Month: <span>January 2016</span>

Mark wasted no words in recording the events of Jesus’ life. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus moved from one event to another on His way to the cross. But the narrative slows in Mark 14. Mark provided a protracted account of the last Passover celebration Jesus enjoyed with His disciples and then detailed how Jesus was arrested and tried by the Sanhedrin. Along the way, Jesus showed His sovereignty over all that was taking place around Him. At key moments, Jesus cited the Old Testament to articulate how His death and glorious return would fulfill expectations established in Scripture.

(1) In Mark 14:12-26, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper during the Passover celebration. Before the Lord sent the tenth and final plague upon the Egyptians, He instructed Moses to have the Israelites put lamb’s blood over their doors so that the death angel would pass over His people (Exodus 12-13). The Passover celebration became a national celebration for Israel, annually recalling their birth as a nation at the exodus. When Jesus was a boy, He went with His parents from Nazareth in Galilee to the Passover celebration in Jerusalem (Luke 2:41). During His final Passover celebration, Jesus instituted a special meal to commemorate His death and resurrection (Matt 26:26-30//Mark 14:22-26//Luke 22:17-20). The bread they ate represented His body and the cup they drank represented a new covenant in His blood.

(2) In Mark 14:27, Jesus quoted Zech 13:7 to inform the disciples that they would fall away when He was arrested. In Zechariah 13, Zechariah prophesied that God would judge His shepherd, strike him, so that the people would be refined. Following the Passover meal Jesus portrayed Himself as the Shepherd who would soon be struck and the disciples as the sheep who would soon be scattered. In quoting Zech 13:7, Jesus thus made it clear—as He did at other times (Mark 8:31-32; 9:30-32; 10:32-34)—that God was the ultimate agent in the affairs of His day. While the Sanhedrin would not remain guiltless, ultimately the shepherd was struck by the sword of the Lord. Immediately after quoting Zech 13:7, Jesus said to His disciples, “But after I have been resurrected, I will go ahead of you to Galilee” (Mark 14:28). Jesus’ statement echoed Zechariah’s theme of God’s gracious restoration of Israel after the period of refining was complete (Zech 13:9).

(3) In Mark 14:62, Jesus cited Dan 7:13 and Ps 110:1 to affirm for His opponents that He was the Messiah. The imagery Daniel used to describe his vision of the Son of Man in Dan 7:13-14 shared points of contact with the language of the psalmist in Psalm 110:1. Both authors portrayed an exalted and powerful figure who enjoyed special access to Israel’s God. If an ordinary human took up phrases from Ps 110:1 and Dan 7:13 and applied them to himself, those with a high view of the Old Testament would be outraged and charge that person with blasphemy. When the Sanhedrin could find no solid testimony against Jesus from the witnesses they had gathered, the high priest turned to Jesus and asked, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?” (Mark 14:61). Jesus next affirmed that He was the Messiah and continued by fusing together phrases from Ps 110:1 and Dan 7:13, saying, “And all of you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62). As a result, the high priest was outraged, and the Sanhedrin condemned Jesus to death.

In his Gospel, Mark emphasized Jesus’ teaching on discipleship. As Jesus approached the cross, He warned the disciples to be watchful and endure tribulation knowing that God was sovereign over any persecution they would suffer. In Mark 13, Jesus employed prophetic themes from the Old Testament to inform the disciples that difficult days would precede His glorious return.

