not stopped to pay attention to the woman. Is this why Mark inserts the story here?

A dead body is also unclean, according to the Law of Moses. If a person touches a dead body, they become unclean. Yet, Jesus touches the dead girl. Instead of becoming unclean, he makes her clean. Jesus does this for the woman as well. He should have become unclean because she touched him. Yet, when she touched him, she became clean.

Jesus reverses the flow of power between the clean and unclean. His power makes the unclean clean, rather than become unclean by touching it. Is this reversal limited to Jesus, or are we, as Jesus' disciples called to make the unclean clean through our touch of God's grace.

He demands that they keep the girl's resurrection a secret. Why? It obviously did not stay a secret, since we are able to read the story. That makes us, the readers, part of the inner circle, doesn't it?

Jan. 31 | - Jesus is rejected at Nazareth; the sending of the Twelve; and the death of John the Baptist.

Observations:

There are three distinct stories in this reading...

Disbelief in Nazareth...

The people were astounded at his teaching and his power. They did not deny the fact of hip power, yet they could not let themselves believe it.

Jesus had brothers and sisters. That means Mary and Joseph (presumably) had more children after Jesus. This raises two issues. 1. Mary was not a perpetual virgin. 2. Jesus grew up in a sybling situation. What was his childhood like?

The people in Nazareth knew him as a boy and as a carpenter, prior to his baptism. Was he ordinary then, and that's why they have a hard time believing who he is now?

His power did not work because the people did not believe. This goes back to the woman with the hemorrhage. Jesus said her faith is what made her well. Is that why miracles don't happen much in the modern Western world? We have buffered ourselves from anything that may be deemed supernatural or Magic by the modern, scientific myth of objectivity.

Sending the Twelve...

Jesus passes his authority to the disciples. They can now cast out demons and cure the sick. Jesus' mission is multiplying. This seems to indicate that Jesus' power was not inherent in the fact that he was God, because it was present in the fully human disciples. What are the implications for us today? Is the power to heal inherent in the message and the mission of the Kingdom?

The twelve were to travel in simplicity. The mission was for the good of the other, not for their own gain.

There are three parts to their mission: 1. Repentance, 2. Casting out demons, 3. Healing the sick.

Death of John the Baptist...

Mark gives a relatively large amount of detail to this story. This is strange, since most of the book is sparse.

Why is this story so important?

Herod is intrigued by John and doesn't want to kill him.

Herod's own pride and the lust of his eyes are what trap him into betraying his own convictions about John. This leads him to cold-blooded murder.

It seems that Herod carries heavy guilt over his actions. That is why he assumes that Jesus is the resurrected John, come to kill/haunt him.

Mark likes to sandwich stories together to make a point. The story of the 12 sent out is sandwiched between two stories of rejection. The people of Nazareth reject Jesus because he is so familiar to them and they cannot let themselves accept the power that is right before their eyes. Herod rejects John because he is trapped by his own lust and pride. Are these examples of rocky and thorny soil? Nestled in between them is a picture of the good sower who travels from town to town spreading the word of the Kingdom of God in word and deed.

Feb. 1 - 6 daily readings

Jesus Feeds 5,000

Jesus walks on water

The Tradition of the Elders

Healings

Jesus Feeds 4,000

Feb. 7 | - the Transfiguration.

‎Observations and Questions:

‎Caesarea Philippi is as far north in Jewish territory as one can travel. The city was named after the Emperror of Rome and one of Herod's sons. It was also called Paneas and housed many shrines to the God Pan. Therefore, Jesus was as far away from the center of Jewish worship, physically, politcallay, and theologically, as one can get when he asked his question.

‎Up to this point in the story people are asking the question, "Who is Jesus?" Last week, Herod thought he was John the Baptist resurrected to seek revenge for his life. Jesus mystifies the people.

‎Jesus asks the most important question: Who do you say that I am?

‎The actual word Peter uses is Christ. You are the Christ. This is the first time that word is used since the opening lines of the Gospel. This marks the high point, and the turning point in the story.

‎Jesus begins to teach them. The rest of the Gospel is about explaining how the Christ is one who uses his power to serve people. The ultimate expression of this is to lay down his life at the hands of so-called Power. This is the very oppostie of the Caesarea Phillipi kind of power.

