Marveling with Mark

A Homiletical Commentary on the Second Gospel

Steven A. Crane

• Publisher: Wipf and Stock
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN:
  9781608993390
  9781498255745
• eBook ISBN:
  9781498272292
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

"Who is This? Even the Wind and the Waves Obey Him!" (Mark 4:41) Who is Jesus? What did he come to accomplish? And what difference does it make in the way I live my life? You will find the answers to these and other questions in this homiletical commentary by expository preacher and Bible college professor Steven Crane. The Gospel of Mark is the gospel about the good news of Jesus Christ. It is a fast-paced, action-packed book--as is this scholarly, yet highly readable commentary. Readers will gain a new appreciation for the content, the organization, and the often-overlooked writing techniques incorporated by Mark into his narrative, and will be invited to apply Scripture in their personal lives. As you read, you will investigate the true nature of Jesus Christ. While some today try to deny Christ's divinity, explain away his miracles, or discredit the authority of the Word of God--Crane handles these attacks and gives credence to the time-held truths regarding the Son of Man and the inspiration of Scripture. This volume, written in sermonic form, provides clear explanations regarding even the most difficult of Bible passages and includes study questions at the end of each chapter that are suitable for either personal or group use. Readers who have discounted the importance of Mark will be compelled to look at it with fresh eyes and will gain a new appreciation for our second Gospel. As you study, be ready to allow God to work in your life and Marvel with Mark at the person and purpose of Jesus.

Part One

Who Is This Man?

Mark 1:1—8:30

“Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 4:41

1

Bouncing Back

An Introduction to Mark

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)1

The Bible is not only continually the world’s best seller, but it is the most translated book in all of history, having been translated into more than two thousand languages. Within the Bible, the Gospels2 are the most translated books. This is not surprising, since the Gospels contain the story of Jesus: his life, teachings, miracles, death, burial, and resurrection. So, it just makes sense to start your Bible translation here. Of the Gospels, Mark is the most translated—making the Gospel of Mark the most translated of all books in history!

This might lead us to the question: Why is Mark the most translated of the four Gospel accounts? Several reasons can be given. First, it is the shortest. It is a formidable task to translate any book into another language. After selecting the Gospels as a place to start, Mark can be translated most quickly. Second, it is the simplest and most multi-cultural.3 Mark does not contain complicated Greek grammar like the Gospel of Luke, the deep theological statements of the Gospel of John, or the highly-Jewish flavor of the Gospel of Matthew, making it more applicable to various cultures. Third, Mark emphasizes the freshness and revolutionary character of the message of Jesus. Fourth, it gives an excellent introduction to the gospel message of Jesus Christ. Notice the first verse of the first chapter: “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (1:1).4 Finally, it may be the earliest Gospel written—eighty percent (80%) of it is recorded in the other Gospels.

This might lead to a second question: When was the Gospel of Mark written? Much evidence suggests that it may be the earliest of the four Gospels penned.5 Early Church tradition says it was written during Peter’s lifetime—telling us that Mark wrote while Peter spoke. Peter’s death dates at AD 64 and therefore we must arrive at a date earlier than this. We also know that after spending considerable time with Peter, Mark left to spend time with the Apostle Paul in the early 60s. If Mark wrote while Peter spoke, the book necessarily dates to a time before he left to be with Paul. History again records for us that Mark and Peter were in Rome during the later part of the 50s. This would necessarily place the writing of the Gospel of Mark at the latest around AD 57–59 or possibly even earlier.

We should also ask: To whom was it written? The best answer is that the Gospel of Mark was written from Rome for the Romans, which makes it particularly applicable for us today. The Romans loved power, strength, might, force and movement, and for this reason the book is an action-packed thriller! It contains the most miracles—eighteen; it is fast paced and regularly uses the word “immediately” (euthys);6 it does not contain genealogies or much Messianic language which is far less important for this audience; it is down to earth, to the point, and may be best summarized by this statement: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45).