(1) In Mark 13:14, Jesus quoted Dan 9:27 to instruct the disciples concerning the period of persecution that would proceed the coming of the Son of Man. Jeremiah prophesied that Israel would be in exile for seventy years (Jer 25:11-12; 29:10). When Daniel read Jeremiah’s prophecy, he turned to God in prayer (Dan 9:1-4). As Daniel prayed, the angel Gabriel came to him with the answer to his prayer. Gabriel informed Daniel that the Messiah would come for a time but when He is cut off, one who opposes God’s people would set up an abominable symbol in the temple (Dan 9:27). In A.D. 68-70, the Romans invaded Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. Like Gabriel, Jesus described God’s sovereignty over future events—including the tribulation that would come upon God’s people (Matt 24:15-22//Mark 13:14-20; 2 Thess 2:1-12; 2 Tim 3:1-5; 2 Peter 2; Rev 8:7-9:12). Jesus told the disciples that the number of days that tribulation would reign upon the earth were limited so that all of the elect would be saved (Mark 13:19-20).

(2) In Mark 13:24-25, Jesus described a future celestial cataclysm in language that echoed expectations of end-time cataclysm predicted by Israel’s prophets. The authors of the Synoptic Gospels recorded Jesus’ predictions that upheaval of the heavens would signal His return to earth (Matt 24:29-31//Mark 13:24-27//Luke 21:25-28). Jesus said that when the sun was darkened and the celestial powers are shaken, the disciples should look to heaven for the glorious return of the Son of Man. Jesus’ language echoed Isaiah’s prophecy on the Day of the Lord, when Babylon would be judged, the sun and moon would be darkened (Isa 13:10). Joel also prophesied that the sun and the moon would be darkened when the Day of the Lord arrived (Joel 2:10).

(3) In Mark 13:14, Jesus employed imagery from Dan 7:13-14 to describe for the disciples the glory of His return. While Daniel was in a dream, he saw four beasts coming out of the sea, each representing a world power. He then saw the Son of Man coming as the final ruler, coming on the clouds of heaven to rule with great power over all nations (Dan 7:13-14). When Jesus’ disciples heard Him say that after the celestial cataclysm “they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:14), they would have recalled Daniel’s prophecy. Jesus was informing His disciples that the final rule of God on earth would be realized at His return.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, the Jewish leadership perceived Him as a great threat. The scenes recorded in Mark 12 further clarify Jesus’ unique role in the storyline of Scripture.

(1) In Mark 12:10-11, Jesus quoted Ps 118:22-23 to portray God’s sovereignty in establishing Him as the foundation of God’s kingdom even though the Jewish leadership rejected Him. The Parable of the Vineyard Owner (Matt 21:33-46//Mark 12:1-12//Luke 20:9-19) echoed themes of Isaiah 5, where the prophet described Israel as an unfruitful vine even though planted by God Himself. In the parable, the tenant farmers represent the Jewish leadership; like their fathers before them, they had rejected and killed the landowners’ slaves. When the tenant farmers saw that the landowner had sent his son to collect produce, they said, “This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him and the inheritance will be ours!” (Mark 12:7). Jesus knew what would come of Him. He cited Ps 118:22-23, saying, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This came from the Lord and is wonderful in our eyes” (Mark 12:10-11).

(2) In Mark 12:26, Jesus cited the Lord’s self-disclosure to Moses at the burning bush to establish God’s eternality, and not human relationships, as the first principle of the resurrection. The authors of the Synoptic Gospels record Jesus’ interaction with the Sadducees when they approached to ask Him about how earthly relationships would be identified in the resurrection (Matt 22:23-33//Mark 12:18-27//Luke 20:27-40). Citing Moses’ command that a brother should marry his brother’s widow and have children by her, the Sadducees proposed a nearly ridiculous scenario. If a woman married into a family of seven brothers—and they all died—“in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?” (Mark 12:23). Moses spoke his words on the plains of Moab concerning Israel’s soon-to-be situation in Canaan. There a widow would need children so as to have a means of support in her older years (Deut 25:5). The Sadducees were not so concerned with the specifics of how a widow could survive without support. Jesus chided the Sadducees because they failed to understand “the Scriptures or the power of God” (Mark 12:24). In Mark 12:26, Jesus quoted from Exodus 3 where the Lord spoke to Moses at the burning bush, saying, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” The Sadducees quoted a text that was situational; Jesus replied with a text that concerned the eternal, unchanging nature of God. In the resurrection, each person’s relationship with God will eclipse relationships they enjoyed on earth. In denying the reality of the resurrection, the Sadducees were badly deceived (Mark 12:27), Jesus said.

