1. Jesus, the Suffering Son of God: The Gospel according to Mark
Chapter 6
Jesus, the Suffering Son of God: The Gospel according to Mark
The New Testament Bart D. Ehrman

2. What to Expect
The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and earliest surviving account of Jesus’ life
It establishes Jesus’ character in a series of scenes
The people in this Gospel have a hard time grasping Jesus’ identity
Do Jesus’ own disciples ever get it?

3. The Gospel according to Mark
Unknown author
Was a Greek-speaking Christian
Was presumably living outside of Palestine
Had heard stories about Jesus
“Mark” may also have used written sources
This Gospel was used by the authors of Matthew and Luke

4. The Beginning of the Gospel: Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God Who Fulfills Scripture
Traditions rooted in a Jewish worldview
Mark begins by calling Jesus the messiah, but this could mean a range of things
Future king of Israel
Cosmic deliverer
“Son of God” would have been a familiar concept: Like other sons of God, divinely inspired teachers or rulers

5. Jesus the Authoritative Son of God
Jesus is portrayed as authoritative, setting the stage for the rest of the Gospel
When he gives instruction, people hang on his every word
He drives unclean spirits out, heals the sick
He is still universally misunderstood, and becomes hated by religious leaders

6. Jesus the Opposed Son of God
Leaders oppose Jesus despite his deeds and faithfulness to Jewish Law
Question his actions and practices
Take offense at his associations and activities
Protest the actions of his followers
Authorities find him threatening
Authorities do not understand who he is

7. Jesus the Misunderstood Son of God
Through the first half of the Gospel, only a few recognize Jesus’ identity: God, Jesus himself, evil demons, the author, and the reader
Jesus’ own disciples fail to understand who he is
“Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?”

8. Jesus the Acknowledged Son of God
The sequence of the stories in the Gospel of Mark is significant:
Jesus heals a blind man only gradually
Jesus’ disciples have been blind to his identity, but gradually begin to see
Peter identifies him as “the Christ” but still sees him only dimly, as the deliverer of Israel, not the suffering Son of God

9. Jesus the Suffering Son of God
Readers are given several indications that Jesus must die
Jesus is explicit about this after Peter’s confession that Jesus is the Christ
After each prediction, Mark shows that the disciples do not understand
Jesus is the messiah, but not in any way the Jewish authorities recognize

10. ch. 14 Betrayal, Last Supper, Arrest (cont.)
Gethsemane – olive grove on Mount of Olives; prayer of agony
Arrest – kiss of Judas; prohibits defense by sword; disciples scatter

11. Jesus the Crucified Son of God
Jesus’ disciples are shocked when Jesus fails to restore the kingdom to Israel
However, Mark’s readers have no doubt about the importance of Jesus’ death:
The curtain separating the Holy of Holies from the outside world is torn in half
The pagan Roman centurion recognizes Jesus as God’s Son

12. Jesus the Vindicated Son of God
The Gospel of Mark concludes after Jesus has risen, when the women flee the tomb and tell nobody
Mark demonstrated that the disciples never could understand what Jesus meant about dying and rising again

13. ch. 16 Discovery of Empty Tomb (Sunday)
Women come at dawn to anoint Jesus’ body.
“Angel” announces resurrection of Jesus.
Instructions to go to Galilee, where Jesus will appear.
“They went out and said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid” (v. 8).
Did Mark tell resurrection appearance in Galilee?
Garden Tomb

14. Conclusion: Mark and His Readers
The first readers of this Gospel were Christians of Mark’s community
For Mark, following Jesus is not a ticket to glory, but a path to suffering
The lessons of Mark would make sense to a community experiencing persecution and hoping for vindication