Mark 16

Posted on May 24, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Overview:

Saturday night, Mary, Mary and Sally bought some spices to put on Jesus’ dead body.
First thing on Sunday, the three women went to the tomb and were, like, “Isn’t the entrance covered with a big rock. How are we going to move that?”
To their surprise, the rock had been rolled away.
Looking inside the tomb, the women see a young man dressed in white who says, “Don’t be afraid. That Jesus dude who was crucified is risen from the dead! He’s gone. Look for yourselves.”
Then he said, “Go tell the disciples, especially Peter, that Jesus is headed to Galilee, and they can see him there, just like he told you he would.”
The women were afraid and ran away, telling no one.
[The rest of the chapter is controversial. See notes below.]

Historical Context:

Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene is listed first each time a group of women are mentioned in the gospels. This implies her place of importance in the early church.³

Mary is the first and primary witness to Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. She is, in essence, the person whom God chose to initiate his redemptive story. Over time, Mary Magdalene has become seen as a prominent representative of the women who followed Jesus. Some consider her to be as much a leader among the female disciples as Simon Peter was among the males.⁷

Both the gospels of Mark and Luke mention that Mary at one point had seven demons (Mark says Jesus personally cast the demons out of her). The “seven demons” may refer to a complex illness, as opposed to any form of sinfulness.⁷Staying true to the counterintuitive nature of Jesus’ ministry, that Mary Magdalene was a woman–and one with serious flaws, at that–makes her an unlikely and unexpected witness of the resurrection.²

Of note, neither Mary Magdalene, nor any of the other women, are mentioned by name in Paul’s catalog of Jesus’ post resurrection appearances in 1 Cor 15:5–8.⁷Also, Mary’s name is notably absent from the Acts of the Apostles and all the letters of Paul.⁷

Mark 16:8 – the true end of Mark’s gospel?

Most scholars consider Mark 16:8 as the original ending of the Gospel. They believe the longer ending (16:9-20) was written later by someone else as a summary of Jesus’ resurrection appearances and catalog of “proof” miracles performed by early Christians.⁸

The texts with the “longer ending” of Mark first date from the late 2nd century. Thus it is contended by a majority of scholars that Mark 16:9-20 must have been written and attached no later than the early 2nd century.⁸

Eusebius (a.d.275-340), an early church historian of the fourth century, said “the most accurate copies” end at Mark 16:8. Jerome (a.d. 347-420), the translator of the Latin Vulgate, said that almost all Greek manuscripts lack an ending after verse 8.⁵

The long ending first appeared in Irenaeus’ (a.d. 120-202) Against Heresies; and Titian’s (a.d.110-172) compilation of the four Gospels called The Diatessaron.⁵

There are several theories regarding why/why not Mark ends his gospel at 16:8: “Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.”

Mark did not intend to end at 16:8, but was somehow prevented from finishing (perhaps by his own death or sudden departure from Rome), whereupon another person finished the work.
Mark wrote an ending which was accidentally lost (perhaps as the last part of a scroll which was not rewound, or as the outermost page of a codex which became detached from the other pages).
Mark wrote an ending, but it was replaced with verses 16:9–20, which parallel passages from the other Gospels.⁸

Had the Gospel intentionally ended with the women fleeing in fear from the empty tomb, there are several theories explaining Mark’s potential rationale:

The women’s fearful response was actually a normal and positive reaction. Throughout Mark’s Gospel fear is a normal response to divine revelation or a miraculous event. Peter has a similar reaction when witnessing the transfiguration (9:2-8), as do the disciples at the calming of the storm (14:4), or when they see Jesus walking on the water (6:50), and the people react in fear when seeing the demoniac healed (5:15). Thus, the women’s response in 16:8 should be understood as a wholly appropriate response to the incomprehensibility of the resurrection.⁶
The women’s response was yet another failure of Jesus’ disciples. Most scholars recognize Mark’s unusually harsh portrayal of the disciples.⁶Mark continually shows the disciples with warts and all. But these blemishes viewed within the context of the purity and promises of Christ generate hope rather than despair for the disciple. Mark presents true followers who fail, but he also offers hope, because he shows that Jesus does not give up on them. Jesus is able to restore his disciples, or any of his own who stumble, and to make fishers of men. Mark ends his Gospel with a fitting message to the fallible followers of Jesus who read his story. There is hope for those who fail, but the path is never easy and the dangers are real.⁶
The women’s response is intended to be ironic, thus evoking the reader to reflect on their own situation. The juxtaposition of the expectation that Jesus said he would meet the disciples (16:7) with their apparent flight in fear and silence (16:8) requires the reader to review what he has read in order to comprehend this apparent incongruity and its meaning for the narrator’s message. As one commentator said, “The text ends, but the readerly work . . . goes on.” ⁶
The women’s failure challenges the reader to pick up where the disciples failed. This view treats Mark’s ending as open and unfulfilled. The disciples’ flight (14:50) and the women’s blunder (16:8) leave the story unresolved begging for some form of closure. Who then will proclaim the good news? Since everyone else has abandoned Jesus, the reader is invited to become the faithful follower of Christ and witness to the world. Thus, rhetorically, Mark’s unusual ending functions as an implicit apostolic commission similar to the other Gospels.⁶
Mark’s ending shows how God’s promises succeed despite people’s proclivity for failure. According to this view, the Gospel ends with an affirmation of both promise and failure–a promise for a future restoration of the disciples but immediate failure for the women.The consist cycle of prediction and fulfillment in Mark’s Gospel gives the reader confidence that the description of the disciples’ post resurrection activities (Mark 13) is not contingent on the women’s obedience. The very fact that Mark’s Gospel was written indicates the promise was ultimately fulfilled and word got out. This provides a paradigm for Christian existence according to Mark—the word of promise and the failure of the disciples, and yet the word of promise prevailing despite human failure.⁶
Mark’s ending shows that the Messianic Secret can’t be kept. Throughout Mark’s Gospel Jesus consistently instructs people (and demons) to refrain from telling others about his identity as the messiah. Despite these injunctions Jesus’ words are often disobeyed (1:45; 7:36). Towards the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry he informs his disciples that this communication embargo will be lifted after the resurrection (9:9). It is precisely this expectation which casts irony over the women’s actions in 16:8. Prior to the resurrection, Jesus’ followers had been instructed to remain silent, but didn’t; after the resurrection the women were instructed to go and tell, but don’t! Even the wording of the text in 16:8 (“They said nothing to anyone”) hints at this irony by providing an echo of the first explicit secrecy command in 1:44 (“See that you don’t tell this to anyone.”). It may very well be that Mark has intertwined promise, failure, and the messianic secret into the ending.⁶

Mark’s narrative ends as abruptly as it began. There was no introduction or background to Jesus’ arrival, and none for his departure. No one knew where he came from; no one knows where he has gone; and not many understood him when he was here. One commentator observes that the awkward ending of Mark 16:8, coupled with the ambiguous allusion to Galilee in 16:7, signals the reader to return to the beginning of the Gospel, to begin reading all over again.⁸

Mark gives no description of the resurrected Jesus, perhaps because Mark did not want to try to describe the nature of the divine resurrected Jesus. Some argue this ending is consistent with Mark’s theology, where even miracles, such as the resurrection, do not produce the proper understanding or faith among Jesus’ followers.⁸

Resurrection

During the First Century, there were a diversity of beliefs concerning the resurrection. The concept of resurrection of the physical body is found in 2 Maccabees, according to which it will happen through recreation of the flesh. Resurrection of the dead also appears in detail in the books of Enoch, in Apocalypse of Baruch, and 2 Esdras. The Sadducees did not believe in an afterlife, but the Pharisees believed in the resurrection of some kind. According to ancient historian, Josephus, who himself was a Pharisee, the Pharisees held that only the soul was immortal and the souls of good people will be reincarnated and “pass into other bodies,” while “the souls of the wicked will suffer eternal punishment.” Paul, who also was a Pharisee, said that at the resurrection what is “sown as a natural body is raised a spiritual body.”¹⁰

In general, Jews believe that both the righteous and the wicked who are deceased of this world will be given life and judged. They believe the righteous of Israel and the righteous among the gentiles will have eternal life on earth, while the wicked will be punished and executed.¹⁰

In Platonic philosophy and other Greek philosophical thought, at death the soul was said to leave the inferior body behind.¹⁰

In the Jewish perspective, resurrection was a key indicator of the end of the world and the arrival of God’s final judgment (as described primarily in Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel). Below is a list of key, expected events:¹⁰

End of world
God redeems Israel (i.e. the Jewish people) from the captivity that began during the Babylonian Exile, in a new Exodus
God returns the Jewish people to the Land of Israel
God restores the House of David and the Temple in Jerusalem
God creates a regent from the House of David (i.e. the Jewish Messiah) to lead the Jewish people and the world and usher in an age of justice and peace
All nations recognize that the God of Israel is the only true God
God resurrects the dead
God creates a new heaven and a new earth
All history will complete itself and all mankind will return to the Garden of Eden.¹⁰

Messianic Expectations:

Part of the reason Jesus’ resurrection was so difficult to comprehend for his disciples, was the linty prophetic of expectations the Jews had of their messiah. It would take some time before the early Christians could look back and see how Jesus had fulfilled God’s earlier promises.

Expectations of the Messiah from the Old Testament:¹⁰

The Sanhedrin will be re-established (Isaiah 1:26)
Once he is King, leaders of other nations will look to him for guidance (Isaiah 2:4)
The whole world will worship the One God of Israel (Isaiah 2:17)
He will be descended from King David (Isaiah 11:1) via King Solomon (1 Chron. 22:8–10)
The messiah will be a man of this world, an observant Jew with “fear of God” (Isaiah 11:2)
Evil and tyranny will not be able to stand before his leadership (Isaiah 11:4)
Knowledge of God will fill the world (Isaiah 11:9)
He will include and attract people from all cultures and nations (Isaiah 11:10)
All Israelites will be returned to their homeland (Isaiah 11:12, Zechariah 10:6)
Death will be swallowed up forever (Isaiah 25:8)
There will be no more hunger or illness, and death will cease (Isaiah 25:8)
The dead will rise again (Isaiah 26:19)
The house of David shall be as God (Zechariah 12:8)
God will seek to destroy all the nations that go against Jerusalem (Zechariah 12:9, Isaiah 60:12)
Israel and Judah will be made into one nation again (Zechariah 11:12-14, Ezekiel 37:16-22)
The Jewish people will experience eternal joy and gladness (Isaiah 51:11)
He will be a messenger of peace (Isaiah 53:7)
Nations will recognize the wrongs they did Israel (Isaiah 52:13–53:5)
The peoples of the world will turn to the Jews for spiritual guidance (Zechariah 8:23)
The ruined cities of Israel will be restored (Ezekiel 16:55)
Weapons of war will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:9)
The Temple will be rebuilt (Ezekiel 40) resuming many of the suspended commandments
He will then perfect the entire world to serve God together (Zephaniah 3:9)
He will take the barren land and make it abundant and fruitful (Isaiah 51:3, Amos 9:13–15, Ezekiel 36:29–30, Isaiah 11:6–9)

Observations:

Although Jesus has said time and again that he will rise on the third day, the women have purchased spices in anticipation of anointing a dead body, not finding a resurrected man.³
The three day period was customary in Judaism for determining that a person was indeed dead. It was customary to visit the tomb not just for mourning but to make sure the person was definitely dead. That is why Jesus waited until Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days (John 11:17), until, that is, he was securely and definitely dead.³
Mark uses the Greek word “neaniskos” (young) to describe the angel in the tomb. It is the same word he used to describe the man who fled at Jesus’ arrest in Mark 14:51–52.⁸
The angel said, “Tell his disciples and Peter,” as if Peter was not still a disciple. However, the better meaning is, “Tell his disciples, and especially Peter:” sending to Peter a particular message. that no matter what he may think of himself, he was still a disciple.¹
The angel had rolled away the stone not to let Jesus out, but to let the witnesses in.²
The eleven apostles were unbelievers regarding the fact of the resurrection, at first; and their reluctance to believe the two who came back from Emmaus and Mary Magdalene may have stemmed partially from human pride. After all, they had frequently engaged in discussions of who would be greatest in the kingdom of God; and, on the very first day of the resurrection, the Lord had appeared to once-notorious Mary and to two nameless disciples not even belonging to the sacred company of the apostles. No wonder they could not believe it.²
Mark’s presentation of the resurrection is extremely reserved. Many theological motifs that might be expected are lacking in the story: (1) the proof from prophecy, (2) the in-breaking of the new eon, (3) the ascension of Jesus’ Spirit or his descent into hell, (4) the nature of the risen body, and (5) the use of Christological titles. All these factors point to a very old and authentic tradition concerning the discovery of the empty tomb.⁹
That Mark claims the empty tomb as discovered by women makes the account very authentic. Given the low status of women in Jewish society and their lack of qualification to serve as legal witnesses, the most plausible explanation, in light of the gospels’ conviction that the disciples were in Jerusalem over the weekend, why women and not the male disciples were made discoverers of the empty tomb is that the women were in fact the ones who made this discovery.⁹
The fact that Christianity, founded on belief in Jesus’ resurrection, could come into existence and flourish in the very city where he was executed and buried seems to be compelling evidence for the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection.⁹
The reference to snakes and poison in 16:18 means that God will protect his disciples in dangerous situations that they cannot avoid.⁴

Discussion:

Assuming the original gospel ends at 16:8, why does Mark stop his story on such a seemingly negative note? What would that have communicated to a church undergoing intense persecution (his original audience)? What does that mean for us today?
How does Mark’s introductory remarks concerning the “good news of Jesus Christ” (1:1) reinforce or contradict his conclusion: “They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.” (16:8)?
Why is Jesus’ resurrection still so hard to believe in?
Why were women the first to discover the empty tomb? What does this say about discipleship? What does this say about who God reveals himself to?

