The Storyline of Mark’s Gospel It’s most likely that Mark was the first person to write a gospel. This was a phenomenal achievement by Mark and indicates his brilliance as a writer and early witness to Jesus. While we cannot be sure what circumstances led Mark to create the first gospel we can speculate that the Jewish War which lasted from 66-70 AD and ended with the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple by the Romans in 70 AD was the general context in which Mark wrote. Such an event would have been catastrophic both for Jewish believers and for Christians, many of whom were Jewish in background though the influx of Gentile believers was likely a part of the historical context. Mark was likely writing in a very troubled time to troubled believers who were wondering if the world was coming apart at the seams. Mark writes as a believer in Jesus and he may well have been writing to people who are wondering what the meaning of Jesus might be in light of the destruction of the Temple and devastation of Judaism. If Jesus was the Messiah who came to save Israel how are his followers to understand the present devastation? What did it mean for Jesus to be the Messiah? Is there any hope for a future? Our present task it to trace the story of Jesus as Mark presents it to his readers. As we begin to read the gospel of Mark we might notice that it has the character of many individual stories that are strung together to make up a narrative. We will need to pay attention to the order in which Mark tells the story of Jesus. What stories are brought together and when did they happen? We will also need to pay attention to the location that Mark gives as the setting for these events. Where do things happen? And we will need to pay attention to the pace in which Mark relates these events. How does Mark tell the story? Mark’s use of the word “immediately” especially early on in his storyline adds urgency and moves the story along rather quickly. We will need to pay attention to how Mark develops the characters in the story. Mark writes as an omniscient narrator who is not a participant in the story. And Mark treats his readers as recipients of a story that they were not part of either. At times Mark speaks directly to his readers and gives them information that the characters in the story were not privileged to know. So let’s see how the story unfolds. Mark begins his gospel with the powerful story of the baptism of Jesus. The way in which Mark tells this story is explosive in nature – a dramatic event. Mark announces to his readers that this is “the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). He then goes on in very brief fashion to tell of the ministry of John the baptist making a clear connection for his readers between John and the OT prophet Elijah (Mark 1:6 = 2 Kings 1:8). The OT book of Malachi had ended with the promise that Elijah would come before the great and terrible day of the Lord and prepare the way of the Lord (Mark 1:2 = Malachi 3:1and Malachi 5:5-6). The OT prophet Isaiah had also spoken of one who would prepare the way in the wilderness. Isaiah had in mind the return from exile in Babylon but Mark appropriates his words to the coming of Jesus (Mark 1:2 = Isaiah 40:3). John is Elijah who comes to prepare the way. Mark now tells his readers that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Mark does not provide any more specific reference regarding exactly where in the Jordan River this takes place but the presumption is that it was near Jerusalem since the crowds from the Judean countryside and Jerusalem have come to John to receive his baptism and Jesus will be said to return to Galilee. Mark depicts the baptism of Jesus as a powerful event. The heavens are ripped open and the Spirit of God descends upon Jesus. God speaks only to Jesus in Mark’s story telling Jesus that he is “God’s beloved Son with whom God is well pleased” which echoes the words of Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. Immediately following his baptism Jesus is “cast out” into the wilderness by the Spirit to be tested by Satan – a clear allusion to the testing of God’s people in the wilderness following the exodus from Egypt and the giving of the Ten Commandment. As abruptly and succinctly as John had been brought on stage he is ushered back off stage having been arrested. Mark has compressed the ministry of John to only a few short verses. As if it were a signal to Jesus, the arrest of John leads Jesus back to Galilee where his ministry begins with the declaration that the time is up, the kingdom of God has dawned which calls for repentance and trust in the good news – the same good news that Mark introduced to his readers in the first words of his gospel. This first unit which centers on the baptism of Jesus was a deliberate choice by Mark as his way of beginning his gospel. The narrative has the nature of something bursting on the scene and is a brilliant way to begin the story of Jesus. Mark now moves on to the call of the first four disciples. The setting is in Galilee on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Four fishermen are called – Simon and Andrew, James and John. These four will form the core of The Twelve who will later be identified by Jesus as Apostles. Their call emphasizes the power of Jesus. Jesus calls and they follow. At this point Mark tells us Jesus and the four went to Capernaum, a city on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee which will function as the center of much of the narrative. Mark describes for his readers what might be thought of as “a day in the life of the ministry of Jesus.” The setting is the synagogue in Capernaum on the Sabbath. Mark tells his readers that Jesus teaches with authority and that he encounters the forces of evil in the form of a man possessed by an evil spirit. It is significant that Mark tells his readers that the evil spirit within this possessed man knows that Jesus is the Holy One of God although no “normal” person in the story recognizes that. Jesus commands the evil spirit to be silent not revealing Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. The crowds are impressed with Jesus and his fame immediately spreads. Leaving the synagogue Jesus encounters Simon’s mother-in-law who he heals and that evening the whole city gathers and Jesus heals many and casts out many demons. Mark begins the story of the ministry of Jesus in a rather powerful and impressive way. Unfortunately, this will in some ways be the “high point” of the story regarding Jesus’ healing ministry. His fame has spread and Jesus has made quite an impression. He will soon encounter resistance. Perhaps Jesus could have “set up shop” in Capernaum and had a “successful” practice but Mark tells us that following a night of prayer Jesus moves on throughout Galilee proclaiming his message in the synagogues and casting out demons. Jesus is received well by the crowds and his fame spreads. At this point Mark gathers together six stories that incrementally identify what will become a deadly opposition force against Jesus. In each of these stories Jesus breaks down the barriers that separate people from God. In each of these stories Jesus “breaks the law” as it was understood by the religious leaders and thus comes into conflict with them. In the first story Jesus heals a leper who has come to him begging for healing. The significant thing that Jesus does in the story is that he touches the leper thus violating the law and becoming unclean. While the religious leaders are not mentioned we might assume that they have noticed. In the second story Jesus heals a man who has been paralyzed. What is significant in the story is that Jesus not only heals the man but he pronounces to him that his sins are forgiven. Only God can forgive sins. Immediately the scribes “question in their hearts” why Jesus would make such a claim for himself. A growing uneasiness comes into the story. Next Mark tells the story of the call of Levi who was a tax collector and of the subsequent banquet in Levi’s house where Jesus eats with many other tax collectors and sinners. This time the scribes of the Pharisees are not silent but question the disciples of Jesus about their master’s behavior. The trouble is beginning to brew. In the fourth story Jesus is questioned about the lack of fasting on the part of his disciples while the disciples of John and the Pharisees do fast. Jesus’ response is that a time will come when his disciples will indeed fast when he is taken away but now they do not fast. In the fifth story the Pharisees question Jesus about the way in which his disciples are “harvesting” on the Sabbath as they walk through the grain fields. Jesus defends his disciples and makes the claim that he is Lord even of the Sabbath. The sixth and final episode takes place once again in the synagogue on the Sabbath when Jesus heals a man. The result is that the religious leaders conspire to destroy Jesus. The deadly opposition to Jesus has been exposed. That is the purpose for which Mark has brought these six stories together in the order in which he has. In a summary passage Mark tells his readers that Jesus and his disciples depart to the sea and a great multitude from Judea, Jerusalem, Idumea, and even the region around Tyre and Sidon have come to hear Jesus and to receive his healing. The story harkens back to the crowds who came to John the baptist