Download: Mission Expansion

The news about Jesus keeps spreading: “and a large crowd from Galilee followed him. And people from Judea, and from Jerusalem, and from Idumea, and from beyond the Jordan, and around Tyre and Sidon” (vv. 7-8).

Mark 3:7-8 highlights something profound and often overlooked: the diversity and widespread appeal of Jesus’ ministry early on.

The evil spirits fall down before Jesus and cry out, confessing, “You are the Son of God.” The spirits here are conveying the truth about Jesus—the Son of God. The “unclean spirits” know that they are in the presence of a power and authority that is greater than theirs. But they foretell the truth of what Jesus’ companions are trying to figure out.

Mark’s Secrecy Motif: Jesus commanded the spirits they do not reveal his identity (3:12)

The “Messianic Secret” is a major theme in the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus repeatedly works to conceal his identity as the Messiah and Son of God. It shows up in various ways—especially through Jesus telling people not to reveal who he is after performing healings, miracles, exorcisms, or people’s confession.

Jesus names twelve of his followers as “apostles”:

Jesus specifically appoints them to:

To address his opponents’ accusation, Jesus offers a refutation and an explanation. He simply doesn’t just say, “You are wrong!” But he shows them why they are wrong. He doesn’t retort with vitriol or anger but simply dismantles their faulty proposition by showing the incongruity in it.

Jesus’ rhetorical question “How is the Adversary able to cast out the Adversary?” isn’t meant to raise suspicion as to the mechanism by which it might happen, but rather the purpose of why would it happen in the first place?

“First, he would be sending out his envoys, the demons, to work havoc in the hearts and lives of men, destroying them body and soul, often little by little. Afterward, as it were in base ingratitude and suicidal folly, he would be supplying the very power needed for the shameful defeat and expulsion of his own obedient servants. No kingdom thus divided against itself, can maintain itself.” (William Hendricksen, Mark, 136)

After refuting the Pharisees accusation with tact and collectedness in the face of intense opposition, he proceeds to answer their inquiry with a short parable that indirectly alludes to the fact that he has greater power and authority than Satan.

In a sobering follow-up, Jesus warns that to claim his work is the work of Satan is to “blaspheme the Holy Spirit,” which is unforgivable. This harsh rebuke seems to be aimed at presenting the seriousness of the religious leaders’ accusations and the gravity of the consequences they would face.

Jesus is essentially pronouncing judgment upon them, and in order to pronounce judgment it means that he has higher authority than they do.

In the ancient culture, the family unit was the basis of all social and civil life. Families would often live near each other, or even share a home, and have everything in common (i.e., share everything).

Israelite culture highly valued the family relationship; it was the very fabric of their community and society. Loyalty to one’s family was paramount to a proper honoring of God and living out the covenant blessings that God had promised. A person was to see their identity as being part of the family, and thus by extension, the community.

“The gospel [good news], and allegiance to Jesus, produce a division, often an unexpected and unwelcome one, in every group or society where they make their way. Mark’s call to his readers then and now is to stick with Jesus whatever the cost.” (N. T. Wright, Mark For Everyone, 30).

In the next session, we will see how Mark strategically uses some of Jesus’ parables to teach about God’s kingdom.

Download: Disciples, Healings, and Conflict

Depicts the radical commitment of the people that Jesus called and they way that they abandoned their occupation to follow him. It vividly portrays the authority and power that Jesus had, and which people apparently recognized.

Although often overlooked, Mary Magdalene was a faithful and true disciple of Jesus Christ. She and the other women supported Jesus’ ministry financially. She was at the crucifixion and burial. After God raised him from the dead, Jesus appeared to her first, making her the chief eyewitness of the resurrection.

Luke 8:1-3 Mary Magdalene and other women accompanied Jesus during his ministry, providing for him financially. After Jesus changed Mary’s life, casting out seven demons, she followed him.

Mark 15:40-41 Mary had seen Jesus cure the sick, teach in parables, and preach the gospel of the Kingdom from town to town. When the Roman government crucified him, she was there. She heard him utter his final words from the cross.