References:

Mark 15

Posted on May 17, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 15:1-47

Overview:

Early in the morning Jesus is taken by the Jewish leaders to for a trial in front of Pilate
Pilate asks Jesus if he’s the King of the Jews. Jesus says, “You said it.”
Many accusations are brought against Jesus, but he keeps his mouth shut.
Pilate, to appease the crowd, says he’ll release a prisoner. The crowd can chose between Barabbas (a revolutionary and a murderer) or Jesus. The crowd picks Barabbas.
Pilate then asks what they want to do with Jesus and they say, “Crucify him!”
The Roman soldiers take Jesus away and mock him by dressing him up like a king while beating him and whipping him.
On their way to crucify Jesus, the soldiers force a guy named Simon, from Cyrene, carry the cross for Jesus.
Jesus is crucified.
A sign is hung up on the cross that says Jesus is condemned for being the “King of the Jews.”
The people mock Jesus and tell him to save himself.
Around noon the sky gets dark. Jesus quotes Psalm 22 by crying out that God has forsaken him.
The people around the cross don’t understand what Jesus is saying and get him some wine to drink.
With a loud cry, Jesus dies.
The curtain in the Temple is torn in two. A roman soldier watching says, “This guy truly was the Son of God.”
Only the women who followed Jesus were nearby to witness this.
Because it was almost the Sabbath, a member of the Jewish leadership named Joseph went and asked Pilate for permission to bury Jesus.
Pilate confirmed that Jesus was dead, then granted the request.
Joseph wrapped up Jesus body and put him in a nice tomb.

Historical Context:

Pontius Pilate

From 6 BC to 41 AD, seven Roman governors (titled “prefects”) ruled Judea. From 41-44 AD, Herod Agrippa, a Jewish king and descendent of Herod the Great, ruled Judea. After 44 AD the province reverted to direct Roman rule under seven Roman governors, (titled “procurators”) terminating in the inept Florus whose clumsiness provoked the Jewish War of 67-70 AD.¹⁵

The procurators’ and prefects’ primary functions were military, but as representatives of the empire they were responsible for the collection of imperial taxes, and also had limited judicial functions. Other civil administration lay in the hands of local government: the municipal councils or ethnic governments such as—in the district of Judaea and Jerusalem—the Sanhedrin and its president the High Priest. But the power of appointment of the High Priest resided in the Roman legate of Syria or the prefect of Judaea in Pilate’s day and until AD 41.²

Pilate was a member of the equestrian (equites) class, a lower aristocratic class in ancient Rome, and he ruled over Judea from 26-36 AD.

Members of the equites were originally defined by a property threshold. The rank was passed from father to son, although members of the order who no longer met the property requirement were usually removed from the order. The property threshold stood at 100,000 denarii – roughly the equivalent to the annual salaries of 450 contemporary legionaries.³

Equestrians such as Pilate could command legionary forces but only small ones, and so in military situations, he would have to yield to his superior, the legate of Syria, who would descend into Palestine with his legions as necessary. As governor of Judaea, Pilate would have small auxiliary forces of locally recruited soldiers stationed regularly in Caesarea and Jerusalem, such as the Antonia Fortress, and temporarily anywhere else that might require a military presence. The total number of soldiers at his disposal would have numbered about 3,000.²

Equestrians were the chief financial officers of the imperial provinces, and the deputy financial officers of senatorial provinces.³

It was to Pilate’s duties overseeing Judea’s finances that members of the Sanhedrin appealed to when they accused Jesus of sedition against Rome by opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar and calling himself a king. Fomenting tax resistance was a capital offense. Pilate was responsible for imperial tax collections in Judaea. Jesus had asked the tax collector Levi, at work in his tax booth in Capernaum, to quit his post. Jesus also appears to have influenced Zacchaeus, “a chief tax collector” in Jericho, which is in Pilate’s tax jurisdiction, to resign.²

Pilate was normally stationed in Caesarea. He would’ve been in Jerusalem only for the special occasion of the Passover.

Pilate was not very well liked by the Jews. He repeatedly caused near-insurrections due to his insensitivity to Jewish customs.²

First Century historian, Josephus, notes that Pilate’s predecessors had respected Jewish customs by removing all images and effigies on their Roman military standards when entering Jerusalem, Pilate allowed his soldiers to bring them into the city at night. When the citizens of Jerusalem discovered these the following day, they appealed to Pilate to remove them. After five days of deliberation, Pilate had his soldiers surround the demonstrators, threatening them with death, which they were willing to accept rather than submit to desecration of Mosaic law. Pilate finally removed the images.²

Philo, another ancient Jewish historian, describes an incident in which Pilate was chastened by Emperor Tiberius after antagonizing the Jews by setting up gold-coated shields in Herod’s Palace in Jerusalem. Philo writes that the shields were set up “not so much to honor Tiberius as to annoy the multitude”. The Jews protested the installation of the shields at first to Pilate, and then, when he declined to remove them, by writing to Tiberius. Philo reports that upon reading the letters, Tiberius “wrote to Pilate with a host of reproaches and rebukes for his audacious violation of precedent and bade him at once take down the shields and have them transferred from the capital to Caesarea.”²

Josephus recounts another incident in which Pilate spent money from the Temple to build an aqueduct. Pilate had soldiers hidden in the crowd of Jews while addressing them and, when Jews again protested his actions he gave the signal for his soldiers to randomly attack, beat and kill – in an attempt to silence Jewish petitions.²

Philo writes that Pilate had “vindictiveness and furious temper”, and was “naturally inflexible, a blend of self-will and relentlessness”.²

Pilate’s term as prefect of Judaea ended after this incident recounted by Josephus. A large group of Samaritans had been persuaded by an unnamed man to go to Mount Gerizim in order to see sacred artifacts allegedly buried by Moses. Pilate sent in “a detachment of cavalry and heavy-armed infantry,” and attacked the crowd. Many prisoners were taken, of whom Pilate put to death the principal leaders and those who were most influential.” The Samaritans then complained to Vitellius, Roman governor of Syria, who sent Pilate to Rome to explain his actions regarding this incident to Tiberius.²

Barabbas

Barabbas means literally “son of the father.” It is likely that he was a Revolutionary.⁴

The two robbers crucified on either side of Jesus were likely comrades of Barabbas who would have been here between them had not Jesus taken his place.¹³

Flogging and Mockery

In the Roman Empire, flagellation was often used as a prelude to crucifixion. Whips with small pieces of metal or bone at the tips were commonly used. Such a device could easily cause disfigurement and serious trauma, such as ripping pieces of flesh from the body or loss of an eye. In addition to causing severe pain, the victim would approach a state of hypovolemic shock due to loss of blood.¹¹

Typically, the one to be punished was stripped naked and bound to a low pillar so that he could bend over it, or chained to an upright pillar so as to be stretched out. Two soldiers alternated blows from the bare shoulders down the body to the soles of the feet. There was no limit to the number of blows inflicted – this was left to the soldiers to decide, though they were normally not supposed to kill the victim. Flagellation was referred to as “half death” by some ancient authors and apparently, it was not uncommon for victims to die shortly thereafter.¹¹

It is possible that the soldiers put the crown of thorns on Jesus’ head with the points away from his head. This would better imitate the crown with beams of light like the sun. The rulers in Jesus’ time had their pictures with crowns like that on coins.¹

Simon of Cyrene

Cyrene is located in North Africa. He may have been a worker out in the country. His sons Alexander and Rufus were likely well-known Christians in Rome which is why Mark mentioned them (presuming his original audience was Roman). Paul mentions a Rufus in Romans 16:13. It is possible that Simon became the leader in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1).¹

A whole cross would weigh well over 300 lbs. The crossbeam, which Jesus was likely forced to carry, would weigh around 100 lbs.¹⁰

We are never told Simon was Jew. Simon is a Greek name, along with Alexander, while Rufus is a Roman one. It was likely that the soldiers recruited Simon to help for the very fact that he wasn’t Jewish–it would’ve annoyed the Jews to be asked to help in the midst of a festival. It is also likely that the soldiers ordered Simon to help because Jesus was so weak they feared he might die before he arrived at the execution site.¹⁵

Golgotha

Golgotha is referred to in early writings as a hill resembling a skullcap located very near to a gate into Jerusalem.²

An alternative explanation for the name is that the location was a place of public execution, and the name refers to abandoned skulls that would be found there, or that the location was near a cemetery, and the name refers to the bones buried there.⁴

In some Christian and Jewish traditions, the name Golgotha refers to the location of the skull of Adam. A common version states that Shem and Melchizedek traveled to the resting place of Noah’s Ark, retrieved the body of Adam from it, and were led by Angels to Golgotha — described as a skull-shaped hill at the centre of the Earth, where also the serpent’s head had been crushed following the Fall of man.⁷

Calvary is an English name for Golgotha derived from the Latin word for skull (calvaria), which is used in the Vulgate translation of “place of a skull”.¹¹

Crucifixion

Crucifixion is a form of slow and painful execution in which the victim is tied or nailed to a large wooden cross and left to hang until dead.¹⁰Death on a cross was only for slaves, or for people who were not Roman citizens.¹

Crucifixion was often performed to terrorize and dissuade its witnesses from perpetrating particularly heinous crimes. Victims were left on display after death as warnings to others who might attempt dissent. Crucifixion was usually intended to provide a death that was particularly slow, painful (hence the term excruciating, literally “out of crucifying”), gruesome, humiliating, and public, using whatever means were most expedient for that goal.¹⁰

In many cases, Roman’s had places designated for crucifixions. In those places, upright posts would be fixed permanently in place, and the crossbeam, with the condemned person perhaps already nailed to it, would then be attached to the post.¹⁰

While a crucifixion was an execution, it was also a humiliation, by making the condemned as vulnerable as possible. The person being crucified was usually stripped naked.¹⁰

The placing of the nails in the hands, or the wrists is uncertain. Some theories suggest that the Greek word cheir (χειρ) for hand includes the wrist and that the Romans were generally trained to place nails through Destot’s space (between the capitate and lunate bones) without fracturing any bones. Another theory suggests that the Greek word for hand also includes the forearm and that the nails were placed near the radius and ulna of the forearm. Ropes may have also been used to fasten the hands in addition to the use of nails.⁹

It is likely that Jesus died of profound shock. The scourging, the beatings, and the fixing to the cross would have left Jesus dehydrated, weak, and critically ill and that the stage was set for a complex interplay of simultaneous physiological insults: dehydration, massive trauma and soft tissue injury (especially from the prior scourging), inadequate respiration, and strenuous physical exertion, leading to cardiovascular collapse.⁹

Frequently, the legs of the person executed were broken or shattered with an iron club. This act hastened the death of the person by removing their ability to support themselves with their legs and provide air to their lungs.¹⁰

Psalm 22

The saying “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” is generally given in transliterated Aramaic with a translation (originally in Greek) after it. This phrase is the opening line of Psalm 22, a psalm about persecution, and the mercy and salvation of God. It was common for people at this time to reference songs by quoting their first lines.¹²

“Eloi Eloi lama sabachthani?” is the only saying of Jesus on the cross that appears in more than one Gospel. This saying is taken by some as an abandonment of the Son by the Father. Other theologians understand the cry as that of one who was truly human and who felt forsaken.¹²

Jesus may have intentionally quoted the first line of the Psalm 22,”My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” as a prelude to the rest of the psalm, “God has not hidden his face. He has heard when he cried out to him,” and, “They will proclaim his righteousness, declaring to a people yet unborn: He has done it!”¹

The Temple Curtain

According to First Century historian, Josephus, the curtain in Herod’s temple would have been nearly 60 feet high and 4 inches thick. The curtain was representative of the separation between God and man, beyond which only the High Priest was permitted to pass, and then only once each year, to enter into God’s presence and make atonement for the sins of Israel.⁹

The curtain tearing in two would’ve occurred at three o’clock in the afternoon, at a time when the priests would have been busy with the evening sacrifice, going about their tasks with lighted lamps, with a very large number of them present.¹³

The outer veil of the Jerusalem temple was actually one huge image of the starry sky, thus provoking the image of the heavens being torn. Josephus makes it clear that the Temple was a microcosm of creation, in which the outer parts represented the sea and the land, but the interior, where even the priests were highly restricted from, was heaven where God resided. The veil of the Temple, which screened the Holy of Holies, was nothing less than the barrier between heaven and earth.¹⁵

The Women at the Cross

The gospels have varying accounts of who was at the cross:⁴

Mark	Matthew	Luke	John
Mary Magdalene	Mary Magdalene	The women who had followed him from Galilee	Mary Magdalene
Mary, mother of James the younger and Joses	Mary, mother of James and Joseph
Salome	The mother of the sons of Zebedee		Mary, the wife of Clopas ( Jesus’ mother’s sister)
			Mary, Jesus’ mother

Salome has been supposed to be the same as Mary, wife of Clopas and to have been the mother of Zebedee’s sons James and John, and a half-sister or sister-in-law of Mary the mother of Jesus.⁴

Mary Magdalene was first person named at Jesus’ three most important moments: the crucifixion, the burial and the resurrection. Within the four Gospels she is named at least 12 times, more than most of the apostles.⁶

Mary Magdalene was likely from Magdala, a town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Luke says that she was actually “called Magdalene” which may indicate that she was like a tower (in Aramaic “Magdala” means “tower” or “elevated, great, magnificent”).⁶

The Gospels present women as the spiritual leaders. They were last with Jesus at the cross, first to behold his resurrection, and everywhere more perceptive than men.¹³

Joseph of Arimethea

Joseph likely came from a town that was 20 miles north west of Jerusalem, and he was a member of the Sanhedrin.