for baptism though even larger. This summary passage at this point in Mark’s gospel sets the stage for a showdown with the religious leaders. Mark has exposed their opposition and pitted them again the crowds who have welcomed Jesus. So far in the story the disciples have been with Jesus and played a secondary role – they are “along for the ride” you might say. Mark has not told us much about them or their reaction to Jesus. At this point in his story Mark tells us that again after a night of prayer Jesus selects twelve from among his followers and identifies them as Apostles. Mark provides his readers with their names and tells his readers that among them is one named Judas Iscariot who will betray Jesus. This is information that the characters in the story are not privileged to know. Mark also tells us, without explanation, that Jesus changes Simon’s name to Peter – the name by which he will be known in the rest of Mark’s gospel At this point in his narrative Mark will begin to turn his attention to an uncomfortable and even tragic piece of news. Mark has already identified the deadly opposition of the religious leaders. Now he will turn his attention to the response of Jesus’ followers. Mark begins with the members of Jesus’ own family. He tells his readers that Jesus went home. Mark does not indicate exactly where home is but the context of the narrative implies that perhaps it was Capernaum. Mark tells us that Jesus’ family comes to take him home because they think he is “out of his mind” – crazy. Mark’s first readers must have been as shocked as we are to hear this news. Having dropped this bomb into his story Mark returns to expose the deadly opposition of the religious leaders who now accuse Jesus of being a tool of Satan. The words of Jesus are harsh. And then Mark returns to talk about how Jesus’ mother and brothers and sisters who have come to take him home thinking he is crazy are left waiting outside. Mark will let his readers linger awhile on this surprising revelation. At this point in his story Mark brings together four parables which appear to illustrate the teaching of Jesus. But upon closer examination they may in fact serve a different purpose. Mark tells his readers that the disciples are told by Jesus that he tells parables not to help people better understand but rather that in hearing they might not understand. This is a rather peculiar idea. We would like to think of parables as clear illustrations of teaching but not so in Mark’s gospel. Perhaps this is more of Mark’s way of dealing with the lack of reception of Jesus by those who should have been his followers. If we are surprised to learn that Jesus’ own family rejected him we are also surprised by the use of parables as Mark presents them. But perhaps there really is something to be gained from these parables for those who are “on the inside” as the disciples are depicted in this part of Mark’s story. Jesus has declared that the kingdom of God has dawned and these parables are about how that kingdom comes. The coming of the kingdom is like a sower whose seed does not always produce a harvest and yet an abundant harvest does come. We have learned that Jesus is not received by all – the religious leaders are like the hard path, and perhaps the family of Jesus can be thought of as like the thorns or the rocky ground, and just maybe the disciples are like the good soil but we will need to wait in see. Maybe it is Mark’s readers who will need to determine what soil they are. Maybe we are all some of each. At any rate there is the assurance that amidst resistance the kingdom of God does come in abundance. The kingdom of God is like a lamp on a lampstand. The kingdom of God is like a growing seed that grows without our effort. The kingdom of God may appear small and insignificant like a mustard seed but it will succeed. An uneasiness has crept into the storyline of Mark’s gospel. Mark’s readers have learned that a deadly opposition has arisen against Jesus in the form of the religious leaders. They have also heard the disturbing and confusing news that Jesus’ own family thinks he is crazy and seek to take him home. And now Mark’s readers are left to ponder the peculiar nature of parables. With all that churning in their minds Mark returns his readers to the events in the life of Jesus. Mark brings together four stories which once again have the common element of exposing a growing sense of uneasiness within the disciples. The first story is of Jesus crossing the Sea of Galilee with his disciples when a storm comes up. Jesus is asleep in the boat and the disciples are portrayed in a desperate light. They are frantic and faithless and Jesus mildly chastises them. And even though Jesus stills the storm – a clear allusion to such psalms as Psalm 107 – they are left clueless about his identity wondering who it is that could do such a thing. When they arrive on the other side of the sea they find themselves in Gentile territory – the first time Mark has brought Jesus out of Galilee since he arrived there following the arrest of John. In Gentile territory Jesus heals a man possessed with demons whose demonic name is Legion which may be an allusion to the Roman legions who have devastated Israel in the Jewish War. The disciples are amazed – not exactly a faithful response. Why Jesus does not command these unclean spirits to remain silent and tells the man to go and tell what God has done for him marks a change in the story. Is that because this is Gentile territory? Mark does not elaborate and his readers are left to wonder about that. Back on the other side of the sea in Galilee Jesus encounters two women in need of healing. The story begins with a leader of the synagogue who comes to Jesus to beg for healing for his dying daughter who is twelve years old. Perhaps the deadly opposition of the religious leaders is not as all-inclusive as we might have thought. As the story unfolds Jesus is encountered by another woman who has suffered from a flow of blood for twelve years who takes the initiative and touches the hem of Jesus’ garment to receive her healing. Jesus stops and asks who touched him and the disciples are left dumbfounded. They imply that Jesus ought to know better since they are surrounded by people. What does he mean to say that someone touched him? They do not come off in a very good light. When Jesus reaches the home of the dying girl he is told that she is already dead but he proceeds to bring her back to life. Once again they are all overcome with amazement. They still do not really know who Jesus is and they are left wondering. Mark now takes his readers back to Jesus’ hometown of Nazareth. We have already been confronted with the bewildering story of how Jesus’ own family thinks he is crazy. What will happen in Nazareth? Mark tells his readers that Jesus goes to the synagogue on the Sabbath as usual and begins to teach. The hometown crowd is impressed and astounded. Perhaps this is going to turn out okay after all. But their astonishment is misguided as they begin to ask Jesus how he could have gotten this wisdom and authority. They think they know him. He is the carpenter, the son of Mary. They know his brothers, James and Joses and Judas and Simon. They know his sisters. Incidentally Mark almost certainly thinks of these people he has named as siblings of Jesus. They are literally his immediate family. Mark does not mention Joseph. Because they think they know Jesus the hometown people end up rejecting him and Jesus tells them that a prophet is not without honor except in his own hometown. The story ends on a sour note as Jesus is rejected. Mark now focuses his attention on the disciples. How will they respond to him? Jesus sends his disciples on a mission. He gives them authority to teach as he has taught and to cast out the unclean spirits as he has done. There missionary venture meets with success. In midst of this story about the missionary activity of his disciples Mark revisits the story of John the baptist and his fate. The way into the story comes through the mention of King Herod who has now heard of Jesus. Mark had not told us earlier but now he tells us that it was King Herod who had arrested John. Not only had King Herod arrested John but he had also beheaded him. Mark relates the gruesome story of the murder of John. The question that dominates the narrative at this point is the identity of Jesus. Some say that he is Elijah or one of the other prophets of old. King Herod is convinced that Jesus is John the baptist raised from the dead. This list of possible identities for Jesus will arise later in Mark’s gospel. For now it is enough for Mark’s readers to learn the fate of John. Mark has deliberately put this story about John in the midst of the story of the mission venture of the disciples. And when they return Mark tells us that Jesus attempts to take them to a deserted place to rest. But rest is not found. The crowds follow and are already waiting when Jesus and his disciples arrive by boat. Jesus meets their needs because they are like sheep without a shepherd – another of the many OT allusions in Mark. As the episode is coming to an end, the disciples recognize that the crowd is hungry and they invite Jesus to send them away. Jesus in turn invites the disciples to provide food for the multitude. They are bewildered and have no clue how they are going to do that. Jesus multiplies the five