Another Bible Commentary: Mark

Mark (also known as John Mark and Mark the Evangelist) is more involved in the overall story of the Bible than many people think. The Church, including those who walked with Jesus on Earth, hung out at Mark’s house (Acts 12:12). Mark traveled with Barnabas and Paul (Acts 12:25, Acts 13:5, Acts 13:13). Mark is Barnabas’ cousin (Colossians 4:10). Mark and Paul were reconciled by 2 Timothy 4:11. Mark became Peter’s helper (1 Peter 5:13). A first century church “father” named Papias said that Mark wrote down stories he heard from Peter without a strict regard for chronology; Mark wrote for a Roman audience. It’s an action-oriented gospel that gets right to the exorcisms, healings, and such; Mark is fond of the word “immediately” and its synonyms. Whether you think this is a standalone work or a summary of Matthew, by declaring this to be Scripture, the Church affirmed that Jesus’ death and resurrection is the important stuff (given the focus of this short book) compared to the teachings, etc., in Matthew that Mark lacks.

Jesus’ seemingly cantankerous rockstar personality is closer to the surface in Mark. I wonder how much of that flavor comes from how Pete the Ear Severer may have related these stories to Mark. The miracles advertise that the Kingdom of God is at hand, and that He will have His will done here as in Heaven. He will rule this world openly (with us – see Revelation 20), but He’s mercifully waiting for as many people as possible to get saved (2 Peter 3:9). The King is the Kingdom among us (Luke 17:21); He is the Kingdom within us (John 18:36); this world will be replaced. All of that is true simultaneously. The much-discussed “Messianic Secret”, a recurring theme in Mark, seems to boil down to “don’t get marked for death like Lazarus in John 12:9-11”. He didn’t operate secretly as the Messiah; He just told certain people to keep quiet for their own good. Isaiah 42:2 as seen in Matthew 12:19 is also an option for that. Also, narratively, look for two stories of blindness being healed that frame three proclamations of His death and resurrection mission that His disciples missed.

1:1 See 1 John 4:15, Psalm 2:7, Genesis 22:2, and Isaiah 42:1-9. Starting the book like this says, “Hey Rome! Jesus is better than your allegedly ‘divine’ emperor!”

1:2 See Malachi 3:1, reminiscent of Exodus 23:20.

1:3-5 See the notes for Matthew 3:1 and Matthew 3:5-6. Or, bake them from scratch using Isaiah 40:3, Leviticus 18:25, Hosea 2:14, Haggai 2:14, Leviticus 14:8, Isaiah 1:16, Ezekiel 36:25, and Zechariah 13:1.

1:6 See 2 Kings 1:8. Some say the locusts were carob pods. We can ask him when we meet him in eternity.

1:7 Jesus is God, and I am not.

1:8 “water, but…the Holy Spirit” Note the “but” in that verse. The spiritual “dunk” is what counts (1 Corinthians 12:13 like Colossians 2:11). Some people get mad at the folks that read Ezekiel 36:25 and Acts 16:33 and feel like sprinkling a baby, but rather than point out the things that the “immersion only” people are typically unbiblical about, I’d like to keep the focus tight on what matters: belief in Jesus (John 3:16, John 6:28-29, Romans 10:9, Galatians 3:2-5, Ephesians 1:13-14, etc.). Believers are placed into Christ by virtue of Jesus’ prayer in John 17:20-23. There’s a man that keeps calling Christian radio shows about some woman that got killed in a car wreck on the way to her baptism. The criminal in Luke 23:40-43 had no water party, and both he and presumably the car wreck lady are united with Jesus for their belief (John 17:20-23). (For hope for wee ones gone too soon, see 2 Samuel 12:23, Matthew 19:14, and Luke 18:16.)

1:9 The prophets performed many symbolic actions. John the Baptist offered a baptism/immersion of repentance analogous to the Essenes’ which was a public declaration of a commitment to follow God’s rules. (Jesus hadn’t died on the Cross yet, so we’re still talking about the Old Covenant according to Hebrews 9:15-22. Jesus also preached Law to those under the Law; see Galatians 4:4-7.) New priests got washed (Exodus 29:4, Leviticus 8:6), and so an attempt to reboot Israel as a priestly nation (Exodus 19:6) involved a symbol of new birth (moist as a womb evictee). Jesus required no repentance, but “fulfilled all righteousness” by undergoing John’s baptism to be consecrated as our High Priest (Leviticus 16:4) and washed as our sacrifice. Priests started their ministry at age 30. See Luke 3:23. Jesus’ baptism was at the site of the passing of the torch/encounter with Heaven from 2 Kings 2:8-15. This scene is similar to when the Nazirite Samuel anointed David.

1:10-11 Instead of parting water, this time Heaven parts. The name John is the same as Jonah, which means “Dove”. A dove flying over water told Noah that the wrath was over; the Spirit says the same thing in this incident. See Isaiah 11:2. We’ve got the Spirit over water again with God talking; this is another Genesis 1 reference to a new beginning. See Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. The Father loves the Son and loves you enough to give up the Son for you. Now, we are united with Them (John 17:23); feel free to insert yourself into Mark 1:11 because you are His child whom He loves. He is pleased with you. Instead of the very public “This is my Son” from Matthew 3:17, Mark has the more private “You are my Son”.

1:12-13 “at once” Immediately, says the action gospel. Moses and Elijah did similar things (Exodus 34:28, Deuteronomy 9:18, and 1 Kings 19:8).

1:14-15 Saying “the time has come” signifies something new. “Quit your sinning, and He’ll start being nice” was not new, and the old news was not the good news by default. They already had Ezekiel 18, Zechariah 1:4, Joel 2:12-14, Isaiah 55:7, Isaiah 1:10-20, etc. Therefore, “repent” can also mean to change their minds (like in Hebrews 7:21) or turn toward belief in Jesus Christ as Messiah; to believe Luke 4:18-21. See Galatians 2:21.

1:16-18 See Ezekiel 47:10. Also, note “at once”.

1:19 See Luke 5:10.

1:20 They temporarily left working at their family fishing businesses to follow Jesus around learning from him, much like a rabbi’s talmidim. They didn’t get rid of everything in a 1 Kings 19:19-21 grand gesture. Also, note “without delay”.

1:21-22 Rabbis could only re-interpret Scripture with the support of sponsoring rabbis that had been granted that authority themselves.

1:23 “Just then” Here’s “immediately” again. You get the idea.

1:25 He didn’t even need the name of the demon to cast it out, which the first century audience would have considered very impressive.

1:27 Romans respected dominance. This was even more alpha than telling commercial fishermen to heel like trained puppies (Mark 1:16-20).

1:31 The detail about her waiting on them is to show us how completely healed she was.

1:32 “after sunset” when the Sabbath was over (verse 21). Also, note that the first century Jews knew the difference between illness and demonic possession.

1:33-34 “not let the demons speak” See Acts 16:16-18. True information coming from the wrong mouth can be annoying and off-putting. For example, there were some anti-smoking ads that some people considered so smarmy, it made them want to suck down a whole pack of unfiltered cigarettes immediately out of spite. Mark’s got me using “immediately”, too.

1:35 The Prophet Like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15) acted like Exodus 33:7-11. Jesus is greater than Moses, so these were back-and-forth face-to-face chats with God the Father.

1:36-37 mirrors Luke 2:48.

1:38-39 See Mark 1:14-15 note; He preached about the Good News of His coming, the impossible standard of the Law, the need to die and rise, etc. Otherwise, He could have ascended to Heaven after He got done talking. See Galatians 2:21. Mark didn’t bother telling the Gentiles very much about Jesus’ teachings about the Law of Moses that we’re dead to, not under, not being instructed by, etc. See Acts 15:10, Romans 7:4, Romans 10:4, Galatians 3:10-14, Galatians 3:23-25, Ephesians 2:11-18, and Titus 3:9.

1:40-43 Jesus got riled up by people implying He was unable or unwilling to heal them. Some manuscripts opt for “filled with compassion” but there are other instances like Mark 3:5. Therefore, Matthew 5:22 is about inappropriate out-of-bounds anger without a cause. Furniture-flipping, whip-wielding, “stern warning” Jesus is sinless.

1:44 This is still about the Old Covenant, so He told the former leper to obey Leviticus 13 and Leviticus 14.

1:45 Another reason for the “Messianic Secret”. This popularity would have been another selling point for the Gentile audience for the Gospel of Mark.

2:1-5 Jesus continued his Isaiah 35:5-6 miracles-as-Messiah-proof tour. This is my favorite healing, because there is no repentance nor plea; it’s just free. He saw the friends’ faith in bringing the sick man to Him; faith is credited as righteousness (Genesis 15:6), and the prayer of the righteous was heard (Psalm 34:15, James 5:16). Jews understood disease to be a result of sin, so healing involved forgiveness (2 Chronicles 7:14, Psalm 41:4, Psalm 103:3, Jeremiah 17:14, Matthew 9:6). I don’t think these men were theologians who reasoned out who the Messiah was from carefully studying religious texts; faith in His ability to save is enough faith. The Orthodox pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner” and He does; praying it over and over again in parrot-like repetition seems like a lack of trust in Him, but we’re all on the same side (Romans 14:4, Jude 24). I concede that Luke 18 encourages persistence in prayer to have injustices against you corrected. Also, this story of four chaotically good men defying social norms and destroying property in the course of a good deed reminds me of The A-Team, Leverage, etc. Do you think they were able to get the paralyzed man up on the roof amidst that crowd and subsequently dig a hole without lies, stealth, punching, etc.? Maybe, but think of what you know about humans in general. In summary, these guys’ hearts were in the right place.

2:6-7 See Exodus 34:6-7 and Isaiah 43:25.

2:10 See Daniel 7:14.

