An Overview of the Gospel By Timothy Thiem

 Date Written:  (most likely between 68-73)  Locale: Traditionally Rome (where Christians were persecuted by Nero). Others suggest Syria, the northern Transjordan, the Decapolis, and Galilee.

 Author  Traditional  Mark, the follower and “interpreter of Peter.  From Contents:  A Greek-speaker who was not a witness to Jesus’ ministry and made inexact statements about Palestinian geography.

a) Geography b) Theology c) A New Kind of Literature d) Mark’s Purpose

 The first half of the Gospel focuses on Jesus’ ministry in Galilee and beyond.  The second half focuses on Jerusalem  The journey from Galilee to Jerusalem  Jesus’ symbolic teachings and actions  Jesus’ passion and death

 Highlights: Authority of Jesus  Revealed through:  Actions  Words  His rejection of his own people  Jesus clarifies the nature of his authority on his way to Jerusalem and spells out its consequences to his followers

 First Gospel to be written about the “good news” of God’s action in Jesus Christ.  Used various kinds of traditions  Sayings  Parables  Controversies  Miracles  Mark gave order and plot to these incidents, connecting them with linking passages and adding comments for his readers.

 To deepen the faith of the members of his community  To show them how the traditions about Jesus related to their belief in the saving significance of the cross and resurrection.

a) The Kingdom b) The Messianic Secret c) Discipleship

 Who Jesus is and discipleship (response to Jesus)  In Jesus’ time the ‘kingdom of God’ referred to the display of God’s lordship at the end of history and its acknowledgement by all creation.  While Jesus taught about the kingdom of God in parables, his own life was really the parable of the kingdom.

 Mark’s message  Whoever wishes to understand the kingdom must look at Jesus the healer, the teacher, and the crucified-and-risen one.  Mark’s focus  Healings and exorcisms  Mark knew and revered Jesus as a wonder-worker  The miracles are balanced by teaching in both word and deed.

 Mark outlined the story of Jesus in such a way as to make the passion and death the climax.  Without the cross, the portrayals of Jesus as wonder-worker and teacher are unbalanced and without purpose

 The ‘messianic secret’ is a feature of Mark’s Gospel that refers to several instances in which Jesus commands people to be silent about his action or identity (see 1:34, 44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; 9:9).  Jesus, in his public ministry, never claimed to be the Messiah nor was recognized as such.  The real meaning of Jesus’ messiahship became clear only with his death and resurrection.

 In some Jewish circles the longed for Messiah had political and military functions, and Mark may have been unwilling to provoke the Roman authorities.

 Mark’s ideal of discipleship is ‘being with’ Jesus, sharing his mission of preaching and healing (3:14-15).  As the narrative proceeds, the disciples repeatedly fail to understand Jesus (6:52; 8:14- 21)  On his was to Jerusalem Jesus predicts his passion and resurrection three times; each time the disciples fail to understand.

 The passion narrative turns on  The betrayal of Jesus by Judas  The denial of Jesus by Peter  The disciples are portrayed as:  In the beginning  As examples to be imitated  In the end  As examples to be avoided  This highlights that Jesus is the only one who deserves to be imitated

 Brown, Raymond E., An Introduction to the New Testament (New York: DoubleDay, 1997).  Brown, R., ads, The New Jerome Bible Handbook (Collegeville: The Liturgical Press, 1992).