Arimathea, as the name of a specified city, is not documented, though according to Luke it was “a city of Judea.” Arimathea is usually identified with either Ramleh or Ramathaim-Zophim, where David came to Samuel (1 Samuel 19) Others identify it with Ramlah in Dan, or Ramah in Benjamin.⁹

Observations:

The time of the trial with Pilate would be at daybreak, following Roman customs of early court because of the heat.¹⁶
Just as the High Priest’s question in Mark 14 about Jesus’ identity centered around their own interests and how to maintain seats of power, so too Pilate’s question centered upon the charge of greatest interest to a governor who was charged with protecting Caesar’s interests.¹³
Note how Pilate makes three attempts to release Jesus, just as Peter makes three denials of Jesus.¹⁵
The Praetorium referred to any Roman officials’ residence when they were in Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, this may have been the fortress Antonio, which was next to the Temple or more probably Herod the Great’s palace.¹⁶
Modern audiences often view Jesus’ sufferings as fearsome and terrible, but in the ancient world the kind of physical suffering inflicted on Jesus was common and unremarkable. Mark’s audience would probably not have been very impressed by six hours on the cross, as survival for days on a cross was not unheard of.¹⁵
Purple was the symbol of royalty. Originally a Roman officer’s robe would have been scarlet, but in time it may be faded to a shade of purple.¹⁶
A mixture of wine and myrrh was a drug that women from Jerusalem would often offered to victims of crucifixion. It would help to make the pain a little less terrible.¹ Jesus refusal to drink may be explained as due to his vow in Mark 14:25 when he told his disciples at the Last Supper that he would not drink wine until he drank it new in the Kingdom of God.¹³
There was a belief in First Century Israel that Elijah would come to the help of good people in times of trouble.¹
The earliest Aramaic Gospels, the Diatessaron of Tatian and the Church Fathers testify that it was the curtain at the entrance of the temple which ripped, and not the inner veil before the Holy of Holies.⁷
The image of darkness over the land would have been understood by ancient readers as typical use of eschatological imagery of the day of the Lord.⁹
“Vinegar” was the sour wine comprising a part of the daily rations of the Roman soldiers.¹³
The two thieves crucified on Jesus’ right and left is a reminder of when James and John ask if they can sit at Jesus’ side in Heaven in Mark 10. Jesus says he can promise them strife and persecution, but he cannot grant them “to sit at my right hand or at my left…for that honor is “for those for whom it has been prepared.” Later in the midst of the cruifixion, all the disciples having fled, the reader meets “those for whom it has been prepared,” the robbers, not James and John, and the reader also realizes clearly that in the Gospel of Mark, despite what the disciples might wish, Jesus’ coming “in his glory” is Jesus crucified on a cross.¹⁵
The word “passers-by” indicates that the crucifixion takes place along a road.¹⁵
Mark highlights the failure of Jesus’ disciples once more. The disciples of John the Baptist buried their leader, but the disciples of Jesus left it to his enemies to take care of his body.¹⁵
The large, hewn, slab of rock used to cover the tomb would’ve been shaped like a grinding stone. Graves were regularly robbed so they were sealed with a heavy stone. The size of the stone showed it was a rich man’s grave.¹⁶

Discussion:

Why did Jesus need to die?
Why do you think Jesus remained silent during his trials?
What did Jesus mean when he said, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?”

Resources:

Mark 14

Posted on May 8, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 14:1-72

Overview:

As the Passover feast is getting started, the chief priests and experts in Mosaic Law conspire together saying, “We should get rid of this Jesus guy, but not during the festival. He’s too popular with the people.”
Meanwhile, Jesus is kicking back in Bethany at Simon the Leper’s house. A woman shows up with some super expensive perfume and anoints Jesus’ head.
The people at the house get huffed and say, “She should’ve sold that perfume for lots of money and given it to the poor.”
Jesus says, “Leave her alone. What she did is awesome. You can help the poor anytime, but I’m only here for a little while. She anointed me for my impending death, and that should not be forgotten.”
Then Judas approaches the Jewish leaders and says he’ll betray Jesus. The leaders think this is great and say they’ll pay him.
On the first day of Passover the disciples ask Jesus where they should eat the special meal that night.
Jesus tells them to go into town and follow a dude carrying a water jar. When the dude arrives at a house, they’re to ask the owner, “Where is can the Teacher and his disciples eat the meal?” and then be shown a nice large room upstairs.
The disciples do as Jesus instructed and it all happens as he said it would.
That night, as the twelve disciples and Jesus are eating the Passover meal, Jesus says, “Someone here is going to betray me.”
All the disciples are like, “No! It won’t be me, will it?”
Jesus says, “Yep, one of you, for sure, because that is how it’s been foretold in Scripture. But let me tell you, the one who does it will wish he’d never been born.”
Then, at the end of the Passover meal, Jesus takes some unleavened bread, breaks it and says, “Here you go. This is my body.” Then he takes the cup of wine that is meant to represent God’s redemption of his people from slavery, and says, “This is the blood of the covenant, which is poured out to redeem everyone.”
Then Jesus says, “I will not drink the next cup of wine [which represents God’s blessing and joy] until the day I can drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”
Then they sing some Psalms and head out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus tells Peter, “You’ll betray me. Scripture says that when God strikes the leader the followers scatter, and that’s about to happen. But, don’t worry, I’ll rise from the dead and meet up with you in Galilee.”
Peter is shocked and says, “No way! Everyone may abandon you, but I won’t.”
And Jesus says, “Way. In fact, you’ll betray me three times before you hear the rooster crow early in the morning.”
Peter and the other disciples still think they’ll stick by Jesus’ side no matter what.
In a garden outside town, called Gethsemane, Jesus says to the disciples, “Hang out while I go pray.”
Peter, James and John go with Jesus and he says to them, “This is not cool. I’m totally freaked out. Keep an eye out for me.”
Then Jesus goes a little further, falls down and prays, “Dad, I really, really don’t want to take on all your wrath. If you have another way that this redemption of mankind stuff can be accomplished, I’d love to hear it. But, whatever you want to happen is okay with me.”
Jesus goes back to the disciples and finds them snoozing.
Jesus says, “Pete, can’t you even stay alert for an hour? Pray now that you won’t fall away from me. You have a tough-guy attitude, but when the rubber meets the road, you’re weak.”
Jesus goes and prays again and comes back to find them sleeping… again.
After praying for a third time, Jesus comes back and says to the the disciples, “Still sleeping? Get up. My time has come. Here comes my betrayer.”
Just then Judas shows up in the garden with an armed crowd. Judas walks up to Jesus and says, “Teacher,” then kisses his cheek. This was the pre-arranged signal to the armed crowd of who to arrest.
They arrest Jesus.
One of Jesus’ disciples whips out a sword and cuts off the ear of one of the chief priest’s servants.
Jesus says, “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Am I leading a rebellion? Is that why you brought an army to arrest me? Haven’t I been teaching peacefully in the Temple everyday? Why didn’t you do it then? But, you know what? This is how it’s supposed to happen.”
Then all the disciples bail.
There is even this guy there, who’s wearing only a linen cloth, and they try to grab him, too. But the guards only get ahold of his cloak, so he books it away naked.
Jesus is taken to the high priest’s palace and all the Jewish leaders gather together in the middle of the night for a trial.
Peter sneaks along, all the way to the palace courtyard where the guards are warming themselves by the fire, and listens in on the trial.
Lots of false witnesses are brought in, but none of them agree on what they thought Jesus was doing wrong. So, the high priest says to Jesus, “Aren’t you going to say anything in your own defense?”
Jesus says nothing.
Then the high priest asks, “Are you the messiah, the son of God?”
“I am,” Jesus replies. “And I’m going to rule the world alongside God.”
The high priest rips his own clothes as a sign of distress and says, “We don’t need any more witnesses! This man is claiming to be as great as God! This is blasphemy!”
They all condemn Jesus to death and commence humiliating him by spitting on him and blindfolding him and asking him to predict who’s hitting him.
Meanwhile, in the courtyard, one of the servant girls sees Peter and says, “Hey, aren’t you one of the guys who followed Jesus?”
Peter is like, “What? You don’t know what you’re talking about.” And he promptly changes locations.
Later, the servant girl sees Peter again and says, “Hey, that’s one of the dudes who was with Jesus.”
Peter denies it, but the other people say, “Yeah. We can tell you’re from Galilee. You must’ve been with Jesus.”
Peter curses and swears, “I don’t even know who this ‘Jesus guy’ is!”
Just then the rooster crows and Peter remembers what Jesus said about Peter disowning him.
Peter runs away crying.

Historical Context:

Passover

The festival of the passover is celebrated to preserve the memory of the Jew’s liberation from Egyptian servitude, and of the safety of their firstborn in that night when the firstborn of the Egyptians perished. It is called the passover because the Lord passed over the houses of the Israelites without slaying their firstborn.¹

It is celebrated over seven days, from the 15th to the 21st of Nisan (April).On the evening of the fourteenth day (the start of the festival), all the leaven or yeast in the family is removed with great care. For the remainder of the week the Jews eat unleavened bread, thus the festival is also called the feast of unleavened bread.¹

On the 10th day of the month the master of a family separates a one year-old lamb or a goat of from the flock, which is slain on the 14th day before the altar. The lamb is commonly slain at about 3:00 P.M. The blood of the lamb is sprinkled on the doorposts of the houses (as was done in Egypt prior to the exodus); then poured by the priests at the foot of the altar..¹

The lamb is roasted whole, with two spits thrust through it —one lengthwise, and one transversely. Not a bone is to be broken.¹

The lamb is served at the meal with wild and bitter herbs. Not fewer than ten, nor more than twenty persons, are to attend the feast.¹

Originally, the participants were to eat the meal standing, with their robes tucked in and with their sandals on their feet–prepared for an immediate journey, just as they had in Egypt when they left in such haste.¹

The order of the Passover feast:¹

Thanks is given to God, then a cup of wine mingled with water is drank. This is the first cup, “the cup of consecration,” which signals God’s promise: “I will bring out.” (Exodus 6:6-7)⁹
Then there is a washing of hands and another short form of thanksgiving to God.
The table is supplied with the bitter herbs called maror (to symbolize the bitterness of slavery), unleavened bread (symbolizing the speed at which they were to leave slavery), the cooked lamb, a thick sauce composed of dates, figs, raisins, and vinegar–called charoset (symbolizing the mortar which the Jewish slaves used to cement bricks), and salt water to dip the vegetables in (the dipping being a sign of royalty and freedom, while the salt water recalls the tears the Jews shed during their servitude).¹⁰
The dishes are then removed from the table (without being eaten), and a second cup of wine set before each guest.
The leading person at the feast recites the history of the servitude of the Jews in Egypt, the manner of their deliverance, and the reason of instituting the passover.
The dishes are returned to the table, and the leading person says, “This is the passover which we eat, because that the Lord passed over the houses of our fathers in Egypt;” they hold up the bitter herbs and the unleavened bread, and states that one represented the bitterness of the Egyptian bondage, and the other the suddenness of their deliverance.
The leader then recites the first part of the Hallel (Hebrew: הלל‎, “Praise”) which includes the 113th and 114th Psalms, offers a short prayer, and everyone drinks the second cup which signals God’s promise: “I will deliver.” (Exodus 6:6-7)⁹
The participant’s hands are washed again, and the meal is eaten.
The participant’s hands are washed again and a third cup of wine, called the cup of blessing, is drank. This signals God’s promise: “I will redeem.” (Exodus 6:6-7)⁹
After another thanksgiving is given, a fourth cup, the cup of “joy” or “blessing,” is drunk. This signals God’s promise: “I will take.” (Exodus 6:6-7)⁹
The second part of the Hallel, or the 115th, 116th, 117th, 118th Psalms, is sung to end the meal.