loaves of bread and the two fish and over 5000 men are fed. The way in which Mark tells this story alludes to the Christian practice of Holy Communion. This story of the feeding of the 5000 is tied to the next story of Jesus walking on the water. We need to notice that, aside from the stories in the passion narrative, this is the only story that all four gospels share together in this exact order. We will need to notice that later when we are looking at the four storylines together. In the story of Jesus walking on the water Mark tells us that Jesus intended to “pass them by” which is often missed by readers of Mark. This phrase “pass them by” harkens to an OT practice where God intends to make himself known to a human being. The technical term for this is a theophany – a manifestation of God. But the disciples do not understand. They are terrified. When Jesus approaches he says to them, “Take heart. I am. Do not be afraid.” In our English translation we most often read “I am” as “It is I” or “I am he.” The passage is translated in this way to make for a more fluent reading but the original Greek reads “I am” which is a clear allusion to the OT name for God as found in Exodus 3 and other places. The point is; however, that the disciples do not perceive. They are confused about the bread episode and Mark tells us that their hearts were hardened. What does that mean? Mark is exposing the lack of faith of the disciples and beginning to paint them in a less then positive light. The episode concludes with another of Mark’s summary passages telling of how many were healed. Mark now joins together four stories that further expose the disciples’ lack of faith. The first story seems to focus once again on the Pharisees and scribes who have already been exposed as the deadly opposition who are seeking to destroy Jesus. They notice that Jesus’ disciples eat without observing the ritual of proper hand washing. This has nothing to do with being sanitary but has to do with the religious ritual of remaining clean – something that was of great importance to the religious leaders. The practice of ritual hand washing is actually not specified in the OT Law but is part of the “tradition of the elders” which is an unwritten code of behavior that the religious leaders claim to have received from Moses along with the Law. This is not the last time we will encounter controversy between Jesus and the religious leaders. As this controversy is drawing to an end the real point of the story comes into focus. The disciples ask Jesus about what he has been saying and doing. And Jesus confronts them with their lack of faith and understanding. Are they siding with the religious leaders? Immediately following this controversy regarding ritual purity Jesus and his disciples encounter a Gentile woman. Significantly, Mark tells his readers that Jesus has again left Galilee entering the region of Tyre which is in Gentile territory. The setting of this story is important. In Gentile territory Jesus encounters a Syrophoenician woman whose daughter is possessed by a demon. The story sounds a bit like the story of the synagogue leader, Jairus, who comes to Jesus because his daughter is dying. This story is a peculiar and perhaps troubling one. At first it appears that Jesus is going to refuse to help this woman because she is not a Jew. In the end he does help her and her daughter is healed. Mark has told this story in connection with the story of ritual purity which comes before it on purpose. Jesus is again breaking down barriers. In the next story Mark provides a bit of peculiar geography. He tells his readers that Jesus left the region of Tyre to move on to the cities of the Decapolis by way of Sidon. This would be something like saying that someone is going to go from Humboldt to Fort Dodge by way of Algona. Mark does not explain his geographic reference. Perhaps he was simply unaware of this mistake. If he had a purpose that purpose escapes modern readers. At any rate, the point is that Jesus moves from one region of Gentile territory to another since the Decapolis was also a Gentile region. While there Jesus performs a peculiar miracle of healing a deaf mute man by putting his fingers in the man’s ears and putting saliva on his tongue. Mark does not tell us anything about moving on to a new place so we are left to imagine that the next episode also takes place in Gentile territory. Mark has already told his readers about the multiplication of the bread and fish to feed 5000 men. That story is now repeated in Gentile territory. And the astounding thing is that the disciples are clueless about what Jesus is going to do. It is as if they had not experienced the first feeding. This time Mark tells us that 4000 were fed. The point of the story seems mostly to expose the dullness of the disciples. Mark’s criticism of them is growing throughout all these stories. When they arrive back in Dalmanutha which was again in Galilee Mark tells us that the Pharisees began to ask Jesus for a sign. It is significant that when John tells this very same story that after the feeding of the multitude that Jews begin to ask Jesus for a sign. Did they not just see a spectacular sign – the feeding of the multitude? Mark caps off this section of his gospel with the disciples and Jesus out in the middle of the sea in a boat. The disciples are again pictured as dull and clueless about what is going on. They are now fully exposed as part of the opposition Jesus must overcome. They join with Jesus’ family in a tragic and painful rejection. And Jesus confronts them with harsh words. A bombardment of questions concludes the section – “Why are you talking about bread? Do you still not perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? Do you have eyes and fail to see? Do you have ears and fail to hear? And do you not remember? When I broke the loaves for the five thousand how many baskets full of broken pieces did you collect? Do you not yet understand?” Tragically they do not understand. So Mark has told his readers a story of Jesus, almost all of which has taken place in Galilee with a few minor excursions to Gentile territory nearby, in which Mark has exposed the deadly opposition of the religious leaders who have conspired to destroy Jesus. He has also told them the tragic reality that Jesus’ own family thinks he is crazy and seeks to take him home. And finally Mark has lined up the disciples as a tragic part of the opposition to Jesus – unwitting and as un-wanting as that might be. The story, in spite of the wonderful actions of Jesus, has ended in failure. This is not a happy story with a delightful outcome. But Mark is not finished. Mark now presents his readers with a tightly-constructed story of Jesus attempting to open the eyes of his blind disciples and teach them who he really is. Mark begins with a peculiar story of a blind man who needs to be healed twice in order to see. The setting is at Bethsaida, the home of Peter and Andrew if we might borrow a bit from the gospel of John. Mark only mentions that the setting for this healing was Bethsaida but if Bethsaida really was the hometown of these significant disciples the connection between their blindness and this blind man is amplified. When Jesus first heals this man he sees but only dimly and his sight is blurry. He is much like the disciples who see at least to some extent but are yet blind and unseeing. When Jesus heals him a second time he sees clearly. What is the second healing of sight that the disciples will need? From Bethsaida Jesus takes his disciples to the farthest north area of Galilee to the city of Caesarea Philippi which Herod Philipp had constructed in honor of the Roman Emperor. There Jesus asks his disciples who the masses think he might be. Their response names the possibilities that were offered to Herod in the episode regarding John the baptist – John the baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets. As then, these are all the wrong answers. So when Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is. Peter, acting as their spokesman provides the correct answer – Jesus is the Messiah. But, Jesus commands them to not tell anyone about this. Jesus then proceeds to tell his disciples for the first time that he must undergo great suffering, be rejected by the religious leaders and be killed, and after three days rise from the dead. This is too much for the disciples who do not understand and so Peter on their behalf rebukes Jesus telling him that this will not happen. Jesus in return rebukes Peter and goes on to tell his disciples that they too must take up their cross and follow him. This pattern of Jesus telling his disciples that he must suffer, be killed, and after three days rise from the dead only to have Jesus’ words misunderstood by the disciples is repeated three time in this section. And Mark will close the section with the healing of another blind man, Bartimaeus. Following the first instance of Jesus predicting his passion destiny which is followed by Peter’s misunderstanding Mark tells his readers the story of the Transfiguration of Jesus on a mountain in Galilee. The story is reminiscent of the story of the baptism of Jesus from the earliest part of Mark’s gospel and the story of Jesus at Gethsemane near the end. Only Peter, James, and John are present. As at the baptism God speaks, this time for the hearing of the disciples that Jesus is