‎Peter did not want this to happen. Jesus calls Peter Satan. The word Satan means adversary. Anything that stands opposed to God's ways is Satan. How can Peter go from being the ome to declare Jesus is the Christ to being Satan in the same conversation? That is the story of our lives on a daily basis.

‎If we want to follow Jesus, we must take up our own cross. To be a disciple of Jesus is not mental agreement to theological ideas. It is the act of self-sacrifice for the sake of the world.

‎The great irony and mystery of the Gospel is that you must lose your life to save it.

‎These are harsh words. Jesus will be ashamed of us if we are ashamed of him.

‎Who will not taste death and what does this mean?

‎Why did Jesus appear with Elijah and Moses? What is actually happening in this scene? Is this a glimpse into a timeless/eternal existence? Is this a vision created for the encouragement of the discpiles?

‎The cloud and the voice is exactly what happened at Jesus' baptism. Why does this happen again?

Feb. 8-13 daily readings

The Coming of Elijah

Healing of a Boy with a Spirit

Who is the Greatest?

Temptations to Sin

Jesus Blesses the Children

Feb. 10 | Ash Wednesday | - Passion prediction, debate about who is the greatest, and the call to become a servant.

Observations and Questions:

Jesus explains his plan: get betrayed, be executed, rise again.

They did not understand and were afraid to ask him.

Is there a connection to their fear of asking and their arguing about who was the greatest?

If you want to be first, you must be last.

when you welcome a child, you welcome Jesus.

Ideas for Sermon:

Have you ever had that moment when you were in class, or in a meeting at work, and the teacher, or your boss, says something and you have no idea what he or she said?

What do you do in that moment? Do you raise your hand and interrupt the class or meeting?

The disciples struggled with this in the first part of our text.

Jesus explained the plan. We saw this past weekend that he spelled it out clearly for them. Here he does it again. He is going to Jerusaelm. There he will be betrayed, arrested, beating, and executed. Then he will rise again.

On the weekend we saw that Jesus told the disciples that if they want to follow him, they must take up their own cross and follow this same path.

Here, in , he tells them again, and they look at each other like, "Do you have any idea what he's talking about?"

So, the disciples are in that classroom and the business meeting with us. Do they raise their hand? Would you? Most of us would not. Why?

a. We do not want to disrupt the leader's flow of thought, out of respect for the leader.

b. We don't want to look stupid.

There's a word for that. Pride.

If we are honest, the main reason we are not willing to raise our hand is because of pride.

Insert classic man joke. We're like Moses' wife in this cartoon [graphic]

I wonder if that is what led to the next section of the story. At first glance it seems like such an abrupt shift between these two sections.

In verses 30-32 they are afraid to ask,

then in verses 33 - 37 they are busted for arguing about who is the greatest.

What connects both of these texts is pride.

"Hey, I'm not going to ask him, because I get it."

"You are so full of it. You don't get what he's talking about any more than the rest of us."

"of course I do. I'm way smarter than you. I don't need to ask."

I don't know. It could have happened that way.

What we do know is that they were in a definite struggle over who was greater than the other.

So Jesus pulls them aside and says two strange things:

If you want to be great, you must be a servant of all.

If you welcome a child, you welcome me.

As I was meditating on this whole text, it made me think about an important lesson I've learned over the past five years.

I don't know if you'll remember this, but one year ago I stood right here, preaching on Ash Wednesday, and told you about the humble pie I had just been served.

Last January I thought I would be done writing the dissertation for my Ph.D. and be done with the defense in April, and graduate in May.

I turned in my first draft and ended up having to rewrite it twice. I didn't defend until June, and I had to wait until this coming May to walk and receive my official degree.

That was a very humiliating and discouraging moment, but I'm so glad that it happened.

Here's what I learned from my PhD program: I don't know much.

When I started the program I thought that knowledge looked like this. [graphic] My brain is like a milk jug. I have this much knowledge. When I'm done with the Ph.D. I will have this much knowledge.

I quickly realized that it looked more like this. [graphic] My jug was completely annihilated and I found that I am swimming in a vast see of information of which I will only ever be able to grasp a drop.

Learning isn't about acquiring the answers. It is about learning how to better ask questions and be involved in the dynamic process of the interactions of life and ideas.

