1. Portraits of Jesus A Lent Course at Aldridge Parish Church
6 Wednesday evenings 7.45pm – 9.30pm
14th Feb Jesus - the Trailblazer (Letter to Hebrews)
21st Feb Jesus - the History Maker (Luke and Acts)
28th Feb Jesus - the Hidden King (Mark’s Gospel)
7th Mar Jesus - the new Moses (Matthew’s Gospel)
14thMar Jesus - the Lord who Reigns Now (Paul’s letters)
21st Mar Jesus - the Meaning of Life (John’s Gospel) 1

2. Creating a Portrait A Portrait is ‘the Remembrance of a Friend’
Portraits attend to the inner life, character and importance of the subject and the artist builds that into how the ‘appearance’ is re-presented.
The artist ‘plays’ with the tension between the visual (literal) and the ‘significant’ - which is less tangible, harder to express and usually more important. 2

3. A Portrait of Jesus 3

4. The Tools of the Literary Portrait Painter
The shape of the Text – ‘editor at work’
The Interactions between different characters
The selection of language – ‘playing with words’
The adoption of a ‘Point of View’ in the text
The invitation to the Reader to be a detective
The Scriptural ‘Trinity’ – Text, Readers, Holy Spirit 4

5. Jesus - the Hidden King Portraits of Jesus
A Lent Course at Aldridge Parish Church
6 Wednesday evenings 7.45pm – 9.30pm
Jesus - the Hidden King
a portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark 5

6. Public Ministry of Jesus
The Shape of the Gospel of Mark
Jesus and Disciples,
Teaching in Jerusalem
Trials, Cross Resurrection
Public Ministry of Jesus
1.1 – 8.26
8.27 – 10.52
11.1 – 14.42
14.43 – 16.8
The Narrative Pace of the Gospel of Mark ..
Jesus in Judea and Galilee – 63.8% of Gospel
Jesus in Jerusalem – 36.2% ..
Judea and Galilee – about 3 years
Jerusalem - about 7 days 6

7. Part 1 – Public Ministry of Jesus Mk 1.1 – 8.26
Key Verses 1.1, 1.15, 5.7, 6.7,
Typical teaching (little detail, parables, arguments)
Action deliverance (10 times)
healings (many times)
Main Jewish Crowds: do not know who Jesus is - no title, no name, yet popular
Interaction Unclean Spirits: Son of God, argue, defeated
with Disciples, The Twelve: slow learners, no name
Jesus Jewish Leaders: treat as dangerous Rabbi
Location Mostly Galilee , locations are often not named
Jesus teaches, deliverance, increasingly popular
mysterious, no title, no name (only spirits know)
Comment Lots of brief descriptions of events/encounters
narrative keeps moving – ‘Immediately’
Jews commanded not to tell, keep things hidden
Gentiles – Go and tell what the Lord has done 7

8. The Shape of the Gospel of Mark8 6

9. Part 1 – Public Ministry of Jesus Mk 1.1 – 8.26
Key Verses 1.1, 1.15, 5.7, 6.7,
Typical teaching (little detail, parables, arguments)
Action deliverance (10 times)
healings (many times)
Main Jewish Crowds: do not know who Jesus is - no title, no name, yet popular
Interaction Unclean Spirits: Son of God, argue, defeated
with Disciples, The Twelve: slow learners, no name
Jesus Jewish Leaders: treat as dangerous Rabbi
Location Mostly Galilee , locations are often not named
Jesus teaches, deliverance, increasingly popular
mysterious, no title, no name (only spirits know)
Comment Lots of brief descriptions of events/encounters
narrative keeps moving – ‘Immediately’
Jews commanded not to tell, keep things hidden
Gentiles – Go and tell what the Lord has done 9

10. Part 2 – Teaching the Disciples Mk 8.27 – 10.52
Key Verses 8.30, 8.31, 9.31, (3 Passion Predictions), 10.45
Typical time with the disciples, Transfiguration, (keep quiet)
Action deliverance (1 and 1 anonymous person also expelling unclean spirits)
healings (1 - Bartimaeus who was blind)
Main Jewish Crowds: Teacher, Rabbi (used by the disciples)
Interaction Unclean Spirits: resistant to disciple’s ministry, Jesus cast them out
with Disciples: Peter recognises Jesus as Messiah; James + John at Jesus’ side
Jesus Jewish Leaders: came to ‘test Jesus’
Location Caesarea Philippi
Jesus Transfiguration voice, the way of the cross; deny yourself, take up the cross
3 Passion Predictions (including will rise again)
Comment As disciples understand that Jesus is the Messiah, they address him as Rabbi
Jesus moves from ‘activity’ to ‘debate and explanation’ to explain who he is
Jews only figure once
Bartimaeus – the ‘blind’ man who ‘sees’ who Jesus is. 10

