Biblical Resources: The Gospel of Mark

Jun 26

I love preaching through books of the Bible and sitting under preaching that preaches slowly and cohesively through a book of God's Word.

As I have studied the Gospel of Mark, helped writing a curriculum on it to help train pastors with Training Leaders International, and helped some of the pastors within our church study and preach the Gospel of Mark, here are several resources and some reflections for studying Mark.

PERSONAL REFLECTIONS ON MARK

My One Sentence Summary of Mark

Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God with divine authority, who brings God's kingdom through his suffering and resurrection and calls his disciples to imitate him.

Five Significant Themes throughout the Gospel of Mark

The Gospel
Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God
The Kingdom of God
Jesus's Authority
The Suffering of Jesus and His Disciples

Significant Passages throughout Mark

Mark 1:14-15: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 8:27-30: And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him.

Mark 8:31-38: And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”
Mark 10:42-45: And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Mark 12:28-31: And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

Mark 13:9-13: “But be on your guard. For they will deliver you over to councils, and you will be beaten in synagogues, and you will stand before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them. And the gospel must first be proclaimed to all nations. And when they bring you to trial and deliver you over, do not be anxious beforehand what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour, for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit. And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
Mark 14:60-62: And the high priest stood up in the midst and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer to make? What is it that these men testify against you?” But he remained silent and made no answer. Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”
Mark 15:37-39: And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Mark 16:4-7: And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.”

How to Study Mark

Mark is one of the four Gospels in the New Testament. There are a lot different ways to study a Gospel on your own or with a group.

Here are a few tips when studying Mark:

Remember that a Gospel is primarily about Jesus and secondarily about how to follow him
Ask the text questions
Don't neglect the context of passage
Mark has a purpose for writing his Gospel. Let him guide you, surprise you, and shape your understanding.
Study sections of the text in its natural divisions not necessarily just by chapters
Be aware that sometimes Gospel writer combines shorter accounts to make a larger point.
In a Gospel, often a main point is found in what someone says towards the end of the natural passage division
Pay attention to the immediate context of a parable, it will help you understand its main point.
Try to determine what Mark emphasizes in shorter accounts.
Don't disregard how Mark uses the OT.
Look for patterns in how Mark writes about Jesus.

How to Understand Mark

When studying any passage in the Bible, we as readers do not add meaning to the words of Scripture. Rather we discern what the author (human and divine) who wrote those words meant when they wrote them.

Interpreting in the Bible is like working out of muscle. It takes time, practice, and energy. It’s not gonna be natural or easy right away, but it will get easier and more clear as you do it more and more. Don’t lose heart in your effort to understand, God‘s word!

There are a few simple questions to ask each time you are reading Mark that will help you understand not only what the human author wrote but what God wrote through them.

(1) Principle 1: Study the Words of the Text.

Answer: What does this passage say?

(2) Principle 2: Identify the Meaning of the Text

Answer: What did the author originally mean when he wrote this passage?

(4) Principle 3: Treasure God’s self-revelation in the Text

Answer: What does this passage reveal about God / Jesus Christ

(4) Principle 4: Unify the truths of the text with the Bible

Answer: How does this passage fit into the Bible?

(5) Principle 5: Apply the author’s intended effect

Answer: How does this passage apply to the New Testament church?

When you’re looking for meaning, keep an eye out for specific words like “because” or “for” that provide the reason for an author’s argument. Additionally, be on the lookout for a few other keywords like “therefore” that provide a conclusion. If you want to find an author’s meaning, you have to pay attention to things like conjunctions, prepositions, and verbs.

Remember Mark is a literary work. There is something unique about encountering the whole work at one time. Don’t be afraid to try and read it all in one sitting.