2:14 “Levi” was what “Matthew, Gift of God” was called previously. Simon became Peter similarly.

2:15 Having a swanky house for dinner parties is not giving everything away. I’m just making sure people understand what Jesus’ interaction with the rich young ruler meant when we get to Mark 10.

2:16 Not only did eating with someone imply the guest/host bond we discussed often in the Old Testament, but approval. Tax collectors paid Rome up front for the right to collect taxes for a region under Roman occupation and kept the difference. The Pharisees saw Jesus’ dinner invitation as accepting stolen goods from a traitor to their people. There are none righteous (Psalm 14:3, Ecclesiastes 7:20), so He calls everyone (John 12:32).

2:18 John’s disciples mourned because he was in jail. The Pharisees fasted twice a week for bonus points (see our discussion of Zechariah 7).

2:19-20 “bridegroom” as in Hosea 2:19. The only required fast under the Old Covenant was the Day of Atonement. Even during other fasts, the Jews ate during Sabbaths and festivals as described here. I’m sure the disciples probably lost their appetite while Jesus was in the tomb, but He is with us all the time now (Matthew 28:20, Hebrews 13:5). Fasting may help some believers focus on praying sometimes, and I’m not throwing stones at it (Colossians 2:16), but you are free to celebrate Him always.

2:21-22 Don’t mix the Old Covenant with the New Covenant (which is actually older and better – Galatians 3:17).

2:23-24 According to the Pharisee rules, the disciples had committed four crimes: reaping on the Sabbath, threshing on the Sabbath, winnowing on the Sabbath, and preparing food on the Sabbath. Deuteronomy 23:25 says taking the grain was fine, at least. Jesus’ yoke was demonstrably lighter even for His students under the Law.

2:25-26 See Leviticus 24:9, 1 Samuel 21:1-6, and 1 Kings 15:5. Uzziah got leprosy for trying to blend the duties of king and priest, and David was a prototypical prophet/priest/king, but David’s men were none of the above. Jesus set a fine precedent for cherry-picking a Law that we’re not even under. How is this Jesus, the consistent eye-healer, the proponent of the eye-gouging levels of Torah observance in Matthew 5, you ask? His intent in the Sermon must have been to teach the truth of Romans 3:19-20 and Mark 10:18 just like Paul would have (1 Corinthians 11:1). Believers are “royal priests” (1 Peter 2:9) and the Temple (1 Corinthians 3:16) now, and Jesus is our Sabbath (Hebrews 4), not that I’m telling you what to do with your time (Colossians 2:16). Also, much has been said about Jesus saying this happened “in the days of Abiathar” the High Priest, but since Samuel dies in the front half of a historical work named for him, Jesus could have just been identifying a scroll.

2:27 Unique to Mark. That quote may have sounded too much like throwing out the rulebook for the other biographers (Matthew 5:17).

2:28 Doing His work was never prohibited. Marching around Jericho for seven days was fine at His command (Joshua 6).

3:5 “anger” Matthew did not include Jesus’ emotional state in this installment of Jesus’ I Can Do Anything the Old Testament Prophets Can Do and More Tour. See 1 Kings 13:6. See also Luke 13:10-17. Matthew 5:22 must include the “without cause” exception and therefore be consistent with Psalm 4:4 as quoted in Ephesians 4:26. God is Love (1 John 4:8), and love is not “easily” angered (1 Corinthians 13:5). Even under the Old Covenant (which was still in effect at this point, as Jesus hadn’t died yet) God was merciful by a ratio of at least 1000:4 per Exodus 34:6-7 and Deuteronomy 5:9-10. Under the New Covenant, He promises to forget your sins (Hebrews 8:12) because Christ took them away (Hebrews 10:14); God is not mad at you.

3:6 The Pharisees and Herodians hated each other. They must have really hated Jesus if they were willing to work together.

3:9 See Mark 1:45 and Numbers 11:11.

3:11-12 See the Mark 1:33-34 note.

3:13-15 See Numbers 11:14-17. Moses had his seventy elders.

3:17-18 “sons of thunder” See Luke 9:54. This nickname may have referred to their temperament, their wish/ability to call down fire from Heaven, or both. John lived the longest of the apostles. The Holy Spirit worked on him the longest. Therefore, a “son of thunder” grew up to be the writer of the love letter that is 1 John.

Simon is a version of the name Simeon. Peter means “Rock”. James is a version of the name Jacob and was a very common name. John is a version of the name Jonah. Andrew and Philip are Hellenized names. Bartholomew or “Son of Talmai (derived from Ptolemy)” likely refers to Nathaniel as seen in other lists of the apostles. Matthew “gift of YHWH” is called Levi in other lists. Thaddeus is Judas son of James, but there’s a more famous Judas in this list. Saying that Simon the Zealot was one of the apostles would read in today’s news as, “Jesus was a known associate of Simon the Terrorist.” Judas Iscariot, like many boys, was likely named in honor of Judas Maccabeus (the Romanized name of Judah Maccabee, the national hero we covered after the Old Testament books). Throw in Mary Magdalene and we see twelve “sons” and a “daughter”, like Jacob and Ishmael both had. Given the friction between the factions with which they identified, the disciples all getting along with no recorded stabbings among them is miraculous.

3:19 Spoiler alert.

3:21 Jesus’ family calling Him crazy is a detail unique to Mark. See Psalm 69:8. See Mark 3:32. Joseph was visited by an angel in a dream (Matthew 1:20) and knew that Jesus was from the Holy Spirit. An angel foretold the birth of special baby John the Baptist (Luke 1). Mary knew that Jesus is God (Luke 1:32-35), and so did Elizabeth (Luke 1:43). Mary and Joseph got Luke 2:11 from the shepherds (Luke 2:19). The extended family might have remembered Jesus going missing in Jerusalem (Luke 2:43-46), but may have not grasped His significance. Jesus’ brothers (like James and Jude) did not believe in Him yet (John 7:5). Even with all of the angel visits, etc., publicly proclaiming yourself to be God (like Mark 2:28) in a place where blasphemers get stoned to death got called crazy behavior by His earthly family. See John 10:19-21 and John 8:44.

3:22-23 See 2 Corinthians 4:4. They got parables because hard hearts get “given over” sometimes (Romans 1; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-11). They called good evil, so they’re “outside” per Mark 4:11-12.

3:27 Jesus is talking about committing a home invasion (Isaiah 49:24-26, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 6:12, 1 John 5:19) to save us from the devil’s house.

3:28-30 Jesus is cool and very patient with people like Saul, Peter, and myself. However, these unbelievers attributed His miracles to Satan (Isaiah 5:20). See 1 John 5:6 and John 16:8-14; the Spirit lets unbelievers know that they are sinners in need of a Savior and believers that they are righteous because of what He did (so act like it). You won’t listen to what “good” is telling you if you think good is evil. Successfully talking yourself out of what the Holy Spirit tells you about Jesus, the only option for salvation, for your whole life does not end well. If you’ve already accepted Christ, you are incapable of committing the unforgivable sin. See 2 Timothy 2:13.

4:3-7 The Parable of the Sower uses imagery familiar to the audience similar to Sirach 40:15-17, Jeremiah 4:3, and Hosea 10:12. The seed is the word of God as in 1 Corinthians 3:5-9. See Jeremiah 17:7-8 and the associated notes. Jesus explains this parable (about understanding parables) Himself in this chapter. See Hebrews 11:6 while we’re at it.

4:8 See Isaiah 55:10-11. This is a Genesis 26:12-sized crop of knowledge.

4:9 He taught openly (John 18:20), whether they understood Him or not.

4:11 “outside” See Mark 3:22,29-30 and John 8:44. All is not lost: See Romans 11:7,11,25-27.

4:12 See Isaiah 6:9-10.

4:15 Those resisting the Spirit can miss the truth they need to be saved (Luke 8:12). The saved can fail to grasp important aspects of their new life in Christ like Galatians 2:20, 2 Peter 1:1-9, etc.

4:16-19 There are many obstacles to Christian maturity in this world. For the first hearers, persecution and fear of unemployment connected to being kicked out of the synagogue were the big obstacles to confessing Jesus as Lord (Romans 10:9-11, Matthew 10:32) and to continuing to live out their faith publicly. Even among the saved, it is easy to forget that this world is temporary.

4:20 See Mark 4:24-25. Great things happen if you know who He is, know who you are because of what He did for you, and refuse to be distracted by the myriad of things that want you to forget about that (because our enemies will settle for being saved-but-ineffective if they have to). Keep listening to Him instead. He is the Vine, and we are merely branches (John 15:5, Galatians 5:22-23).

4:21 In Matthew 5, this concept was applied to hallowing God’s name through good behavior. Here, it shows that God wants to be understood; the light is available for a purpose. See James 1:5 and Hebrews 11:6.

4:22 See Ecclesiastes 12:14.

4:24 In Matthew 7, this concept was applied to judging others. God settles all scores. Here, it’s about receiving the word of God. Again, see James 1:5 and Hebrews 11:6. God gives wisdom to those who ask Him and rewards those who seek Him diligently. If you show up with a large capacity to receive from Him, that’s what you’ll get (2 Kings 4:1-7).

4:25 “more” knowledge of the Kingdom of Heaven, as in verse 11; “abundance” like in verse 8. If you have Him (the Kingdom), you have everything. Those that lack Him will lose everything. Pairing verse 24 with verse 25 is unique to Mark.

4:26-29 The Parable of the Growing Seed is unique to Mark. The Word doesn’t always bear visible fruit immediately. Our Christian maturity and the growth of the worldwide Body of Christ is up to God (Philippians 1:6, Romans 14:4).