11. Part 2 – Teaching the Disciples Mk 8.27 – 10.5211

12. Part 3 – Teaching in Jerusalem Mk 11.1 – 14.42
Key Verses 11.10, 12.19,
Typical Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt; goes to Temple Courts ; throws out merchants
Action deliverance - no more deliverances in Gospel of Mark
healings - no more healings in Gospel of Mark (not even soldier’s ear)
Main Jewish Crowds: Jesus popular , crowds come to the Temple courts to listen to him
Interaction Unclean Spirits: Do not appear again in the gospel of Mark
with Disciples, The Twelve: slow learners, Judas agrees to betray Jesus, Last Supper
Jesus Jewish Leaders: Question Jesus’ authority, Some plan to kill him
Location Bethany and the Temple Courts
Jesus teaches, wins arguments with parables, increasingly popular
warns of days of judgement when the Temple will be destroyed
Comment Jesus enters Jerusalem on a colt (fulfilling the prophet Zechariah 9.9)
First Time Jesus is in Jerusalem – the storm clouds gather
Jesus delights crowds; Jewish leaders plot to kill him; Judas agrees to betrayal
Jesus at prayer – disciples sleep, no voice from heaven 12

13. Part 4 Trials, Cross and Resurrection Mk14.43 – 16.8
Key Verses 14.50, f [whole of Mark has been waiting for this verse], 15.2, , 16.6
Typical teaching - Jesus models what ‘Kingship’ involves in the new Kingdom of God
Action deliverance - none
healings (no healings; resurrection of Jesus into the coming Kingdom)
Main Jewish Crowds: favoured Barabbas
Interaction Unclean Spirits: no appearance
with Disciples: Peter’s denial; women’s faithfulness, the angel – He is Risen
Jesus Jews: the Messiah; Pilate: ‘King of the Jews’, Centurion: ‘Son of God’
Location Jerusalem
Jesus Jesus looks forward to drinking the fruit of the vine new in the Kingdom of God
At last Jesus answers clearly ‘I am the Messiah’; Jesus dies alone
Comment Narrative has slowed down to informing us of the hour of day
Jesus shows that Kingship is dying for others and rising to new life
Resurrection – angels, an empty tomb, the fulfilment of Jesus’ words
Notice the mention of Peter – ‘who denied Jesus - is forgiven’ 13

14. The Public Ministry of Jesus
The Shape of the Gospel of Mark
The Public Ministry of Jesus
Jesus and Disciples,
Teaching in Jerusalem
Trials, Cross, Resurrection
1.1 – 8.26
8.27 – 10.52
11.1 – 14.42
14.43 – 16.8
Key Verses 1.1, 1.15, 5.7, 6.7, , 8.31, , 12.29, 14.12f f , 15.2, 16.6
Typical teaching (little detail, parables, arguments) way of the cross the End Times Jesus dies, rises
Action deliverance (10 times) (+ 1 anonymous) none none
healings (many times) (blind man) none resurrection
Main Jewish Crowds: no title, no name, popular Teacher, Rabbi Jesus delights crowd Confused, Interaction Unclean Spirits: Son of God, argue, defeated resistant none none
Disciples, The Twelve: slow learners, no name Messiah, Teacher Last Supper desert Jesus
Jewish Leaders: treat as dangerous Rabbi Came to test him By what authority? Collusion
Location Mostly Galilee , locations are often not named C. Philippi, Judea Jerusalem, Bethany Jerusalem
Jesus teaches, deliverance, increasingly popular Transfiguration teaches in temple Jesus finally mysterious, no title, no name (only spirits know) Passion Prediction court, popular says who he is
Comment Lots of brief descriptions of events/encounters Disciples begin First time Jesus is in Jesus shows that
narrative keeps moving – ‘Immediately’ to understand, Jerusalem, Kingship is dying
Jews commanded not to tell, keep things hidden except for the plan to arrest Jesus for others and
Gentiles – Go and tell what the Lord has done Passion Prediction Judas plans betrayal rising to new life
The Narrative Pace of the Gospel of Mark 14
Jesus in Judea and Galilee: 63.8% of Gospel (about 3 yrs)
Jesus in Jerusalem: 36.2% (1wk) ..

15. The Crucifixion
A Meditation on the Sacred Passion of the Holy Redeemer 15

16. The Hymn: All for Jesus All for Jesus – all for Jesus,
This our song shall ever be;
For we have no hope, nor Saviour,
If we have not hope in Thee.
All for Jesus – Thou hast loved us;
All for Jesus – Thou hast died;
All for Jesus – Thou art with us;
All for Jesus Crucified.
This the Church’s song must be;
Till, at last, her sons are gathered
One in love and one in Thee.
Words: J Sparrow-Simpson, Music John Stainer 1887 16