(3) In Mark 12:29-31, Jesus quoted Deut 6:4-5 and Lev 19:18 to establish the primary commands of the law. Matthew and Mark wrote that just after the Sadducees tested Jesus regarding His understanding of the resurrection, another Jewish leader approached Jesus to ask Him which commandment He thought was most important in the law (Matt 22:34-40//Mark 12:28-34). Jesus offered a twofold reply stating that love for God and love for one’s neighbor (Deut 6:4-5; Lev 19:18) needed to be woven together as the primary commandment in the law. After setting out the ten commandments in Deuteronomy 5, Moses went on to command Israel to love God with all of their heart, soul, and mind (Deut 6:5). In Leviticus 19, Moses commanded Israel to be holy by living with integrity in all that they did. Their love for one another was to reflect God (Lev 19:18). In both texts Jesus cited in response to the question about the greatest commandment in the law, Israel’s ethics were based in the unity of God’s character.

(4) In Mark 12:36, Jesus quoted Ps 110:1 to present Himself both as a descendant of David and superior to David. Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote that after the various delegations of Jewish leadership had finished interrogating Jesus, He asked them about characteristics of the Messiah (Matt 22:41-46//Mark 12:35-37//Luke 20:41-44). Jesus wanted to know how the Jewish leadership synthesized the tradition that the Messiah would be a descendant of David with David’s statement in Ps 110:1 where David addressed as “Lord” the one seated at God’s right hand (Mark 12:35, 37). Who was David calling “Lord?” Jesus asked His opponents. What the Jewish authorities had failed to realize was that the Messiah was not only the son of David, He was also the Son of God, David’s Lord.

As Jesus moved south toward Jerusalem, the cross became a more significant topic of discipleship in Mark (Mark 8:31-38; 9:30-32; 10:32-35). In Mark 11, Mark reported on Jesus’ triumphal entry—Jesus had finally arrived at the city of David. But the triumph would not be over Roman opponents. Jesus’ success would be in showing how the Jewish leadership had employed the structures of their religion for their own ends. The battleground would be the temple itself. Jesus cited the Old Testament to portray His supremacy even over Israel’s sacred place of worship in Jerusalem.

(1) In Mark 11:1-11, Jesus fulfilled Old Testament expectations of Israel’s Messiah. All of the Evangelists described the events surrounding Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-9//Mark 11:1-10//Luke 19:28-40//John 12:12-19). Mark recorded that Jesus immediately directed His disciples to bring Him the donkey that was waiting for Him, upon which He rode into the city. Zechariah prophesied that Israel’s victorious king would come riding on a donkey (Zech 9:9). The prophet described both the gentle character and demeanor of Israel’s Messiah and the peace that He would bring upon Judah through military conquest (Zech 9:9-17). Mark saw in Jesus’ arrival in Jerusalem a fulfillment especially of the former. In a peaceful manner Jesus was ready to lay down His life. And the crowds praised Jesus, proclaiming Ps 118:26 in Mark 11:9-10, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest heaven!” After receiving the accolades of the crowd awaiting His presence at the Passover festival, Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple complex, looked around at everything, and left (Mark 11:11). He returned the next day and cleansed the temple of its distractions.