4:30-32 See Ezekiel 17:23. This is a Messiah claim. Compare Ezekiel 31:6 and Daniel 4:20-22. The greatest world empire began with one temporarily dead carpenter. We Christians are a weed (from their point of view; we say John 15:5) that the world doesn’t want and cannot kill. Focusing on whether the birds are evil based on their role in the Parable of the Sower might be taking it too far. For what planting the mustard seed means at the individual level, see John 12:24, John 11:25, Galatians 2:20, and 1 Corinthians 15:35-58. He is the Resurrection and the Life.

4:35-40 This stormy story reminds me of Psalm 107:28-30. Sleeping during the storm reminds me of Jonah, which means (spoiler alert) ministry to someone reminiscent of “Nineveh” is around the corner. Faith is a rest (Hebrews 4). God’s got this.

4:41 See Psalm 89:8-9. Even the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) must obey Him.

5:1-2 “tombs” hint at Isaiah 65:4 evil activities. John the Baptist was a good strange man in the wilderness; this is like a dark version of that. This story is set near the Jabbok, as seen in Genesis 32 where Jacob had his wrestling match, so it’s time for a fight scene. David contended with a demon in 1 Samuel 16:14-23, and the first century Jews did exorcisms (Matthew 12:27), so naturally the Messiah got to perform the “Goliath”/”Final Boss” of Exorcisms (an event like Judges 3:31, Judges 15:15, or 2 Samuel 23:8, if you will).

5:7 The demons tried to invoke God to repel their Exorcist. Most High God is a title used by Gentiles (Genesis 14:18-20, Numbers 24:16, Isaiah 14:14, Daniel 3:26, Daniel 4:2).

5:8 There was no lingering shown in Matthew’s account, perhaps to emphasize His power.

5:9 See Genesis 32:29. Why are there so many demons here? Between the pagan soldiers’ false gods (1 Corinthians 10:20), the idolatry of the old kingdoms (throughout history, but especially after 1 Kings 12), and the resettlement of the area in 2 Kings 17 with even more imported idolaters, this region was ideal for Jesus to be seen as Messiah defeating all false gods and fulfilling the spirit of Exodus 34:13 and Deuteronomy 12:2-3 all at once (before His final victory at the Cross, that is). I sometimes hear Christians worried about being possessed by demons, but we have the best Exorcist ever living inside us, and He’s not interested in having demons as roommates (1 John 5:18).

5:11-13 Geographically (Mark 5:20 – near the Decapolis), the pigs might have been supplies for the Roman army, making this similar to Exodus 9:6 (plague against livestock) and/or a political reference to Exodus 15:1 (drowning the Egyptian army). Mark 9:22 and John 10:10 suggest that the demons would have killed the men, too, if allowed. The size of the herd (unique to Mark) is a clue to how many demons Jesus beat here. Jesus didn’t steal, so the man may have even been a chained scapegoat demon dumpster making the pig drowning an economic judgment against profitable deals with the devil made by the people that were about to ask Jesus to leave.

5:15 Nudity can be/signify God’s Image, beauty, prophetic performance art (Saul, Isaiah, Micah, etc.), pre-Fall humanity, etc., or merely animal (not bad but not us), demonic, fallen (plus or minus shame is a clue), etc. You are capable of deciding its context (1 Corinthians 6:2). This incident looks like Colossians 3:10. In Isaiah 6, the hem of His robe pointed to His Name, which we take as His Bride.

5:19-20 Innocent animals died, and the guilty lived to hear the Gospel; that sounds a lot like the Old Covenant sacrificial system. A cleansed former demoniac Gentile that knew no Sermon on the Mount, no Torah, and none of Jesus’ teachings about ethics was sent to tell others what Jesus had done for him. This is why we are all qualified to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ as His ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:17-21), because it’s all about what He did for us. In the Gentile Greek cities, there was no worry of the former demoniac being killed by the Pharisees for evangelism (John 12:9-11), being banned from the synagogue, spoiling any “Messianic Secret”, etc. The “Decapolis” (“Ten Cities”) was a region originally settled by Ptolemy and Seleucid soldiers later occupied by the Romans. This included Damascus, Philadelphia (modern Amman, Jordan), Gedara, Gerasa, etc. The Decapolis was figuratively thought of as Canaanite; Pharisees thought you could become ritually unclean by speaking of it.

5:21 He crossed a lake to help this man (reminiscent of an Aghori and/or Cynic), and He will meet you where you are.

5:23 Matthew 9:18 says the girl is already dead. Mark 5 and Luke 8 say she was dying. When we discuss Hebrews 12:6, we’ll consider the possibility that the letter to the Hebrews was written first in Hebrew and that we have a Greek translation. Instead of the gospels contradicting each other, this could be down to just an awkwardness in translating Matthew into Greek. Remember, some manuscripts have Jesus riding two animals into Jerusalem in Matthew 21, presumably standing on their backs like a rodeo cowboy, and Matthew 5:32 has a man causing his wife to commit adultery by leaving her in several translations. Matthew’s version of this story is tighter than in the other Synoptics, supporting the hypothesis that his gospel was edited/compiled from additional sources.

5:25-34 See Malachi 4:2 note for why she was expecting to be healed; grabbing the hem was a sign of submission (Zechariah 8:23). Jesus is Exodus 29:37 holy; He makes things holy instead of becoming unclean Himself. There are a few ways to look at this story. As a standalone bit in the middle of another miracle narrative, she can remind us of Haggai 2:14 and show us Jesus, cleanser of Israel. However, think of Amos 5:2 in relation to the dying/dead girl’s age in verse 42. The number 12 is frequently associated with Israel (12 tribes, etc.). Faced with “no one to lift her up”, Jesus accepted the challenge. (Any delay caused by this interlude is not a problem for a dead girl, but the audience might take issue with it for a dying girl. This is Jesus’ 1 Kings 17:17-24 moment, since this gospel is showing Him to be greater than Moses and the rest of the prophets.) Like we Gentiles, the woman was unclean until He fixed us. Like Israel, the girl is dead until He quickens them. Gentiles had been unclean as long as Israel had existed by definition. The girl was raised after the woman was healed, and Romans 11:25-26 shows us what this object lesson taught. Paul’s argument in Romans 9 through Romans 11 explains many things.

5:40 Based on all the uses of “immediately”, the laughter, and the outbursts of righteous anger, I think He “put them all out” with an impressive quickness.

5:43 See John 12:9-11. The Pharisees wanted to kill the similarly raised Lazarus, so silence was golden.

6:3 “carpenter” Imagine what He thought with every nail He drove into wood. Okay, archaeologists, wood was rare/expensive in that part of the world and the Greek word tekton can refer to artisans and builders in general. Jesus and Joseph may have been stacking up bricks like in Exodus, maybe even for building the Herodium. The manger in Luke 2 being a bed of wood and nails that bookends the Cross narratively is a nice symbol, even if archaeologists say that it was more likely a rock with an appropriately-sized depression in it for animal feed and the stable was mostly a cave or a natural lean-to of rocks. Also, regarding “James” and “Judas”, Jesus’ brothers went on to believe in Him and pen the books James (traditionally attributed) and Jude.

6:5-6 They didn’t believe in Him, so they didn’t come to Him to be healed. Matthew changed “could not” to “did not”, but it’s not like it was His fault.

6:7 like the two witnesses investigating Sodom (Genesis 19:1).

6:8 See Matthew 10:10 and Luke 9:3 for the presence/absence of walking sticks, etc. Maybe some of these items meant “no extra” stick, etc. This was normal for a rabbi’s “interns” in the desert hospitality culture.

6:10 Some of these became lasting house church locations similar to those seen elsewhere in the New Testament like Acts 16:40.

6:13 “oil” and wine were used as medicine then (Luke 10:34).

6:18 from Leviticus 18:16 and Leviticus 20:21. This couple is reminiscent of Ahab and Jezebel in 1 Kings which adds to the Elijah parallel for John the Baptist.

6:20 like Ezekiel 33:32

6:22-23 “pleased Herod” This girl that is popularly known as Salome (and that your translation might call Herodias) would have likely been about twelve to fourteen years old, depending on the timeline you prefer. The dance of the seven veils is an artistic speculation, but given the Hellenistic culture and the reputations of the rulers, something like that is plausible. Promising a gift that big sounds less like polite applause for a stepdaughter’s dance recital and more like making it rain at the strip club. Possible witnesses to the story can be seen in Luke 8:3 and Acts 13:1. The “half my kingdom” promise is a showy figure of speech (Esther 5:3), since as a tetrarch it seems he lacked the authority to do so.

6:31 There were so many people because of the Passover pilgrims (John 6:4).

“Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” Yes, Lord. We’ll explore that more in Hebrews 4. See Matthew 11:28.

6:34 “many things” When it’s plot-relevant like in Mark 7:3-4, we Gentiles get an explanation. This likely was about the Law we’re not under. The “shepherding” is the point: Numbers 27:16-17, Psalm 23, Isaiah 40:11, Ezekiel 34, etc.

6:37 “Since we’re in the wilderness, why don’t you feed them some manna?” We can’t. Jesus can. He is God (Exodus 16), and I am not.

6:38 John 6:9 specifies that this was one boy’s lunch: some rolls and dried fish. The price of a combo meal is a fine donation when offered to Him in faith. See 2 Corinthians 8 through 2 Corinthians 9 to read about how Christians are free to give what they want to as led by the Spirit. The feeding of the five thousand is another installment in the continuing story of Jesus is Better Than the Earlier Prophets. See 1 Kings 17:8-16 and 2 Kings 4:42-44.

6:39 “grass” See Psalm 23 and Isaiah 49:9.

6:41 Jesus’ prayer of thanks may have resembled the traditional “Blessed art Thou, Lord God, King of the Universe, Who brings bread forth from the earth.”

6:43 God is a more-than-enough God.

Luke omits Mark 6:45 through Mark 8:10, for whatever reason.

6:45 “Bethsaida” means “fishing village” and should never cause geography-based problems with the text.