God’s beloved Son to whom they must listen. Peter and the others do not understand. And as they come down the mountain Jesus makes it clear to them that John the baptist was indeed Elijah who prepared the way for the Messiah and just as John was killed so will Jesus be killed. At the foot of the mountain Mark tells a story of the failure of the disciples to heal a boy who is suffering from epilepsy. Once again the failure of the disciples is highlighted. The pattern repeats itself as Jesus a second time predicts his passion, death, and resurrection. This time Mark tells his readers that Jesus is attempting to remain incognito with his disciples since he is teaching them. For a second time the disciples do not understand and begin to argue about who is the greatest. Jesus must teach them that the greatest among them is like a child. At this point Mark tells a story of the attempt of the disciple, John, to stop another person who is not a part of their group from witnessing to Jesus. Jesus rejects John’s action. Jesus goes on to speak harsh words about those who cause others to stumble. At this point, Mark tells us that Jesus and his disciples leave Galilee and enter the territory of Judea for the first time since Jesus left following his baptism by John. If it has not dawned on his readers by this time, Mark has not only been telling a story of Jesus instructing his disciples but he is telling the story of the journey of Jesus to Jerusalem where his prediction that he must suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise from the dead will happen. Readers of Mark’s gospel have known for a long time about the deadly opposition of the religious leaders. As Jesus enters Judean territory they make another appearance and challenge Jesus directly attempting to trap him with a question regarding divorce. Jesus will not be trapped. We will meet this controversy with the religious leaders again when Jesus has arrived at Jerusalem. As much as the religious leaders have despised Jesus, the crowds have welcomed him and so Mark tells a story of mothers bringing their children to receive a blessing from Jesus. And the disciple’s lack of understanding is highlighted once again. At this point Mark tells a story of a rich man who comes to Jesus wanting to know what he must do to be saved. This story is also part of the controversy stories that are growing as Jesus nears Jerusalem. When Jesus tells the rich man that the one thing needed from him is to abandon his wealth and follow Jesus he leaves in sorrow. His riches are of more importance to him than knowing God. For a third time Jesus repeats in even greater detail the impending suffering, death, and resurrection that awaits him in Jerusalem. Mark has captured the fear and regret of the disciples of Jesus with the words that as they traveled on the way Jesus was out in front of them as they followed in fear. And for a third time the disciples fail to understand. This time it is James and John who misunderstand. They hope perhaps that as the Messiah Jesus will come and win a political victory in Jerusalem and they ask to be one at his right hand and one at his left when Jesus reigns in glory. The story is dripping in an irony that James and John cannot perceive. Those who reign with Jesus at his right and left will be two thieves at the cross. Mark brings this tightly-constructed narrative to a close as Jesus enters Jericho on the plains at the foot of the mountain they must climb as they approach Jerusalem. There Jesus heals a second blind man. And his response upon being healed is remarkable – a true sign of discipleship – he follows Jesus on the way straight to the cross and death. Jesus has been attempting to teach his disciples the meaning of his destiny and this too ends in failure. They will follow him up to Jerusalem but they will also fail Jesus completely when they arrive. What is the meaning of this story that Mark has been telling us? Where is it going? What is the point? We will need to be patient and let the story run its course. Jesus and his followers trudge up the mountain from Jericho to Jerusalem finally arriving at the summit of the Mount of Olives which overlooks the city. It is clear that in Mark’s telling of the story this is the first time Jesus has been to Jerusalem. The location of the ministry of Jesus has been confined by Mark to Galilee and the Gentile territories nearby. Now Jesus comes to Jerusalem for the first and only time. The cities Mark mentions at the top of the mountain are Bethany and Bethphage. There Jesus pauses as he prepares to enter the city. If we work backward from what Mark will tell his readers over the next few chapters we will come to the conclusion that it is Sunday, the first day of the week – in five days Jesus will be crucified and on the next first day of the week he will be raised from the dead. Mark has not told his readers anything about the length of time that has passed since Jesus was baptized by John and left for Galilee. There has been no mention of feasts like Passover or the Feast of Booths. If we only had Mark’s gospel we would likely conclude that everything has happened within a few months’ time, certainly within a year. For the first time in his gospel Mark provides his readers with a timeframe. As Jesus pauses at the summit of the mountain he directs two of his followers to go into the village and secure a colt from its owner and bring it for Jesus to ride upon. Mark provides no explanation about how Jesus knows either of the colt or its owner. Mark’s point is to drive home the point that Jesus’ predictions of what will happen does happen. A colt is secured and Jesus and his followers make their way in a procession down the Mount of Olives into the city. As they enter the city the crowds and the disciples cry out using Psalm 118, a song of ascent often used by Jewish travelers as they journeyed to Jerusalem. Mark does not tell us but it seems likely that few people except those who participated even noticed. Mark tells his readers that upon entering the city Jesus went to the Temple and looked around and then went back up the Mount of Olives to spend the night at Bethany. The next day, Monday, Jesus makes his way down the mountain again and into the city. On the way he encounters a fig tree that bears no fruit. Because it bears no fruit even though it is not the season for bearing Jesus curses the fig tree and it will die. At this point Jesus enters the Temple and drives out those who are selling and buying there and accuses those in authority of making the Temple which was meant to be a house of prayer for all nations into a hideout of robbers. As readers we already know that the religious authorities are bent on killing Jesus so it comes as no surprise that Mark tells us that they seek a way to kill him but they are prevented because they are afraid of the crowd who are spellbound by Jesus’ teaching. Their actions will need to be covert. On the next day, Tuesday, as Jesus and his disciples make their way into the city they pass by the fig tree now withered to the roots. Again Mark is highlighting the fact that what Jesus predicts will happen does happen. Readers of Mark’s gospel have no reason to doubt the Jesus will in fact suffer, be killed, and on the third day rise from the dead. Seeing the withered fig tree the disciples respond with their usual lack of understanding and Jesus tells them that if they had faith they could cast mountains into the sea. One can only imagine their bewilderment. Readers of Mark’s gospel have known for a long time about the deadly conflict between Jesus and the religious leaders. It comes as no surprise that a deadly battle is engaged now that Jesus has arrived in Jerusalem. Mark brings together six stories about this controversy – we might call this section the Temple Controversy. Significantly, Mark has compressed this conflict to one day or at most two. Mark has compressed the story to a short time. In the first story the religious leaders confront Jesus about his authority to cleanse the Temple. What right does he have to do what he did? In all of these stories Mark demonstrates the skill of Jesus to avoid being trapped by those who question him – tactics that followers of Jesus might do well to learn. In the first story Jesus avoids telling the religious leaders by what authority he does these things by asking them a question about John the baptist. They are trapped by Jesus’ question and even though they would like to answer that John the baptist was not acting from God’s authority they are unable to say what they think because they know the crowds will revolt against them. We need to remember that the crowds have received Jesus and so far in Mark’s story they are on Jesus’ side. So the first controversy fizzles out. Having “won” the first skirmish Jesus now attacks the religious leaders with a parable. The parable is a clear capsule of Mark’s whole story. It is a retelling of the famous parable of God’s vineyard that Isaiah first told. God has given human beings the responsibility of tending God’s earth. God has sought relationship with those people and a share of the bounty. They have rejected God and the messengers God has sent. So God now sends God’s own Son. This one they kill. Mark quotes an OT passage from Psalm 118, “The stone which the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone.” This time the parable is not met with