(2) In Mark 11:17, Jesus quoted Isa 56:7 and Jer 7:11 as He overturned the tables of the moneychangers in the temple during the Passover. Matthew and Luke also noted that Jesus cleansed the temple just after He entered Jerusalem (Matt 21:12-19//Luke 19:45-48). Jesus quoted Scripture as the coins scattered on the floor. Isaiah prophesied that when the Messiah came, the Gentiles would come and join themselves to Israel to pray and seek God together in the temple. The Lord said that He would accept the offerings the Gentiles presented to Him in the temple “for My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isa 56:7). In Mark 11:17a Jesus employed Isaiah’s prophecy to establish the activities that were supposed to take place in the temple and then in Mark 11:17b cited Jer 7:11 to condemn the moneychangers for turning the temple into a den of thieves. In Jer 7:1-11, Jeremiah confronted the people of Judah saying that when they ignored the orphan or the poor, they actually stole from them what God would have them give to the needy among them. Therefore, when the people of Judah, robbers, gathered in the temple, God’s house became a den of thieves.

As Jesus turned toward Jerusalem and the cross, His messages became more specific regarding His suffering and death. Jesus told His disciples that they should also expect to suffer as they faithfully participated in the kingdom of God. In the Gospels, discipleship is never a casual commitment. For the disciples, following Jesus “on the road” (Mark 10:32, 46, 52) to Jerusalem and the cross required viewing marriage, money, and spiritual motives in light of God’s purposes in His Son. As the disciples listened to Jesus confront the Pharisees and the rich ruler, they heard Him describe His authority in light of Scripture.

(1) In Mark 10:6-8, Jesus quoted from Genesis 1-2 to refute the Pharisees when they questioned Jesus regarding His understanding of marriage and divorce. As Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem and the cross, some Pharisees approached to ask Jesus about His views on divorce (Matt 19:1-12//Mark 10:1-12). Jesus replied to their question with a question of His own, saying, “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3). The Pharisees responded by citing Deut 24:1-4, where Moses commanded that if a man wished to divorce his wife, he was required to signify his decision with a paper so that he could not later change his mind and take her back. The paper signified that the divorce was public and permanent. The divorce paper protected the woman from being treated like property after the divorce. Jesus said that Moses made the divorce allowance because of the hardness of men’s hearts in Israel (Mark 10:5). In Jesus’ frame of thought, marriage should be viewed as a place for manifesting one’s discipleship, not maximizing one’s convenience. Based upon the creation of male and female genders and the ordinance of marriage as a permanent institution in which a man and woman leave their parents and are joined as one flesh (Gen 1:27; 2:24), Jesus concluded that “what God has joined together, man must not separate” (Mark 10:9).

(2) In Mark 10:19, Jesus quoted from the Ten Commandments to confront the rich young ruler’s self-sufficiency. Matthew, Mark, and Luke arranged Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler in the midst of Jesus’ blessing of children and teaching on possessions (Matt 19:13-30//Mark 10:13-31//Luke 18:15-30). Taken together, this sequence accentuated humility as the foundation of discipleship. The rich young ruler’s question to Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Mark 10:17), betrayed the man’s pride. He thought he was able in and of himself to accomplish whatever commands God had set forth. When Jesus quoted the commandments against murder, adultery, theft, deception, and dishonoring parents, the man replied that he had accomplished all of these since his youth (Mark 10:20). Mark observed, “Then, looking at him, Jesus loved him and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: Go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow Me’” (Mark 10:21). Without a faithful commitment to Jesus, even scrupulous, faithful adherence to the Mosaic law would not gain one an entrance into eternal life.

The closer Jesus was to the cross, the more intently He gave Himself to the twelve. Crowds enjoyed Jesus’ early ministry, but only those nearest Him would understand the significance of His last days. The latter portion of each Gospel contains the most pointed lessons on discipleship. As the disciples followed Jesus to Jerusalem, Jesus more fully disclosed the message of the kingdom of God. Jesus was “on the road” (Mark 8:27) with His followers, a phrase Mark repeated to signify progress in discipleship (Mark 9:33, 34; 10:17, 32, 46, 52; 11:8). The road would end in Jerusalem, at the cross. Jesus’ mission looked forward to Calvary but also looked back to God’s revelation of Himself to Israel in the Old Testament. In Mark 9, references to Moses, Elijah, and the prophecy of Isaiah portrayed Jesus’ mission within the framework established by the Old Testament.

