Mark
Mark 15:40−16:8
Disciples restored by God’s grace continue to be faithful to Jesus, ready to undertake another round of the journey of discipleship with Jesus.
“But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see Him, just as He told you.’”
And going out, they [the women] fled from the tomb, for trembling and terror had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.
Mark 16:7–8
This final portion of Mark functions
Mark 15:1−39
Faithfulness to Jesus involves sacrifice and suffering ridicule as part of submitting to his ultimately victorious kingship!
The centurion, who was standing by in front of Him … said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:39
The account is peppered with the sardonic attribution of “kingship” to Jesus. But there is irony here: from Mark’s inkwell, Jesus’ kingship becomes a powerful truth—sarcastically affirmed by the scoffers, but true nonetheless
Mark 14:53−72
Faithfulness in discipleship involves self-denial for the cause of Jesus, without concern for self-preservation.
But he denied [it] ….
But again he denied [it] ….
But he began to curse and swear ….
Mark 14:68, 70, 71
The “sandwich” structure (Peter in the outside stories, 14:53–54, 66–72; Jesus in the inside, 14:55–65) is a masterpiece of literary creation, especially in this pericope: Jesus and Peter are compared in two separate trials—Peter, too, was
Mark 14:12−52
Faithfulness in discipleship, emulating Jesus, involves submission to God’s sovereignty, in prayerful dependence upon the Holy Spirit.
“Be alert and pray that you may not come into temptation;
the Spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
Mark 14:37–38
In Mark 13:35, Jesus declared, “Therefore, be on the alert, for you do not know when the lord of the house is coming—whether in the evening or midnight or at cockcrow or early in the morning.” These time stamps—“evening,”
Who Was The Young Man?
Ever wondered who the mysterious guy was, who ran away naked when Jesus was arrested—a cameo found only in Mark, in 14:51−52? Well, today is your lucky day!
Check out this article that ran in the current issue of Dallas Theological Seminary’s award-winning quarterly, Kindred Spirit: “Who Was The Young Man?”
As a bonus, it not only discusses the “Naked Runaway” of Mark 14, but also the “Enrobed Reporter” of Mark 16.
Let me know what you think.
Mark 14:1−11
Accepting the suffering mission of Jesus, disciples make sacrifices that are profuse, pure, precious, and praiseworthy.
“A good deed she has done to Me.”
Mark 14:6
This is another of Mark’s sandwiches, with an outer story (the betrayal of Jesus; 14:1–2, 10–11) and an inner story (the anointing of Jesus; 14:3–9).
Jesus, unlike the religious leaders in Jerusalem, is in Bethany; Indeed, he seems to have deliberately made his way to the house of one banned from the
Mark 13:1−37
Dependence on God’s providence, the Spirit’s power, and the promise of the Son’s return enables the disciple to be faithful to Jesus until his return.
And what I say to you, to all I say, ‘Be alert!’”
Mark 13:37
The theme of this chapter continues Jesus’ anti-Temple stance in Mark 11 and 12. Israel, and particularly its leadership, has failed in its mission to produce fruit (11:12–26; 12:38–40); judgment would be inevitable. All the Temple’s stones were
Abe Kuruvilla is the Carl E. Bates Professor of Christian Preaching at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Louisville, KY), and a dermatologist in private practice. His passion is to explore, explain, and exemplify preaching.