We could boil it down to a proverb, it might go like this. If you view every moment of life as an opportunity to learn, then you will never fail, and everyone is your teacher.

I think this might be what is going on in our text today.

If we approach life like we have it all together, like we hold the power, or the knowledge, or the chips, then we have everything to lose, and everyone is a threat.

But, if we approach life like we are servants to all, like there is something to learn in everyone situation and every person, then everything and everyone is valuable.

A group of us leave for Haiti on Friday morning. I feel so privileged that my daughter and I get to go on this trip. I can't wait to see what we learn from the people there.

Many times when we come to Lent it can be a really heavy moment. We hear the words, "you must deny yourself, take up your cross and die. You must become last. You must fast and pray and do all kinds of acts of service" And it's like this heavy burden.

Then we hear the words that will be spoken as the ashes are smeared on our foreheads. "Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return."

Really? Could we be any more depressing?

Ah, but this season it seems to be ringing differently in my ears.

These are some of the most liberating words we can ever hear.

The truth is that we are dust. This story isn't about us. We don't have to be the hero of the story. We don't have to have all the answers.

We are valued members of the human race and we are invited every day to learn and grow.

We are all wonderfully messy hunks of dirt that God has created so that we can learn and grow.

So here is my Lenten challenge for you.

Don't be afraid to raise your hand and ask questions.

Don't be araid of anyone, no matter how different they may be from you. Because you can learn something, and that person is valuable in what they offer.

Treat everyone you meet as though they deserve your service.

Here are some really practical ways that you can walk this journey during Lent this year.

Choose a service project

Noisy offerings are going to support children in Raiki and Haiti

Sole Hope shoes during Wednesday night suppers

Feed My Starving Children

all of these projects are practical ways that we can welcome Christ by welcoming the children.

Engage in Lenten Devotionals

grab a printed copy at the Welcome Center

Download and print your own copy from the Website

use it in a group

your family

a ministry team

a group of friends

Join the online discussion group at Grace Learning Center.

Feb. 14 | - The rich man is called to see all he has and follow Jesus.

I was in Haiti on this weekend.

Feb. 21 | Passion prediction, the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and the healing of blind Bartimaeus.

Feb. 22-27 daily readings

Feb. 28 | - The Parable of the Wicked Tenants

Observations and Questions:

Jesus is now inside the city walls of Jerusalem. We skipped the Triumphal entry story so that we can return to it on Palm Sunday.

Time slows down from this point onward. covered 3.5 years. covers 7 days.

We skipped an important story of the fig tree and the cleansing of the temple. Jesus sees a fig tree that has no fruit and he curses it. Then he enters Jerusalem and cleanses the temple. When he passes by the fig tree again, it is withered. This is an obvious allusion to the fruitlessness of the religious leaders.

The religious leaders know that Jesus is questioning them, so they are attacking Jesus. We skipped their question of his authority. Jesus deflects their question by trapping them with a question regarding their opinion of John the Baptist's ministry. Was it from God or merely human?

This parable is not like Jesus' other parables. It is not a mystery, but is very clearly attacking the leaders of Jerusalem.

The story is a very clear allusion to . The purpose of the vineyard is to produce wine for the whole world. Here we reconnect to our big themes for the year: CULTIVATE and blessed to be a blessing for all nations.

V. 10 quotes . This Psalm speaks of how the only hope we have is when we put our trust in the righteousness of God.

Jesus is the cornerstone of the new temple.

sermon ideas for Wicked Tenants

God's Opinion of the Temple that Solomon built

1 Kings 9:1–9 NRSV

When Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord and the king’s house and all that Solomon desired to build, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time, as he had appeared to him at Gibeon. The Lord said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your plea, which you made before me; I have consecrated this house that you have built, and put my name there forever; my eyes and my heart will be there for all time. As for you, if you will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised your father David, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel.’ “If you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut Israel off from the land that I have given them; and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight; and Israel will become a proverb and a taunt among all peoples. This house will become a heap of ruins; everyone passing by it will be astonished, and will hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this house?’ Then they will say, ‘Because they have forsaken the Lord their God, who brought their ancestors out of the land of Egypt, and embraced other gods, worshiping them and serving them; therefore the Lord has brought this disaster upon them.’ ”

It is important to note that God did not put his trust, nor did God depend upon the Temple. He agreed to acknowledge it as an important place, as long as Solomon followed God, but...