(1) In Mark 9:2-8, Mark wrote that Peter, James, and John saw Jesus transfigured and standing beside Moses and Elijah. God established Moses and Elijah to reveal His greatness and call Israel to faithfulness to the law. These leaders served the Lord by calling Israel to forsake idolatry so that the nation might worship the Lord from a pure heart. The Evangelists recorded that the transfiguration of Jesus (Matt 17:1-8//Mark 9:2-8//Luke 9:28-36) followed shortly after Peter confessed that Jesus was the Messiah (Matt 16:13-20//Mark 8:27-30//Luke 9:18-21). Seeing Jesus in His glorious state—accompanied by Moses, Elijah, and the heavenly voice—provided Peter, James, and John with the rationale for Jesus’ radical teaching and miracles. The transfiguration of Jesus was intended to further clarify for the disciples Jesus’ person and mission. Jesus’ glorified state and fellowship with two of Israel’s most prominent leaders showed the leading disciples the glory of Jesus as the Son of God.

(2) In Mark 9:48, Jesus quoted Isa 66:24 to warn His disciples that they must seek to edify one another lest they be cast to eternal punishment in hell. Isaiah concluded his prophecy by describing the day when the Lord would gather His people together with some from all nations and languages to see His glory in Jerusalem and worship Him. When those who are not part of this united, multi-national gathering leave from Jerusalem, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against the Lord. “Their maggots will never die, their fire will never go out,” Isaiah said (Isa 66:24). Jesus used Isaiah’s phrase to describe the eternal punishment that will come upon all who rebelled against His call to discipleship. As Jesus and the disciples traveled toward Jerusalem, Jesus exhorted them to pursue unity with one another (Matt 18:1-11//Mark 9:33-50//Luke 9:46-50). When the disciples began to quarrel with one another over who was the greatest among them (Mark 9:33-37), Jesus said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be last of all and servant of all” (Mark 9:35). His concern was that the disciples avoid behavior that would cause a brother to fall away from following Jesus on the road of discipleship. Jesus cited Isaiah’s description of hell in Isa 66:24 to warn the disciples of the consequences of taking their community casually. He said, “Have salt among yourselves and be at peace with one another” (Mark 9:50).

Mark depicted Jesus’ authority over the natural world and human opponents. Disease, death, and doubt had met their match in Jesus the Son of God. Mark and the other Gospel writers noted that the Pharisees opposed Jesus because He did not operate according to their traditions. Jesus cited the Old Testament—texts the Pharisees knew well—to confront them for their hypocrisy. The disciples also displayed hypocrisy, dull to the power of Jesus and overly sensitive to natural human needs and desires. Jesus cited the Old Testament to confront the Pharisees and to assure His disciples of His greatness.

(1) In Mark 7:6-10, Jesus cited statements from Isaiah and Moses to defend His disciples when the Pharisees accused them of violating cleanness laws. In Isaiah 29, Isaiah confronted Israel for their superficial religion. Israel went through the motions of the temple and honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from God (Isa 29:13). So, when a delegation of Pharisees from Jerusalem questioned Jesus for allowing His disciples to eat before ceremonial washings (Matt 15:1-20//Mark 7:1-23), Jesus said, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites” (Mark 7:6). Ritual washings were only required for priests entering the tabernacle (Exod 30:19; 40:13; Lev 22:1-6) and those who had a bodily discharge (Lev 15:11). The Pharisees applied Moses’ teachings more broadly, but Jesus would have none of it. He confronted the Pharisees for extending Moses’ command about washing while ignoring Moses’ command about the need for children to honor their parents. Jesus cited the fifth commandment (Exod 20:12; Deut 5:16) and the commandment that children who cursed their parents were to be put to death (Exod 21:17; Lev 20:9) to indict the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Concerning cleanness, Jesus said, “Nothing that goes into a person can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him…For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, lewdness, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness” (Mark 7:15, 21-22).