The Vilna Gaon, a prominant Jewish leader in the 1700’s, related the Four Cups of Wine to the four worlds: this world, the Messianic age, the world at the revival of the dead, and the world to come.⁹

The meal is sometimes called the Seder meaning “order, arrangement.”¹⁰

The Lord’s Supper

Terminology:

Eucharist is from the Greek noun εὐχαριστία (eucharistia), meaning “thanksgiving.” It is found in 1 Cor. 11: 23 “the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks...”⁷
The Lord’s Supper comes from 1. Cor. 11:20, “When you come together, it is not the Lord’s Supper you eat…”⁷
Communion is derived from the Latin communio, meaning “sharing in common,” translated from the Greek κοινωνία (koinōnía).⁷

Around 112 AD, Pliny the Younger–a Roman lawyer and magistrate–wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan in which he reported that the Christians, after having met “on a stated day” in the early morning to “address a form of prayer to Christ, as to a divinity,” later in the day would “reassemble, to eat in common a harmless meal”.¹¹This meal was called the Agape Feast (or love feast) by the early church, and was a shared communal meal with which the Eucharist was originally associated. The Agape Feast is mentioned in Jude 12.⁷

Most scholars believe that Jesus used the Third Cup of Wine (the cup of blessing), which represented God’s redemptive act in the Exodus, to institute the Eucharist. When Jesus said, “‘I will never again drink…” he was referring to the Fourth Cup, (the cup of blessing) because it symbolized the consummation of God’s work.¹²

There are a few scholars that think Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper the night before the Passover in a ritual called the Kiddush–which was a Jewish benediction and prayer recited over a cup of wine immediately before the meal on the eve of the sabbath or of a festival. After reciting the kiddush the master of the house sips from the cup, and then passes it to his wife and to the others at the table; then all wash their hands, and the master of the house blesses the bread, cuts it, and passes a morsel to each person at the table.⁸

Gethsemane

Gethsemane is a word made up either of two Hebrew words, signifying a fertile valley; or two words signifying an olive press, because the place was filled with olives.¹

It is probable that Gethsemane included a cluster of houses, or even a small village, in which was a garden, perhaps with a fountain and with walks and groves–a proper place of refreshment in a hot climate.¹

The Naked Man in the Garden

Many theories exist as to the identity of the young man, wearing nothing more than a garment, who was nearly arrested and ran away naked:¹

Many scholars think that this is the author, Mark, himself, and that the story is included as a type of signature. It highly is likely that the disciples ate the Passover at Mark’s mother’s house (Acts 12), and thus, a young Mark may have followed them into the garden, though he was already ready for bed.
Some think that it was just a man from one of the neighboring villages or houses, and was roused from sleep by the noise made by the rabble, and came to see what was happening.
Others think that the man was the owner of the garden, and maybe even a friend of Jesus. Aroused from his sleep by the commotion, he cast a garment at hand around his body, and came to see the events unfold.

Judas Betrayal

Little is known about Judas. As a result, many scholars think his surname “Iscariot” may hold some clues to his identity and motivations for betraying Jesus. There are several major theories on etymology:⁴

Iscariot maybe Hebrew in origin, meaning “man of Kerioth.” The Gospel of John refers to Judas as “son of Simon Iscariot” implying it was not Judas, but his father, who came from there. Kerioth is the name of two known Judean towns.
Iscariot may also identify Judas as a member of the sicarii–a group of assassins among Jewish rebels intent on driving the Romans out of Judea.
Iscariot may derive from an Aramaic word meaning “red color.”
Iscariot may also be a name given to Judas posthumously indicating the manner of his death, i.e., hanging. Thus Iscariot may derive from a Greek-Aramaic word hybrid “Iskarioutha,” meaning “constriction.”

Some theories regarding Judas’ motivation:

It is possible that Judas expected Jesus to overthrow Roman rule of Israel, and once he realized that Jesus had no military ambitions he betrayed him. Judas loved his country and thought Jesus had failed it.⁴
Judas may have also realized that Jesus was causing unrest among the Jews that would ultimately increase tensions with the Roman authorities. Once this tension reached a riotous level, Rome would crack down on Jesus and his disciples, in which case all of them would be killed. Judas, in an effort to save himself (and possibly the other disciples), turned Jesus over to the authorities before Rome had to get involved.
The Gospel of John simply states that Satan entered Judas after Jesus reprimanded him for his disapproval of Mary’s anointing of the Messiah.
The Gospels of Mark, Luke and Matthew are more vague in their explanations, but definitely use the set up Jesus’ anointing at Bethany as the trigger event for Judas’ behavior. In this scenario, Judas, stung by the rebuke of Jesus at the feast, runs off to bargain with the rulers to betray Jesus. “If such assumptions are true, avarice, wounded pride, and disappointment appear as prime ingredients in Judas’ motivation for betrayal. What is very remarkable is the astounding pettiness of this diabolical act.”¹²

It is also likely that Judas was expected to be the star witness at Jesus’ trial, and that–much to the chagrin of the Sanhedrin–Judas didn’t show up. To save face and complete the trial, the Jewish leaders had to scramble to find witnesses in the middle of the night to testify against Jesus. The total lack of any testimony from Judas at any of the trials indicate that he refused to aid the campaign against Christ any further.¹¹

Peter’s Denial

Mark and Luke write that Peter would deny Jesus before the cock crow twice. The cock is accustomed to crow twice, once at midnight, and once in the morning.¹

The “cock crow” was a Roman division of time, marking the close of the third watch, about three o’clock in the morning.¹²

Mark says, the first denial took place while Peter was “beneath in the palace.” The palace had a large hall or court and belonged to the high priest. The part of the palace where Jesus and the council were was elevated, probably, above the rest, for a tribunal. Peter was beneath, or in the lower part of the hall, with the servants, at the fire.¹

This is the only time Jesus calls Peter “Simon” since he renamed him in Mark 3:16. The rock (i.e. Peter) was anything but stable, sure, and trustworthy. Peter must have remembered this “reverse” name change with great pain.¹²

Only Mark records the incident of Peter’s cursing and swearing,¹¹ perhaps a vivid memory from Peter himself as relayed to Mark.

Observations:

Nard is a perfume made from a plant collected from the East Indies, with a small slender stalk, and a heavy, thick root. The best perfume is obtained from the root, though the stalk and fruit are used for that purpose. Nard was esteemed one of the most precious perfumes. John says it was a full pound. (John 12:3.)¹
The text literally reads that the perfume cost “three hundred denarii.” Since a denarius was a day’s pay for a day laborer, the NIV paraphrases to “a year’s wages” taking into account feast days and sabbaths when one would not work.⁶
The perfume was in a container of white opaque stone from Alabastron, a city in Egypt. Once opened it could not be resealed. This well could have been the woman’s marriage dowry.¹²
“The breaking of the flask was perhaps an expression of the whole-heartedness of her devotion. Having served its purpose, it would never be used again” (Cranfield).
The poor you will always have with you is a reference to Deut. 15:11 in which Moses commands the Israelites to be generous towards each other and to cancel debts every seven years because, “There will be poor people in the land.”⁶
That the anointing of Jesus at Bethany would be considered important enough to be perpetually told as part of the gospel story, but for the woman involved to remain unnamed seems odd. The silence of the synoptic gospels regarding the event must be accounted for by supposing that her name was deliberately concealed for a long while afterward, perhaps during the lifetime of Lazarus and his sisters, as they were likely targets of the Jewish leaders as well. John, writing long afterward, supplied the name of Mary (John 12:3).¹¹
.In strict usage “the first day of unleavened bread” meant the first day of the Passover festival (Thursday), which began with the paschal supper. But it is possible that the day before this (Wednesday), when the paschal lambs were sacrificed, and all leaven was expelled from the houses, was popularly spoken of as “the first day of the unleavened bread.”¹¹
It was highly unusual in this culture for a man to carry water and especially to carry it in a pitcher. If men were needed to carry large amounts of water they used sheep or goat skins, not clay pitchers.¹²
Tradition has it that the Last Supper was in the home of John Mark, based on Acts 12.¹¹
Originally the Passover was eaten standing because of Exod. 12:11. The Jews of the first century did not use chairs, a custom which they learned from the Persians (Esther 1:6; 7:8). They ate at low cushions, usually three in number, at a table in the shape of a horseshoe (so servers could bring food easily), reclining on pillows on their left elbow with their feet behind them.¹²
If the Last Supper happened during the Passover feast, then why didn’t Jesus use the lamb to represent his body? The typology between the Exodus and Jesus which seems to be preferred is the identification of Jesus as the “manna” (cf. Exod. 16), given by YHWH during the wilderness wandering period. This provided a stable life-giving diet to God’s people. Now YHWH gives the “true” bread of heaven, provides the “real” life-giving provision, sends the “perfect” leader, and inaugurates the new Passover from sin and death.¹²
In the ancient world covenants or contracts were ratified by slaying an animal; by the shedding of its blood; imprecating similar vengeance if either party failed in the compact. Jesus says the covenant which God is about to form with men, the new covenant, is sealed or ratified with his blood.¹
With Judas, a member of the inner group of apostles in their power, the chief priests immediately revised their strategy and opted for a public trial and execution, thinking, no doubt, that Judas would swear to anything they suggested.¹¹
What is the “cup” that Jesus dreaded? It is the cup of God’s wrath, poured out on sinners. It is the cup which will be poured out in those who are unrighteous, whether they be Jews or Gentiles. The cup mentioned in the Old Testament: Jeremiah 25:15-20, Isaiah 51:17, Psalm 75:6-10.¹¹
The scene of Jesus’ trial is not the usual meeting place of the Sanhedrin–which is just off the court of women–but the official residence of the high priest.¹¹The timing (middle of the night) and the location show the hurriedness of the whole situation.
“Their testimony was not consistent.” In the Old Testament it took the testimony of two witnesses to convict (Deut. 17:6; 19:15). Also, if someone bore false witness they were to bear the penalty of the accused.¹²
It was not a capital offense to claim to be the Messiah; but it was, for making himself the divine Messiah; this led to the charge of blasphemy. In John 19:7, the author records the Jews saying, “We have a law, and by that law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God!”¹¹
“Blessed One” is a common Jewish title for God. The Jews did not expect the Messiah to be God incarnate, but a gifted/empowered human, like the judges in the Old Testamtent.¹²
The law under which the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus is based on Leviticus 24:10-16, which sentenced those guilty of blasphemy to death by stoning. The chief priests, however, were unwilling to excite a popular tumult by stoning him, and they therefore consulted to deliver him to the Romans to be crucified, under the authority of the Roman name.¹
“Coming in the clouds of heaven” is a quote from Dan. 7, in which it was indicated that God would be seen in his full glory through his judgment of the world.¹
The fact that the Jewish leaders didn’t want to kill Jesus during the Passover (due to his popularity), yet Jesus died during the feast shows that The Lord, not the priests, is the architect of the crucifixion.¹¹
“They spit in his face.” This, among the Jews, was the highest contempt and insult (Numbers 12:14; Isaiah 1:6; Job 30:10).¹

Discussion:

What did Jesus mean when he said the poor will always be with you? What does that mean for our focus of our efforts and ministries? When is it more appropriate to use our energy and resources to glorify Jesus rather than help others? Is it more important to tithe money to the church or to use it to help the poor? Can poverty be eliminated?
Why do we hold Judas in such contempt but Peter in such high regard, when in reality both turned their backs on Jesus? What is the difference? What was the difference to the early church? What are the implications for how we respond to the question, “are you a follower of Jesus’?
Note the contrasting behavior between Peter drawing his sword (aggressive defense) and attacking a guard and Peter denying Jesus (wilting shame) when questioned? Why was Peter defensive of Jesus in one instance and defensive of his own safety in another? Are they both betrayals? What do they tell us about Peter? About ourselves?