misunderstanding. The religious leaders know that Jesus has told this parable against them. The want desperately to arrest him but cannot because of the crowds. So in the third story they attempt to trip Jesus up with a political question. Is it right to pay taxes to the Romans or not. They think their question is a brilliant one since if Jesus answers in either way he will be in trouble. If he says that it is right to pay taxes he will lose the support of the crowds. If he says that it is not right he will have come into direct conflict with the Romans and they will be able to have him arrested for sedition. But, once again, Jesus slips out of their grasp by skillfully avoiding the question. In the fourth story the Sadducees are the ones who seek to catch Jesus with their ridiculous question about a woman who was married to seven brothers in an attempt to produce an offspring and finally when they are all dead there will be a fiasco in heaven over whose wife she really is. The Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection or in heaven so their scenario is ridiculous in their eyes. This time Jesus confronts their ignorance directly. They know neither the scripture nor God. And Jesus likely gained a bit of respect from the Pharisees in the process. In the fifth story it is one of the scribes who questions Jesus about what the greatest commandment is. This gives Jesus and Mark an opportunity to place Jesus squarely in the center of Judaism. Jesus cites the commandment to love God and adds to it the commandment to love one’s neighbor. Jesus ultimately is no violator of OT faith. The controversy seems to be coming to an end when, in the sixth story, Jesus takes the initiative by asking how the Messiah can be both David’s son and David’s lord. Mark does not spell out the meaning of this question Jesus poses. However, upon later reflection the followers of Jesus came to understand that the Messiah could only be both David’s son and David’s lord if the Messiah was both human and divine. The Temple Controversy comes to an end without resolution. The religious leaders have not bested Jesus but they have not been won over by him either. The conflict still brews and readers of Mark’s gospel must know that in the end Jesus will indeed suffer, be killed, and rise from the dead. Jesus has said this will happen and so it will. The Temple and the activity that was taking place there has become a major source of conflict in Mark’s story. Jesus attacked the temple authorities and drove them out of the Temple. Jesus has been in conflict with the religious leaders from the very earliest stories in Mark’s gospel. The fate of the Temple and its religious authorities now becomes the focus of Mark’s story. It is very helpful if readers of Mark’s gospel remember that it is very likely that Mark was writing his gospel in the midst of the tragic events of the Jewish War in which the Jewish people attempted to revolt against the Roman Empire. That war happened from 66-70 AD and ended with the destruction of the Temple by the Romans in 70 AD. Perhaps Mark was writing his gospel during the war or just after the war had ended and the Temple lay in ruins. Regardless, it is important to note that these events have colored Mark’s story. Either in anticipation of the destruction of the Temple or in the immediate aftermath of its destruction Mark set out to tell his story of Jesus. With the Temple Controversy simmering in the background Mark tells of Jesus speaking to the crowds who have welcomed him. Jesus begins by warning them against the religious authorities who love to appear to be great examples of the Jewish religion. In reality they are the ones who are devouring widow’s houses. With the word “widows” lingering in mind, Mark tells a story of a widow who places only two pennies in the Temple treasury. Insignificant in light of the pomp of the religious leaders, yet she is Jesus’ prime example of faithfulness. She gave all she had. To be a faithful follower of Jesus, especially in troubled times, is to give one’s self completely to him. Jesus and his followers now leave the Temple and climb to the top of the Mount of Olives where they can sit and overlook the city and its splendid Temple. Unwittingly, the disciples now remark about how wonderful the Temple is – the very Temple that Jesus has cleansed. Are they dim-witted? Mark has been telling his readers about the failure of Jesus’ disciples and this is one more instance of that failure to perceive and understand. They are impressed with the splendor of the Temple. Jesus drops another bombshell upon them. Not one stone will rest upon another as the Temple is destroyed. Jesus rehearses the history that will lead up to the destruction of the Temple. There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will be false Messiah’s who will attempt to lead people astray. There will be those who see the Messiah in would be deliverers. Followers of Jesus will suffer much in those days and some will even be betrayed by members of their own family. Recalling an episode from the time the Maccabean reclaiming of the Temple which was desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC Mark speaks of a “desolating sacrilege” that will desecrate the Temple once again. This is the same “desolating sacrilege” that is referred to in the book of Daniel as that book addresses the time of Antiochus and the Maccabean heroes. Mark interrupts his own narrative to speak directly to his readers. “Let the reader understand!” Mark’s readers would almost certainly have understood that Mark was referring to the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD with this comment. They were living in the midst of the very story that Mark tells us Jesus was proclaiming to his followers. Mark tells us that Jesus does expand the meaning of these events by drawing upon the OT imagery of the great and terrible Day of the Lord which many of the prophets of the OT had spoken. There will be signs in the moon and stars and a darkness overshadowing the whole world and then the Son of Man will come in power and the consummation of God’s kingdom will become reality. There can be no doubt that Mark expected that final and cataclysmic event to happen at the time of his writing. He was not alone in his expectation since every writer of the NT shared that expectation. Living 2000 years later we know they were misguided in their expectation. But certainly we can appreciate the longing and their expectation – especially that of Mark who was living in the midst of a very troubled time. Of course a huge question lingers for readers of Mark’s gospel living 2000 years later. Did Jesus actually predict the final end to come with the destruction of the Temple? Or, was that Mark’s appraisal of what was happening? I would like to think that Mark is the one who thought that the end was near and that when Jesus was talking with his disciple on the Mount of Olives he was in fact only talking about the destruction of the Temple which did happen. In fact, Mark does leave himself a way out. He tells his readers that no one knows the exact time of the final end of this age – not even the Son, not even Jesus. So what are readers of Mark’s gospel to do? They are to watch and wait. They are to keep awake. They are to be like that widow who gives her whole self to Jesus. Mark now returns to the events at hand. He informs his readers that it is two days before the Passover. It is Wednesday. Jesus has been in deadly conflict with the religious leaders who have been stymied by the crowds who hear Jesus gladly. And so they begin to plot how to arrest Jesus by stealth in a covert operation. But they are confronted by the coming of Passover. They will either have to work swiftly or wait until Passover is over. Mark has now begun what has become known to readers of the NT as the “Passion Narrative” – the story of the betrayal and death of Jesus. The first thing Mark tells his readers seems somewhat insignificant. Jesus is at the house of Simon and leper. An unnamed woman comes with a vile of costly ointment and anoints Jesus head with it. The disciples protest. They do not understand. Jesus does. This anointing was for his burial. Mark has already told his readers that Judas Iscariot was going to betray him so it comes as little surprise to Mark’s readers that Judas begins to seek a way to hand Jesus over to the religious leaders. Mark gives no motive for Judas’ betrayal of Jesus. Mark now tells his readers that it was the first day of the festival. It was the day when the Passover lambs were slaughtered. That would make it Thursday. In anticipation of the eating of Passover with his disciples Jesus send two of them into the city to make arrangements. In a story that sounds much like the sending of two disciples to find the colt for Jesus to ride into Jerusalem a few days before, Mark provides no explanation of how they will encounter a man with a jar of water. Had Jesus made prior arrangement? That is a question for which Mark’s readers will find no answer. The point it again to highlight that what Jesus says will happen does happen. The arrangements are made and that evening at sundown, which would have been viewed by Jewish people as the beginning of the new day, Friday, Jesus and his disciples gather in the upper room and celebrate Passover together. As the meal begins Jesus shares some distressing news with his