(2) In Mark 8:18, Jesus cited phrases from Jeremiah and Ezekiel to help His disciples recognize their shallow spiritual insight and remind them of His ability to provide for them. In Jeremiah 5, the prophet condemned Israel because they rejected God. They had eyes but could not see and ears but could not hear the truth God spoke through His prophets (Jer 5:21). The people of Judah did not fear Him who gives the early and late rains so that the earth yields a harvest (Jer 5:24). Jesus took up Jeremiah’s argument and applied it to His disciples. After Jesus had compassion on the crowds surrounding Him and fed over 4,000 people with a few loaves and fish, He left with His disciples in a boat (Mark 8:1-10). When the Pharisees pursued Jesus asking Him for a sign from heaven to show His messianic power, Jesus again boarded a boat on the Sea of Galilee to escape. Fleeing the crowds and the Pharisees for a moment, Jesus was in private company with His disciples and He said to them, “Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and the yeast of Herod” (Mark 8:15). Jesus was concerned that the hypocrisy of the Jewish leadership might pervade His band of followers and impede their discipleship (Matt 16:5-12//Mark 8:15-21). But the disciples thought that Jesus was concerned about bread—which they forgot to bring when they boarded the ship and set sail. Jesus cited Jer 5:21 and chastised the disciples for their lack of understanding. Like Jeremiah’s audience, the disciples had forgotten God’s ability to provide. Jesus argued that since He was able to supply His disciples’ need for food—as He had just demonstrated in the feeding miracle—the disciples were to give full attention to combatting the influence of the Jewish leadership.

Mark’s Gospel is pointed and dense. The author compiled overlapping stories to efficiently recount Jesus’ life and ministry. In the Old Testament storyline, God called Israel to Himself and set leaders over His people to shepherd them according to His will. In Mark 6, Jesus’ relationship with those hearing His teaching demonstrated His deity and authority.

(1) In Mark 6:1-6, the people of Nazareth rejected Jesus in the same manner that Israel had rejected God. The Evangelists noted that Jesus centered His early ministry in Galilee and the towns of Nazareth and Capernaum. The people of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, rejected His teaching (Matt 13:53-58//Mark 6:1-6//Luke 4:16-30). Moses chastised Israel for complaining against God when they had no food in the wilderness (Exod 16:8). When Israel demanded that Samuel give them a king, the Lord instructed Samuel not to take their request personally, saying, “They have not rejected you; they have rejected Me as their king” (1 Sam 8:7). The author of 2 Kings wrote that God raised up the Assyrians to take Israel captive because Israel had rejected the Lord’s instruction throughout their time in Canaan (2 Kgs 17:7-20). Jeremiah confronted the people of Judah arguing that since they had rejected the Lord’s instruction (Jer 6:19; 8:9), the Lord rejected them (Jer 6:30; 14:19). Hosea also condemned Israel for rejecting the Lord (Hos 2:13; 4:6; 13:6). The people of Nazareth heard Jesus’ teaching in the synagogue and questioned how He, a carpenter, could speak with such authority. Jesus replied, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown, among his relatives, and in his household” (Mark 6:4).