References:

Mark 13

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 13:1-37

Overview:

Jesus and his disciples are leaving Jerusalem when someone says, “That there Temple we have is awesome, right?”
Jesus says, “Get a good look now, because that there Temple is going to be destroyed. Destroyed, destroyed. All gone. Nothing left.”
Later, on the Mount of Olives, Peter, James and John ask Jesus, “When is the Temple going to be destroyed?”
Jesus says, “Lots o people will come along claiming they’re the messiah. Don’t be fooled.”
“There will also be wars and earthquakes and famines, things that look like God is mad, but don’t be fooled. These are just indications that God is using Israel to produce something new.”
“And that new thing won’t be well received. Because of me [Jesus] you [disciples] will get beat up and prosecuted as you spread the good news about me all around the known world.”
“But don’t worry about what to say. I’ve got your back. The Holy Spirit will give you the right things to say.”
“Everyone will hate you when you do this, even your own family, but stay strong and you’ll make it.”
“And when you see the Roman armies about to destroy Jerusalem, get out of town. Don’t hesitate. Don’t pack up. Just run!”
“Pray that there’s not many nursing mothers or pregnant women at that time, and hope that this doesn’t happen in the winter, because it will be as bad a day as ever happened.”
“God has been nice to cut short Jerusalem’s doom, because it will be baaaad.”
“Don’t be fooled by people who aren’t me that say they will save you at this time, they can’t.”
“The result of the coming destruction will shake up everything you know. The world will be turned upside-down. Governments will fall. Kings will die.”
“Then you will see that I am in control. That I am in charge. People from all over the world will be united together under my name.”
“Just like the fig tree ripens late and quickly, so too will the Temple’s destruction come. And it will happen in your lifetime.”
“Everything else can fall apart, but my words never fail–this is going to happen.”
“When? Only God knows when. Your job is to be alert. Just like if you were left in charge of your master’s house without any idea of when he was coming back, you’d keep doing your job, expecting him back at any moment. You don’t want to be caught slacking.”
“Stay alert. Keep watch!”

Historical Context:

Herod’s Temple

First century Jewish historian, Josephus, describes the magnificence of the temple, “Now the temple was built of stones that were white and strong, and each of their length was twenty-five cubits, their height was eight, and their breadth about twelve [15′ x 24′ x 16]; and the whole structure… were visible to all who dwelt in the country for a great many furlongs… the outward face of the temple in its front wanted nothing… it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays. But this temple appeared to strangers, when they were coming to it at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow; for as to those parts of it that were not gilt, they were exceeding white. On its top it had spikes with sharp points, to prevent any pollution of it by birds sitting upon it…. It was formed without any iron tool, nor did any such iron tool so much as touch it at any time.”¹

The temple referred to in Mark 13 stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 BC and 70 AD. It replaced the First Temple which was destroyed in 586 BC, when the Jews of the Kingdom of Judah went into exile, known as the Babylonian captivity.⁶

Herod the Great completely rebuilt the Temple in 20-18 BC, even going so far as to replace the foundation stones and to smooth off the surface of the Temple Mount. This Temple became known as Herod’s Temple.⁷

Mt. Moriah (the Temple Mount) had a plateau at the northern end, and steeply declined on the southern slope. Herod intended to turn the entire mountain into a giant square platform. The Temple Mount was to be 1,600 feet wide by 900 feet broad by 9 stories high, with walls up to 16 feet thick. To complete it, a trench was dug around the mountain, and huge stone “bricks” were laid. Some of these weighed well over 100 tons, the largest measuring 44.6 feet by 11 feet by 16.5 feet and weighing approximately 567 to 628 tons,while most were in the range of 2.5 by 3.5 by 15 feet (approximately 28 tons).⁷

The Temple was the undisputed economic and spiritual center of Israel. It was the great Jewish hope, a symbol of God’s exclusive love for Israel.¹⁰

Destruction of Jerusalem (70 AD)

The First Jewish-Roman war started in Caesarea in 66 AD when Greeks of a certain merchant house started sacrificing birds in front of a local synagogue. The Roman garrison did not intervene and the long-standing Hellenistic and Jewish religious tensions took a downward spiral. In reaction, one of the Jewish Temple clerks, Eliezar ben Hanania, ceased prayers and sacrifices for the Roman Emperor at the Temple. Protests over taxation joined the list of grievances and random attacks on Roman citizens and perceived ‘traitors’ occurred in Jerusalem. The Roman army was sent to crush the rebellion, culminating in the siege of Jerusalem in 70 AD.⁹

Unable to breach Jerusalem’s defenses, the Roman armies established a permanent camp just outside the city, digging a trench around the circumference of its walls and building a wall as high as the city walls themselves around the city. Anyone caught in the trench, attempting to flee the city would be captured, crucified, and placed in lines on top of the dirt wall facing into Jerusalem. As man as five hundred crucifixions occurred in a single day.⁹

Ancient Jewish historian, Josephus, records that those caught trying to escape, “were first whipped, then tormented with various kinds of tortures, and finally crucified; the Roman soldiers nailing them (out of the wrath and hatred they bore to the Jews), one after one way and another after another, to crosses, ‘by way of jest,’ until at length the multitude became so great that room was lacking for crosses, and crosses for the bodies.”²

Titus, the commander of the Roman army, put pressure on the food and water supplies of the inhabitants by allowing pilgrims to enter the city to celebrate Passover, and then refusing to allow them back out.⁶

Eusebius tells how the Christians fled from Jerusalem on the occasion when the Romans most unpredictably lifted the siege, without any apparent reason, how they fled to Pella, established the church there, and how not one of them lost his life during the awful siege.⁶

Meanwhile, there was much infighting amongst the Jews inside the city walls, and a stockpiled supply of dry food was intentionally burned by the Zealots to induce the defenders to fight against the siege, instead of negotiating peace; as a result many city dwellers and soldiers died of starvation during the siege.⁹

After several failed attempts to breach or scale the walls, the Romans finally launched a secret attack, overwhelming the sleeping Zealots, driving the defenders into the Temple. After much fighting, a Roman soldier threw a burning stick onto one of the Temple’s walls. The fire spread quickly and was soon out of control. The Temple was destroyed and the flames spread into the residential sections of the city.⁶

Many of the Temple furnishings, and even the roof within, were overlaid with pure gold; and the fire which broke out melted the precious metal, causing it to run down into the crevices of the great foundation stones, which in turn caused the Roman soldiers to destroy obliterate every stone of the Temple in an effort to recover the gold.¹

As many as 1.1 million people were killed during the siege, of which a majority were Jewish, and up to 97,000 were captured and enslaved. Josephus records, “The slaughter within was even more dreadful than the spectacle from without. Men and women, old and young, insurgents and priests, those who fought and those who entreated mercy, were hewn down in indiscriminate carnage. The number of the slain exceeded that of the slayers. The legionaries had to clamber over heaps of dead to carry on the work of extermination.”⁶And, the Romans, “slew whomsoever they found, without distinction, and burned the houses and all the people who had fled into them; and when they entered for the sake of plunder, they found whole families of dead persons, and houses full of carcasses destroyed by famine, then they came out with their hands empty. And though they thus pitied the dead, they had not the same emotion for the living, but killed all they met, whereby they filled the lanes with dead bodies. The whole city ran with blood, insomuch that many things which were burning were extinguished by the blood.”²

Titus reportedly refused to accept a wreath of victory, saying that the victory did not come through his own efforts but that he had merely served as an instrument of God’s wrath.⁶

When the Temple was destroyed, Judaism responded by fixating on the commandments of the Torah. Synagogues replaced the temple as a central meeting place, and the rabbis replaced high priests as Jewish community leaders.⁹

Maimonides, a Jewish writer, recorded that “Terentius Rufus, a [Roman] officer in the army of Titus, with a plowshare tore up the foundations of the temple, that the prophecy might be fulfilled, ‘Zion shall be plowed as a field.'” (Micah 3:12)²

Josephus records several signs that preceded the destruction of Jerusalem:

A star, resembling a sword, stood over the city.
A comet continued a whole year.
At the feast of unleavened bread, during the night, a bright light shone round the altar and the temple, so that it seemed to be bright day, for half an hour.
The eastern gate of the temple, of solid brass, fastened with strong bolts and bars, and which had been shut with difficulty by twenty men, opened in the night of its own accord.
A few days after Passover, chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.
A great noise, as of the sound of a multitude, was heard in the temple, saying, “Let us remove hence.”
Four years before the war began, Jesus, the son of Ananus, a plebeian and a husbandman, came to the feast of the tabernacles when the city was in peace and prosperity, and began to cry aloud, “A voice from the east, a voice from the west, a voice from the four winds, a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, a voice against the bridegroom and the brides, and a voice against this whole people!” He was scourged, and at every stroke of the whip He cried, “Woe, woe to Jerusalem!” This cry, Josephus says, was continued every day for more than seven years, until He was killed in the siege of the city, exclaiming, “Woe, woe to myself also!” (Jewish Wars, b. 6 chapter 9, section 3. 2)

Abomination of Desolation

Daniel, the prophet, predicted that at the end of the age the “people of the ruler to come” will destroy the city (Jerusalem) and the sanctuary (the Temple), put an end to sacrifices, and at the temple, set up an “abomination that causes desolation.” (Dan. 9)

The abomination of desolation is a Hebrew expression meaning an abominable or hateful destroyer.²

Many believe that the abomination of desolation Daniel predicted occurred in 167 AD when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Hellenistic king who briefly overtook Israel, ordered an altar to Zeus erected in the Temple. He also banned circumcision and ordered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the Temple.

However, overlooking Jerusalem with his disciples, Jesus refers to the abomination of desolation as if it is still yet to happen. This predication likely came true during the fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD in one, or all of, the following ways:

Luke, in his gospel, does not even mention the “abomination of desolation,” Instead he interprets the event as, “And when you see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her desolation is at hand” (Luke 21:20), thus the attack on Jerusalem by the Roman army is, itself, the abomination.
According to Josephus, the army of Zealots and Assassins filled the Temple with the dead bodies of their own fellow-citizens. Because the Jews had invited these marauders to defend them against the army of the Romans; and because these marauders committed such outrages against God, they were the abominations who caused the desolation of Jerusalem.¹¹
After the Temple was destroyed, the Roman army set up images of the emperor, and their military standards (both regarded by the Romans with divine honors) at the Temple.²

Apocalyptic Idioms and Hyperbole

Use of exaggeration and metaphor is common to all languages. Difficulty in understanding idioms, particularly in Biblical prophecy, is likely due to 1) the distance between modern and ancient cultures and languages; 2) our belief that God can do, literally, anything; and 3) people can always imagine bigger, scarier and worse scenarios, especially if it is a prophecy regarding the end of time.

For example, if Jesus was present today and said, “at the end of the age it will rain cats and dogs,” someone several thousand years from now may interpret that as meaning A) cats and dogs will fall from the sky because “that is what the text says,” or B) cats and dogs will fall from the sky because God is God and can make anything happen, or C) even if it did just mean “rain heavily,” surely it would be the worst rainstorm of all time because God said it, and he said it about the end of time.

However, the Bible provides many examples of how apocalyptic idioms played out in reality.

Prophetic Idiom	Prophetic Fulfillment
Stars fall from the sky and heavenly bodies shaken	Isaiah 13 and 34 – description of the fall of the kingdoms of Babylon and Edom. A shaking up of the heavens was a metaphor for the fall of mighty princes and rulers, overturning of kingdoms. In Mesopotamian beliefs the stars and planets where the gods who controlled mankind. Their fall meant a change in power from their gods to the one true God.¹⁰
Coming on the clouds	Clouds are an indication of God’s presence (Exodus 13). Riding on the clouds is a sign of deity (Psalms 68) since they are his transport and covering. Coming on the clouds often indicates God’s judgment (Isaiah 19 – God “comes in the clouds” in judgment on Egypt) or God’s victory (2 Samuel 22 and Psalm 18 – David’s description of God’s help in overcoming Saul’s attacks).
The gospel preached to all the nations	Paul, speaking about people hearing the good news, says “their sound is gone out into all lands, and their words unto the ends of the world” (Romans 10:18). Additonally he tells the Colossians that the gospel was come unto them, and was bearing fruit and increasing in all the world (Colossians 1:6).¹¹

Old Testament Quotes and Allusions

Jesus’ speech on the Mount of Olives has many Old Testament allusions.