6:48 An ax head floated in 2 Kings 6; Jesus took it up a notch. See Genesis 1:2 and Job 9:8. Matthew 14 leaves out the bit about Him passing them by for anyone who might misconstrue that as unsympathetic. Other appearances of God to humans including “passing by” and scary nature are Exodus 33:18-23 and 1 Kings 19:11-12.

6:49-50 The “vast chasm” of Luke 16:26 suggests that “ghosts” are demons playing tricks. The original audience of Hamlet would have interpreted Hamlet’s “father” thusly even at that late date. “It is I” sure sounds like “I am” (Exodus 3:14). “Don’t be afraid” of Jesus; there is no punishment waiting for believers (1 John 4:18).

6:56 See Malachi 4:2 note.

7:1-5 This was long before the germ theory of disease. This was about made-up rules for ritual “cleanliness” rather than health. The marketplace might have had an “unclean” Gentile, etc., so they removed the dust that might have touched someone.

7:6-7 Think Proverbs 30:11-14 type snootiness. Regarding “human rules”, verify what you learn from sermons, books, the “Oral Torah”, Talmud, Mishnah, and stereotypical Good Christian Family Values, etc. Read your Bible.

7:10 provides necessary balance and contrast to Matthew 8:21-22.

7:11-13 See Leviticus 27:28. Promising to devote something later is different from devoting it now. Think of the billionaires that have publicly declared that their wealth will go to a charity when they die; devoting one’s wealth to God posthumously while still living like this was called korban. There were vows of korban that allowed pretty liberal use of the funds while the owner was still alive. So far, no problem. However, since they were free to use it, Jesus basically said that they were free to use some to support their elderly non-working parents in a society with no safety net like someone with a conscience and an understanding of the ten commandments would have. See Proverbs 28:24.

7:15 This is reminiscent of Miriam in Numbers 12. See Proverbs 4:23-24, Jeremiah 17:9, and Ezekiel 18:30-32. To get the new heart Jesus’ listeners needed, believe in Him.

7:19 Saying all foods are clean is unique to Mark. Ironically, the first sin was eating forbidden fruit. Plus, Deuteronomy 4:2 and Deuteronomy 12:32 prohibit editing the Law of Moses. Jesus, still under the Old Covenant at this point in the story, was addressing cleanliness rules invented by Pharisees. If this was Jesus putting the pork ribs back on the menu, Peter wouldn’t have been so hesitant in Acts 10. After the Cross, when the New Covenant was put into effect, God put the pork ribs back on the menu in Acts 10:15, right? Except, some people emphasize that Peter’s dream just said the Church was now open to Gentiles (formerly unclean people) and maintain that Messianic Jews are to maintain Torah observance as part of an eternal covenant. Romans 7:4 (to a mixed Jew/Gentile group), Hebrews 8:13 (to a Jewish group), etc., put the pork ribs back on the menu, but Paul would have us be sensitive to other people’s consciences in group settings for Christian harmony. See 1 Timothy 4:1-5 and Romans 14.

7:20 Pharisees debated whether to clean dust that may have touched a Gentile at some point from the inside of a cup or the outside of a cup first. Jesus pointed out that you can’t be clean with dirty insides. No amount of rule-keeping helps someone who is still dead to God. Jesus “cleans the inside” by giving you a new heart, a new human spirit, and the ever-present Holy Spirit at salvation (Ezekiel 36:26-27).

7:21-22 Since the meaning of words can creep over time, let’s slow down and look at a few. Greed and envy/”evil eye” (Deuteronomy 15:9) involve coveting what another person has and wanting them not to have it; there is a desire to disobey God’s prohibitions of theft, false weights, etc., baked into those concepts. Aselgeia or “lewdness” in a first century context signifies being utterly amoral, feeling no shame while sinning, participating in pagan orgies, disregarding the boundaries established in Leviticus 18 and Leviticus 20, etc., rather than mere horniness. Arrogance is putting yourself on God’s throne (Proverbs 22:4) rather than simply being overconfident. Folly is godlessness (Psalm 14:1).

Recognizing that the cultural and historical context of the Bible can significantly impact our interpretation is crucial, as well as appreciating the dynamic quality of language. What we think various sins mean has been a moving target over the centuries. People that understand the Reformation quite well still adhere unthinkingly to the definitions that were handed to them after many years of interpretation. Understanding the specific issues and challenges faced by the original audience points us toward the intended meaning of the texts. The Epistles were largely written to former pagans having trouble letting things like temple prostitution, orgies, and blackout benders for Bacchus go. New people bring new perspectives and emphasize different aspects of the Bible’s teachings based on the social, cultural, and philosophical contexts in which they live. Each generation of apple-polishers is tempted to forget history/ignore the progress made with the help of the Holy Spirit in the past and attempt to apply the text anew to their own situation. Paul telling the fraternity from Animal House “Don't get too crazy” could be read very differently out of context by the muppets from Sesame Street, for example. The celibate desert ascetics that began Christian monasticism, lingering Greek philosophical ideas (like Platonism’s spirit-good-matter-bad bias against the body), an Aristotelian obsession with the telos, etc., have all affected what we read in our Bibles in English in addition to the natural changes to any word’s meaning that happen through common use.

7:24 See Matthew 11:21-22 (and the notes), 1 Kings 17:7-24 (which shares a setting), and John 10:16. This was meant to be an escape, not a preaching tour.

7:26. The Phoenicians were Canaanites that had escaped genocide when the Hebrews conquered the Promised Land.

7:27-28 See Galatians 4:4-7. He was still preaching Law to those under Law then. This is more evidence that the Sermon on the Mount was for a Jewish audience. Some of them accepted Him, after all (Romans 11:5). Dogs were not pets in that culture; they roamed around eating dead/unclean things and spreading ritual uncleanliness wherever they went, like Gentiles. Jesus is the Bread (John 6:35), the feast that the Jews declined that is now open to all (Luke 14:15-24).

7:29 See Romans 9:30. She expressed faith by calling Him Lord and Master (See Genesis 15:6, Psalm 34:15, and John 9:31). Based on the setting, she perhaps knew the Widow of Zarephath story (1 Kings 17). She argued with God about how good He is; people with great faith like Abraham (Genesis 18:23) and Moses (Numbers 14:19) did the same thing. She was persistent (Luke 18:1-8), like Jacob who wrestled until dawn (Genesis 32). Jesus is a persistent intercessor for us (Hebrews 7:25).

7:31-32 That former demoniac in this region that was left behind to witness had told people about Jesus. The Isaiah 35:5-6 healing tour continued.

7:34 “deep sigh” as in Mark 8:12 shows His exasperation.

7:37 See Exodus 4:11.

8:4 Jesus called them out on their short memory in Mark 8:18.

8:9 Back in Matthew 14, He fed 5,000 men (and their uncounted families) with five loaves and two fish, and there were twelve baskets of leftovers. Here, He fed 4,000 men (and their uncounted families) with seven loaves and a few small fish, and there were seven baskets of leftovers. He did more with less. What you have to offer, when led by the Spirit, is more than adequate with Him (2 Corinthians 8:12).

Luke gets back on board the train of Mark material here:

8:11 See Exodus 4:29-31.

8:12 “sighed deeply” Matthew 16 doesn’t point out the exasperation.

8:13-17 If you see their breadlessness as a demand for a sign like in Matthew 16:1, then the nuances we went over in Matthew 6 apply. There are plenty of people that have “believed for'' something (unbiblical) like 100% guaranteed immediate physical healing they didn’t get and wound up disappointed, poisoning themselves and others in their lives against the gospel. However, He wasn’t talking about bread (Matthew 16:11). He already emphasized that He can provide back in Matthew 6. I think Mark 8:15 is because of Mark 8:12 and the aside about bread illustrates why the disciples misunderstood Him. He said to beware the faithlessness and corruption (fermentation/decay/”yeast”) of the religious establishment that would eventually swallow Him. Also, Mark 8:15 is a good way to remember the two main ways Gnosticism manifests itself: 1) If the body were worthless, and only the spirit mattered, then the ascetic self-denial of some of the Pharisees would make sense 2) If what is done with the body did not matter, and only the spirit mattered, then the wantonness of the Herodians would make sense. Legalism and Gnosticism were two big issues Paul had to correct churches about in his letters.

8:18 “fail to see” These words are a theme in Mark.

8:23 This two-step healing mirrors the disciples’ difficulty with understanding Jesus’ mission. It is the sort of thing Matthew would have just reported the end result of to prevent misunderstandings about the level of Jesus’ power. Also, by curing people’s blindness with different methods in the same gospel (Mark 10:52), Jesus taught us not to argue over or stress out over comparing our individual experiences with the Holy Spirit with those of other believers.

8:24 Someone is starting to see. See Mark 8:29.

8:25 See Mark 6:5. The healings seen in this gospel are according to a person’s faith in Jesus. The blind man’s faith grew as he experienced Jesus’ goodness. Persist in prayer (Luke 18:1-8). This does not mean that failure to recover is your fault (2 Corinthians 12:6-10) or that you should avoid medical help (1 Timothy 5:23, Luke was a physician).

8:26 Silence protected him from the Pharisees (John 12:9-11).

8:29 The disciples were starting to see.

8:31 Prediction #1.

8:32 Pete meant well and had grown up with Isaiah 9:7.

8:33 The disciples couldn’t see well after all.

8:34-35 Have you realized that Jesus died the death that sin deserves, even yours (Luke 23:41-43), and asked Him to save you? If you have, you have done this. See Galatians 2:20. We already followed Him to our execution. If you try to save your own life (if you try to be your own savior), you will fail. Remember the slow march to the grave and increasing debilitation showcased in Ecclesiastes 12? There are people that seem to skip that. There are people that the world thinks have life figured out. It looks good until they die, but everybody dies. Jesus’ life is eternal; eternal life has no beginning and no end. You need His life (Colossians 3:4, John 14:6, John 11:25-26).

