Synoptic Gospels: Mark - Exam 3

When was Mark writing to the church?

60-65 AD

Do we know who Mark is?

no

What are the theories on who Mark was?

1. Mark was a disciple of Simon Peter

2. Mark was John Mark

3. Mark was the young man in the garden from the story in Mark 14:51-52

Why is the theory that Mark was a disciple of Simon Peter important?

- Simon Peter was one of Jesus's 12 disciples → meaning he personally followed Jesus and witnessed his ministry

- If Mark learned about Jesus from Simon Peter → he would have recieved information from someone who personally knew Jesus

Who was John Mark?

a man who traveled with Paul and Barnabas

Who is Paul, the man John Mark traveled with?

- a Christian missionary who helped spread Christianity

- he knew Simon Peter

Why is the theory that Mark is John Mark important?

- if Mark was John Mark he would've traveled with Paul, who knew Simon Peter, who was a disciple of Jesus

- If Mark met Simon Peter while traveling with Paul → he would have received information from someone who personally knew Jesus

What is the story of the young man in the garden in Mark?

1. Jesus was in the garden with His disciples when Judas arrived with a group of men to betray and arrest Jesus

2. a young man was following Jesus

3. the young man was seen by one of the men who attempted to capture him

4. the man grabbed onto the young man's clothes

5. instead of allowing himself to be captured, he left his linen cloth behind and ran away → escaping naked

6. the young man from the story was never mentioned again → the Gospel of Mark does not explain who he was or what happened to him afterward

Why is the story of the young man in the garden important?

- the young man in the story could be Mark

- if it is Mark, he would have personally witnessed Jesus' arrest → meaning Mark would have a firsthand connection to Jesus' life

What does the Gospel of Mark not include?

- the birth story of Jesus

- the appearances of Jesus after His resurrection

Why are these things not included in the Gospel of Mark?

Mark is writing to people who are already in the church → they are already familiar with the birth and resurrection story

How is the Gospel of Mark written?

- it moves quickly

- it has a sense of urgency

- includes the word "immediately" more than any other Gospel

- letters are short

Why is there a sense of urgency in the Gospel of Mark?

1. the Jewish uprising (70 AD)

2. polytheism

3. the parousia

4. the persecution of Christians under Nero

What was the Jewish uprising in 70 AD? (urgency)

- it was a major Jewish revolt against the Romans

- the Romans destroyed Jerusalem's second temple

- Mark's writings were 5-10 years before this

Why did the Jewish uprising create a sense of urgency in the Gospel of Mark?

- when Mark was writing, the tension between the Jews and Romans was increasing → he was seeing the potential war between Rome and Jerusalem

- He wanted Christians to understand their religious identities (not Jewish) and understand they're not a part of what's happening between Rome

- Mark was encouraging Christians to remain faithful

What is polytheism? (urgency)

the worship of many gods

How did polytheism create a sense of urgency in the Gospel of Mark?

- Christians lived in a society that worshiped many gods (the Roman Empire)

- Christians faced pressure to participate in Roman religious practices → worshiping multiple gods and abandoning their faith

- Mark wanted to strengthen Christians' faith before fear, persecution, or pressure caused them to turn away from God → creating the sense of urgency

How did parousia create a sense of urgency in the Gospel of Mark?

- Mark wanted Christians to remain faithful because he believed Jesus was coming soon

- the sense of urgency is from Mark telling Christians to remain faithful because Jesus' return could happen at any time

Who was Nero? (urgency)

- the Roman emperor during the time Mark was writing

- he was a pyromaniac → loved fire

- he engaged in arson → loved starting fires

- engaged in scapegoating → always blamed Christians

- enjoyed torturing people → especially Christians

How did Nero engage in scapegoating? (urgency)

after the Great Fire of Rome, Nero blamed the Christians and subjected some to brutal punishments, even though he likely started the fire

What was the Christian persecution under Nero? (urgency)

- Nero punished, tortured, and killed Christians after the Great Fire of Rome → he blamed the Christians for the fire

- he burned Christians alive and used them as "lamps"

- crucified Christians

- killed Christians for entertainment → the colosseum

Why did the Christian persecution under Nero create a sense of urgency?

- Mark was worried that Christian would abandon their faith to protect themselves → creating the sense of urgency

- Mark is telling Christians to continue trusting Jesus because He has power over suffering, evil, and death

What does baptism mean in the Gospel of Mark?

- it is about what God does, rather than what humans do

- it represents God claiming someone as belonging to him

Why is the baptism of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark important?