Mark 15:46-47 Mary was there when Joseph took him down from the cross and buried him in his tomb. It is because of her that the disciples knew where Jesus was buried.

Luke 23:54-24:1 Mary insisted on anointing his body. Apparently, she didn’t think it had been done properly. She approached the tomb early in the morning on Sunday.

Mark 16:1-7 Mary first discovered the empty tomb and heard the message that Jesus had been raised.

John 20:1-10 She ran and got Peter. He and another disciple confirmed the empty tomb but didn’t fully understand the situation. Mary remained behind when they left.

John 20:11-18 Jesus first appeared to Mary in his resurrected state. In a world when women’s testimonies were dismissed, Jesus picked a woman as his first eyewitness. She went off to proclaim to the apostles, “I have seen the Lord!

Download: Kingdom Inauguration

Mark 1:14-15 (REV)

After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God, 15saying, “The time has been fulfilled, and the Kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe the good news.”

Modern understanding of “kingdom” is a fixed, geographical territory ruled by a king, queen, or monarch.

Example: The Roman Empire (show map)

The “kingdom” of God in the Bible is not focused on territorial borders, but on the authority, rule, and reign of God. An associated word that might help get the nuance right is the word “dominion.” The “dominion” of God is less about a place and more about God’s power and authority at work within a certain context or sphere of influence.

·         Realized Eschatology

·         Futurist Eschatology

·         Inaugurated Eschatology

George Ladd defines the “kingdom of God” as:

“…the redemptive reign of God dynamically active to establish his rule among men, and that this Kingdom, which will appear as an apocalyptic act at the end of the age, has already come into human history in the person and mission of Jesus to overcome evil, to deliver men from its power, and to bring them into the blessings of God’s reign. The Kingdom of God involves two great moments: fulfillment within history, and consummation at the end of history.”1

France comments, “The idea is not simply that an allotted time has elapsed (that would have been better expressed by chronos, as in Acts 7:23), but that the decisive moment (kairos) has now arrived.”2

To reiterate more fully, as Ladd eloquently states:

“Exegesis can do justice to this saying only when the Kingdom of God is interpreted in terms of its dynamic meaning: the reign or rule of God. God’s Kingdom, his reign, will come at the end of the age in a mighty irruption into history inaugurating the perfect order of the age to come. But God’s Kingdom, his reign, has already come into history in the person and mission of Jesus. The presence of God’s Kingdom means the dynamic presence of his reign. It means that God is no longer waiting for men to submit to his reign but has taken the initiative and has invaded history in a new and unexpected way. The Kingdom of God is not merely an abstract concept that God is the eternal King and rules over all; it is also a dynamic concept of the acting of God. God’s reign which will come at the end of the age to accomplish God’s redemptive purpose in the world has also come into the midst of human history in the person and mission of Jesus. God the heavenly King, who will act mightily tomorrow is also acting today in Jesus. It is the same God, the same rule, the same Kingdom dynamically at work among men.”3

1. George E. Ladd, The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism (2nd ed.; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 218.
2. R. T. France, Divine Government: God’s Kingship in the Gospel of Mark (London: SPCK, 1990), 91.
3. Ladd, The Presence of the Future, 144.

Download: The Beginning – John & Jesus

Mark 1:2-13 (REV)

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Look! I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare the road for you. 3A voice of one calling out in the desert, ‘Make the road ready for the Lord! Make the paths straight for him!’”

4John came baptizing in the desert and preaching a baptism that was a sign of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5And the whole region of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, openly confessing their sins.

6John was clothed with camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And he was preaching, saying, “After me there is one coming who is mightier than I am—I am not even worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals! 8I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

9And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And immediately as he was stepping up out of the water, he saw the heavens being split open and the spirit descending upon him like a dove, 11and a voice came out of the heavens, “You are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation in the Desert

12And immediately the spirit drove him out into the desert. 13And he was in the desert 40 days being tempted by the Adversary. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Mark 1:2-13 presents Jesus as the fulfillment of OT prophecy, the Son of God infused with the power of holy spirit, able to resist the temptations of Satan, and worthy to be served by angels.

Malachi 3:1

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.”