8:36-37 like Psalm 49:7.

8:38 like the whoring adulteress metaphors of Isaiah 1, Hosea 2, Ezekiel 16, Isaiah 57, etc. Believer, you’re not a part of that “generation”; those people thought Jesus was a demoniac (John 7:20). Confusing good and evil to that extent was central to our discussion of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit in Matthew 12. Jesus called them sons of the devil in John 8:44.

9:1 Everyone but Judas was around for Acts 2:33. Peter, James, and John even got to see Him in His Son of Man form in the next story.

9:2 Peter (2 Peter 1:16-18), James, and John got a mountaintop experience with God like Moses in Exodus 24 and Elijah in 1 Kings 19.

9:3 This brief description doesn’t sound as otherworldly as He looks in Daniel 7:9 and Revelation 1. This is reminiscent of Moses’ glow in Exodus 34:29-25.

9:4 Yay Moe! Moses finally set foot in the Promised Land, and law-keeping didn’t get him there. Stick with Jesus.

9:5 Don’t equate Him with human religious leaders. Pete just said stuff sometimes (Mark 9:6). I’m kidding (a little); Pete knew the Torah. Moses’s glow was in Exodus 34, and the building materials for the Tabernacle are in Exodus 35. However, the New is not a rehash of the Old. Our brother Pete and the Jerusalem Church held onto a deep reverence for the Law of Moses to the extent that Paul had to dial him back (Galatians 2:11-16).

9:6 Sometimes, Pete just says things.

9:7 See Exodus 40:34-38 and Deuteronomy 18:15.

9:8 Symbolically, out of the Law, the Prophets, and Jesus, Jesus remains (Luke 16:16).

9:11 in Malachi 4:5-6.

9:12 like in Isaiah 53.

9:17-18 The spirit caused the boy’s muteness, but that does not mean that the spirit itself was mute. The apostles had been given authority over demons (Mark 3:15, Mark 6:7, Mark 6:13), but He is better (like in 2 Kings 4:31-37).

9:19 like Exodus 32:9 and Deuteronomy 32:5.

9:22 Typical evil spirit behavior like in Matthew 8:32. We treat idols like this (Exodus 32:20), so the devil tries to do the same thing.

9:23 “If” He can? In Mark, Jesus takes offense at the idea He can’t or won’t help.

9:24 This is an excellent attitude to have.

9:25 In addition to this spirit that causes deafness and muteness that has maybe held its peace so far that will shriek in a totally non-contradictory manner in Mark 9:26 upon being cast out, think of the Golden Calf, Psalm 115:5-8, Psalm 135:16-18, etc. The “never enter him again” bit is unique to Mark.

9:29 Some manuscripts say “prayer and fasting” to emphasize Jesus’ similarity to Moses in intercession (Deuteronomy 9:18-21). Salvation comes through knowing Christ, not performing works. God is kind, so healing can happen sometimes even if the healer is not right with Him. Some things like exorcisms, prophecies like John 11:51, or miracles can happen through an office or through mere use of the Name. Others require prayer (a relationship). The Jews in Matthew 7:22 did the first kind and the Acts 19 Scevites attempted the second kind without apostolic authority (Matthew 10:1, Mark 3:15) or the protection He gives us (1 John 5:18).

9:31 Prediction #2.

9:35 Jesus is first (Philippians 2:6-11) and we’re blessed to be along for the ride.

9:38-40 This question was in response to the lesson about welcoming people in Mark 9:37. See Numbers 11:26-29. These people in Mark were not opposed to Jesus, they were just not with the official group signified by the “us”. The Pharisees in Matthew 12:30 and Luke 11:23 were opposed to Jesus, and that’s a different scenario. You will likely disagree with your brothers and sisters in Christ about many things (pet doctrines, worship styles, etc.); accepting them with “they’re a little confused, but they have the Spirit” is better than the factionalism of Galatians 5:20. Faith in Christ is paramount.

9:39 It might not work out the way they planned, either (Acts 19:11-20).

9:42-47 See the notes for Matthew 18:7-9 and Matthew 5:29-30.

9:48 See Isaiah 66:22-24 for the worms and fire.

9:49 Salt is a preservative. It symbolized permanence. Looking at the verse above this, they will be “preserved” forever in fire. Other candidates for meaning include Malachi 3:2-3 as ancient metal refining techniques involved salt and a sacrifice metaphor like Leviticus 2:13 plus Romans 12:1.

10:1 “across the Jordan” into Herod Antipas’ jurisdiction.

10:2 They were trying to set Him up like John the Baptist (Mark 6:18).

10:3 Jesus’ Torah mastery is another Messiah proof. Christians are dead to the Law of Moses (Romans 7:4, Titus 3:9).

10:4-9 See Matthew 5:32 note, Matthew 19:1-3 notes, and Matthew 19:8-10 notes.

10:11-12 Herod Antipas had been married to the daughter of the king of Nabatea. However, after staying with his brother Herod II, he fell in love with his brother’s wife Herodias, and she agreed to leave her husband for him. (She was also a granddaughter of Herod the Great.) Herod Antipas divorced his wife, and after she returned to her father’s court there was eventually a war. Josephus, in Antiquities of the Jews (Book 18, chapter 5, paragraph 4), said that Herodias "divorced herself from her husband while he was alive" for those that like extra-biblical confirmation of historical details. When Jesus said in Matthew 5:32, “But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery,” realize that no woman divorced a husband in the ancient world to go find herself and stay single. Women had few economic prospects apart from a man. Jesus saying marrying a divorced woman is adultery is in regard to the scenario of getting a woman to divorce her husband (per Roman law) for the purpose of marrying her like Herod Antipas did. Any cast-off victims are freed by their partners' breach of contract and can remarry.

10:13-14 This was like the blessings in Genesis 48. Jesus is not creepy. The disciples forgot Matthew 18:2-5. They also forgot the message of “Jesus Loves Me”: “...little ones to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong…” This is the childlike weakness/lowliness/humility He said is necessary. The New Covenant depends on His obedience; not mine. Give up and trust Him. Also, note the “indignant” that is not in the Matthew 19 version.

10:15 See Psalm 131.

10:17 Based on his attributes in Matthew 19, Mark 10, and Luke 18, this man is often called the Rich Young Ruler. Notice the wording: “teacher” like a human you can study to be like, “what must I do” puts the onus on the asker to produce, “to inherit eternal life” which was already anticipated in Judaism (Daniel 12:2) even before Christianity. Psalm 49:8-9 already said you cannot buy eternal life. Works don’t work (Isaiah 57:12, Isaiah 64:6). Maxing out Daniel 4:27 is not enough. It’s like the man saw Jesus as a person who was going to Heaven and wanted to emulate Him and walk through the pearly gates on his own merit like a co-Jesus, which smells a lot like the “thank you for forgiving my past sins, but now I have to keep short accounts with God and crank out corporal works of mercy with my own strength” crowd now. If he had asked “How do I get eternal life?” the answer would have been more like John 6:28-29, Romans 10:9, Acts 16:31, etc. See Romans 10:1-4.

10:18 See Romans 3:19-20, Ecclesiastes 7:20, Psalm 14, and Psalm 53.

10:19 The flowery principle of “love your neighbor as yourself” is stated succinctly for a Gentile audience here as “don’t cheat people”. David killed thousands of people (1 Samuel 18:7), and that’s fine (1 Kings 15:5). A character on “Firefly”, Captain Mal Reynolds, once explained this sort of being neighborly by playing by the same rules by saying, “You don't know me, son, so let me explain this to you once: If I ever kill you, you'll be awake. You'll be facing me, and you'll be armed.”

10:20-21 While his wealth is also pointed out, the man was rich in good works. Jesus loved him enough to spare him the delusion that his efforts could ever be adequate (Isaiah 57:12). Some Pharisees even applied some priest rules to themselves for bonus points, but Deuteronomy 10:9 called their bluff. Based on Isaiah 58:7-10, Ezekiel 18:7,22, the offer to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:27, Psalm 112:9, Proverbs 10:2, and Proverbs 11:4-8 regarding “righteousness” (tzedakah, charity, gifts for the poor) we see alms righteousness or “treasure in Heaven” further developed in Tobit 4 and Sirach 29 on its way to Jesus’ teachings about the Law. Properly keeping Deuteronomy 15:7-11 amidst the poverty they experienced under occupation (Isaiah 58:10’s “spending themselves”) would have taken everything they had. Paul dismissed this performance-based approach entirely in Philippians 3:4-9. God does this for us (Romans 8:32). Only Jesus gave enough (Philippians 2:6-8), and only Jesus had anything worth giving; we rely on Christ’s righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). You don’t get an inheritance by working; you get it because Someone died. Also, any works He likes, He did through you (Ecclesiastes 3:14). However, even the commandment to “sell your possessions” seen here is nuanced. Even the apostles’ calling was just an issue of focus: they still had houses to throw dinner parties in (Matthew 9:10), fishing businesses to resume (John 21:3), etc. No one actually gave up everything but Jesus (2 Corinthians 8:9). There are people that insist they are followers of Jesus Christ, but being carried by Him is the only way to go.

Since a Jewish “ruler” interested in eternal life would have logically been a Pharisee member of the Sanhedrin, I propose that this was not the end of this man’s story. A disciple of Jesus fitting this profile appears abruptly in the story in Mark 15:43: Joseph of Arimathea. Joseph gave his grave to Jesus, as do all Christians (John 11:25-26, Romans 5:6-8) in a way.

10:22 There is nothing we can do (Ephesians 2:8-9). Be like the small child in Mark 10:14-15. See 1 Peter 5:6.

