Gospel of Mark
A Self-Study of the Gospel of Mark
Welcome to Mark
This is a chance to encounter the Gospel of Mark and a way to begin your encounter with Christian scriptures. The Bible can be both intimidating and intriguing. Finding a way into the scriptures needs a place to start. Mark is a good place for a beginning.
Many denominations, including the Episcopal Church, make extensive use of the scriptures in worship through the Lectionary — now presented as the Revised Common Lectionary. This study is arranged from the lectionary selections from Mark, but instead of individual Sunday readings, it is presented in the order of the Gospel itself.
The Lectionary
Each Sunday service includes a reading from the Old Testament, a Psalm, a reading from the letters of the Apostles (mostly St. Paul), and a Gospel selection. These readings come from the Lectionary — ancient, but respectfully modernized as the Revised Common Lectionary. The selections are arranged in a repeating pattern over three years tracking the seasons of the Church year: Advent, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and the long Proper season.
The Irony of the Short Gospel in a Long Format
The Gospel of Mark is short and to the point. This study is more than 340 slides long. The additional slides add context and explanations where needed — those who heard this in the time of the early Church understood the background of that society, but that can sound strange to modern ears. Context comes largely from The New Oxford Annotated Bible (2009 Edition) and the Oxford Companion to the Bible (Oxford University Press, 1996).
The Scriptures Through Art
Many artists have been inspired by the scriptures and interpreted them visually. An artist's illustration is an interpretation of both the text and the emotional experience of the artist. Along the way we present art inspired by the passages being discussed as a way for you to see how others visualized the stories and incidents.
Introduction to the Gospel of Mark
Shortest Gospel
Mark is the shortest of the four canonical Gospels and was almost certainly the first to be written.
Constant Action
In Mark, Jesus is depicted as almost constantly active. The Greek word for 'at once' is used 40 times in 16 chapters.
A New Literary Form
The author of Mark was responsible for creating the literary category we know as 'gospel.' It was intended to be read aloud.
Author and Date
Ancient scholars attributed this Gospel to Mark, identified as 'the interpreter of Peter.' Early scholars from the second century dated it as written between 65 and 70 AD, likely in Rome.
Passage Guide
Key passages covered in the study, presented in the order of the Gospel.
The Proclamation of John the Baptist
Mark 1:1–8The story of Jesus opens with John the Baptist — son of Zechariah and Elizabeth — proclaiming a baptism of repentance in the wilderness. All four Gospels start the ministry of Jesus at the time of his Baptism by John. John is intentionally described to resemble the Old Testament prophets, and the historian Josephus records that John was 'highly regarded by the whole Jewish people.'
The Baptism and Temptation
Mark 1:4–15Jesus is baptized by John in the Jordan. The Spirit descends like a dove and a voice from heaven declares 'You are my Son, the Beloved.' The Spirit immediately drives Jesus into the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan. In Mark this is covered in a single sentence — the temptation accounts for Christ's humanity and the question of sin.
The Calling of the First Disciples
Mark 1:14–20After John's arrest, Jesus proclaims the good news of God in Galilee and calls Simon, Andrew, James, and John — fishermen — to follow him. 'Follow me and I will make you fish for people.' Mark covers in three verses what Luke covers from Luke 3 to Luke 9. In a way the rest of Mark is an expansion of verse 15: 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near.'
Authority, Healing, and the Leper
Mark 1:21–45Jesus teaches in the synagogue at Capernaum with authority, casts out an unclean spirit, heals Simon's mother-in-law, and cleanses a leper — commanding silence but unable to stop the spread of his fame. In Mark, Jesus is presented as in constant motion. The disciples and those around him repeatedly fail to understand his identity — this 'misunderstanding' persists until the crucifixion and resurrection.
Controversy with the Authorities
Mark 2:1–3:6Jesus heals a paralyzed man and forgives his sins — the crowd sees this as blasphemy, a capital crime. He calls Levi (Matthew), eats with sinners, and defends his disciples for plucking grain on the Sabbath. 'The sabbath was made for humankind, and not humankind for the sabbath.' The Pharisees begin to conspire against him. Jesus always chose kindness over piety.
Beelzebul, Family, and Parables
Mark 3:20–4:34Jesus is accused of having Beelzebul. He refutes the logical fallacy: how would he harm those the authorities claim are his allies? He redefines family as those who do the will of God. He teaches in parables: the seed growing secretly — the growth of God's kingdom is beyond human understanding — and the mustard seed, an example of something from a small beginning reaching great potential.
Miracles: Storm, Demons, and Healing
Mark 4:35–5:43Jesus calms the storm on the Sea of Galilee — in all four Gospels, shortly after Jesus establishes the Twelve, this extraordinary event transpires. He heals the Gerasene demoniac, raises the daughter of Jairus, and heals the woman with a hemorrhage. 'Your faith has made you well.' The healings always have two aspects: care for the unfortunate, and the illustration of a point.
Rejection at Nazareth; Death of John the Baptist
Mark 6:1–29Jesus is rejected in his hometown — 'Prophets are not without honor, except in their hometown.' He sends out the Twelve two by two. Herod beheads John the Baptist at the request of Herodias's daughter. The death of John is thought to have motivated Jesus to move toward Jerusalem before Herod Antipas could arrest him.
Feeding the Multitudes; Walking on Water
Mark 6:30–8:26Jesus feeds 5,000 (a Jewish crowd, twelve baskets left over) and 4,000 (a Gentile crowd, seven baskets left over) — two feedings of unthinkable numbers, one Jewish and one Gentile. He walks on water. He debates purity with the Pharisees: 'There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile.' He heals the Syrophoenician woman's daughter and opens the ears of a deaf man.
Peter's Declaration; The Road to Jerusalem
Mark 8:27–10:52Peter declares Jesus the Messiah. Jesus foretells his death three times. The Transfiguration. Teachings on greatness and service. The rich man — 'It will be hard for rich people to enter heaven.' James and John request seats of honor — 'whoever wishes to become great among you must be your servant.' The healing of blind Bartimaeus — 'Your faith has made you well.'
Jerusalem: Entry, Temple, and the Mini-Apocalypse
Mark 11:1–13:37The triumphal entry into Jerusalem — cloaks spread on the road, fulfilling Zechariah's prophecy of a king coming in peace. The cleansing of the Temple. The greatest commandment: love God and love your neighbor. The widow's mite. The prediction of the Temple's destruction and the coming of the Son of Man — 'But about that day or hour no one knows... Keep awake.'
Passion, Death, and Resurrection
Mark 14:1–16:8The anointing at Bethany. The Last Supper — 'This is my body... This is my blood of the covenant.' Gethsemane. The arrest, Peter's denial, the trial before Pilate, the crucifixion. The curtain of the Temple torn in two. The centurion: 'Truly this man was God's Son.' The empty tomb — 'He has been raised; he is not here.' The women flee in terror and amazement.
A Few Concluding Thoughts
The healings always have two aspects: care for the unfortunate, and the illustration of a point. The blind see to drive home the point that the authorities cannot themselves see what is unfolding right in front of them. The infirm, when healed, are able again to take action and then proclaim — as encouragement to us to do the same.
The Disciples are shown as flawed heroes. The point is that if even the most important saints have imperfections and are disloyal, they — just like you — will be saved through Grace. In one way or another, all of them finally betrayed or abandoned Him, and yet by Grace were still loved.
The proof to the hearers was the evangelist himself: why would a person abandon everything and follow Jesus if that person, who was present through all these events, did not understand them to be authentic? The proof is not in the events as described, but in the reaction of those who stood as witnesses — taking the rest of their lives spreading the Word itself.