disciples. One of them will betray him. Each of the disciples in turn questions whether the betrayer might be them. None are sure of their own faith. The readers of Mark’s gospel know that it will be Judas but this is information the participants are not privileged to know. So an ominous mood settles over the meal. Readers of Mark’s gospel should expect that the full Passover meal was celebrated by Jesus and his followers. That meal would have taken a few hours. Mark compresses the meal to one short part – the taking of bread and breaking it and sharing it with one another and the taking of one of the four cups of wine and blessing it and sharing it with one another. In the process of breaking the bread and sharing the cup Mark tells his readers that Jesus instituted what has come to be known as the Lord’s Supper. Certainly the celebration of the Lord’s Supper began very early in the lives of the followers of Jesus. Paul knows about it as he writes to the Corinthians in the mid 50’s. There is no reason that we should doubt that Jesus actually did institute the supper. As the supper ends Jesus and his disciples leave the city and return to the Mount of Olives. It is significant that Mark never tells his readers of the departure of Judas. He is apparently a participant in the supper though Mark does not specifically say that he was. At any rate when they arrive at the mount Jesus warns his disciples that all of them will desert him. Borrowing from the OT book of Zechariah Jesus uses the graphic image of a scattered flock of sheep when their shepherd is struck down to depict the fate of the disciples. And then Jesus tells them that after he has been raised from the dead they will meet him again in Galilee. They all protest that they will never abandon Jesus and Peter vows that he will die with Jesus only to be told that the rooster will not crow twice before Peter has denied Jesus three times. Jesus and his disciples now enter a place called Gethsemane which is at the foot of the Mount of Olives. At Gethsemane Mark relates to his readers a passionate and troubling account of Jesus struggling to find and do God’s will. Jesus pleads that the very thing he had predicted regarding his suffering and death might be avoided. The humanity of Jesus is on full display. Jesus had taking the inner circle of Peter, James, and John with him and asked them to watch and pray but they have fallen asleep. Just as three times Jesus had predicted his death three times he plead that it will not happen and three times his followers fail him drifting into sleep. In the end Jesus submits to God’s will. Mark tells his readers that Jesus sees his betrayer is at hand as Judas brings a mob to arrest Jesus. The mob comes from the religious leaders. Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss and he is arrested. A weak attempt to defend Jesus is made by someone standing nearby when the slave of the high priest’s ear is cut off. Jesus stops the revolt and is arrested. And just as he said all of his followers deserted him and fled. Mark tells his readers that one of those who fled was a young man who had come to Gethsemane wearing nothing but a linen cloth or shroud. If Mark’s original readers understood this reference they are far advanced over those of us who are modern readers. The reference to this man remains an enigma. Jesus is arrested and brought to the home of the high priest and an assembly of religious leaders is gathered. If one is to speak of this as the trial of Jesus before the Jewish authorities one needs to say that it was certainly not a legal trial. Perhaps it would be best to call it a hearing although the outcome of the gathering will be a sentence against Jesus that he must die. Mark drops a piece of information into the ears of his readers as the trial begins when he tells them that Peter has followed at a distance and entered into the very courtyard of the high priest. Will Peter remain faithful after all? Once the hearing begins it is clear that this was a set up. The religious leaders have wanted to get their hands on Jesus and now they have him. Witnesses are brought it but they are proved to be invalid since their testimony does not agree. These witnesses claim that Jesus had said that he would destroy the Temple and in three days raise up a new one. This is something Jesus never said according to Mark’s gospel. Mark tells his readers that Jesus is silent before his accusers. Finally in desperation the high priest asks Jesus if he is the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One. Jesus’ response is clear and unequivocal. Jesus says “I am” which is the very name of God in the OT. And now the religious leaders have him. To claim to be God is blaspheme. The sentence of death is declared. Those who are gathered proceed to abuse Jesus by spitting on him and striking him. They begin to make fun of him. Jesus does not resist. At this point in his story Mark returns to Peter who his readers remember is lingering in the courtyard. Tragically the rock dissolves into gravel. Peter winds up denying Jesus three times, just as Jesus had said he would, and when the rooster crows Peter is dissolved into tears and goes out, never to be heard from again in Mark’s gospel. As morning dawns Mark tells his readers that the council gathers for a second hearing. The law did require two hearings with the same verdict of death and one might see this as the second hearing. The religious leaders take Jesus to Pilate. Mark gives no reason why they do so. When Jesus is brought before Pilate he remains silent. The chief priests have told Pilate that Jesus claims to be the King of the Jews which would have been an offense worthy of dead at the hands of the Romans. When Pilate asks Jesus if he is the King of the Jews his response is noncommittal – “So you say.” Pilate appears to doubt the accusation of the religious leaders and offers to set Jesus free as a token of good will at the time of Passover – a custom, by the way that has no other reference to have occurred other than here in the Bible. The religious leaders stir up a crowd – was it the same crowd that had once defended Jesus? – at any rate the crowd asks for the release of a man named Barabbas. Mark says nothing about who Barabbas was and why he was in custody. Pilate then asks what he is to do with Jesus. They cry out for his crucifixion – a method of death reserved for seditionists in the Roman world. Pilate finds no reason to crucify Jesus but under pressure he gives in to their request. Jesus is flogged and handed over to be crucified. Mark tells his readers that the soldiers took Jesus into the courtyard of the governor’s headquarters which likely was on the western edge of the city and there they made fun of him mocking him as a king by putting a royal purple robe on him and a crown of thorns. The cruelty of humanity was on full display. Without explanation Mark tells his readers that a passer-by named Simon from Cyrene who was the father of Alexander and Rufus was compelled to carry the cross for Jesus. Perhaps Simon and Alexander and Rufus had some meaning for Mark’s first readers. Modern readers are left to ponder why Mark named them. The procession arrives at a place called Golgotha where Jesus is offered a mixture which would have eased his pain. Jesus refuses. The soldiers divide his clothing among themselves and at nine o’clock in the morning they nailed Jesus to the cross and raised him up to die. Mark tells his readers that an inscription was place on the cross announcing that Jesus was the “King of the Jews” which was one more evidence of the mocking that was going on. Mark tells his readers that two bandits were crucified along with Jesus. Mark’s readers are reminded of the request of James and John that they be given a place one on the right and one on the left when Jesus began to reign. Mark tells us that the religious leaders, the bandits, and all those who passed by the cross derided Jesus. There was no one to speak even one kind word. They all taunted him. Mark tells his readers that Jesus had been on the cross for three hours when at noon a great darkness settled over the whole earth. The prophets of old had spoken of a great darkness that would arrive when the Day of the Lord was near. Mark says the darkness lasted another three hours until three o’clock when Jesus spoke the only words Mark tells his readers he spoke. The words are chilling. “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” The first readers of Mark’s gospel likely were as shocked as we are to hear these words. Was Jesus reciting the first verse of Psalm 22 with the intent of reciting the whole psalm which is a psalm of lament and ultimate assurance? Was Jesus simply crying out in the midst of despair carrying the heavy weight of the moment? Mark does not interpret these words of Jesus for his readers. We will need to do that for ourselves. Mark does indicate that those who crucified Jesus misinterpreted his cry. Some thought perhaps he was calling for Elijah to come and deliver him so they attempt to give Jesus a drink of wine to prolong his life. Readers of Mark’s gospel know that Elijah is not coming since Elijah has already come in the ministry of John the baptist who like Jesus was killed. Jesus refuses to drink and with a loud cry he dies. There is a stark and shocking nature to the way in which Mark has told this story. The narration has been