6- (NRSV)

If you turn aside from following me...8 This house will become a heap of ruins; everyone passing by it will be astonished, and will hiss; and they will say, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this land and to this house?’

Upon what are you building?

Psalm 118:5–9 NRSV

Out of my distress I called on the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me in a broad place. With the Lord on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The Lord is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

The Psalmist rejoices in the fact that God is the source of his protection and victory, not the power of mortals and princes.

Israel as the vineyard

Isaiah 5:1–7 NRSV

Let me sing for my beloved my love-song concerning his vineyard: My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill. He dug it and cleared it of stones, and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the midst of it, and hewed out a wine vat in it; he expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild grapes? And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard. I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a waste; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers and thorns; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it. For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!

The leaders of Jerusalem would know exactly what Jesus means by telling this parable. He is simply repeating the message of .

Feb. 29-Feb. 5 daily readings

March 6 | - Jesus gives the Great Commandment; warns against scribes; and contrasts the poor widow who gives all she has.

Observations and Questions:

What is a scribe? Most people did not read or write in the ancient world. It was very expensive and time consuming to produce written material, so an elite class of people emerged who were experts in the process. They were the most familiar with the texts, both political and sacred, and thus, naturally, were involved in politics, theology, and teaching.

The Scribe overhears the debate with the Saducees. There is a progression in this chapter. Jesus is first tested by the Pharisees about paying taxes to Caesar (politics), then he is tested by the Saducees about belief in the resurrection of the dead (theology), and now he is attacked by the scribes regarding his interpretation of the Law (ethics).

Jesus summarizes all of the Law of Moses into two laws:

Love God with a whole heart and,

love your neighbor as yourself.

The common denominator is love.

The scribe agrees with Jesus, thus squelching any debate.

The love of God and neighbor is more important than the performance of offerings and sacrifices in the temple. This is an important foreshadowing for the fact that the temple will soon be gone and sacrifices impossible.

Jesus acknowledges that the scribe gets it. This is the kingdom of God. The scribe in "not far" and Jesus' message is that the Kingdom is "near."

The people are delighted by the way Jesus plays with scripture and shows the short-sightedness of the scribes. Jesus declares that the Messiah is both

the son of David and

the Lord of David.

The sins of the scribes:

exalt themselves with images of power and position,

devour widows houses (what does this mean?),

exalt themselves with lofty words and long prayers,

Jesus contrasts the rich people's large amounts with the widow's small amount.

The rich contribute from their abundance; but

she out of her poverty has put in everything that she has.

This section ends chapter 12. Chapter 13 has Jesus leaving the temple. That means all the action of chapters 11 and 12 happen inside the temple.

We must view the vignette of the widow in light of the full conflict in the temple.

Jesus was attacking the powerful establisment and exposing what the Kingdom of God is really all about.

Love God,

love neighbor, and

she is what it looks like.

How does this passage answer our question: Who is the Christ?

A great teacher (he stumped the Pharisees, Saducees, and Scribes),

the

son of David (humanly an heir to the throne) and

the Lord of David (divinely the son of God and Messiah).

Leader of a new kind: the way of the widow.

March 13 | , - The call of the age; call to be watchful.

Observations and Questions:

vv. 1-8

The big showdown in the temple from chapters 11-12 are the immediate context for this conversation.

"what large stones" emphasizes the point we've been making the last two weeks about how enamored everyone was by the size and beauty of Herod's temple.

The whole thing will come tumbling down. Things don't last.

Is there significance to the Mount of Olives? It is "opposite the temple."

Four disciples are with Jesus, privately. We are privy to this conversation; in the inner circle.

The disciples wanted a "sign." What is the significance of this word?

It seems like Jesus is telling them that they shouldn't be looking for signs. Or, perhaps the kind of signs they are looking for are the wrong kind.