10:23-26 People were accustomed to thinking of the rich as righteous since God had chosen to bless them. That’s why the disciples asked who can be saved instead of assuming that the poor could.

10:27 Jesus admitted that following Him is impossible. Instead, trust Him (Romans 4:5) to save you. The only way to Heaven is attached to Him (John 17:20-23). Nothing is too hard for Him (Genesis 18:14).

10:29 Birth families provided peer pressure to stay with the Temple system and the synagogues instead of leaving all of that for Jesus.

10:30 See Daniel 7:18 and Revelation 21:14. Even a cup of water (Matthew 10:42) gets rewarded, after all. But again, instead of hundreds of cups of water, it’s just simplified to co-owning the universe with Jesus (Galatians 4:7).

10:31 As we discussed with regard to what Matthew 8:10-12 says, the Gentiles came to believe in Christ more readily than the “firstborn” (Exodus 4:22) Chosen People.

10:33-34 Prediction #3.

10:35 Not their mother this time (Matthew 20:20).

10:36 Notice He didn’t automatically rule out doing whatever they requested. He’s generous. Requests for salvation are granted (Romans 10:13).

10:37 See verse 40 note.

10:39 They did drink from His cup at the Lord’s Supper, and later they were baptized with the Holy Spirit (like us).

10:40 See Mark 15:27.

10:41 More anger and jealousy; only Jesus kept Matthew 5:48.

10:42-44 Even this is old; see 1 Kings 12:7 and Ezekiel 21:25-26. See John 13.

10:45 See Isaiah 53:10-12.

10:46-47 See 1 Samuel 16:23 and Isaiah 35:5 for why Bart knew this would work. The crowd was large because of the Passover pilgrims.

10:52 The disciples couldn’t see that Jesus would die and rise, and two stories of blindness being healed bookend the predictions.

11:1 Regarding the Mount of Olives, David followed this route when he left Jerusalem in 2 Samuel 15:23-30. See also Ezekiel 11:23 and Zechariah 14:4. Jesus ascended to Heaven from it in Luke and Acts. He’s coming back to it when He returns ( Acts 1:9-12).

11:2 like a consecrated Old Testament sacrificial animal that had never been yoked.

11:7-8 See 2 Kings 9:13.

11:9-10 The people saw a reference to Zechariah 9, so they expected to see judgment on their enemies coming posthaste. Most of the crowd probably didn’t comprehend the expression of praise “Hosanna” or “Save” in terms of eternal salvation from sin and death; “Save us from the Romans” would have been a popular sentiment. See Psalm 118:25-26.

11:12-14 Here’s what I call another “sign of Jonah”. Remember God killing a plant in Jonah 4 to teach a lesson? Jesus didn’t find the Jeremiah 24 good figs in Jerusalem (Micah 7:1-2, Hosea 9:10) much like the scenario in Jeremiah 8:4-13 which preceded the fall of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC. This is not surprising, because the Law made no one perfect (Hebrews 7:19); the Old had to be set aside (Hebrews 8:13). The withering of the tree that symbolized the religious establishment of the day sandwiches the Temple cleansing in Mark, emphasizing the meaning of the symbolism.

11:15-16 See Zechariah 14:21. The family of (Sadducee) High Priests Annas and Caiphas owned this operation. The “money changers” exchanged the approved sanctuary shekel (Numbers 3:47) for currency with faces of emperors on it. After all, those guys claimed to be gods, and that made the coins graven images. There was a hefty mark-up for this service, as well as for fulfilling Deuteronomy 14:24-26. Doves were the approved offering for the poor (Leviticus 5:7), and that was a source of profit as well. Remember how the minor prophets partly attributed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple to ripping off the poor? The events of 70 AD rhymed with the events of 586 BC. Right sacrifices and a desire to avoid the trappings of idolatry were fine, but exploiting people, blocking the Gentile court, etc., were not.

11:17 Isaiah 56:7 plus Jeremiah 7:11. Mark kept the “for all nations” bit from Isaiah 56:7 in.

11:18 Think about Jeremiah’s message about the Temple in Jeremiah 26. Jesus got a similar response.

11:21 Why did it wither slowly in this account, you may ask? Because the Temple didn’t fall until 70 AD. As the earliest gospel, this symbolism would have mattered to Mark’s audience. It was omitted in works that were released to the public closer to or after when Jerusalem was sacked.

11:22-23 The mountain they stood on was the Temple Mount itself; with faith, the Old Covenant is set aside (Hebrews 8:13). This also looks like an application of Psalm 115:16.

11:24-25 If it’s His will, that is (1 John 5:14). Saying this in this location seems to emphasize what we talked about in 2 Chronicles 6: the “whatever” people were asking for in connection to the Temple was probably forgiveness. See Proverbs 11:17. Mercy, pity, compassion, and kindness are all signified by this wording. The principle of karma can already be seen in Obadiah 15 and Habakkuk 2:8. Adding the command to love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:17-18) to God’s exclusive right to vengeance (Deuteronomy 32:35, Leviticus 19:18) gets us to this notion that was already a part of contemporary Judaism (Sirach 28:2): they could expect the same quantity and quality of mercy from God that they had given to those made in His Image. Ouch. Imagine all the people that have a hard time forgiving, like those who have been molested or abused. Then, realize that only Jesus forgives perfectly, so only He merits anything under the Law. Then, you can back up and re-realize that Jesus forgives you perfectly (Isaiah 53:5, Luke 23:34), and you can breathe a sigh of relief. Also, for those attempting to follow Jesus’ teachings about Judaism, in Matthew 18:21-35 and Luke 17:3-4 mercy is directed toward the contrite. Expecting blanket goodwill from you would be equivalent to expecting Universalism from God. For the Christian, Colossians 3 and Ephesians 4 tell us to forgive because we’re already totally forgiven people. Therefore, if (no, when) we mess that up, there’s no hellfire waiting. The behavior instructions in the New Testament encourage us to live up to our new identities as children of God; we share His nature now. There is such an earthly state as being saved and miserable (Galatians 5:17), and consistently acting out of character will not sit right with that new heart of yours. Forgiveness isn’t “stay to be abused some more” but letting go of the need to get even and moving forward. That can include healthy boundaries, distance, etc. See 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15 to understand that you can totally shun someone and not be at odds with God about it.

11:27-28 Rabbis could only re-interpret Scripture with the support of sponsoring rabbis that had been granted that authority themselves.

11:29-33 Jesus beat them at their own game.

12:1 For context, please read Isaiah 5. Yes, all of it. It’s short. The first seven verses said that the events of 586 BC were coming, and the rest of it explained why. The events of 70 AD rhymed with the events of 586 BC. Also, if landlording was evil by default, Jesus would have picked a different example.

12:2-5 See Matthew 23:29-38.

12:8 shows the “tenants” rejecting the Body of Christ, us, after killing Him. Matthew 21:39 and Luke 20:15 reflect Jesus being crucified outside the city (Hebrews 13:11-13).

12:10-11 See Psalm 118:22-23.

12:13 The Pharisees and Herodians hated each other. They must have really hated Jesus if they were willing to work together.

12:14 Notice, they praised His integrity and then tried to get Him to “keep it real” to His own detriment.

12:15-17 The coin looked like Caesar, but Caesar (like all humanity) was made in the Image of God (Genesis 1:27), to Whom we owe everything (1 Corinthians 4:7). He already owns everything (Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 10:14), so we have nothing to give Him except gratitude (Hebrews 13:15-16) and living unto Him (Romans 12:1), which is the only fulfilling way of life for a saint anyway.

12:18 See 1 Corinthians 15; eternal life is not just more of the same. There were hints at the afterlife throughout the Old Testament: Daniel 12:2-3, Isaiah 26:19, Ezekiel 37, Psalm 16:10-11, Psalm 6:5, Psalm 115:17, Job 19:25-27…

12:19 in Deuteronomy 25:5.

12:20-23 This resembles the plot of Tobit. They were well-educated; they just didn’t believe.

12:24-27 They claimed that only the first five books of the Bible were canonical, so He used an example (Exodus 3:6) from those books to instruct them. He meets us where we are. Saying “I am the God…” is like saying that “I am still the God…” as opposed to “I was the God…”. Jesus spoke of Jacob rather than Israel; He’s our God before we get our act together, too. For another deuterocanonical text these Sadducees might have been familiar with, see 4 Maccabees 7:19 and 4 Maccabees 16:25. Also, see the Luke 20:34-36 note.

12:28 Since laws conflicted with each other (like when the eighth day for circumcision landed on the Sabbath), there had been a long-running debate about how to weigh/rank laws. Jesus affirmed the general principle of these decisions (like using pikuach nefesh to lie to prevent murder like the midwives in Exodus, etc.) when He said Matthew 23:2-3 and in His defenses of healing on the Sabbath. Luke 10:25-28 records an incident earlier in Jesus’ ministry in which he approved the Hillel position reiterated in Matthew 22:37-40. Jesus’ innovation was teaching that everyone (Luke 10:36-37) can be a “neighbor”, even the hated Samaritans, Roman centurions begging for a miracle, etc., Jesus sat at the feet of neither teacher; when teaching Judaism to Jews, He frequently took a Hillelite stance but notably agreed with Shammai on Deuteronomy 24 divorces.

12:29-30 This would have prevented Adam’s sin.

12:31 This would have prevented Cain’s sin.

Reality check: So all I have to do is love God every minute, with every thought, with every ounce of strength I have while valuing every other human’s well-being as highly as my own in every situation unwaveringly? I would like grace, please and thanks (Mark 10:27, Romans 4:4-5).

12:32-33 This is still not the New Covenant (1 Samuel 15:22, Hosea 6:6); this is still John the Baptist’s Minimal-Temple-Establishment™ Judaism.