very brutal. Readers of Mark’s gospel can only gasp at the horrible events that have unfolded. Hearing Mark’s story does something to Mark’s readers. This is a very sobering moment. Perhaps it would be well if all of Mark’s readers just stopped reading for a while and pondered it all. This has been a story where the religious leaders of Israel have rejected their Messiah and from the beginning were the deadly opposition that was out to get Jesus. This has been a story where Jesus’ own family has thought he was “out of his mind” and come to take him home putting an end to his lunacy. This has been a story where every one of Jesus followers has failed him. Jesus breathes his last all alone in stark abandonment. This is not a very pleasant story to tell or to hear. Yet, this is the story Mark has told us. But, Mark is not quite finished. So we read on. As Jesus dies Mark tells his readers that the curtain in the Temple was torn in two. And readers of Mark’s gospel remember the story of the baptism of Jesus with which Mark began his story. There the heavens were torn apart and the Holy Spirit came to rest on Jesus. Both stories are about the invasion of God into the world. The curtain in the Temple had separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the world. God was thought to dwell there inside the Holy of Holies behind the curtain. But now the curtain was shredded. God was on the loose. Up until this point in the Mark’s story not one human being has recognized that Jesus was the Son of God. The demons had known this but not one human being understood. Now with Jesus dead and hanging on the cross the first human being, a Roman soldier at that looks and declares that truly this man was the Son of God. Perhaps this is not the end of the story after all. Mark tells his readers that there were some women watching from a distance. All of Jesus followers had abandoned him but perhaps there is some hope in the women. Mark names them as Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and Salome. Could it be that Mary the mother of James and Joses was Jesus’ own mother? Mark had named two of Jesus’ brothers at Nazareth to be James and Joses. Women look on from a distance. As evening was coming and the Sabbath was about to begin Mark tells us that a Jewish man named Joseph who came from the town of Arimathea who was a respected man and a member of the council, a religious leader who was himself waiting for the Kingdom of God took courage and went to Pilate to ask for the body of Jesus. Mark does not tell us anything about the other two who were crucified with Jesus. It is only Jesus who is of concern to Joseph. When Pilate learns that Jesus is dead he gives Joseph permission to take him down and bury him. Joseph wrapped Jesus in a linen cloth – like the same linen cloth worn by the young man who fled from Gethsemane during the arrest – and he place Jesus in a tomb that had been hewn in the rock and placed a stone over the entrance. Once again Mark tells us that the same women watched and saw where Jesus was laid. It was Friday when Jesus was crucified and at sundown the Sabbath began. The Sabbath was Saturday and the women waited. The last thing Mark tells his readers takes place when the Sabbath had ended. The same three women bought spices and made their way to the tomb in the early hours of the first day of the week, Sunday. They had been worrying about how they would remove the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb. To their surprise when they arrived at the tomb the stone had already been rolled back. Bravely they entered the tomb and were greeted by a young man wearing only a white linen cloth who was sitting inside the tomb. Perhaps there is some connection between this young man and the young man at Gethsemane. Mark does not tell us that, however. The women are shocked. The young man speaks and says to them, “Do not be afraid. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciple, even Peter, that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.” Readers of Mark’s gospel would expect to hear now that the women went and told the disciples and that they all went to Galilee and this story has a happy ending after all. But that is not what Mark tells his readers. As Mark’s story was recited to his first readers – and that’s almost certainly the way it came to them, orally – they must have been ask shocked and dismayed as we are. Mark tells us the women fled in fear and said nothing to anyone. And that’s where Mark’s gospel stops. There are some additional endings to Mark’s gospel in the Bible. None of them bear much credibility as being the real ending Mark intended. None of them are recorded in any of the early manuscripts of Mark’s gospel. So we would do best to leave them aside and deal with the ending that Mark has given us. Why did Mark end his gospel in this way? Maybe a better question to ask is what does the ending of Mark’s gospel do to you as a reader? I can only speak for myself, but Mark’s ending makes me say that there has to be more. More than that the ending compels me to go and tell the story. And I think that is Mark’s point and the brilliance of his ending. Mark simply draws his reader right into the story. He has told us that the curtain of the Temple has been torn in two and that God is on the loose. He has let the Roman soldier witness to us that finally a human being can recognize that Jesus is the Son of God. He has brought us up short at the cross and shown us the horrible reality of humanity at its worst. He has told us that Jesus was going to Galilee and that his disciples would see him there. What more do we need? Now that we have come to the end of Mark’s storyline we are left to wonder at the genius of this author. There is a brilliance of Mark that shines forth for those who have ears to hear. He has told us quite a story. Mark will be the basis of two more storytellers, Matthew and Luke. They will lead us in a new way as we listen carefully to their storylines in the coming weeks. And finally we will have the privilege of tracing John’s storyline. All of them are different from one another. All bear the evidence of a powerful witness for Jesus. So, now it’s time to move on.

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Reading the Gospels Together Some Observations, Some Questions, and Some Convictions Anyone who reads and studies the four gospels at any degree of depth soon discovers that there are many differences among them. Many of these differences are of little importance. Whether Jesus healed Bartimeaus on his way out of Jericho (Mark 10:46), or as he entered Jericho (Luke 18:35), or even if perhaps there were two blind men healed at Jericho (Matthew 20:29) probably doesn’t matter. But, whether Jesus celebrated the Passover with his disciples on the night he was betrayed before he was crucified on the next day (Mark 14:12-25, Matthew 26:17-30, Luke 22:7-23) or Jesus was crucified at noon on the Day of Preparation for Passover when the Passover lambs were being slaughtered before he had an opportunity to celebrate Passover with his disciples (John 13:1; 18:28, 19:14) makes a huge difference, especially in our participation in the Lord’s Supper. Was the meal in the upper room a Passover Meal transformed by Jesus into what we have come to know as the Lord’s Supper, or was it a meal and gathering of some other sort? It is interesting the John does not tell the story of the taking and breaking and blessing of the bread and the wine at that last meal. Did Jesus die with a cry of despair on his lips, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:33-28 and Matthew 27:45-50), or did he die in a kind of trusting resignation as the righteous one who places himself in God’s hands, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” (Luke 23:44-46), or did he die with a word of triumph on his lips, “It is finished!” (John 19:28-30)? These among many others are glaring differences that demand of any serious reader of the four gospels to pause and ask what is going on here. Discovering all these differences is not what we expect when we begin to read the four gospels. What we expect is one consistent story that hangs together perfectly. That’s especially true if we believe that the Bible is the Word of God inspired by the Holy Spirit. Why would the Holy Spirit inspire different things in different authors? Can’t they keep it all straight? What does it mean to say that the Bible is the Word of God? What does it mean to believe in the inspiration of the Bible? All of these are questions that are raised as one begins to read the four gospels. Discovering all these differences likely is troubling to any reader of the four gospels. I know that discovering these differences was troubling to me – in fact it was a crisis of faith as I have shared elsewhere. My first encounter with the differences was when I first carefully read the accounts of the resurrection of Jesus. None of the accounts agrees with any other account. And that bothered me. If the writers of the Bible can’t get that most important event right can they be trusted about anything else? So, what are we to make of all the differences that we find among the four gospel writers? This is the large question that challenges any serious student of the gospels. This study is driven by the desire to make sense out of this question. One of the central conviction from which