Ortlund Dane C. - Mark: a 12-week study

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Getting Acquainted

The Gospel of Mark plays a unique and strategic role in the Christian Bible. In this account of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, we see him fulfilling in himself the Old Testament hopes for a coming king, the Messiah, looks like for those who follow a rejected king.

Of the four Gospels, Mark was probably the first one written. It is the shortest and also the fastest-paced Gospel account. For example, Mark repeatedly transitions to a new section of his narrative with the word immediately. While Matthew and Luke share quite a bit of material with Mark, Matthew and Luke contain large blocks of behavioral teaching by Jesus that Mark does not include. This absence gives Mark a feel of heightened intensity as events rapidly hurtle toward the final week of Jesus earthly life.

Marks Gospel is concerned with presenting Jesus as the Messiah, the king, the Son of David, who is rejected by the religious authorities and calls his followers to radical discipleship in the kingdom of God..)

Placing It in the Larger Story

While Matthew focuses on Jesus as the Jewish Messiah, Luke describes Jesus as the one who welcomes the outsider, and John emphasizes Jesus as the eternal Son of God, Mark focuses on Jesus as the one who ushers in the kingdom of God. Through his life and teaching, but especially through his death and resurrection, Jesus fulfills all the Old Testament hopes and promises, bringing in the long expected new age.

Key Verse

Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel. (Mark 1:1415)

Date and Historical Background

Mark wrote his account of Jesus in perhaps the mid- to late-50s AD. He probably relied heavily on the eyewitness account of the apostle Peter. Though written in Rome, Marks Gospel was aimed at the wider church, especially those who had not been raised as Jews, as is evident from the way Mark at times explains Jewish customs.

Mark wrote roughly 25 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. At the time of writing, Nero was emperor in Rome, Paul was in the midst of his third missionary journey (Acts 18:2321:16), and Jerusalem was about ten years away from being besieged by the Romans under the leadership of Vespasian and his son Titus (6670 AD. ).

Outline

I. Introduction (1:115)

II. Demonstration of Jesus Authority in Ministry (1:168:26)

A. Jesus early Galilean ministry (1:163:12)

B. Jesus later Galilean ministry (3:136:6)

C. Work beyond Galilee (6:78:26)

III. Demonstration of Jesus Authority in Suffering (8:2716:8)

A. Journey to Jerusalem (8:2710:52)