Mark 13	Old Testament Reference
Nation will rise up against nation… Brother will betray brother…	Isaiah 19:2 – “I will stir up Egyptian against Egyptian – brother will fight against brother, neighbor against neighbor, city against city, kingdom against kingdom.”Micah 7:6 – “For a son dishonors his father, a daughter rises up against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man’s enemies are the members of his own household.”
These will be the beginning of birth pains…	Micah 4:10 – “Writhe in agony, Daughter Zion, like a woman in labor…”
Abomination of desolation…	Daniel 9:27 – “And at the temple, he will set up an abomination that brings desolation…”
Son of Man coming with the clouds…	Daniel 7:13 – “…one like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days…”
False prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders…	Deuteronomy 13 – “If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, ‘Let us follow other gods’ (gods you have not known) ‘and let us worship them,’ you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer.”
Sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light…	Isaiah 13:10 – “…stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light…”
Stars will fall from the sky…	Isaiah 34:4 – “All the stars of the heavens will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the vine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.”
Gather his elect from the four winds…	Zechariah 2:11 – “Many nations will be joined with the Lord in that day and will become my people.”
Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away…	Isaiah 40: 8 – “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.”Isaiah 51:6 – “The heavens will vanish like smoke… But my salvation will last forever…”
About that day or hour, no one knows… only the Father…	Zechariah 14:7 “…a day known only to the Lord…”

Observations:

The relevance of this chapter to the early church, then confronting difficulties both in Rome and in Jerusalem (which was soon to be destroyed), was one of hope. The generation which first received Mark were on the threshold of the great persecutions against the church.¹
Why did God want the Temple destroyed? All Israel loved the temple; and it would be a great stumblingblock, preventing many of them from accepting Christ. They loved it, along with the dazzling ritual and exceedingly impressive ceremonial – they loved it too much. Its destruction would prove an effective symbol of God’s “taking away the old” and establishing a new system.¹
Some of the false Messiahs who appeared in the First Century were Theudas (Acts 5:36) and Simon Magus (Acts 8:10).
God would give his servants “words to say” from the Holy Spirit when persecuted by local councils, governors and kings, as evidenced by Peter and John in front of the Sanhedrin (Acts 4); Stephen before the Sanhedrin (Acts 7); and with Paul on various occasions (Acts 23; Acts 24:24,25).²
The Mount of Olives is where the Messiah would traditionally begin his triumph and restoration of Israel (Zech 14:4). Mark has set the mountain and the Temple in opposition to each other, and, as God most often preferred, epiphany was delivered on a mountain. This opposition of Temple to mountain recalls the similar oppositions that occur in such eschatological texts as Zechariah 14, Joel 3, and Ezekiel 38-9, where Mt. Zion is opposed to the Temple and where God sits upon it to pass judgment on his enemies.³
Less than 40 years after Jesus’ prophecy, an earthquake destroyed Laodicea. In AD 62, Mount Vesuvius in Italy threw out hot melted rock that buried Pompeii. Additionally there was a famine during Claudius’ reign in Rome (Acts 11:28).⁴
Jews used picture language of a woman in pain because she was beginning to give birth to a new life. It was the sign of the troubles for the Jewish nation that would bring about a new beginning (Micah 4:9-10).⁴
The exalted Jesus coming into the presence of the Father (“the Son of Man coming on the clouds”) is not meant to be a return to earth, but a coming into heaven to receive the power renders conclusive judgment on the Temple–it is no longer needed. Jesus has replaced the temple. Further, the gathering of the elect can be seen not as gathering the dispersed Jews back to Jerusalem, but as the evangelistic gathering of people from all nations to the new Temple who is Jesus.⁵
The Jews believed in two ages: the current evil age, characterized by sin and rebellion against God, and the “age to come.” The New Age would be inaugurated by the coming of the Messiah (cf. Psalm 2). It would be a time of righteousness and fidelity to God.¹⁰
Then the fig tree does not flower after the ordinary manner; but produces flower and fruit at once from the tree, and rapidly matures the fruit. The fig tree serves to emphasize the speed of the end for the Temple.¹¹

Discussion:

What do you think Jesus’ words meant to Mark’s original audience? What do you think Jesus’ words mean for us today? Is it the same message? Why? Why not?
How are we to apply Jesus’ words to our thinking about how we live today? Tomorrow? The long-term future?
Why do you think Jesus told his disciples to be ready, but not to prepare? Note how Jesus didn’t tell them to study up on the Old Testament to defend their beliefs, nor did he tell them to get them and all their friends to move out of Jerusalem, instead he simply told them to trust God and pay attention. What does this mean for us today?

References:

Mark 12

Posted on April 19, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 12:1-44

Overview:

In the Temple, Jesus tells everyone a story about a vineyard.
The story goes like this: An owner of the vineyard sets it up to be a successful vineyard, then leaves it in the hands of his tenants to run
At harvest times the owner sends his servants to collect the fruit of the vineyard, and the tenants give them nothing and beat them all up
The owner finally sends his son to collect, and the tenants kill him
Jesus says, the owner is going to be mad. He’s going to throw all the tenants out and let someone else run the vineyard
Jesus reminds his audience that the one they’re about to reject (i.e. himself) is the one around whom everything is supposed to be built
The chief priests are miffed
Later some Pharisees and Herodians come and ask Jesus if they should pay taxes to Caesar
Jesus sees that they’re trying to trap him, so he asks for a coin and points out that things stamped with Caesar’s image belong to Caesar, and that things stamped with God’s image belong to God. (#dropthemike)
The Sadducees ask Jesus about a ridiculous scenario in which a woman’s husbands keep dying and she keeps having to marry her brothers-in-law to have a child, then ask, “Hey, wise guy, in heaven, whose wife will she be?”
Jesus says the Sadducees don’t know diddley. Jesus tells them that A) in the afterlife, marriage ain’t no thang (just like it ain’t for the angels), and B) that they should know there really is an afterlife as proven by the fact that God references their “dead” forefathers by using the present tense–and God is intentional in his verb tenses.
Then someone asks Jesus about Moses’ commandments and which one is number one (there are 613 after all).
Jesus replies that “God is one, and we should love him with all our being,” then he adds that “We should also love each other.”
The guy who asked says, “I see how these commandments are way more important to God than offering sacrifices al the time.”
Jesus said, “You’re almost there. You’ll be a citizen of the kingdom of God before you know it. Keep thinking like that.”
Jesus then says to the crowd, “Hey, remember that Psalm where David says he’s talking to the Messiah and refers to him as his Lord? Well, how can the Messiah be both be David’s son and his Lord? How can he be from him and over him?” (Hint, hint: he’s both man and God)
Then Jesus points out that Israel’s current leaders like being seen as important people a bit too much.
Lastly, Jesus points out a poor widow that is giving her all to the Lord as a prime example of the devotion God expects.

Historical Context:

Isaiah 5

Isaiah prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, the kings of Judah (Isaiah 1:1). Uzziah’s reign was 52 years in the middle of the 8th century BC, and Isaiah must have begun his ministry a few years before Uzziah’s death, probably in the 740s BC. Isaiah lived until the fourteenth year of Hezekiah’s reign (who died 698 BC), and may have been contemporary for some years with Manasseh. Thus Isaiah may have prophesied for as long as 64 years.¹²

When Isaiah was young he migh’ve witnessed the invasion of Israel Tiglath-Pileser III, king of Assyria (2 Kings 15:19); and again, twenty years later, when he had already become a prophet, by the invasion of Tiglath-Pileser, his successor. Shortly thereafter, Shalmaneser V, the new king of Assyria, overtook Samaria (722 BC) and Sennacherib, yet another Assyrian king (701 BC), led a powerful army into Judah.¹²

In the 5th chapter of his book, Isaiah uses a vineyard to illustrate the care which God had shown for his people. He states what God had done for them; calls on them to judge themselves whether God had not done for them all that he could have done; and, since God’s vineyard had brought forth no good fruit, he threatens to break down its hedges, and to destroy it.¹¹

Isaiah reminds them that Israel has deserted God and that he will do the same to them. As a result, Israel will be destroyed by foreign enemies, but after the people, the country and Jerusalem are punished and purified, a holy remnant will live in God’s place in Zion, governed by God’s chosen king (the messiah).³

The various vices and crimes for which Israel was to be punished were:¹¹

Covetousness
Intemperance, revelry, and dissipation
Despising and contemning God, and of practicing iniquity as if God did not see it, or could not punish it
Pervert things, and calling evil good and good evil
Vain self-confidence, pride, and inordinate self-esteem
Receiving bribes

A “hedge” was a fence of thorns, made by making thorn-bushes to grow so thick that nothing can pass through them. God told Israel he would withdraw his protection and leave them exposed to be overrun and trodden down by their enemies, as a vineyard would be by wild beasts if it were not protected.¹¹

Psalms 118

The Psalm refers to someone being saved from death by God. It is notable that the Hebrew word for son, ben, is almost the same as stone, ‘eben, which might be what generated seeing Jesus as a stone.⁴

Psalm 118 in summary:¹³

The author calls on all to praise the Lord because what had occurred was a matter of interest to all Israel.
The author gives a description of his peril and deliverance. He understood the benefit of trusting in the Lord rather than in man. He had felt, even in the midst of his dangers, that he would live to declare the works of the Lord.
The author approaches the temple. He asks that the doors may be opened that he may enter and praise the Lord.
The priests and people recognize the author as the Ruler – the cornerstone – the foundation of the nation’s prosperity, and its hope. He had been rejected by those who were professedly laying the foundation of empire, but he had now established his claims to being regarded as the very cornerstone on which the whole edifice must rest.
The people recognize this as a marvelous work of God.
The people recognize this as a joyful day, as if God had created that day for this very purpose.
The people pronounce the author blessed who came in the name of the Lord.
The people direct him to bring his offering. His offering is recognized as proper.
The author acknowledges God as his God and asks everyone to praise Him.

The original intent of the Psalm seemed to be that Israel, rejected by those who would try to arrange the world according to their own ideas, has, nevertheless, advanced into such a position, that it may be regarded as the most important of all the nations of the world.¹³

Psalms 110

Psalm 110 in summary:¹³

The Messiah is appointed and acknowledged by the author of the psalm as his “Lord.”
The Messiah would be endowed with “power” needful for the accomplishment of the design for which he was appointed.
The Messiah’s people would be made “willing” in the day when he should display his power.
The Messiah would be a “priest-king,” like the mysterious king of Salem, Melehizedek, to whom even Abraham submitted.
The Messiah would conquer and triumph.

The phrase “my Lord” refers to someone who was superior in rank to the author of the psalm; one whom he could address as his superior. The psalm, therefore, cannot refer to David himself, as if Yahweh had said to him, “Sit thou at my right hand.” Nor was there anyone on earth in the time of David to whom it could be applicable; anyone whom he would call his “Lord” or superior. If, therefore, the psalm was written by David, it must have reference to the Messiah – to one whom he owned as his superior – his Lord – his Sovereign. It cannot refer to God as if he were to have this rule over David, since God himself is referred to as “speaking” to him whom David called his Lord: “Jehovah said unto my Lord.”¹³

The Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

The Shema (which means “listen”–the first word in Deut. 6:4) was quoted both morning and evening by devout Jews and worn in leather pouches containing four strips of parchment on which were written verses of scripture (phylacteries) on the arm and forehead by the Pharisees. It was also fixed to a small box on their door-posts. This was to remind them that there is one God when they went out and when they came in.⁶

Reciting the shema was linked to re-affirming one’s relationship with God’s rule – a way of “receiving the kingdom of heaven.”⁹

The “heart” is mentioned as the seat of the understanding; the “soul” as the center of will and personality; the “might” as all of one’s energies and vital powers.⁹

Literally, the verse reads: “Jehovah, our God, is one Jehovah.” Other nations worshipped many gods, but the God of the Jews was one, and one only. Jehovah was undivided. The Jewish people would be seperated from other nations if they kept this in mind.⁵

Roman Poll Tax

The poll tax paid by the Jews to the Romans was a symbol of their subjection and thoroughly hated by all the people. It was a head tax which Rome placed on all conquered peoples–essentially a census. This empire-wide tax on males fourteen years through sixty-five years and on women twelve to sixty-five, who lived in imperial provinces went directly to the Emperor. The institution of this tax in 6 AD was the reason Luke gave for Joseph leaving Nazareth and going to Bethlehem with the pregnant Mary.¹⁰ It is also the reason the Zealots formed. Judas from Galilee rallied the Jews anger against the tax and turned it against Rome in a small revolt.⁶

The coin used in paying the poll tax had an image of Caesar on one side and was inscribed, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus.” On the back of the coin was a picture of Tiberius seated on a throne and the inscription “Highest Priest.”¹⁰ It appears that the inscription had its origin in the cult of emperor worship.⁸

Jesus’ opponents sought to put him in a true bind. If Jesus said “Yes,” his influence among the people would have been destroyed; if he said, “No,” they would have brought charges against him for sedition.¹

Mite

Mite denotes a small coin made of brass, the smallest in use among the Jews. Its value was about one third of one cent,⁵ or six minutes of an average daily wage.⁴

In other translations the coins are called “lepta,” which means “the thin thing.”⁶

Herodians

The Herodians most likely they took their name from Herod the Great, most likely as a political party.

