What does Mark do?

Major themes

• Understanding who Jesus is (and is not)

• Cost of discipleship

  • #nocrossnochrist

• Jesus as both healer and teacher

• Secrecy out in the open

A very human Jesus

Mark is keen to display Jesus as an actual human. 

Jesus get tired, get hungry, eats, sleeps, is angry, shows emotion, prays and laments. 

Repeatedly he retreats to regain strength:

Mark 1:35       the outskirts of Capernaum

Mark 1:45 the wilderness place

Mark 3:7 the shores of Gennesaret

Mark 6:6 the villages of Galilee

Mark 6:31 the wilderness of Bethsaida

Mark 7:24 the borders of Tyre

Mark 8:27 the towns of Caesarea Philippi

Mark 9:2 the heights of Hermon

Mark 11:1 the town of Bethany

Mark 14:35    the garden of Gethsemane

Key example of the human Jesus in Mark

Mark 4:35 

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” 36 And leaving the crowd behind, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. Other boats were with him. 37 A great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. 38 But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” 39 He woke up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” Then the wind ceased, and there was a dead calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great awe and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?”

Messianic Secret

Mark's gospel was often thought of as a very 'simple' gospel. More like a reader's digest version of Matthew rather than a work of genius. 

One unique motif that indicated the complexity and brillaince of the gospel is the so called “messianic secret” theme. 

Jesus exercises great power and authority. Yet, as he does this he repeatedly gives orders to not spread news of his works. When someone correctly identifies who he is, Jesus gives orders not to tell others.

Happens all the way through the first half of the Gospel, appearing last at Mark 9:9 (after the transfiguration). 

Questions to consider:

Why does Jesus prohibit the demons from letting others know who he is (Mk 1:24–25, 34; 3:11–12)? 

Why does he prohibit his disciples from spreading the claim that he is the Christ (Mk 8:29–30) or from reporting the transfiguration (Mk 9:9)? 

Why does he command many who are healed or who see miracles not to tell anyone (Mk 1:44; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26)? 

Jesus tells the mourners at Jairus’s house that the child is not dead but only sleeping. Is this a similar move, perhaps attempting to minimise reports that he raised the girl from death to life (Mk 5:39)?