12:34 “not far” is still not far enough (Mark 10:27). The lack of future questioning is in the larger context of Him having beaten the traps from the various sects.

12:35 in Psalm 110:1.

12:36 By being fully God and fully human born as a descendant of David. See Isaiah 9:6, 2 Samuel 7:16, Isaiah 11:1, and Jeremiah 23:5. Knowing that Jesus is God and Jesus is a fully human descendant of David defeats the heresies we’ll see addressed tangentially in the Epistles. Adoptionism denied the pre-existence of Christ; it said that Jesus was born merely human but was later "adopted" or chosen by God to become the Son of God at some point in his life, usually during his baptism. That is false, because He wouldn’t have been around for David to call Him Lord. Docetism taught that Jesus only appeared to be human rather than wear filthy flesh and that his physical body was an illusion. Docetism was a precursor to Gnosticism and is a logical result of Platonism’s spirit-good-matter-bad outlook. Why would a hologram of a descendant of David be different from any other phantom? Real Jesus (that has really existed since before the universe we live in was created) really bled real blood and really died for a few days. See 1 John 1:1, Leviticus 17:11, and Hebrews 9:22.

12:39 See Luke 14:7-11.

12:40 See Proverbs 30:11-14.

12:41-44 Plenty of pastors will tell you how admirable the widow was for putting all she had to live on into the Temple treasury. Notice that this story happened right after Jesus condemned those who take widow’s houses and right before Jesus predicted the destruction of the Temple. If someone wearing the equivalent of a Rolex asks you for money for their ministry, do not give them your rent money.

13:1-2 The Western or Wailing Wall is just part of the platform the Temple stood on. This threat was always on the table (Leviticus 26:31-32). This is a continuation of Mark 12:40. See the entirety of Jeremiah 7.

13:3 It’s time for the Olivet Discourse.

13:4 All of Jesus’ remarks here are pointed at the two questions “when” and “what” as they are phrased in Mark (compared to Matthew 24), in case apparent differences with accounts in the other gospels are of interest to you.

13:6 There were many Jewish insurrections against the Romans, and more than a few involved Messiah claimants (Acts 5:36-38). About a hundred years after Jesus said this, a man that rabbis claimed was the Messiah named Simon bar Kokhba led a failed revolt against the Roman Empire. Jews were banished from Jerusalem and the region was renamed for their ancestral enemies the Philistines: “Palestine”. The early Church had maintained a closer relationship with Judaism to utilize their exemption from worshiping the emperor, but Christianity started forgetting its roots after the Bar Kokhba revolt; distance from Judaism became politically expedient.

13:7 See Jeremiah 51:46 and Ezekiel 7:26.

13:8 See Acts 11:28 and Acts 16:26. Luke 21:11 includes “pestilences” like the plague in Rome in 65 AD and “great signs from Heaven” like Halley’s Comet (described as a sword in the sky) in 66 AD. Birth pangs increase in frequency and severity. He said the birth pangs were beginning. We’ve been in the end times since the advent of Jesus. More people died of famine and war in the 20th century than were alive on Earth when He gave the Olivet Discourse.

13:14 See 2 Chronicles 33:7, Daniel 9:27, Daniel 11:31, Daniel 12:11, and Ecclesiastes 1:9. Prophecies can be reused, like the sign child during Isaiah’s lifetime and our Immanuel, Jesus. Jesus is a new David, so Paul’s “man of lawlessness” in 2 Thessalonians 2 having historical antecedents should surprise few. Jesus referenced events Daniel described (that line up with the reign of Antiochus IV “Epiphanes”) that were familiar to His Jewish audience to teach by comparison, much like a parable. Luke 21:20 identifies this abomination as armies surrounding Jerusalem. They carried graven images of eagles (aquila) and served a government that had looted the Temple treasury. He told them to flee (like Jeremiah 51:45) to the mountains (Ezekiel 7:16) because Rome had the other ways blocked. Merely saying this many things that sounded like the prophets that predicted the events of 586 BC would have been a big hint that something similar was coming. People that believed what Jesus said bugged out to Pella in 66 AD before the internecine infighting, siege, and eventual destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple that we covered in the historical material before we started Matthew.

13:17 A sentiment similar to Jeremiah 16:1-4.

13:19 A colloquialism like “you ain’t seen nothing yet”; see Daniel 12:1 and Joel 2:2. In 64 AD, the Roman governor released many prisoners, swelling the ranks of Zealot factions. Then, various factions fought over Jerusalem. The years leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple were marked by infighting, murder, theft, rape and other sex crimes, etc., per Josephus’ “The War of the Jews” (or The Jewish War, depending on your public domain text source) Book 4, Chapter 9, Section 10. Subsequently, Rome intervened to restore order. Passover pilgrims and Zealots/refugees from Galilee got stuck in Jerusalem during the siege (like Ezekiel 22:19-22), so about 1.1 million Jews died. It was never equaled again because the Temple was gone and the Old Covenant was already over, despite debate about kill totals closer to our time.

13:20 Abe’s progeny (Deuteronomy 7:6) still exist. The elect are the “chosen people”.

13:21-23 See Acts 21:38.

13:24-26 What do Babylon in Isaiah 13:9-13, Egypt in Ezekiel 32:7-8, and the nations of the world in Isaiah 34:4 have in common? See also Joel 2:31 and Joel 3:15. Besides this rhetoric signifying The Day of the Lord with accompanying judgment and destruction and sharav (dust cloud that turns the skies red/dark) suggesting a new season, Genesis 1:16-18 makes these heavenly bodies a handy metaphor for government. There’s a new star in the sky in this story, much like at Jesus’ birth, so to speak. The old Temple authorities were no more. The bad shepherds were out, and the Good Shepherd was the only option. To see Him coming on the clouds of heaven is to realize that Jesus is the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of lords, as seen in Daniel 7:13-14. He told them what would happen, and it did, supporting His claim to the throne. He reiterated this claim in Mark 14:62-64.

13:27 “angels” means “messengers”; make of that what you will regarding the Great Commission. Think of Deuteronomy 30:4 plus Isaiah 27:13. The sending is the point of the verse; the gathering is in the future relative to that, so it still slides in within the “this generation” of verse 30. Thankfully for us Gentiles, this gathering takes a while to complete (Romans 11:25-26).

13:30 It sure sounds like roughly a forty year window from the early thirties AD. The word “generation” is the same as in the genealogy verses like Matthew 1:17, not races or people groups.

13:31 See Isaiah 40:8.

13:32 “that day” God submitting Himself to human limitations (Philippians 2:6-8, Hebrews 4:15) before the Resurrection is the miracle we celebrate at Christmas. Jesus got thirsty and tired (John 4:6), slept (Matthew 8:24), and learned things (Luke 2:52). God is all-knowing, and each divine Person in the Trinity has a different role; the Son is naturally deferential to the Father (Acts 1:7).

13:34 “like” Jesus used a simile about preparedness that lasts through verse 37.

13:35 The disciples failed (Mark 14:41) when they tried. These time periods are evocative of the four Roman night watches. The owner returning is part of the simile.

13:36 No matter how much meth the literalists consume to try to obey, I bet they still end up sleeping some. The owner returning is part of the simile.

13:37 Just like the servants in the simile need to be watchful for the return of their owner, the first century Jewish disciples that Jesus instructed needed to be alert so that the events of 70 AD would not be a surprise to them. Mark 13:14-20 is still the context. As for being ready for the return of Christ, believers are ready (1 John 4:17, Ephesians 3:12) because He’s already here with us (Matthew 28:20, 1 Corinthians 6:17, 2 John 2). You will be as safe as Jesus on Judgment Day (Hebrews 7:25).

14:1 The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread are described in Exodus 12:12-28. Sometimes, these get lumped together and called “Passover”. Numbers 28:16-24 and Luke 22:1 are examples. This is how Jesus and His disciples ate “Passover” (or eretz Peshach, depending on whom you ask) together, and yet Jesus died as the Passover lambs were being slain (John 19:14-16) and the Jewish leaders were anxious about being able to eat the Passover (John 18:28).

14:3 Anointing a guest with oil was thought to counteract the effects of the sun and it was scented to smell nice. The Messiah or the Christ means The Anointed One. Rulers smelled royal and rich (Psalm 45:7-8). The holy anointing oil was used for new beginnings like commissioning a prophet (1 Kings 19:16), priest (Leviticus 4:3), or king (1 Samuel 10:1, 1 Samuel 16:13). David was recorded as anointed three times (as future king in 1 Samuel 16:13, King of Judah in 2 Samuel 2:4, and King of all Israel in 2 Samuel 5:3). Likewise, Jesus was anointed three times; there is no need to reconcile these accounts into one event. Jesus’ head (Matthew, Mark) or feet (Luke, John) were anointed by an unknown sinful woman up in Galilee (Luke 7) at a Pharisee’s house, another sinful woman in Bethany at Simon the leper’s house (Matthew 26, Mark 14), and Mary (John 12) at Lazarus’ house.

14:7 This is a quote of Deuteronomy 15:11 rather than callous disregard for their plight. You can help them because you want to (2 Corinthians 9:7).

14:9 but not this one’s name.

14:12 The first day is yeast removal day. Mark said the Festival of Unleavened Bread was “when” the Passover lamb was sacrificed (like Luke 22:1) to draw a parallel between it and Jesus for his Gentile audience (1 Corinthians 5:6-8). See the Mark 14:1 note for clarification.

For several Communion-related topics, see Matthew 26:26-28 note.

14:18 See Psalm 41:9.

14:24 See Exodus 24:8.

14:25 See Isaiah 25:6. Given Jesus’ habits so far and the timing of this statement, this is more of another death prediction than an impromptu Nazirite vow. He is with us (Matthew 18:20) as well as united with us, and we are raised and seated in Heaven with Him even now (Ephesians 2:6), so you may have had a few drinks with Him at Communion or otherwise already.