Moses said that “a stranger” should not be set over the Jews as a king (Deuteronomy 17:15). Herod, who had received the kingdom of Judea by appointment of the Romans, held that the law of Moses referred only to a voluntary choice of a king (Israel’s ideal situation), and did not refer to a state in submission (i.e. Israel’s present situation). The Herodians, therefore, said that it was lawful to pay tribute to a foreign prince. This opinion was, however, extensively unpopular among the Jews; and particularly the Pharisees, who looked upon it as a violation of the Law.⁵

Sadducees

The Sadducees denied a physical resurrection, as well as any sort of future state of the world, and the separate existence of the soul after death. They also denied the existence of angels and spirits.¹³

Observations:

The man who planted the vineyard stands for God; the vineyard is Israel; the hedge about it is God’s protection of Israel throughout the history of the chosen people; the wine-press, tower, and, in a sense, also the hedge, represent the Law of Moses and the Jewish ceremonies. The owner’s going into another country represents God’s leaving Israel free to work out his will during a long period prior to Christ. The husbandmen represent the Jewish religious establishment.¹
The tenants of the vineyard may have assumed that the absentee landlord, so long in a foreign country, had already died.¹
The master going away from the vineyard gave the servants the opportunity to produce, to be fruitful. This represents God’s setting Israel in the promised land and being less “visibly” involved than during the exodus. The leaders had the stewardship of the nation.⁷
They “‘beat'” the master’s servants refers to a severe beating. It literally means “to skin” or “to flay”.¹⁰
Mark makes it clear that Jesus was using the parable of the vineyard to prophecy that God would destroy Israel and extend salvation to the Gentiles. The vineyard would ultimately belong to the followers of Jesus.¹
There is also here an implied promise of the resurrection; because Christ identified himself not only with the son killed and cast out of the vineyard, but also with the rejected stone that became the head of the corner.¹
There also seems to be a direct historical reference to Sennacherib, king of Assyria, some 700 years previous to Jesus telling the parable of the vineyard. Sennacherib conquered Babylon at the time that Hezekiah was king of Judah, and set up several rulers over Babylon, all of whom were overthrown. Finally, he sent his son to rule, but after a short time, he was also killed. Finally, Sennacherib himself went to Babylon and destroyed the city stone by stone, and placed a curse on it that it should not be rebuilt for seventy years.²
Jesus made an argument for the certainty of a resurrection to rest upon a single Old Testament verb, and the tense of a verb at that! Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not “dead” but “living.”¹
hich law was the greatest law was a question disputed among the critics in the law in Jesus’ day. Some would have the law of circumcision to be the great commandment, others the law of the sabbath, others the law of sacrifices.⁹
The verses Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18 both begin with ve’ahavta “and you shall love.”⁹
he widow who gave her last coins did so in the Temple’s Court of Women, in which there were fixed a number of places or coffers, made with a large open mouth, in the shape of a trumpet, for the purpose of receiving the offerings of the people; and the money thus contributed was devoted to the service of the Temple–to incense, sacrifice, etc.⁵. The Sanhedrin met within earshot of the place; and it was here that they brought the woman taken in adultery to be stoned (John 8).¹
Jesus knows not merely the amount given, but the amount retained, and makes his evaluation accordingly.¹

Discussion:

What fruit does God expect his vineyard (now the church and our lives) to produce? Is it producing the right kind of fruit? How can you tell?
The Jews took the Shema very seriously. Is this something we should reinstate? How should the church continually remind itself of the two most important things to God?
What is God’s? What does he claim?
What is the lesson from how the widow gave her offering? Why does God want us to give? How much?

References:

Mark 11

Posted on February 3, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 11:1-33

Overview:

Jesus and crew arrive in the small towns outside of Jerusalem
Jesus tells his disciples, “Go into the village. There’s a colt there that’s never been ridden. Bring it back, and if anyone is like, ‘Wha?’ you tell them, ‘God needs it.'”
The disciples go and find the colt just like Jesus had said, and the owner says, “Wha?” and they tell him that God needs it. And all is cool.
Jesus then rides on the colt as people put their coats and palm branches down on the road before him.
The crowd with Jesus shouts, “God, save us! May good things come to the person who is arriving in God’s name. It’s a good thing that the kingdom of the messiah is coming. God, who is above all others, save us!”
Jesus goes into the temple, looks around and heads back to the town he was staying in.
The next day, Jesus is hungry and sees a fig tree that looks like it should have figs on it even through it wasn’t fig season.
When Jesus realizes there actually aren’t any figs on the tree he says, “No figs for you! Ever!”
Once in Jerusalem, Jesus goes into the temple courts where there is a big marketplace full of people exchanging money and selling animals for sacrifice. He immediately starts overturning tables and kicking people out.
Jesus reminds the people that the Old Testament had said God’s house is to be a place of prayer, not commerce.
The temple officials are miffed but the rest of the people are amazed.
Jesus and the disciples head back out of town.
In the morning, Peter sees the fig tree that Jesus spoke unkindly to and realizes it is now withered.
Jesus says, “If you have faith, even moving mountains will be no big deal. Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe it and it’ll be done. And don’t forget to forgive each other.”
When they get back to the temple, the teachers of the law and elders ask Jesus, “Where did you get the authorization to do all the stuff you’re doing?”
Jesus replies, “I’ll answer your question if you answer mine: John the Baptist, was he just an ordinary guy who baptized people to achieve his own agenda, or did he baptize people because he was a prophet announcing the arrival of God’s kingdom?”
Jesus’ opponents thought, “If we say God was involved with what John did, then he’ll say, ‘Why didn’t you believe him’? But if we say what John did was no biggie, then the public will be mad, because they think John was a prophet.”
So they say, “Uh…. um… Pass.”
Jesus replies, “I’ll pass on your question, too.”

Historical Context:

Zechariah

Zechariah, one of the twelve minor Hebrew prophets, wrote his visions during second year of the reign of Darius the Great (520-5-18 BC) after the Jews had returned from exile. He was a contemporary with Haggai, another prophet. The name Zechariah means, “Yahweh has remembered,” and he wrote about how the kingdoms of the world would someday become the kingdom of the Messiah; how the God would ultimately triumph in the latter days.^[9]

The end of Zechariah contains a vision in which (1) the nations gather against Jerusalem; (2) God appears on the Mount of Olives and prepares a processional highway into Jerusalem by the rending the mountain in two; (3) and then, once inside the holy city, God establishes a new order of creation and begins his universal reign; (4) then God’s enemies are destroyed and the Gentiles who survive recognize God’s universal sovereignty; (5) finally, in Jerusalem, the distinction between the sacred and the profane is overcome.^[5]

Jesus’ entry on a donkey from the direction of the Mount of Olives evokes the final vision of Zechariah (14:15) as well as Zechariah 9:9 which states that Israel’s king would come, “righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”^[2]

The symbolism of the donkey also refers to the Eastern tradition that it is an animal of peace, versus the horse, which is the animal of war. When a king came riding upon a horse he was bent on war, yet when he rode upon a donkey he was coming in peace. Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem symbolized that he would not be a war-waging king.^[2]

Of note, 2 Kings 9:13 records a similar entry into Jerusalem when Jehu became king: “They hurried and took their cloaks and spread them under him on the bare steps. Then they blew the trumpet and shouted, ‘Jehu is king!'” Also, Solomon, when he was inaugurated as king, rode on a mule (1 Kings 1:33).^[6]

Hosanna

The word hosanna means, “Save now,” or, “Save, I beseech thee.” It was used frequently in the celebration of the various Jewish festivals during which the people sang the 115th, 116th, 117th, and 118th psalms. In the singing of those psalms the people responded frequently with, “hallelujah” or “hosanna.”^[6]

As Jesus entered Jerusalem, the people sang Psalm 118:25-26: “Lord, save us! Lord, grant us success! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

The shouts of the multitudes hailing Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem are reported by all four gospels with various different phrases: Matthew has “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest” (Matthew 21:9); Mark has “Blessed is the kingdom that comes, the kingdom of our father David: Hosanna in the highest” (Mark 11:9,10); Luke has “Blessed is the King that comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest” Luke 19:38); and John has “Hosanna: Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel” (John 12:13).^[1]

“Hosanna in the highest” may have been part of a prayer to God translated as, “Save now, you who dwells in the highest heaven, among the highest angels.”^[6]

Palm Branches

The use of palm branches strewn along the road during Jesus’ entry to Jerusalem resembles the celebration of Jewish liberation in 1 Maccabees (13:51) which states: “On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered it [Jerusalem] with praise and palm branches, and with harps and cymbals and stringed instruments, and with hymns and songs, because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel.”^[2]

The palm branch was a common symbol of victory, peace and eternal life in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world.^[3]

In the Assyrian religion, the palm is identified as the Sacred Tree. The crown of the tree representing heaven, and the base of the trunk, earth. In ancient Egypt it represented immortality.^[3]

The palm became so closely associated with victory in ancient Roman culture that the Latin word palma could be used as a metonym for “victory,” and was a sign of any kind of victory. A lawyer who won his case in the forum would decorate his front door with palm leaves. The palm branch or tree became a regular attribute of the Goddess Nike (victory), and when Julius Caesar secured his rise to sole power with a victory at Pharsalus, a palm tree was supposed to have sprung up miraculously at the temple of Nike.^[3]

A palm branch was also used in Greece as an award to victorious athletes.^[3]

Later, the palm leaf was adopted in Christian iconography as representative of the victory of martyrs, or the victory of the spirit over the flesh.^[3]

In many lands in the ancient Near East, it was customary to cover the path of someone thought worthy of the highest honor. In 2 Kings 9:13, after Jehu, was anointed king, his companions spread their garments on the ground before him.^[3]

Markan Sandwiches

Mark often used two stories together to make one point. This was often done by using a chiastic structure (or parallel structure) in which each part of a story has a contrasting part later in the story and the main point is “sandwiched” in the middle. Below is a simplified version of the story of the fig tree and cleansing of the temple:

A) As Jesus and his disciples leave Bethany, Jesus sees a fig tree in leaf, but realizes it has no fruit.

B) Jesus curses the fig tree.

C) Jesus enters Jerusalem and the temple and drives out the money changers

D) Jesus says, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations’?”

D) “But you have made it a den of robbers.“

C) The chief priests and teachers of the law are angered, the people are amazed. Jesus leaves the temple and Jerusalem.

B) Peter sees the cursed fig tree and points it out to Jesus.

A) Jesus says to his disciples that with faith, prayer and forgiveness they can say to “this” mountain “Go, throw yourself in the sea.”

Note: The “mountain” referenced may either be (1) the Mount of Olives, evoking the rending of the mountain described in Zechariah 14, or else (2) the temple mount as a sign of the Israel’s now worthless stature in God’s eyes.

Fig Tree

Jesus’ search for fruit on the fig tree has symbolic value based on the use of the fig tree to represent Israel’s faithfulness (or lack thereof) in the Old Testament, including Jeremiah 8:13, 29:14, Joel 1:7, Micah 7:1, Hosea 9:10, and 9:16. For example, Jeremiah 8:13 notes: “When I would gather them, says the Lord, there are no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig tree; even the leaves are withered, and what I gave them has passed away from them.”^[5]

Commentators have pointed out that Mark makes the point of saying that it is not the tree that is out of season, but Jesus. The righteous (Israel) should be ready for the messiah whenever he comes.^[5]

Jesus did not wither the tree for fruitlessness but for falseness, exhibiting leaves (which appeared after the fruit, normally) yet having no fruit. A tree in full leaf at this time is making a promise it can’t fulfill. This serves as a type for Israel. They profess faith in God without exhibiting any of the fruit that should accompany such faith. The withered tree symbolically foretold the coming judgement on Jerusalem.^[1]

This sort of dramatic symbolism has precedence in the Hebrew prophets like when God had Ezekiel lay on his side for 390 days to demonstrate the punishment of Israel (Ez. 4:1-5:17), or when Isaiah went “stripped and barefoot” for 3 years to symbolize Egypt and Assyria’s demise (Is. 20:1-6), or when Hosea married a prostitute to symbolize God’s relationship with Israel (Hos. 1:1-3:5).

Moneychangers in the Temple

There are two potential ways to interpret Jesus’ actions: The first is that he was reacting to the “commercialization” and price gouging going on in the temple. The other is that the location of the money exchanges had so overrun the Court of the Gentiles that Gentiles could no longer worship there.

The temple was the center of the economic life of Jerusalem, driving employment for many petty producers like bakers, incense makers, and goldsmiths.^[5]Festivals were prime money making opportunities due to the large influx of visitors to the city.

Because Judea was subject to the Romans, most of their money was in Roman coinage. Yet Jewish law required that every man should pay a tribute to the service of the sanctuary of half a shekel, (Exodus 30:11-16). It became therefore a matter of convenience to have a place where the Roman coin might be exchanged for the Jewish half-shekel. This exchange, coupled with the fact that most pilgrims wouldn’t want to transport livestock all the way to Jerusalem for the feast, meant the money changers could demand a small sum for the exchange; and so it would be a very profitable employment, and one easily giving rise to much fraud and oppression.^[6]

Since the exchange booths and tables were set up in the Outer Court, this prevented the Gentiles from having a place to pray. Commerce had taken precedence over the “outsider” seeking God.

A similar incident can be found in Nehemiah 13, when Nehemiah overturned the furniture of Tobiah the Ammonite who had, with the cooperation of Eliashib the High Priest, leased the storerooms of the temple, depriving the Levites of their rations from the offerings.^[4]

As Jesus cleanses the temple he utters: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations’ But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’ — which combines Isaiah 56:7 and Jeremiah 7:11. The word “robbers” used here is better translated as “insurrectionists.”^[5]

Of note, Mark is the only author to include Isaiah’s additional words, “for all nations” therefore emphasizing the exclusion of the Gentiles as reason for Jesus’ wrath.