Malachi 4:5–6

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of Yahweh comes. 5And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers…”

Isaiah 40:3

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.’”

The spirit descending upon Jesus alludes to the anointing of kings and prophets in the Old Testament, marking Jesus out as God’s chosen one—Messiah.

The “voice from heaven” echoes Psalm 2:7 (“You are my Son”) and Isaiah 42:1 (“my chosen one in whom my soul delights”), tying the beginning of Jesus’ ministry to royal and servant motifs in the Old Testament.

God’s spirit presses Jesus to depart into the wilderness for 40 days, echoing the journey of Israel in the wilderness for 40 years.

Jesus encounters his first antagonist and conflict—temptations by Satan

To help clarify, Lane comments,

“But as soon as it is recognized that the dominant motif of the prologue is the wilderness, Mark’s distinctive reference to the wild beasts becomes intelligible. In the OT blessing is associated with inhabited and cultivated land; the wilderness is the place of the curse. So in the wilderness there is neither seed nor fruit, water nor growth. Man cannot live there. Only frightening and unwanted kinds of animals dwell there. Significantly, when the wilderness is transformed into a paradise no ravenous beast will be in it (Isa. 35:9; Ezek. 34:23-28). Mark’s reference to the wild beasts in Ch. 1:13 serves to stress the character of the wilderness. Jesus confronts the horror, the loneliness and the danger with which the wilderness is fraught when he meets the wild beasts Their affinity in this context is not with paradise, but with the realm of Satan.”1

1. William L. Lane, The Gospel According to Mark, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 61.

Through the triumphal entry and the cleansing of the temple, Jesus publicly announced his claim to be the Messiah. The leaders of Jerusalem responded with a campaign to discredit him publicly that failed miserably. Knowing what would come, Jesus stayed the course until that fateful moment in Gethsemane when they took him into custody. Join us to relive the

Mark 11:1-2, 7 When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey, he enacted an ancient prophecy (Zech 9:9-10) and simulated the coronation of a king (2 Kgs 9:11-13). Even the palm branches were politically charged (1 Macc 13:51-52).

Mark 11:9-10 Even more striking was the proclamation of the crowd, associating Jesus with the coming Kingdom of David. Coming into Jerusalem this way crossed the line.

Mark 11:15-19 Cleansing the temple got everyone’s attention. Jesus interfered with the sacrificial system and the flow of money. The leaders of Jerusalem responded with a campaign to discredit Jesus publicly through stumper questions. Jesus answered them all and countered by confronting them with seven woes (Mat 23:13-16).

Mark 14:1-9 Allowing a woman to pour out an ointment that cost 300 denarii on his head provoked criticism from onlookers. Jesus defended the woman for her ostentatious display of generosity.

Mark 14:10-11 Judas went to the priests to betray Jesus. They needed an opportunity when Jesus was away from the crowds so a riot didn’t break out. Judas could tell them where Jesus was at night, so they could arrest him secretly.

Mark 14:32-36 At Gethsemane, Jesus knew his time was short. He had to stay the course, even if that meant he would face ridicule, torture, and death on a cross. He prayed and prayed and prayed, asking for a way out. The answer was, “No”. Jesus resigned himself to his Father’s will and pushed through courageously to face his betrayer and those sent to arrest him.

Download: The ‘Gospel’

Many idiomatic expressions using the term “gospel.”

Take it as gospel

It’s the gospel truth

Preaching the gospel

Spreading the gospel

According to the gospel of [so-and-so]

The word “gospel” is from the Old English gōdspell

In the New Testament, “gospel” is translated from the Greek word euangelion.

The Good News of Isaiah…

“It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: “Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good news [euangelion] for the world that came by reason of him,” which Asia resolved in Smyrna. [Priene 150.40-41, c. 9 B.C.]

Mark 1:1, 14-15

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the good news of God and saying, “The time has been fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn near. Repent and believe the good news.”

