Unlike the other gospels and ancient Greco-Roman biographies, Mark does not include the ancestry, birth, childhood or education of Jesus. Topically, the gospel of Mark places a strong focus on the healing nature of Jesus by spending a majority of the 17 chapters focusing on his miracles. Mark portrays Jesus as a great teacher not only through his parables but through his conversations with the Pharisees and other intellectuals. Jesus is always depicted as unbiasedly-kind, and this is seen all the way up through his crucifixion. The most significant element of the story of Jesus is his death and resurrection which valorize the life of the “King of the Jews” and proves that he was not only a good man and teacher but divine. Mark 15:33 says, “The whole country became dark and the darkness lasted for three hours” as Jesus was dying. As soon as Jesus took his last breathe, “The curtain in the temple was torn in two pieces, from the top to the bottom” (Mark 15:38). The most predominate element of his death is that he did not stay dead, and after three days Jesus came back to life and spent time with his followers before he returned to heaven.

Which biographical topics are emphasized, and which are absent?

Emphasized:

        Baptism 1:9-13

        Finding Disciples 1:14-20, 3:13-18

        Healing

                    Forcing out evil spirit 1:21-27

                    Simon’s mother-in law rid of fever 1:29-31

                   “Many others” are healed 1:32-34

                    Man with skin disease 1:40-45

                    Paralyzed man 2:1-17

                    Man with crippled hand 3:1-6

                    Man with demons – sends demons into the pigs and kills them

                    Women bleeding for 12 years

                    Brings Jarius’ daughter back to life

                    Heals Syrian women’s daughter from demons

                    Deaf man

                    Blind Man

                    Boy that can’t talk

                    Another blind man

       Miracles

                    Calms the Storm

                    Feeds the 5,000

                   Jesus walks on water

                   Feeds 4,000

       Opposition to the pharisees

       Parables

                  Planting Seeds

                  Lamp on the lamp stand

                 Seed – grows day and night till harvest

                 Mustard Seed

        Jesus enters Jerusalem as a king

        Passover and the Lords Supper

        Death and resurrection

Absent:

Birth / Childhood

Ancestry

How did Jesus provide solace or even encouragement for you as you try to survive in a world marked by inequity,oppression, and violence?

“For this is impossible but for God all things are possible” – 10:27

“Love your neighbor as yourself” – 12:33

“This is my blood which is the new agreement that God makes with his people. This blood is poured out for many” – 14:24