Observations:

Bethpage means “House of Green Figs” which may be a literary allusion to Jesus’ coming miracle.^[5]
Bethany was about two miles from Jerusalem. It was the village where Martha, Mary and Lazarus lived.^[8]
In the Old Testament mountains frequently face each other in paired opposition, for example, Horeb and Carmel in 1 Kings 18 and 1 Kings 19, and Ebal and Gerizim in the Pentateuch. Here, Mark seems to be pitting the Mount of Olives and the Temple Mount against each other.^[5]
The Jews used the word curse, not as always implying wrath, and anger, but to devote to death, or to any kind of destruction.^[6]
Josephus, an ancient Jewish historian, accounts for almost three million people making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Like Jesus and his disciples, most of those people probably stayed in surrounding cities rather than in Jerusalem itself.

Discussion:

What made Jesus so angry about the fig tree? What enraged him about the temple? What do you think about God being so angry? Do you think he acted fairly? Why/why not?
In what ways has the church over indulged in commercialism? What would Jesus overturn or throw out of our sanctuaries?
In what ways has the church prevented outsiders from coming in? What space do we need to leave for those not fully part of the faith to worship/find God?
In what ways does Jesus’ entry look triumphant according to the Old Testament? In which ways does it look much more lackluster and less magnificent than what the prophets described?
What do you think about Jesus saying, “Whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours”? Has that been your experience? Is it simply a matter of faith? Is this how prayer is supposed to work?
Why do the teachers of the law ask Jesus about his authority? What answer do you think they expected him to give? Why didn’t Jesus simply answer them?

References:

Coffee and Theology Podcast: Episode 3 – Aramaic Sayings in the Gospel of Mark (Part 2)

Posted on January 29, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Episode three of Coffee and Theology wraps up our discussion on code-switching.

In this exciting half-hour of caffeinated conversation we examine the last few Aramaic words and phrases used in the Gospel of Mark and their significance to Mark’s overall message, then we wrap it up with some personal take-aways and Nicolas Cage jokes. Be sure to listen at the end of the show to our Aramaic pronunciation guide. Its… enlightening.

As always, the coffee is provided by Urban Pioneer, the finest coffee in all of Long Beach.

You can also find us on iTunes. Subscribe today!

A day with Jesus – Infographic

Posted on January 27, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

The Gospel of Mark contains a lot of information about Jesus, but its author records relatively few “actual” days in his life. Compared to how long Jesus lived (or even how many days he was in ministry) Mark accounts for very few specific days with specific instances. Below is an infographic with an overview of the days of Jesus’ life as recorded by Mark.

A Day With Jesus – Infographic (PDF)

Mark 10

Posted on January 20, 2015 by Brent | Leave a comment

Scripture: Mark 10:1-52

Overview:

Jesus is on his way through Judea, teaching the crowds, when the Pharisees decide to give him a little test. “Hey, Jesus, is lawful for people to get divorced?”
Jesus asks them what Moses said about divorce, and they reply that he allowed it.
Jesus reminds them that the only reason Moses gave this law to them because people are often far from God’s intended course for mankind.
Jesus then quotes Genesis to show that from the beginning God had intended the union of a man and woman to be permanent, and that people should think twice before breaking up what God had put together.
In private, the disciples ask Jesus about divorce and he tells them that, “People who divorce each other and remarry are committing adultery.”
Later, people are bringing their kids to be blessed by Jesus, but the disciples are sending them away.
Jesus is unhappy about this and has the kids brought to him. He hugs them and blesses them and reminds his disciples that if they want to enter the kingdom of God they, too, will have to be lowly and undeserving like children.
Then a (rich) man falls on his knees before Jesus, calls him a good teacher and asks how to inherit eternal life.
Jesus reminds the man that only God is good, then tells him that he has to keep the ten commandments.
The man says, “Nailed it. I’ve been obedient my whole life.”
Jesus is compassionate towards the man and says, “Cool. Then all you need to do is give up what you treasure here and realize that there is greater treasure in heaven. Come, follow me.”
The man is sad and leaves because he doesn’t want to give up his wealth.
Jesus says to his peeps, “It’s not easy for rich people to get into the kingdom of God. In fact, it’d be easier to squeeze a full grown camel through the smallest space you can think of than for a rich person to get into the kingdom.”
The disciples are floored (because wealth is a sign of God’s favor in their eyes), and they say, “If a rich guy can’t get in, then who can?”
Jesus says, “Man’s efforts will never get him there, but with God anything is possible.”
The Pete says, “We gave up everything for you.”
Jesus says, “Whatever you gave up here you will get immeasurably more of in the age to come. Remember, the first will be last, and the last will be first.”
Back on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus reminds the disciples that he’s going to die.
James and John take an opportunity to ask Jesus to be his #1 and #2 go-to dudes when he comes into power.
Jesus replies, “You have no idea what you’re asking. Can you handle what I’m about to handle?”
They say yes.
Jesus says, “Yeah, some tough times are coming for you, but that doesn’t mean you get the top two seats. Those seats are already accounted for.”
When the other disciples learn what James and John asked, they’re miffed.
Jesus reminds his crew that the world places value on hierarchies, but that in his eyes the servant is the most important person.
“Even I didn’t come to be served but to serve,” Jesus says. “I’m here to pay the price of freedom for mankind.”
On their way out of Jericho a blind man, named Bartimaeus, calls out to Jesus saying, “Messiah, have mercy on me!”
People tell the blind man to pipe down, but he persists, so Jesus has Bart brought to him.
Jesus asks him what he wants and he says he wants to see.
Jesus gives Bart back his sight and the formerly-blind man starts following Jesus.

Historical Context:

Divorce

In Deuteronomy 24 Moses gives a man permission to divorce his wife, but only in cases where the husband had found something “indecent” in his wife.

In the first century, two schools of thought persisted among the Jewish community regarding how best to interpret the Mosaic laws on divorce: The first, from Rabbi Shammai, was extremely strict, allowing divorce only for unchastity. The second, from Rabbi Hillel, allowed divorce for many trivial reasons, including even the burning of bread in preparation of a meal.^[1]

The divorce rate in Israel during the first century was not a pressing problem. It was estimated to be close to 4%.^[3] By contrast, the divorce rate in modern America is estimated between 40%-50%.

The Pharisees may have “tested” Jesus with a question about divorce because: (1) The Pharisees wanted Jesus to pick a side in the Shammai/Hillel debate and thus be discredited by the one or the other group (the more popular group being Hillel, the lenient position)^[3]; (2) The Pharisees wanted Jesus to speak out against Herod Antipas’ marital affairs, much how John the Baptist had, with the hope that Jesus would end up as John did—dead.^[3]; or, most likely, (3) the Pharisees were reflecting upon the prior teachings of Jesus (which called people to be even more righteous than them) and thought they had found a place where he disagreed with Moses, thereby driving a wedge between Jesus and the Law, thus discrediting him with the people.^[3]

The way the Pharisees asked Jesus about divorce was in hopes of pinning Jesus in a corner. If Jesus answered, “Yes, divorce is lawful,” then they could ask follow up questions and pigeonhole him into either a popular, or unpopular school of thought. If he answered, “No, it is not lawful,” then he would be answering contrary to Moses, who did allow for divorce.^[3]Jesus, however, bypassed Moses altogether by quoting Genesis 1:27 and 5:2. Jesus’ teaching on this subject is grounded in the original purposes of the Creator, not in the accommodations made because of man’s sin.^[1]

The Pharisees are concerned with how and when a man can walk away from his wife, but Jesus points out that the design of marriage is not to see it end.^[3]

Children

Children, as written about in the post on Mark 9, were people without status in ancient societies.

There are several ways scholars interpret Jesus’ saying that the kingdom of God belongs to “ones such as these”: (1) Some think Jesus may have had in mind such subjective qualities of children as humility, obedience, trust, and shortness of memory (not holding grudges, etc.); (2) some say Jesus is speaking of a child’s implicit trustfulness, helplessness and dependence. (3) Others think that Jesus was saying that the kingdom does not belong to the mighty, the strong, the influential; but the weak, the insignificant, and the unimportant.^[1]

Rich Young Ruler

Mark does not explicitly state that the man is rich, young or a ruler, but Matthew 19:20 adds the adjective “young” and Luke 18:18 calls him a “ruler” and all three say that he had “great wealth.”^[1]

There is a good chance that this man was a wealthy, moral, significant civic and religious leader–a recruit that the disciples would’ve seen as an easy addition to their cause. The term “ruler” implies that he was a leader in the local synagogue.^[4]

By calling Jesus “good” he is intentionally comparing him to God.

The disciples wonder aloud, “Who then can be saved?” because Deuteronomy 27-28 relates one’s covenant keeping with God’s blessing as displayed by personal health and wealth. So, in the disciple’s eyes, this man had obviously been blessed by God.^[4]

Bartimaeus

Mark makes a point to translate this man’s Aramaic name for his audience as “son of Timaeus.” Mark may have wanted to contrast the blindman’s words to Jesus, “Son of David” (i.e. the Messiah) with the origins of his name “son of Timaeus” (i.e. a child of Greek philosophy–Timaeus was the name of a character used in one of Plato’s dialogues).

In 360 BC, Plato wrote a dialogue with Timaeus in which he introduced several key concepts: (1) There is a distinction between the physical world, and the eternal world; (2) The physical world is the world which changes and perishes, and is only a shadow of the greatness of the eternal world; (3) And the cause of the universe is a demiurge (a god) who fashioned and maintains the physical world and through whom order (or closeness with the eternal world) can be brought about only through the changing the paradigm of mankind.^[5]

Many scholars also see Bartimaeus’ story as a an archetype of how people are saved from sin: (1) the condition is a figure lost in darkness (sin); (2) the blind man believed in Jesus as the Messiah; (3) he cried out to the Lord for mercy; (4) he persisted in spite of the rebukes of many; (5) he answered Jesus’ call; (6) he cast aside all hindrances (the garment which he would’ve used for sleeping in or collecting food and alms); (7) he pleaded for mercy; (8) he was saved; (8) he followed Jesus.^[1]

Observation:

“Testing” comes from the word periazō which has the connotation of testing with a view toward destruction.^[4]
What “‘God has joined together'” is literally what God has “yoked together.”^[4]
The one thing lacking in the young man was his renunciation of all trust in worldly things and following Christ. The words “Come, and follow me,” are exactly the same words used in the call of all Jesus’ disciples earlier in Mark.^[1]
Only here in the gospels is a command of Jesus to follow him clearly rejected.^[1]
One scholar remarks, “God can put the camel through, but it takes divine power to do it; and the process is hard on the camel!”^[1]
Mark may be contrasting Jesus’ position on status by talking about children (who had no status) but were capable of entering the Kingdom of God, and a wealthy young man (who had high status) but rejected the call. One is ready to enter the kingdom, the other is not.
Jesus’ followers had not actually forsaken everything as is evident throughout Mark (i.e. Peter and Andrew still had a house in Capernaum, James and John’s mother traveled with them, etc.)
The Greek word for “ransom” means a payment for a prisoner of war, or a slave. The Old Testament use of the word in the Septuagint means the money a man paid to redeem his life which was forfeit because his ox had killed someone (Exodus 21:30), or the price paid for the redemption of the firstborn (Numbers 18:15), or the money by which the next of kin bought back an enslaved relative (Leviticus 25:51).^[1]
“It is not mine to give,” does not mean that Jesus didn’t have the power to make the gift, but that my particular request was not in line with his purpose.^[1]

Discussion:

What question would we ask Jesus about divorce today? What do you think his answer would be?
What is the church’s opinion about divorce? How does this align with Jesus’ answer?
The young man was unwilling to part with his wealth in order to follow Jesus. Is this true of us today? What does Jesus ask us to give up to follow him? Where are our attachments? How strong are they?
What can we learn about persistence from the stories regarding the blessing of the children and the healing of Bartimaeus? Are we trying hard to get to Jesus despite the obstacles in our way? Who is trying to get to Jesus today that we are the obstacles for them?

References:

Coffee and Theology Podcast: Episode 2 – Aramaic Sayings in the Gospel of Mark (Part 1)

Posted on January 14, 2015 by Brent | 1 Comment

We’re at it again! Episode two of Coffee and Theology is here, and we’re talking about code-switching.

On a day to day basis Jesus spoke in Aramaic, yet of all the words he spoke less than a handful are recorded by Mark in their original form. Why not translate these words into Greek as he did everywhere else? Why would Mark take the time to preserve these words in their original language?

Well, we looked it up and this is what we found… at least the first half of it.

Also, don’t forget to check out (and purchase) Long Beach’s finest coffee: Urban Pioneer

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