Jesus, the Suffering Son of God: The Gospel according

to Mark

The New TestamentBart D. Ehrman

Chapter 6

What to Expect

• The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and earliest surviving account of Jesus’ life

• It establishes Jesus’ character in a series of scenes

• The people in this Gospel have a hard time grasping Jesus’ identity

• Do Jesus’ own disciples ever get it?

The Gospel according to Mark

• Unknown author– Was a Greek-speaking Christian– Was presumably living outside of

Palestine– Had heard stories about Jesus

• “Mark” may also have used written sources

• This Gospel was used by the authors of Matthew and Luke

The Beginning of the Gospel:

Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God Who Fulfills Scripture

• Traditions rooted in a Jewish worldview• Mark begins by calling Jesus the

messiah, but this could mean a range of things– Future king of Israel– Cosmic deliverer

• “Son of God” would have been a familiar concept: Like other sons of God, divinely inspired teachers or rulers

Jesus the Authoritative Son of God

• Jesus is portrayed as authoritative, setting the stage for the rest of the Gospel– When he gives instruction, people hang on

his every word– He drives unclean spirits out, heals the sick

• He is still universally misunderstood, and becomes hated by religious leaders

Jesus the Opposed Son of God

• Leaders oppose Jesus despite his deeds and faithfulness to Jewish Law– Question his actions and practices– Take offense at his associations and

activities– Protest the actions of his followers

• Authorities find him threatening• Authorities do not understand who

he is

Jesus the Misunderstood Son of God

• Through the first half of the Gospel, only a few recognize Jesus’ identity: God, Jesus himself, evil demons, the author, and the reader

• Jesus’ own disciples fail to understand who he is

• “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

Jesus the Acknowledged Son of God

• The sequence of the stories in the Gospel of Mark is significant:– Jesus heals a blind man only gradually– Jesus’ disciples have been blind to his

identity, but gradually begin to see– Peter identifies him as “the Christ” but

still sees him only dimly, as the deliverer of Israel, not the suffering Son of God

Jesus the Suffering Son of God

• Readers are given several indications that Jesus must die

• Jesus is explicit about this after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ

• After each prediction, Mark shows that the disciples do not understand

• Jesus is the messiah, but not in any way the Jewish authorities recognize

ch. 14 Betrayal, Last Supper, Arrest (cont.)Gethsemane – olive grove on Mount of Olives; prayer of

agony

Arrest – kiss of Judas; prohibits defense by sword; disciples

scatter

Jesus the Crucified Son of God

• Jesus’ disciples are shocked when Jesus fails to restore the kingdom to Israel

• However, Mark’s readers have no doubt about the importance of Jesus’ death: – The curtain separating the Holy of Holies

from the outside world is torn in half– The pagan Roman centurion recognizes

Jesus as God’s Son

Jesus the Vindicated Son of God

• The Gospel of Mark concludes after Jesus has risen, when the women flee the tomb and tell nobody

• Mark demonstrated that the disciples never could understand what Jesus meant about dying and rising again

ch. 16 Discovery of Empty Tomb (Sunday)• Women come at dawn to anoint Jesus’ body.• “Angel” announces resurrection of Jesus.• Instructions to go to Galilee, where Jesus will

appear.

• “They went out and said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (v. 8).

• Did Mark tell resurrection appearance in Galilee?

Garden Tomb

Conclusion: Mark and His Readers

• The first readers of this Gospel were Christians of Mark’s community

• For Mark, following Jesus is not a ticket to glory, but a path to suffering

• The lessons of Mark would make sense to a community experiencing persecution and hoping for vindication