BEMA Episode Link: 85: Mark — Roman Gospel
Episode Length: 39:32
Published Date: Thu, 20 Sep 2018 01:00:00 -0700
Session 3
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings examine the gospel narrative of Mark, noting his distinct audience and the intentional methods he used to communicate the euangelion to them.

Discussion Video for BEMA 85

Transcript for BEMA 85

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • Review
    • Hellenism: all about you. Man is now at the center of everything.
    • Euangelion: There is a new king and a new kingdom and your life is about to be great.
    • Matthew is a Jewish gospel written to a Jewish audience. The kingdom is for more than just Jews and we need to be careful where we find ourselves. Jews’ organized religious practices had forced some people to the margins. AOWs are marginalized but there is also an entirely different group that is marginalized as well.
  • About Mark
    • Mark is the second gospel. There are some, many even, that believe it was the very first gospel to be written.
    • There was probably a Q source involved in the writing of Matthew and Mark.
    • Who? Mark (aka John Mark) is a Jew writing to a Roman audience. This gospel is not even written to simply an audience influenced by greek thought. This is a uniquely Roman gospel.
  • Why do we think it was uniquely Roman?
    • The gospel’s pace. Story A, “immediately Jesus did…”, Story B, “immediately Jesus did…”, Story C, “immediately Jesus did…”, etc.
    • Romans don’t want a treasure hunt like the Jews do. Romans want answers now and they need to be entertained.
    • Mark is a fast paced take of everything that Jesus did.
    • Mark very much plays to the four pillars of Hellenism:
      • Education: Jesus the teacher.
      • Healthcare: Jesus the healer.
      • Entertainment: Jesus the entertainer. The crowds were in awe or amazed.
      • Athletics: Jesus the winner. Whenever there is competition, Jesus wins.
    • It is because Mark plays to our fancy as Americans and Matthew has a better message for us that we spend our time in Matthew instead of Mark throughout Session 3.
  • Mark’s Crucifixion Story
    • Why does Mark point out that Jesus is offered wine mixed with myrrh? Why does that matter to the reader?
      • Wine mixed with myrrh was some of the most expensive and best tasting wine in the world at that time.
      • Jesus is offered incredibly expensive wine which is meant for kings that he then refuses. He’s also offered wine at a different point in Mark’s crucifixion story than in the other gospel accounts. Why?
    • Roman Emperor Coronations and Euangelions
      • We have accounts of multiple coronations but Nero’s is the best. Nero’s coronation would also have coincided in time with when Mark’s account of the gospel would have been written down leaving the following fresh in the minds of Mark’s readers.
      • The following nine steps were a part of a Roman Emperor’s coronation.
        1. The Pretorium Guard gathers together.
        2. Royal robes and a wreath crown are placed on the Emperor and a scepter is placed in his hand.
        3. The new Caesar is led through the streets lined with incense.
        4. Caesar is followed by an animal which will eventually be sacrificed (Nero had a bull, others had different animals) and Caesar the Emperor carries the instrument of death for the sacrifice.
        5. The procession arrives at Capitoline Hill (meaning “Head Hill”). Rome is a city of seven hills, Capitoline Hill being the tallest. It is believed that when building on Head Hill was being built, they apparently found the head of Romulus who founded Rome. By his head, they do not mean simply his skull but his actual head complete with flesh and hair. Caesar is then offered wine with myrrh which he refuses to show his need for nothing.
        6. The sacrifice is then killed, Caesar the pronounces life or death on a large host of prisoners. Prisoners are lined up and Caesar then, one by one, determines if each prisoner lives or dies. “You live. You die. You die. You live. You live. You die.” etc.
        7. The Emperor ascends the steps of the temple with the high priests of the 24 Legal Religions of Rome on his right and the leading commander of his armies on his left.
        8. Caesar is then proclaimed “Lord and God” by others.
        9. The crowds await a sign of Caesar’s coronation. Eg. there was an astronomical phenomenon, like a comet, that coincided with Nero’s coronation.
      • Mark’s record of the crucifixion
        1. 14:16: The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Pretorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
        2. 14:17: They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
        3. 14:20: Then they lead him out to crucify him.
        4. 14:21: A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross.
        5. 14:22: They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means “the place of the skull”).
        6. 14:24: And they crucified him.
        7. 14:27: They crucified two rebels with him, one on his right and one on his left.
        8. 14:29: Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.
        9. 14:33: At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.
      • This is not a moment of defeat but Jesus’ greatest moment of victory. A Roman soldier is the first to proclaim that Jesus is God.
    • The Ending of Mark
      • Fearful women ending would represent the same reaction any Roman who accepts Mark’s message would have accepting Jesus on Caesar. Marty says, “Any Roman who reads Mark’s gospel and accepts it is going to feel just like those women. If they affirm the truth that Jesus is a better king, their Roman life as they know it is over. They have much to fear. If you believe in Jesus’ coronation and not Nero’s (remember that Nero burned the Christians) you will be “trembling and bewildered” like the women in Mark. So, much like the parable of the prodigal son, Mark leaves this ending open ended and unwritten inviting the Roman readers to consider what they believe to be the truest true about the world and what brings real peace. This is our great challenge as Roman readers. Do we really want to choose the Triumph of Jesus? It runs counter to everything that our worldview says is power. They had to deal with “Pax Romana.” We have to deal with “Pax Americana” in our world. To this day it still runs contrary to what we believe is true power. Yet Mark confronts our worldview and invites us to consider as we possibly sit trembling and bewildered and afraid of the implications whether or not we would like to believe this gospel of a new king and a better kingdom. Just having some context allows Mark’s gospel to come to life as we read it and as we understand what he’s trying to accomplish.”
      • Finally, a note about Paul’s letter to the Romans. In his greetings to the Church, Paul mentions Rufus. If we look back at verse 21, we see that two men, Alexander and Rufus, are mentioned as the sons of Simon from Cyrene who carries the cross for Jesus. Imagine being Alexander or Rufus reading John Mark’s gospel for the first time and welling up with pride as they hear the part their own father played in the crucifixion of our Christ.

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