In response to those who are unable to attend my
weekly Bible study on the Gospel According to MARK (Sunday’s at 10 am at
Hollywood United Methodist Church), I share my thoughts and notes from previous
sessions. While I’m not a scholar, I am an enthusiast. Enjoy!
A Comment
from a Reader
Bob Snyder (a congregant at Hollywood UMC) shed further light in how the writing of this Gospel originated. Bob wrote, “The theory I like is… Mark is a scribe who writes down Peter’s
memories. Nothing was written (or any account earlier), because the disciples
believed in an actual physical Second Coming within their lifetime. Why write
anything down? When it didn’t happen as they expected, Mark wrote down Peter’s
stories.” Also, Bob mentioned the shift from teaching truths by storytelling
(parables), which Jesus did, giving practical things spiritual meaning. “Paul,
who was from a Roman province, used (Greek) philosophical terms like faith and
hope, which spread into the Roman empire and pretty well abandoned
storytelling.”
Question MARK
Were there other
connections between John the Baptist and Jesus (other than mentioned in the
previous blog)?
Yes. An angel visited John
the Baptist’s father, the high priest, Zechariah, (Luke 1:5-23) as did an angel
who visited Mary as well as Joseph. Another possible connector – when Herod king of
Judea gave orders to kill all the boys (2 years and under) in Bethlehem and its
vicinity, both families (of Jesus and John the Baptist) relocated to Egypt
until Herod’s death. According to legend, the infant John the Baptist was
rescued from Bethlehem before the massacre by the Archangel Uriel and joined
the Holy Family in Egypt. [i]
Jesus – A Man of Action
MARK 1:9-13
So John is knee-deep in
the Jordan, baptizing away, and the one more powerful than him (who he has
prophetically told all who will listen) arrives. It's Jesus. But wait a minute!
Jesus is from Nazareth, a village with a not-so-good reputation (John 1:46) –
or at least one that's perceived as such. “Can anything good come from there?”
And it’s a double-whammy because Nazareth is in Galilee. “While Galileans were
despised by Judeans, Galileans themselves despised people from Nazareth.” [ii] It has a Samaritan type
feel – this amount of loathing of “neighbors.” Plus, the Jews probably despised
Nazareth because a Roman army garrison was located there. [iii]
Yet even more
mind-boggling is “Why in the world would Jesus, the Son of God, choose
to be baptized?” That seems like a ridiculous thing for him to do since it was
for repentance from sin. Posing the question to the study group, among their
answers: “Jesus was showing his support for the ministry of John,” “Jesus was
allowing us to see his humanity so we could identify with him,” “It was a
ritual, and by doing this, he gave us an example to follow,” “He dedicated himself
to living right.” And it was the beginning of Jesus’ mission.
Sidenote – “John’s
Baptism – Not Good Enough?”
Paul viewed John’s rite of
baptism as only an outward confession, so he had John’s followers baptized
again (Acts 19:2-5). Though Jesus didn't baptize in the Gospels, his words and
deeds constituted a “baptism in the spirit.” [iv]
The next two verses (10 and 11) -- although straightforward at a glance, carry much deeper meaning. When
Jesus emerges from the water, the sky opens and God’s Spirit, looking like a
dove, comes down on him followed by a voice from heaven, “You are my Son,
chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.” [v] The opening of the heavens
and the descent of the Spirit “evoke the return of the longed-for prophetic
spirit and the advent of the messianic age. The descent like a dove may reflect
the Jewish comparison of the hovering spirit of Genesis 1:2 to a dove.” [vi]
On top of which... the voice, which
personifies God, “echoes the adoption formula of Psalm 2:7 (“You are my Son;
today I have become your Father” [vii]) and the choice of the
servant in Isaiah 42:1 (“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in
whom I delight” [viii]).
The baptism is both Jesus’ messianic adoption and his commissioning as
servant.” [ix] To mix “divinity” with “servanthood” is something in which to reflect, for how often has that happened?
Afterwards, the Spirit
sends Jesus out into the wilderness – for 40 days – states John Mark.
MATTHEW and LUKE mention something more – that Jesus went without food during
this time. The possible significance of mentioning this additional information
(other than the “wow” factor)? Two other prophets fasted 40 days – Moses (twice)
and Elijah. This reference is something those familiar with the OT could
relate. But let’s top 40 days in the wilderness plus being without food with…
…Satan – an angel who made
the choice to rebel against God – arriving on the scene to mess around with
Jesus. As Rev. Kathy spoke about in her sermon – February 26 – the Greek diabolos (usually translated “devil”)
translates Hebrew satan, “adversary,
opponent, rebel.” [x] It is the source of sin, all
that is evil, what opposes God. The adversary.
An interesting dialogue
with the study group occurred when comparing the word “test” against
“temptation.” While the group didn’t actually settle on which word to describe
what Satan was doing, it gave us food for thought – could Jesus actually be
tempted – which brought further discussion about Jesus as God but also being
man. Certainly there is not an exemption card for us either, which John Wesley
remarked long ago, “In all the children of God, extraordinary manifestations of
his favor are wont to be followed by extraordinary temptations.” [xi] Test / temptation –
however you look at it, it is meant to strengthen us for good.
Even further discussion
ensued on the topic of Satan and angels. Scripture describes angels in a number
of ways – “created beings,” “different order and rank,” “spirits without
material bodies,” “not bound by physical limitations,” capable of assuming
human form.” [xii]
Even while this angel, Satan, was testing or tempting Jesus, Christ was not
alone, as he had animals by his side (a reference to Isaiah 11:6-9) and other
angels (unlike Satan) caring for him.
Within these verses, no
matter what the Adversary threw at Jesus, I believe it made Jesus identify even
more with us as humans. Personally, I find comfort in these words (verse 13).
Jesus was not alone, as we are not alone – even though we may feel like it,
especially when we’re in the wilderness of our lives.
NEXT…
Jesus announces the Good
News; we learn more about the towns and territory where Jesus had his ministry
(around the Sea of Galilee); the putting together his team; and more
genealogical tie-in’s to Jesus.
[i]
WIKIPEDIA, “Flight Into Egypt”
[ii]
THE MACARTHUR STUDY BIBLE, NKJV, page 1577
[iii]
LIFE APPLICATION BIBLE, NIV – page 1873
[iv]
HARPER COLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY – page 904
[v]
THE MESSAGE, MARK 1:11
[vi]
HARPER COLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY – page 904
[vii]
NIV, PS 2:7
[viii]
NIV, ISA 42:1
[ix]
HARPER COLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY – page 904
[x]
JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT COMMENTARY – page 21
[xi]
THE WESLEY STUDY BIBLE, NRSV – page 1208
[xii]
HARPER STUDY BIBLE, RSV – pages 1494, 1495