Many will claim to be the Messiah, but they are false. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines are not the signs.

vv. 24-37

"Here Jesus uses the language of the end (; ; cf. ; ). Sometimes this cataclysmic language was used for historical events (the Sibylline Oracles use it for an earthquake; cf. ), but usually ancient literature reserves it for the end or transformation of the present world order and the establishing of God’s eternal kingdom." Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 13:24–25). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

The phrase "the son of man coming in clouds" comes from . The visions of Daniel had shaped the imagination of the Jewish people for centuries. "The son of man" means that the coming king would be human, just as Jesus is human. What is the power and glory of Jesus? Is Jesus being ironic?

vv. 28-29 use the metaphor of the fig tree. I don't think it is an accident that Jesus curses the barren fig tree just before he enters the temple in , . Now, Jesus says that his Kingdom is the fig tree.

There are two statements that seem crucial:

"When you see these things, you know that he is near" and

"this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place."

These two statements seem to correlate to Jesus' first message: "The Kingdom of God is at hand." It is here. the fig tree of the new temple is sprouting leaves and about to bear fruit again. This does not seem to be something in our future, or some cosmic end-game, but the reality of Jesus' Kingdom at hand, bearing fruit in the world.

You do not know when the master will come

the evening

midnight

cockcrow

dawn

These four moments seem to tell the story of the Passion week.

The evening - The last supper, the garden, the arrest...

midnight - the trials

the cockcrow - Peter's denial

dawn - the resurrection

The whole point of this section is the phrase: "Keep awake." Jesus will ask his disciples to keep awake in the garden, knowing that they will fall asleep and deny him. Still, the point of God's Kingdom is to Keep Awake.

Sometimes, when we get so fixated on the "end times" as something in the future, we can be tempted to fall asleep. But, if the kingdom is at hand and the fruit of God's healing and justice is at work in the world, then we need to be alert and awake all the time.

What if the "End Game" the "eschatological hope" is the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit in the World? The Kingdom is afoot, and that IS the point.

from the section we skipped in vv. 9-23

This section seems to describe the destruction of the Temple at the hands of the Romans.

I wonder if Jesus is contrasting the vv.9-23 section with the vv. 24-37 section. It's as if he is saying:

"You think that the destruction of the temple is the end of the world, or that the Son of Man will return in glory like a mighty warrior king at the end of the world to bring justice and punishment to all the enemies of Israel. But, those are not signs of God's Kingdom. The "Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory" is when I die."

This is the theology of the cross. The mystery of God is that God's glory is revealed in weakness. The fig tree budding is about as spectacular as the signs of the kingdom ever get. Whenever you see a selfless act of kindess, that is the Kingdom of God. Whenever you see someone serve in true humility, not out of shame or compulsion, but out of love for the neighbor, that is the Kingdom of God. God gave up everything for us, and invites us to follow for the sake of the world.

March 13 | , - The call of the age; call to be watchful.

Observations and Questions:

vv. 1-8

The big showdown in the temple from chapters 11-12 are the immediate context for this conversation.

"what large stones" emphasizes the point we've been making the last two weeks about how enamored everyone was by the size and beauty of Herod's temple.

The whole thing will come tumbling down. Things don't last.

Is there significance to the Mount of Olives? It is "opposite the temple."

Four disciples are with Jesus, privately. We are privy to this conversation; in the inner circle.

The disciples wanted a "sign." What is the significance of this word?

It seems like Jesus is telling them that they shouldn't be looking for signs. Or, perhaps the kind of signs they are looking for are the wrong kind.

Many will claim to be the Messiah, but they are false. Wars, rumors of wars, earthquakes, and famines are not the signs.

vv. 24-37

‎"Here Jesus uses the language of the end (; ; cf. ; ). Sometimes this cataclysmic language was used for historical events (the Sibylline Oracles use it for an earthquake; cf. ), but usually ancient literature reserves it for the end or transformation of the present world order and the establishing of God’s eternal kingdom." Keener, C. S. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary: New Testament (Mk 13:24–25). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

There are two statements that seem crucial:

"When you see these things, you know that he is near" and

"this generation will not pass away until all these things have taken place."

You do not know when the master will come

the evening

midnight

cockcrow

dawn

These four moments seem to tell the story of the Passion week.

The evening - The last supper, the garden, the arrest...

midnight - the trials

the cockcrow - Peter's denial

dawn - the resurrection

What if the "End Game" the "eschatological hope" is the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus and the unleashing of the Holy Spirit in the World? The Kingdom is afoot, and that IS the point.

from the section we skipped in vv. 9-23

This section seems to describe the destruction of the Temple at the hands of the Romans.