“We will say more about both elements of this good news in a little while. But it’s important to emphasize right away that what Paul was talking about was not what most people today imagine. If you mention the Christian good news, most people today imagine that you’re talking about an option you might like to take up if you feel so inclined. A piece of advice. For some, it’s a new kind of spirituality: here is a Jesus-focused interior life for those who want that kind of thing. For others, it’s a new way of living: here is a Jesus-based morality you, or indeed your community, might like to follow. For others again, it’s about taking out an option on your future—a kind of retirement plan, except that the retirement in question takes place after your death rather than before it. It’s a way of making sure that you at least will be safe and sound, even if the rest of the world isn’t. Some people, as we will see, highlight this last element, and when they talk about the good news or the gospel, they focus almost exclusively on this aspect. Some people do the same with the idea of reestablishing our present relationship with God after being cut off through sin. None of these ways of looking at things are, as they stand, totally wrong. The message of Jesus and the message about Jesus do include something about spirituality, something about morality, something about the ultimate future, something not least about our relationship with God. But all these miss the main point. The good news brought by Paul (and before him, by Jesus, though we will come to that presently) was not about an option you might wish to take up. It wasn’t a piece of advice about something you might or might not wish to do. It was news. They claimed it was good news. When Paul told people his good news, he didn’t mean for them to say, “Well, that’s interesting. I’ll see if that’s going to suit me or not.” He wasn’t inviting them to try on a new way of thinking or living that would enable them to live differently or think differently. He was telling them that something had happened which had changed the world, that the world was now a different place, and that he was summoning them to be part of that new, different reality. He was telling them about an event that would cause them to adjust their entire lives in order to come into line with the way things now were.”

~N. T. Wright, Simply Good News, pp. 19-20

That God’s kingdom has arrived, calling people to repentance, faith, and a new way of life under God’s reign.

Download: Four Gospels, One Jesus

The Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) form the first four books of the New Testament.

With different emphasizes, different portrayals, and different vantage points a historical record deepens and becomes richer and more dynamic.

Why not synthesize into one Gospel?

Portrait of Jesus: The King

Portrait of Jesus: The Servant

Portrait of Jesus: The Savior

Portrait of Jesus: The Son of God

“Synoptics” means “to see together”

Synoptic Gospel Distinctives

·       The ‘Gospel’ Genre

·       The Gospels Are Historical Literature

·       The Gospels Are Narrative Literature

·       The Gospels Are Theological Literature

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

“Theological narrative” tells a story and conveys an important point with it.

John 11:3 Phileo is a word that expresses deep friendship, affection, and warmth, love between close companions.

5, 11 They were more than disciples; they were friends.

8 Stone you – 10:31-32 Jesus, undaunted, knew that God would guide and protect him.

9 Look fellows, I am doing God’s will. Everything is going to be all right. I am not afraid, nor should you be. You are with me.

14 Sleep – focus your attention on the living and not the dead.

16 Thomas’ reaction could be interpreted as confidence or sarcasm and fear.

17 Four days

Yes, in the time of Jesus, the custom in Jewish culture was to bury the dead on the day of death, just as it is today.

One of the clearest prophetic signs comes from Jonah’s experience:

“Now the Lord had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.” (Jonah 1:17 KJV)

Jesus himself referenced this as a prophecy of his own death and resurrection:

“For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so shall the Son of

Jesus said he wanted us to make disciples. Inviting friends and acquaintances to come to church is a great way to get in the game. After all, Christianity is really helpful with major problems people are struggling with today.

Matthew 28:19-20 Jesus commissioned the church to make disciples of all nations. This is the “game”. Are you in it or on the bench?

Five Problems that Christianity Helps With

1. Plunging Birthrates (Gen 1:28; Prov 17:6; Mark 10:13-14)

Harvard’s Human Flourishing Program: “A considerable body of research has suggested that religious service attendance powerfully affects health and also affects other aspects of flourishing such as meaning in life, character, and close social relationships. Specifically, research has indicated that those who attend religious services at least weekly are about 30% less likely to die over a 10- to 20- year follow-up, are about 30% less likely to become depressed, and are over five times less likely to commit suicide …. Other evidence suggests that religious service attendance is associated with subsequently greater meaning in life, greater social connection and social support, and a 30% to 50% reduction in divorce. See https://hfh.fas.harvard.edu/how-to-flourish.