This week we return to The Gospel According to Mark. In the winter/spring of 2023, we worked through the opening chapters of the Gospel, culminating in Jesus’ healing of Jarius’ daughter and the woman who was bleeding for twelve years (Mark 5). This past winter/spring, we picked up the story in chapter 6 with Jesus’ own return to his hometown, and continued through chapter 10 and Jesus’ healing of blind Bartimaeus. Now in early 2025, we will wrap the Gospel with a focus on Mark’s depiction of the death and resurrection of our Lord (chapters 11-16).
From beginning to end, the Gospel of Mark proclaims the Kingship of Jesus—Jesus came as King, as the King of all. This Kingship dominates His ministry of mercy, His teaching of grace, and especially, His sacrifice of love for His people. Mark’s gospel covers the identity of Jesus (revealing Him as the King) and the purpose of Jesus (the King and the cross).
This spring during worship we will be working our way through the closing chapters of the Gospel of Mark which basically covers the last week of Christ’s earthly life. Jesus is the crux of our worship, our salvation and our lives, so spending time studying the Passion Week will be well spent. Mark is a great place to get a picture of Jesus’ life and death, in part because everything happens at a fast pace: the stories move quickly from one to another, there is a lot of drama and a lot of interaction between Jesus and His followers.
As we return to our study, it will be helpful to review a little background on the Gospel of Mark.
- Most scholars believe that Mark was the first of the four Gospels written and was used by Matthew and Luke when they wrote their own.
- Mark was probably written within twenty-five years of Jesus’ death and resurrection.
- The Apostle Peter is generally believed to be the source of a lot of Mark’s information; Mark functioned as Peter’s interpreter when Peter was traveling outside of Judea.
- The book nicely divides in half—the first eight chapters asserting who Jesus is and the last eight focusing on what Jesus came to do.
- While the Gospel records less of Jesus’ actual teachings than the other Gospel writers, there is a remarkable emphasis on Jesus as a teacher, identifying Him as teacher or Rabbi numerous times.
- According to church tradition, Mark was written in the regions of Italy, primarily for an audience that was unfamiliar with Jewish tradition.
- Around when Mark was written, the first significant Roman persecutions broke out against the Church. Many believe Mark was written to prepare his readers for suffering and even martyrdom.
These factors, and many others, will help shape the way we understand the Gospel of Mark. Clearly, Jesus is the star of the story, a story that will unerringly identify Jesus as the Son of God, the Messiah of His people, the King.
Beginning this Sunday and through the spring, we invite you to join us as we explore the Gospel of Mark together. In preparation for worship this week, read Mark 11:1-11.
- What is told to us about Christ in the way He sent the disciples to get Him a colt? What is implied about Jesus here? How probable is it that Jesus intends us to see His divinity here?
- In verse 8, why do they spread cloaks and palm branches on the road in front of Jesus? What does this imagery convey?
- “Hosanna” means “Save us now!” Some in the crowd would be quoting Psalm 118 (read for context), others would be expressing a current desire. What would the crowd mean by saying “hosanna?” What might you mean by saying it now?
- When Jesus first enters Jerusalem, what are the options for His destination? Where would it make sense for Him to go? He enters the Temple area. Speculate on why He goes there. I think this is a major turning point to Jesus that He entered the Temple instead of other options—what could I possibly be thinking?
- Read Zechariah 9:9-17. What parallels are present here that cast light on our passage in the NT?
By Henry Knapp