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We now delve into the Passion narrative in Mark, really the heart and the soul of the whole gospel. Toward the end of the 19th century, Martin Kähler (author of the essay The So-called Historical Jesus and the Historic, Biblical Christ) said that the gospels, and especially Mark’s, is “a passion narrative with an extended introduction.” The designation, while a bit of an oversimplification, is very fitting; Mark constructs his gospel such that this “extended introduction” prepares the way for the passion narrative by seeking to explain what led up to it. In fact, some people have made the observation that while Mark’s story of the end of Jesus’ life (often divided into four sections: the journey to Jerusalem in 8:30 up to chapter 10; the ministry in Jerusalem in chapters 11-13; the Passion proper in chapters 14-15, and the conclusion at chapter 16) is carefully constructed, the first half of the gospel is more loosely organized, almost as if they were just hastily cobbled together. Hence, some people have raised the suggestion that perhaps there was already a Passion narrative before Mark even wrote his gospel, who merely added some stuff into it. Against this it should said that even if a written Passion narrative already existed, nobody seriously suggests that Mark simply copied it down word-for-word, since the second half of the gospel has the same style and share the same themes as the first, pointing that the same author worked on both sections; it is an integral part of Mark’s gospel.
There is a clear break in the gospel after 8:26. In the first half of Mark, the action is largely set in the Galilee (as well as nearby regions), and we have a Jesus who publicly preaches about the kingdom of God in parables. Despite Mark’s introduction of Jesus as “Christ” and “son of God,” He never claims these titles for Himself, and silences everyone who proclaims Him to be such. And as said earlier, this Jesus is for some reason a loner, who disengages Himself from the crowds who follow Him by deliberate withdrawal. By the second half, however, the setting moves southwards to Judaea and Jerusalem. In contrast to the plethora of miracles Mark shows us in the first half, hardly any miracles are recorded; Jesus’ performance of miracles gradually decrease as the story hastens to its conclusion, so that when we get to the cross, Jesus refuses to miraculously come down off it. Instead of publicly teaching the crowds in parables, Jesus becomes occupied with privately teaching His disciples more “open,” but equally cryptic themes like His impending death or eschatological prophecies.
All the themes we’ve talked about: the blindness of the disciples, the messianic secret, the suffering Messiah, and the pervading dramatic irony show up in their fullest form during the last twenty-four hours of Jesus in Mark’s gospel.
After the Last Supper, we are treated to the following scene:
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, (skandalisthēsesthe) for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, (skandalisthēsontai) I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
Remember the parable of the sower earlier in Mark’s gospel? “And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away (skandalizontai).” It is the same verb in Greek: skandalizomai, ‘to be scandalized’, ‘to stumble’, ‘to trip up’.
Despite their promises, however:
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. …] And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Jesus’ words came true: the male disciples, like the seed which fell on rocky ground, were all ‘scandalized’ at the end, either having betrayed or abandoned Him. Jesus’ going through all this alone is further emphasized by Peter, James, and John falling asleep, as well as the young man (another one-shot character) who first attempts to follow Him but ending up running away as well, leaving his linen cloth behind.
There is a clear break in the gospel after 8:26. In the first half of Mark, the action is largely set in the Galilee (as well as nearby regions), and we have a Jesus who publicly preaches about the kingdom of God in parables. Despite Mark’s introduction of Jesus as “Christ” and “son of God,” He never claims these titles for Himself, and silences everyone who proclaims Him to be such. And as said earlier, this Jesus is for some reason a loner, who disengages Himself from the crowds who follow Him by deliberate withdrawal. By the second half, however, the setting moves southwards to Judaea and Jerusalem. In contrast to the plethora of miracles Mark shows us in the first half, hardly any miracles are recorded; Jesus’ performance of miracles gradually decrease as the story hastens to its conclusion, so that when we get to the cross, Jesus refuses to miraculously come down off it. Instead of publicly teaching the crowds in parables, Jesus becomes occupied with privately teaching His disciples more “open,” but equally cryptic themes like His impending death or eschatological prophecies.
All the themes we’ve talked about: the blindness of the disciples, the messianic secret, the suffering Messiah, and the pervading dramatic irony show up in their fullest form during the last twenty-four hours of Jesus in Mark’s gospel.
After the Last Supper, we are treated to the following scene:
And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, (skandalisthēsesthe) for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, (skandalisthēsontai) I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same.
Remember the parable of the sower earlier in Mark’s gospel? “And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away (skandalizontai).” It is the same verb in Greek: skandalizomai, ‘to be scandalized’, ‘to stumble’, ‘to trip up’.
Despite their promises, however:
And they went to a place called Gethsemane. And he said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed and troubled. And he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death. Remain here and watch.” And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. And he came the third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and taking your rest? It is enough; the hour has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”
And immediately, while he was still speaking, Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the scribes and the elders. Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man. Seize him and lead him away under guard.” And when he came, he went up to him at once and said, “Rabbi!” And he kissed him. And they laid hands on him and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear. And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled. And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.
And they led Jesus to the high priest. And all the chief priests and the elders and the scribes came together. And Peter had followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. And he was sitting with the guards and warming himself at the fire. …] And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept.
Jesus’ words came true: the male disciples, like the seed which fell on rocky ground, were all ‘scandalized’ at the end, either having betrayed or abandoned Him. Jesus’ going through all this alone is further emphasized by Peter, James, and John falling asleep, as well as the young man (another one-shot character) who first attempts to follow Him but ending up running away as well, leaving his linen cloth behind.
Note that the two robbers are on either side of Jesus, which brings us back to an earlier episode:
); he had merely seen Jesus die. There are two ways of interpreting the centurion’s statement in Mark: one interprets it in the light of dramatic irony - the centurion meant his remark to be an off-hand, sarcastic insult in response to Jesus’ very inglorious death (“Huh, now this is the son of God”) - while the other interprets it as a straightforward, if rather paradoxical, confession. Both interpretations agree that Mark intended this piece of dialogue to proclaim Jesus’ true title which no human in the narrative had ever before spoken. The irony (there’s that word again) is that nowhere in the gospel had a human being recognized Jesus’ identity as “son of God” in the context of confession. It was not Jesus’ display of power - all the miracles and the healings - which penetrate the blindness of the witnesses, but His frailty at the cross.