(2) In Mark 6:34, Mark described Jesus’ compassion on the crowds in language that reflected Moses’ perspective on Israel. Just before his death, the Lord allowed Moses to see the Promised Land from the top of Mount Nebo. The author of the book of Numbers recorded Moses’ concern for the well-being of the people after his death. Moses said, “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the community who will go out before them and come back in before them, and who will bring them out and bring them in, so that the LORD’s community won’t be like sheep without a shepherd” (Num 27:16-17). For Moses and Joshua, whom the Lord appointed to succeed Moses, the flock of Israel was hapless and unprotected. On the plains of Moab, Israel was easy game for predators. The Lord raised up Joshua to lead the people into Canaan and safety. Once the people were in the Promised Land, Joshua recorded that the Lord gave them rest from their enemies (Josh 21:43-45). When Jesus saw the needy crowds following after Him and the disciples, He had compassion on them “because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). After Jesus had taught the crowds for some time, the disciples became concerned for them—where could they all get dinner? Jesus turned the concern of the twelve into an injunction, “You give them something to eat” (Mark 6:37). Jesus turned their five loaves and two fish into a banquet for 5,000 men (Matt 14:13-21//Mark 6:32-44//Luke 9:10-17; John 6:1-15). Thus, when Jesus saw the crowds following Him, He had compassion on them not because they needed a meal but because they needed His instruction. The author of Hebrews wrote that despite Joshua’s proclamation of rest, since David later urged Israel to obey and to enjoy rest (Ps 95:7-11), the peace Israel enjoyed in Canaan was not all that God intended for His people (Heb 4:1-11). Jesus served as a shepherd-priest who offered rest to all who would make every effort to heed His message and enter His rest.

Much of Mark 3-4 consists of dialectic and parabolic instruction. In Mark 5, Jesus’ teaching was coupled with signs and deeds that demonstrated His power as the Son of God. Mark noted Jesus’ authority over demonic forces and uncleanness, emphasizing Jesus’ unique role in the narrative of Scripture.

(1) In Mark 5:1-20, references to Jesus’ superiority over demons reinforced that His ministry was a spiritual war in accord with Gen 3:15. In the garden of Eden, the Lord pronounced hostility between the serpent and Eve’s offspring. At various points in the Old Testament narrative, Satan opposed and accused God’s people (Job 1:6-2:10; Dan 10:10-11:1; Zech 3:1-7) and in the wilderness, Jesus endured temptation from the Devil (Matt 4:1-11//Mark 1:12-13//Luke 4:1-13). In Mark 3:11-29, Mark portrayed Jesus as a spiritual warrior. Mark noted, “Whenever the unclean spirits saw Him, those possessed fell down before Him and cried out, ‘You are the Son of God!’” (Mark 3:11). Ultimately, the twelve were given authority over demonic forces, again showing Jesus’ superiority (Mark 3:13-19). Thus, the scribes from Jerusalem spoke nonsense when they said of Jesus, “He has Beelzebub in Him!…He drives out demons by the ruler of demons!” (Mark 3:22). Jesus, being the superior logician, called them to account for their foolishness, saying, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand” (Mark 3:24). The demons were right, and the scribes were wrong. One greater than the Devil had arrived, and the demons knew their days were numbered. Jesus’ exorcism of the Gerasene Demoniac in Mark 5:1-20 reinforced Mark’s portrayal of Jesus as God’s spiritual warrior fighting the Devil and his earthly forces. Though the demon-possessed man was stronger than any human force or chain, upon seeing Jesus, the man ran to Jesus crying out, “What do You have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You before God, don’t torment me!” (Mark 5:7). When the legion of demons in the man asked Jesus for permission to leave the man and enter the pigs, Jesus gave them permission to do so (Mark 5:13). All were amazed when they saw the formerly possessed man “dressed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15), sitting by Jesus. While the healed man wished to follow Jesus in the company of His disciples, Jesus instructed him, “Go back home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19).