14:26 The hymn was likely Psalm 113 through Psalm 118.

14:27 See Zechariah 13:7.

14:33 “deeply distressed and troubled” Remember how close the emotions are to the surface in Mark when we get to Luke, so you can see how Luke mostly de-emphasized Jesus’ horror and the Psalm 22 references to appeal to readers with values shaped by Greek philosophy.

14:35-36 The cup is one of judgment and death, as in Isaiah 51:17-23 and Jeremiah 25:15-38. In this Garden, the new Adam obeyed (Romans 5, 1 Corinthians 15). See Matthew 6:10. Also, Jesus asks for this three times between here and verse 44, in case anyone is superstitious about praying for the same thing more than once.

14:37 Luke 22:45 says they were exhausted from sorrow.

14:38 “temptation” to break their word from verse 31. See Luke 22:31-32; He prays for us too (Hebrews 7:25).

14:41 The KJV’s “Sleep on now and take your rest” sounds like the irritated Jesus seen often in Mark.

14:44 like betrayal with a kiss in 2 Samuel 20:9-10 and identification of a king in 1 Samuel 10:1.

14:51-52 This story is unique to Mark. Leaving all to follow Jesus became leaving all to flee. There has been speculation as to the young man’s identity (perhaps Mark). You can contrast this verse with the linen of Mark 15:46 and the heavenly attire of Mark 16:5. Jesus traded a shroud for Transfiguration garb (Mark 9:3). You can also look at this verse along with Mark 13:37 and Revelation 16:15 to emphasize readiness. I favor this explanation: This took place in the Garden of Gethsemane; remember the nudity and leaving caused by sin in the Garden of Eden story? Jesus was about to correct all of that (Galatians 3:27).

14:56 See Deuteronomy 17:6.

14:58 See Jeremiah 26:7-24, John 2:19-21, Daniel 2:34-35, and 1 Peter 2:4-10.

14:61 like Isaiah 53:7.

14:62 See Exodus 3:14, Daniel 7:13-14, and Psalm 110:1. They “saw” Him take the throne when they saw the evidence of His predictions coming true, the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, etc. Everyone will see Him at the end, too.

14:63 See Leviticus 21:10.

14:65 See Isaiah 50:6.

14:71 “call down curses, and he swore to them” Denying his Master to the point of even taking false oaths in God’s Name would have been seen by a first century audience as betrayals rivaling Judas’.

15:7 While referring to the “Thief on the Cross” Jesus talked to in Luke 23 is accurate and commonly used, don’t forget that he was a killer who had tried to overthrow Roman rule in Judea. He was one of the bandits/insurrectionists that is seen jailed here with Barabbas. “Barabbas” means “son of the father”; he was charged with participating in an insurrection (Mark 15:7, Luke 23:19) similar to what Jesus’ accusers pinned on Him (John 19:12). Jesus died for my sins and I walk free.

15:15 See Isaiah 53:5-6. Flogging meant being stripped and beaten with a many-tailed-whip-like “scourge” that would “inquire deeply” into your flesh with metal barbs. There was no 39 or 40 lash limit for the Romans; some people died from the beating or bled out later.

15:16 Elements of this next bit were meant as a parody of an enthronement ceremony or triumph for an emperor.

15:17 See Matthew 27:28 note.

15:21 This would have been after Jesus, fully human, was too exhausted to carry it anymore. Tiring the convict out so they were easier to nail down was part of the punishment. The Romans (and other cultures before them they had learned from) crucified thousands of people, sometimes lining major roads with victims. They were proficient at the procedure by then. Rufus gets a shout-out in Romans 16:13.

15:23 See Psalm 69:21. This beverage was also meant to make nailing Him to a cross easier. See also Proverbs 31:6.

15:24 See Psalm 22. This verse specifically references Psalm 22:18, but you may as well have all of it in mind when reading about the Crucifixion.

15:25 Sacrifices are at nine in the morning and three in the afternoon.

15:26 Perhaps the sign differs among the gospels because it was in three languages (John 19:20).

15:27-32 The scene was meant to suggest Jesus and His royal entourage as an object lesson to anyone thinking of defying Rome.

Crucifixion displayed how helpless anyone opposing Rome (or God) is. Think you’re powerful? A nude mocked public spectacle tied up or nailed up incapable of fighting the birds, dogs, and insects eating their flesh and, eventually, controlling their own bladder and bowels disagreed with any previously-held pride. It is really hard to crucify yourself. After you got one hand/wrist nailed, how would you do the other one? Thankfully, this was already done to us and for us. God didn’t recruit us because He needs us (Acts 17:25) or because He thought we’d be good at fixing the world (Ephesians 2:4-9). We realized we couldn’t save ourselves and we asked Him to do it for us. We are crucified with Christ (Romans 6:6, Galatians 2:20); this is our Declaration of Helplessness. You already died. Believers are said to “sleep” until He returns (1 Thessalonians 4), but you are done with dying (Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 9:27, Luke 20:36).

He died for your sins, yes, but look past the accounting and see that He died for you. God loves you and wants to spend eternity with you, and He was willing to do whatever it took for that to happen.

15:32 One of them notably repented as seen in Luke. Notice that what was said here was a (logically unanswered) prayer for Jesus to prove Himself in a way contrary to His will. You are free to make your requests, but sometimes the answer is contentment in your circumstances (Philippians 4:13).

15:33 Sacrifices are at nine in the morning and three in the afternoon. This Jeremiah 15:9-like darkness was not an eclipse; those are eight minutes at the most around a New Moon. Passover is celebrated on a Full Moon. This was Exodus 10:22 spookiness. See Amos 8:9 and Jeremiah 33:20-21; the Levites are set aside, as we’ll discuss in Hebrews.

15:34 Jesus quoted Psalm 22:1. That Psalm hints about His crucifixion and His later world domination. God doesn’t abandon us (Hebrews 13:5) and He didn’t abandon Jesus (John 8:28-29); Jesus called God Father elsewhere, but on the Cross Jesus voluntarily became Sin for us so that we became the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).

15:35 like Malachi 4:5.

15:36 like Psalm 69:21.

15:37 John 19:30 tells us that what He said was “It is finished”. See Hebrews 9:16-28. The same word was used for “will”, “testament, and “covenant”. The Old Covenant began with animal sacrifices and sprinkling blood on the people. The New Covenant began at Jesus’ death. The fancy mostly-blank piece of paper saying “The New Testament” belongs at this point in the story in all four gospels.

15:38 See Isaiah 25:7. The curtain kept humanity’s unholiness away from God; after Jesus finished His work (John 1:29, John 19:30) there was no need for it. Also, fathers would tear their garments upon hearing of the deaths of their children (Job 1:20).

15:39 The Gentile believed more easily than His own people. The centurion got the point of the book (Mark 1:1, 1 John 4:15). Culturally, he was accustomed to stories of divine humans and emperor worship, so imagine his horror at realizing their parody of a Roman triumph really was the Messiah’s enthronement.

Mark 16 – Many people know that Jesus died for their sins. If being forgiven were all that was needed, His death would have been enough. Few people know that believers already died with Christ (Galatians 2:20, Romans 6). You died with Him, and you were resurrected with Him (Colossians 2:11-12, Ephesians 2:5). Christ is your life (Colossians 3:4); this is how the promised New Covenant happened, this is how you have all that new good stuff inside you. He is not dying ever again, and neither are you (Galatians 2:20, Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 9:27, Luke 20:36). You are not auditioning or waiting around to see if you get eternal life (1 John 5:13); it has no beginning and no end – if you could lose it, it would not be eternal (Hebrews 10:14). Salvation is not a set of keys that can be misplaced; Salvation is a Person named Jesus Christ who holds you securely. He’s not going to leave you (Matthew 28:20). He’s got this all figured out.

16:1 Since Passover includes extra Sabbaths (Numbers 28:18,25), various timelines have been offered. Whether you’re into Good Friday or Holy Wednesday, you have verses like Hosea 6:2 or Exodus 19:10-11’s reckoning of what the “third day” means to support you. He got back up; let’s all get along.

16:8 This is unique to Mark. Some manuscripts end here, but the story isn’t over. Clearly they told someone; we have Christianity.

16:9 like in Matthew and John’s accounts of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances.

16:12 like in Luke 24:13-35.

16:14 lumping together the appearance to the Ten and Thomas’ remediation (John 20:19-29).

16:15-16 “all the world” See Isaiah 66:18-24. Colossians 1:23 says they satisfactorily completed it; by all means, keep evangelizing, but there is no obstacle to His return. To believe is to be baptized in the Spirit. See Galatians 3:2, Galatians 3:5, John 3:18, and John 6:28-29. See also the Matthew 28:19 note.

16:17-18 The Body of Christ as a whole witnesses (Romans 10:14-15), and we all have different spiritual gifts. Regarding the Psalm 91 and Luke 10:19 powers attached to the Great Commission, Paul fulfilled the snake thing for all of us in Acts 28:1-6. After the Good News of Jesus Christ made its way around (Colossians 1:23), the apostles mostly died as martyrs. One plants seeds and another harvests; people tend to need to hear about Jesus several times before a successful conversion. It’s a team effort and delivering the message is a success. The outcome is between them and God. Also, since the devil works in and through unbelievers (Ephesians 2:2) and illegally rules the world temporarily (See 2 Corinthians 4:4 – he rules openly in superstitious idolatrous lands and subtly among scientific self-worshipers), bringing a soul to Christ is just as much an exorcism (the evil one cannot touch them anymore – 1 John 5:18) as any in the Synoptics.

16:19 “After” forty more days (Acts 1:1-3).

As the New Covenant began at Jesus' death, and Luke starts before that, we're going back to the Old Covenant again:

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