university of oregon, spring 2015
Mark’s “bookends” are both instances of Jesus healing the blind. In the first instance, Mark 8:22-26, Jesus heals the blind man by putting saliva on his eyes. In the second instance, Mark 10:46-52, Jesus restores a blind mans sight purely through words, saying, “Go; your faith has made you well” (Mark 10:52). These bookends reveal… Continue reading The Gospel of Mark
Jesus, in the Gospel of Mark is portrayed as more than a man. Mark, throughout the Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus was of flesh and skin but also tells us what attributes he had that set him apart from the other humans. In the chapter of Mark 1:7, Mark quotes what John the… Continue reading Mark’s point of view of Jesus
For the first eight chapters of Mark Jesus was shown as a messiah, who proved his messiah-ship by wandering healings and preachings. In the course of his healings he was shown as the acting agent over a passive agent, “but Jesus rebuked him, saying ‘be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit…came… Continue reading Jesus and the Messiah in the Gospel of Mark.
In Mark an understanding of Jesus begins to unfold which includes that Jesus is a divine man and also the true Son of God. This idea of Jesus as the Messiah is depicted in Mark 8:29 when Jesus ask his disciples, “But who do you say that I am? Peter answered him, “You are the… Continue reading Portrait of the Messiah
Discussion Question 1: In Mark 8:26-10:45, a new understanding of Jesus begins to emerge. In chapter 8 verse 29, Jesus asks the disciples who they believe he is, to which they reply, “The Messiah.” Jesus then begins to teach them exactly what the purpose of the Messiah is. Many up until this point believed that… Continue reading What is the Messiah?