(2) In Mark 5:24-34, Jesus demonstrated authority over the cleanness laws of Leviticus 15. The Evangelists reported that a woman suffering from a hemorrhage touched Jesus while He was in route to heal Jairus’ daughter (Matt 9:18-26//Mark 5:21-43//Luke 8:40-56). The point of the narrative is that Jesus, unlike any normal person, did not become contaminated by the touch of a woman who was considered unclean. In Leviticus 13-15, Moses recorded guidelines for Israel’s physical purity. Moses detailed the procedures priests were to follow in identifying skin diseases and cleansing people of them (Leviticus 13-14) and then set forth procedures for cleansing those who had bodily discharges. Moses wrote that if a woman suffered from a discharge of blood in a time when it was not her period, she was to be considered unclean, and the furniture she touched was likewise unclean (Lev 15:25-27). When the woman suffering from discharge for twelve years saw Jesus, she said in her heart, “If I can just touch His robes, I’ll be made well!” (Mark 5:28). When Jesus realized He had been touched by this unclean woman, He did not rebuke her, or pursue cleansing in accord with Lev 15:28-30. Rather, Jesus elicited the woman’s faith by asking, “Who touched my robes?” (Mark 5:30). In that moment, she “came with fear and trembling, fell down before Him, and told Him the whole truth” (Mark 5:33). Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be free from your affliction” (Mark 5:34).

Jesus’ teaching in Mark 4 represents Mark’s report of Jesus’ actions throughout his Gospel. In quick succession, Jesus stacked parables on top of one another as a means of teaching since parables reveal true meaning only to those who have the ability to hear. Jesus’ parables in Mark 4 accentuate His ministry and the kingdom of God in light of Old Testament expectations.

(1) In Mark 4:2-10, Jesus told the Parable of the Soils, explaining His ministry in accord with Isa 6:9-10. The point of the parable is that only good soil is able to produce a crop (Mark 4:8, 20). The other three surfaces—due to their lack of ability to internalize the seed and give it habitation for growth—receive it to no ultimate effect (Mark 4:13-19). Jesus’ statement, “Anyone who has ears to hear should listen!” (Mark 4:9), establishes the point of contact between Jesus and Isaiah. The Evangelists noted that Jesus taught in parables in a way that reflected Isaiah’s ministry (Matt 13:1-15//Mark 4:1-12//Luke 4:4-10). At the beginning of Isaiah 6, the prophet reported the historical circumstances of his ministry. It was the year of King Uzziah’s death, a time of political and spiritual unrest in Israel. But that is when Isaiah saw a vision of the Lord lofty and exalted, sitting on His throne in the temple filled with glory (Isa 6:1-2). The prophet heard the angels around the Lord’s throne crying out, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; His glory fills the whole earth” (Isa 6:3). The Lord called out asking who would go out to speak the Lord’s message and Isaiah responded to God’s call (Isa 6:8). The prophet learned that although the Lord’s glory filled the temple, it did not fill Israel. Israel was a stubborn people with dull ears, the Lord told Isaiah. The prophet’s sermons would dull them further, the Lord told him (Isa 6:9-10). Jesus used parables so that those outside of the kingdom “may look and look, yet not perceive; they may listen and listen, yet not understand; otherwise, they might turn back—and be forgiven” (Mark 4:12). When in private the disciples asked Jesus about His use of parables, Jesus went on to tell them that the ability to understand His teaching was the foundation of repentance and faith and the kingdom of God (Mark 4:10-12).

(2) In Mark 4:26-32, Jesus’ parables about the growth of the kingdom of God reflected the growth of Israel from one man to a great nation. God called Abraham and promised to make him into a great nation such that his descendants would be like the stars of the sky (Gen 12:1-3; 15:5). Abraham’s family grew through his sons Isaac and Jacob. When Jacob left Canaan to take refuge with Joseph in Egypt, Jacob’s family numbered 70 (Gen 46:27). In Egypt, the descendants of Abraham multiplied so greatly that the Pharaoh considered the Hebrews a threat to Egyptian security. He ordered all Hebrew boys to be executed (Exod 1:15-16). The Parable of the Growing Seed and the Parable of the Mustard Seed in Mark 4:26-32 continue the theme of agriculture expressed in the Parable of the Sower. Jesus’ point was that when something small grows to its potential, it is far beyond what might have been expected. Through the parables of Mark 4, Jesus argued that those who hear with understanding, those who correspond to good soil (Mark 4:8, 20), esteem the kingdom of God even though at present the kingdom seemed small and insignificant.