I want to address this question is that we need to take the words of each gospel literally. We need to let the gospels say what they say and not attempt somehow to manipulate them so that the differences disappear. That is a real temptation and has been practiced by some who simply will not allow the gospels to say different things. I do not find such “harmonization” convincing and in the end I believe that such attempts do damage to the message and proclamation of the Bible. I care very deeply about the Bible. The Bible is an incredibly important book. It is my conviction that the Bible is the Word of God and that God speaks through the Bible to create and sustain faith in those of us who are hearers. It is my conviction that the Bible is the inspired Word of God – God’s Spirit working in the lives of its authors and also working in our lives as we seek to hear and understand and be shaped by this Word. The Bible is God’s book. I think God is delighted with the Bible as we have it. God would not have it any other way. And the Bible as the Word of God works to do what God wants it to do. But to let God’s Word do its work we need to take it seriously and literally. We need to try as best we can to not let our preconceived notions influence what we read. That is not an easy thing for anyone to do. That is what I hope to do in this investigation. Let the chips fall where they will. As I have worked with the gospels for a number of years now I have come to believe that it is precisely the differences that we find within them that are the keys to understanding more fully the message each gospel writer is attempting to proclaim. So one of the premises of this study is to embrace the differences we encounter. The differences are not a problem but a blessing that opens up the proclamation the Bible hopes to speak to those of us who hear. So the focus of this study will be to identify the differences and then use them as interpretive tools to understand the message of each gospel writer more fully. In order to get at these differences an important exercise for us to do is to attempt to identify the “storyline” of each gospel writer. It is to ask the questions, “How did they tell the story? How did they order the events?” And, when we begin to compare these four “storylines” it is to ask the most important question of all, “Why did each gospel writer give this particular order to the events and how does the way in which later authors changed their sources speak to a new vision and proclamation they were hoping to make?” So we will begin the first four weeks of this study by looking at the “storyline” of each gospel. Then we will lay these four storylines next to one another to look for places in which they intersect with one another. While the focus in on the differences, it needs to be said that there is a great deal in common among all four gospels. They are all clearly reflecting upon the very same historical events – they are four versions of the same story. As we note the intersecting cluster of events we can begin to investigate how each writer viewed those events through a different lens and why there are all the differences we have noted above. The end result will hopefully be a fuller appreciation of the proclamation of each of the four gospel writers and perhaps even a clear understanding of the events as they happened. Before we begin it is important for me to share with you some assumptions that I bring to this study. I stated above that it is important that we do not let our preconceived notions influence what we read. Perhaps these are my own preconceived notions; however, I believe they are based on a strong foundation and do reflect my conviction to take the words of each gospel writer literally and seriously. They grow out of the work of many Biblical scholars over the past several centuries and are generally agreed to by most scholars. Reading the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke leads to what is nearly an irrefutable conclusion that there is a literary dependency among these three gospels. The very same words are used by all three gospel writers or at least by two writers with a high degree of frequency. Well over 90% of Mark is found in either Matthew or Luke. And besides that there are large sections of material that Matthew and Luke share together (again often using the same words) that are not found in Mark. How is this dependency to be explained? It is almost unanimous among Biblical scholars that Mark is the earliest gospel to be written and that both Matthew and Luke depended literally on Mark in the writing of their gospels. Both Matthew and Luke had a copy of Mark available to them as the major source of their own gospel. I agree with that assumption. It is also almost unanimously agreed among Biblical scholars that Matthew and Luke shared a document that has been unfortunately lost which contained the material they share together that is not found in Mark’s gospel. I agree with that assumption as well. Since Matthew and Luke order their material basically following Mark’s “storyline” but they also order the material that share together in this lost document in vastly different ways and in a vastly different order the nearly unanimous conclusion of Biblical scholars is that Matthew and Luke were unaware of each other and write independently of one another. I agree with this assumption as well. There is Biblical warrant for coming to a conclusion like this since Luke tells his readers in the very beginning of his gospel that he has followed the writings of others who have written an account of the events surrounding Jesus’ life and now he is setting forth his own rendering (Luke 1:1-4). Finally, the question of how the gospel of John is to be related to the other gospels needs to be addressed. The relationship between John and the other three gospels is not as firmly settled among Biblical scholars as the relationship among Matthew, Mark, and Luke; however, the consensus likely is that John wrote independently of all three and was not aware of any of them. This is the assumption that I subscribe to. However, there is one caveat that I think warrants some consideration and that is that John was aware of some of the traditions that lie behind Mark, Matthew, and Luke and may be dependent on some of those same traditions. While not literally dependent upon Mark, Matthew, or Luke there are likely a number of common traditions that underlie all four gospels. It may also be true that Luke and maybe Matthew were aware of some of the material in the earliest versions of John. So the picture that emerges is something like this: Following the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus there existed a wealth of stories and traditions about those events. Most of these traditions were passed on orally for some time but likely some were written down as time passed. Eventually Mark was the first writer who gathered these traditions together into what we have come to know as a gospel. Using Mark, Matthew and Luke added material to construct their own gospels to meet the changing needs of their communities. The story behind John’s gospel is likely more complex since the final version of the gospel of John as we have it today reflects a process of editing so it is likely that John was built up over time using the wealth of traditions available. One more factor likely rests in the background of John and that is the presence of an eyewitness in the early versions of John’s gospel – the beloved disciple spoken of in the book of John. One more assumption that I bring to this investigation is that all four of the gospels were written by anonymous writers. None of the gospels contains the name of its author. The gospel of John does make the claim that it is somehow based on the eyewitness testimony of the “beloved disciple” which I accept as being accurate but even this beloved disciple remains unnamed and the present form in which we have the gospel of John almost certainly does not come directly from the hand of this beloved disciple. We can be nearly certain that the author of Mark’s gospel is not the Mark who was a companion of Paul and the disciple of Peter. We can also be nearly certain the author of Matthew’s gospel was not the disciple, Matthew in the gospel story. We can be nearly certain that the author of the book of Luke was not the physician mentioned in the book of Acts and a companion of Paul. And we can be nearly certain that the beloved disciple mention in the book of John was not John the son of Zebedee. It is my conviction that we simply do not know the names of any of the authors of the four gospels. For the sake of convention and simplicity I will continue to speak of the writers by their traditional names. We are now ready to begin to construct the “storyline” of each gospel. We will begin with Mark since it is likely that Mark was the first to write a gospel and because two of the other gospels were based on Mark. After we have developed Mark’s storyline we will move on to examine Matthew and then Luke noting the changes that they have made to Mark’s storyline along the way. Finally, we will develop the storyline of John’s gospel. Once we have these four storylines in place we will be ready to place them alongside of one another and consider what we have learned from this investigation.

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