- Jesus' baptism marks the beginning of His public ministry

- the beginning of Jesus' ministry isn't Him declaring He's all-powerful, but rather God claiming and affirming that He is His son and the Messiah

What happened to Jesus after His baptism in the Gospel of Mark?

Jesus enters the wilderness for 40 days and is tempted by Satan

What three ways did Satan tempt Jesus in the wilderness?

1. physical

2. material

3. egotistical

What was Jesus' physical temptation? (first)

- Jesus has been fasting and is extremely hungry

- Satan tells Jesus to turn stones into bread so that he can eat

- Jesus refuses because he will not misuse his power simply to satisfy his physical desires

What was Jesus' material temptation? (second)

- Satan shows Jesus the kingdoms of the world and promises him authority over them if Jesus worships him

- Jesus refuses because worship belongs to God alone

What was Jesus' egotistical temptation? (third)

- Satan tells Jesus to jump from the highest point of the Temple because angels will supposedly save Him

- this would allow Jesus to demonstrate his power publicly, and everyone would worship Him if He did this

- Jesus refuses because he does not need to test God or perform a dramatic stunt to prove his identity

What does Jesus do after the temptations in the Gospel of Mark?

He started preaching

What does the boat symbolize in the Gospel of Mark?

it is a symbol of the church → the people inside of the boat are members of the church

What are the four types of miracles that the Gospel of Mark uses?

1. comfort (boat story)

2. nature (boat story)

3. demon/exorcism

4. death / raising the dead

What are the four miracles in the Gospel of Mark?

1. Jesus walking on water (comfort)

2. Jesus calms the storm (nature)

3. the man in the cemetery (demon/exorcism)

4. the daughter that died (death)

What is the comfort miracle of Jesus walking on water in the Gospel of Mark?

1. Jesus' disciples are fishing, and a massive storm forms

2. they see Jesus walking on water towards them, and they become scared

3. Jesus reassures them and tells them not to be afraid

4. Simon Peter asks Jesus to let him walk on the water too

5. Simon Peter walks on water towards Jesus, but starts to think it's impossible and gets scared

6. Simon Peter starts to sink, and Jesus reaches out and saves him

7. the storm stops

What is the meaning behind the comfort miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

Jesus provides comfort and reassurance when his followers are frightened or struggling

What is the nature miracle of Jesus calming the storm in the Gospel of Mark?

1. the disciples and Jesus are sailing

2. a violent storm begins, and waves crash into the boat

3. the disciples become terrified because they believe the boat will sink

4. Jesus is asleep

5. the disciples wake him and ask why he does not seem concerned that they might die

6. Jesus gets up and commands the wind and water to become calm

7. Jesus says, "peace be still," and the storm immediately stops

What is the meaning behind the nature miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

Jesus has authority over nature, and his presence gives believers a reason to remain calm during frightening situations

What was the exorcism miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

1. Jesus encounters a man at night who lives in the cemetery because he had a demon

2. Jesus commands the spirits to leave him

3. the man found peace

What is the meaning behind the exorcism miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

Jesus is a source of power that can overcome "demons"

What was the raising of the dead miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

1. a man approaches Jesus and begs him to heal his daughter

2. Jesus agrees to go to his home

3. before they arrive, people bring news that the girl has died

4. Jesus tells the father not to be afraid and to believe

5. when they reach the house, people are crying and mourning the girl's death

6. Jesus tells them that the child is not dead but sleeping

7. the mourners laugh at Him because they believe the girl is clearly dead

8. Jesus tells everyone but the family to leave

9. Jesus says "little girl rise"

10. the girl gets up and is alive

What is the meaning behind the raising of the dead miracle in the Gospel of Mark?

Jesus is greater than death itself, offering hope even when a situation seems completely hopeless

What did the Gospel of Mark include about the resurrection of Jesus?

1. women visit Jesus' tomb and discover that the stone has been rolled away

2. they encounter a young man dressed in white

3. he tells them that Jesus has risen and is no longer in the tomb

4. he also instructs them to tell Simon Peter and the disciples that Jesus is going to Galilee to continue preaching

What did Jesus tell His disciples to do after He resurrected?

they shouldn't just admire Jesus, but should practice His teachings by serving others, showing compassion, remaining faithful, and spreading the good news

What idea arose at the end of the Gospel of Mark?

the birth of mysticism

What is mysticism?

- the belief that people can experience a deep, direct spiritual connection with God

- Christians do not need to physically see Jesus to continue having a relationship with him