What is Apocalytpic Literature?

"Recognize the function of apocalypse. It was a message of hope for the oppressed, a warning to the oppressors and a call to commitment for those unsure of their loyalties." Ryken, L., Wilhoit, J., Longman, T., Duriez, C., Penney, D., & Reid, D. G. (2000). Dictionary of biblical imagery (electronic ed.) (36). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

I wonder if Jesus is contrasting the vv.9-23 section with the vv. 24-37 section. It's as if he is saying:

This is the theology of the cross. They mystery of God is that God's glory is revealed in weakness. The fig tree budding is about as spectacular as the signs of the kingdom ever get. Whenever you see a selfless act of kindess, that is the Kingdom of God. Whenever you see someone serve in true humility, not out of shame or compulsion, but out of love for the neighbor, that is the Kingdom of God. God gave up everything for us, and invites us to follow in the same fashion, for the sake of the world.

March 20 | - The triumphal Entry

inbetween/Passion Week

The Desolating Sacrilege

The Necessity for Watchfulness

A Woman Annoints Jesus

The Last Supper and Jesus' arrest

Jesus Dies

Maundy Thursday | Mark 14:22-42 The words of Institution; Peter's denial foretold; prayer in Gethsemane.

Observations and Questions:

‎The opening line of the Words of Institution reads, "On the night in which he was betrayed..."

‎It is interesting that it does not begin, "On the night in which he had a dinner party with his friends..." OR "on the night before he saved the world..."

sets the stage for the betrayal. It is important that we keep this passage in mind when we look at the main text.

‎Jesus said, "one of you will betray me..."

‎The word betray is the Greek word paradidomi it is para + didomi which means give. There is great irony in this, I think. The word didomi is used throughout the Christian scripture to describe God's gift of salvation and the Spirit. Here the disciples give him over to the enemy to be arrested and executed.

‎In the night in which he was handed over, what does Jesus do? He hands over his life.

‎He gives (didomi) them bread. "Eat. This is my body."

‎He gives (didomi) them wine. "This is my blood of the covenant, poured out for many."

‎He gives them his body, and a promise (covenant). Even though you give me away to death, I will give you life.

‎The covenant is not new. The new thing is the blood which ratifies the covenant. No longer is it the blood of an animal, it is the blood of Godself, manifest in Jesus.

‎Jesus will not drink this cup until the Kingdom. Is this not the post-resurrection body of Christ, the church, filled with the Holy Spirit and producing the fruit of God's love for the world?

‎V. 27 you will all become deserters. this is the Greek word scandalizo where we get the word scandalize.

‎This is the same word used in the parable of the sower in Mark 4:17. They will fall away is the Greek word scandalizo. Here, in Mark 14:27 Jesus says that they will all "scandalize" i.e. Desert or fall away.

‎The disciples prove to be rocky soil. When the persecution comes, they scandalize. They deny him.

‎‎VV.32ff Jesus asks them to remain with him (harkens back to , "remain in me") and stay awake. They abandon him and fall asleep.

‎Jesus asks the Father to take the cup from him, but he is denied that request.

‎On the night in which he was betrayed, scandalized, and abandoned, and given over, he gave himself for us.

‎This is love. this is the promise of God to redeem the world.

Leviticus 17:11 NRSV

For the life of the flesh is in the blood; and I have given it to you for making atonement for your lives on the altar; for, as life, it is the blood that makes atonement.

Good Friday | - Jesus is mocked and crucified and wonders whether God has forsaken him.

March 27 | Easter | - The women flees the empty tomb filled with great fear.

post-Easter

Mark 1:10 NRSV

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

Mark 1:10 NRSV

And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.

Mark 1:12 NRSV

And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

Mark 1:15 NRSV

and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”

Mark 1:17 NRSV

And Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fish for people.”

Mark 14:18 NRSV

And when they had taken their places and were eating, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me, one who is eating with me.”

Betrayal...

deserters

Mark 14:27 NRSV

And Jesus said to them, “You will all become deserters; for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’

Mark 14:41 NRSV

He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? Enough! The hour has come; the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

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