This chapter forms an introduction to the Gospel of Mark. Introductory matters addressed are its authorship, the audience, the date, the emergence of Mark in gospel studies, theological emphases (Christology, the Messianic secret, the disciples and discipleship), and an outline of the Gospel.
This article contains a sermon on Mark 1:21–28, on Jesus preaching and exorcising with authority.
This article provides a sermon on Mark 1:29-39, where Jesus healed many, cast out demons, and prayed early the next morning.
This article is a sermon on Mark 2:13-17.
The author wants to demonstrate the value of critical exegetical tools, in particular redaction criticism, for the task of preaching. The paper makes use of Mark 9:14-29 as a test case to illustrate how preaching from the gospels should function.
True spirituality cannot be found in intellectualism, emotionalism, and moralism. From Mark 1:14-15 this article shows that true spirituality can only be found in understanding the gospel message and its transforming power.
The Lord Jesus in Mark 3 speaks about the unforgiveable sin. This article considers in detail just what this sin against the Holy Spirit is.
This article is a sermon on Mark 3:22-30, on blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
This article is a sermon on Mark 3:7-21.
This article argues that Jesus' preaching to the crowds beside the Sea of Galilee in Mark 4:1 should be seen in the light of references in the Old Testament to the coastlands and to the mixed multitude in Exodus 12:38.
This first of a two-part series focuses on the resurrection of Jesus Christ, testified to in Mark 16:6, as central to Christianity.
What is the significance of the baptism of Jesus according to the Gospels? Mark 1:9-11 relates the baptism of Jesus. Edwards considers the significance and function of this baptism in Mark. The baptism is related to the coming of the kingdom of heaven. Edwards further works out the significance of Jesus' baptism for our understanding of him as Son of God.
This article offers a few reasons why the Lord Jesus allowed the daughter of Jairus to die (Mark 5).
This article suggests that a close reading of the Septuagint translation of Jeremiah reveals that his prophetic message influences the way Mark portrays Jesus’ words and deeds. In specific contexts in Mark’s narrative (e.g., Mark 8:17, Mark 11:17-18), where potential linkages with the Greek version of Jeremiah’s prophecy occur, the author demonstrates the potential contribution of the Greek version to the reader's understanding of Mark’s purpose.
This article considers three reasons why the Lord Jesus allowed the daughter of Jairus to die (Mark 5).
No outline can ever be a substitute for the reading of the Gospel of Mark. At most, it is an attempt to offer guidance about the significant divisions, turning points, interconnections, and developments in the narrative/story. Williams argues in this article for an overall outline or map of Mark’s Gospel. He wants to takes seriously the narrative shape of Mark. He pays close attention to narrative features such as character, setting, and plot.
This study wants to work out some of the implications of an author-oriented reading of the Bible. Its primary goal is to answer this question: “Is a modern reading of the Bible the same as the original readers who read and listened to the text? It answers the question by means of a case study in the Gospel of Mark.
This essay wants to demonstrate how a literary-narrative study of Mark's use of miracle material might give insight into how Mark crafted the story he has given to us.
The ending of the Gospel of Mark 16 poses text-critical and exegetical problems. Thomas addresses these problems and makes constructive proposals for textual reconstruction and interpretation.
Interpreting figurative language is part of biblical exegesis. Mark 1:38 contains such figurative speech, called amphibologia.
This article wrestles with a question with a specific focus.
How important is a good understanding of the cultural world of the early Christians? This article wants to examine carefully Jesus' encounter with some of his adversaries narrated in Mark 11:27-33. The author highlights the way that the values of honour and shame functioned in Mediterranean culture, and illumines the text at crucial points.
This article argues that the Gospel of Mark’s sayings on the coming of the Son of Man (Mark 8:38, Mark 13:24-27, and Mark 14:62) refer to the return of Jesus. This is argued against the view of R. T. France and N. T. Wright according to whom these sayings call attention to the vision of Daniel 7:9-14.
For the Lord Jesus, there was one necessity that controlled his life. This article, an exposition of Mark 8:27–Mark 9:1, shows what it meant for Christ to do the will of God, and what Christian discipleship today is all about.
In this article on Mark 10:13-16 (and Matthew 19:13-15 and Luke 18:15-17), the author focuses on children in the kingdom of God, and the children of believers as part of the covenant with God. Genesis 17:7 is also discussed.
This article shows how Mark 11–Mark 12, and the Old Testament quotations therein, expound typological correspondences with Israel’s historic temple. That temple is judged and a new temple is erected, the temple of the community of Christ's followers. In the process, Mark 11:24 becomes clear: “whatever you ask in prayer” is meant in reference to the ministrations of the temple now fulfilled in such followers. In short, the events of Mark 11–12 comprise an extended temple antitype.
Mark 14:51-52 is a major crux of Mark’s Gospel where we find the account of a young man fleeing naked from the scene as Jesus was arrested. This essay reviews the opinions of the young man’s identity. It proposes not an identification of this man, but the theological agenda of Mark. The paper wants to enable preachers to use this text in Mark 14 as the basis for a sermon that provides a valid application for transforming lives for God’s glory.
This article considers Mark 15:40-41, which speaks of the women at the cross of Christ.
Greek hero cults consisted of sacrifices offered at the grave of deceased human beings. There was a belief that the hero was still active and able to exercise a powerful influence. In this article, this evidence is compared to Mark’s portrayal of Jesus’ empty tomb to show that it is not the empty tomb of a hero, but of one who has been raised from the dead.
This article explains why the shorter ending in Mark 16 is the preferred ending. The very things that make it seem abrupt are the reasons why the shorter ending is to be understood as original.
Do the words of Mark 16:7-8 make good sense as the conclusion to Mark’s Gospel? This essay wants to present and evaluate different attempts to explain the meaning and significance of Mark’s abrupt ending.