Our fourth question may seem too obvious, but I want to ask and answer it. Who wrote Mark? While at first blush it seems elementary (after all, it is “The Gospel of Mark!”), it may not be as simple as it seems. Actually, the book does not bear his (or any other) name. That’s not to say that we don’t have clues or even answers. First, all the church fathers agree that it was written by Mark from Rome. Second, we have extra biblical citations as early as AD 79 attributing it to Mark. Third, Polycarp—who was a disciple of John and whose writings date between AD 110 and 150—tells us that Mark wrote as Peter preached. Fourth, Papias—a student of Polycarp who also dates early in the second century—writes in Interpretation of the Oracles of the Lord that Mark was Peter’s interpreter. Finally, Eusebius—a church father of the third century—gives us more insight when he says the early church was so challenged by Peter’s preaching that they asked his companion, Mark, to write down his sermons. This explains why the Apostle Peter plays such a significant part in Mark’s narrative.7

This leads us to one final question: Who was Mark? As just mentioned, his name was actually John Mark (John is his Hebrew name, Mark is his Roman name), and we find references to him throughout Scripture. We will examine several of these references, including mentions from the Book of Acts (the history of the church), the Gospel of Mark itself, and personal letters addressed to various individuals and churches within our New Testament.

Most of us don’t get excited about dates and background information. We understand that history is important, but is it engaging? Maybe or maybe not. But let me tell you a story about Mark. His story serves as an apt introduction to the gospel that bears his name.

The story begins in approximately AD 30. Church meetings were held in John Mark’s mother’s home in Jerusalem when he was just a youth. Mark records for us that someone follows Jesus and the disciples to the Garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus is betrayed and arrested. All of the disciples desert him and flee. “A young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment, was following Jesus. When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind” (14:50–52). This young man may have been Mark himself. If indeed this passage refers to John Mark, our author may have been the first known streaker!

We read next about John Mark in Acts, chapter 12, more than a decade later (AD 44). Once again we find ourselves at John Mark’s home. John Mark’s mother, Mary, is a wealthy woman who owns a large house in Jerusalem. The Apostle Peter is in prison and all the Christians of the area are gathered in her home praying for Peter’s release.8

So Peter was kept in prison, but the early church was earnestly praying to God for him. The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.” When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.” But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out...

Table of contents

• Title Page
• Acknowledgments
• Preface
• Part One: Who Is This Man?
• Chapter 1: Bouncing Back
• Chapter 2: Suspending Disbelief
• Chapter 3: Inherent Authority
• Chapter 4: Necessary Solitude
• Chapter 5: Reckless Faith
• Chapter 6: Challenging Assumptions
• Chapter 7: Unforgiven
• Chapter 8: Hearing Impaired
• Chapter 9: Who Is This?
• Chapter 10: For the Pigs
• Chapter 11: Talitha Koum
• Chapter 12: Local Yokel
• Chapter 13: Fascinated, but Afraid
• Chapter 14: Loaves & Fishes
• Chapter 15: The Near Transcendent
• Chapter 16: When Rite Is Wrong
• Chapter 17: Table Scraps
• Chapter 18: Overwhelmed with Amazement
• Chapter 19: Much Ado About Bread
• Chapter 20: Seeing and Not Perceiving
• Part Two: What Did He Come to Do?
• Chapter 21: Finders Weepers, Losers Keepers
• Chapter 22: Resplendent Glory
• Chapter 23: Misplaced Confidence
• Chapter 24: Redefining Greatness
• Chapter 25: It’s Just a Piece of Paper Anyway!
• Chapter 26: Camels & Needles
• Chapter 27: Blind Entitlement
• Chapter 28: Not a Gentle Jesus
• Chapter 29: Q & A, Part One
• Chapter 30: Q & A, Part Two
• Chapter 31: Keep Watch
• Chapter 32: A Beautiful Thing
• Chapter 33: No Ordinary Meal
• Chapter 34: Pressed at Gethsemane
• Chapter 35: Deafening Silence
• Chapter 36: The Great In-Between
• Chapter 37: What to Do with Jesus?
• Chapter 38: Glimpses from the Cross
• Chapter 39: See for Yourself
• Chapter 40: A “Puzzling” Solution
• Chapter 41: Missio Dei
• Bibliography