Following Jesus in the Gospel of MarkIsampula

THE BIG PICTURE

Look Closely: Don’t get bogged down by today’s long reading! Skim through the chapters quickly- read only the headings if that’s what you have time for today. Over the next two weeks, you will read all of this much more carefully.

-What do you notice from the 30,000-foot view of today’s flyover reading? Grab your journal and record your observations and questions.

-Where do you see Mark’s key themes:

Son of God/Son of Man- How does this picture of Jesus compel me to live differently?

Cosmic Conflict- What circumstances do I need to see through spiritual eyes?

Discipleship/Failure- What is holding me back from looking more like Jesus?

Ordinary Heroes- What is my next small step of obedience today?

Spotlight: 1st Century Judaism

From the destruction of the first Temple in 587 BC until the time of Jesus, Jerusalem and the Promised Land had been controlled by Babylon (597-539 BC), the Persians and Greeks (538-323 BC), the Egyptian Ptolemaic dynasty (320-200 BC) and the Seleucids (200-142 BC). There was a brief moment of hope as the Seleucid kingdom declined and the Maccabeans established the Hasmonean dynasty. However, they didn’t last, and Rome soon established rule and reign over the region. The religious and political elite among the Jewish people found ways to assimilate or tolerate their new overseers. In Mark’s gospel, we see three different groups:

1-Zealots- “For them, the rule was clear: say your prayers, sharpen your swords, make yourselves holy to fight a holy war, and God will give you a military victory over the hordes of darkness.” -N.T. Wright

2-Pharisees- These were the community activists. The stricter ones sympathized with the zealots. They had no political power; rather, their power was to move the opinion of the people and wield influence through observance of the law.

3-Sadducees- These were the Jewish aristocracy, and they were the ones who compromised the most. From their families came the High Priests whom Rome held responsible for the conduct of their people. Their power base was the Temple- it gave religious legitimation to the status they had been granted under the Romans.

The rest of the Jewish population, who didn’t fit into one of these sects, were ordinary men and women and families struggling to survive day-to-day. They were farmers, fishermen, and traders, and most of them cared about their heritage as God’s people. They respected the Pharisees as teachers, observed the laws, celebrated the feasts, and lived as faithfully as they could under Roman oppression.

As you read through Mark’s gospel, remember that human nature brings division, but Jesus came to bring unity to the Jewish people and to the world.

Challenge: Consider the different perspectives as you read and ask yourself: What is God saying to me? What am I going to do about it?

Recommended Resource: Wright, N.T. The New Testament in Its World. Zondervan Academic. 2019.