Mark part thirty

Today we finish Mark with verses 16:9-19. These verses are not in the oldest available manuscripts, which leads many scholars to conclude they were added later by someone who is not the author. The last passage had concluded with the two Marys being told by a young man dressed in white that Jesus had risen and he would meet the disciples in Galilee. The women did not tell anyone because they were afraid. Now, in verse nine, we are told that Mary Magdalene was the first person to see Jesus after he rose. According to the text, Jesus had driven seven (magic number) demons out of her. The demon story does not occur in Mark, but it is found in Luke 8:2, leading me to the conclusion that this passage was added after the circulation of Luke's gospel.

We've just been told the women said nothing to anyone, but now we are being told Mary Magdalene went and told those who had been with Jesus earlier, presumably his entourage of disciples and women followers. Would you believe the word of someone who was thought to have had seven demons? The text says they didn't believe her either. However, Jesus appears in a different form (so how did they know it was Jesus?) to two more people (who were they?) as they were walking along a country road. No other witnesses. They weren't believed either, naturally.

Later, Jesus appears to the eleven (minus Judas) while they were eating. The text does not say where they were. He rebukes them for not believing the tales the others told. Shouldn't he have praised them for not having blind faith in something so unlikely? Shouldn't he have known ahead of time those people would not be believed? At this time he gives them what has been called "the Great Commission." He tells the disciples (not anyone else, not you and I) "Go out into all the world and preach the good news (What good news? He doesn't say.) to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."

Just like that, Jesus ruins the lives of countless unbelievers throughout the centuries, even those who led exemplary lives. Is this the exact point in history at which all unbelievers are eternally condemned? It doesn't seem quite fair to all the people who died after this moment  yet never heard this "good news." Or is this condemnation only for those who hear the message and don't believe it. Wouldn't they have been better off never hearing it at all? The churches of Christ use this passage as one of there references for the doctrine of the necessity of believers baptism for salvation.

Jesus is not done talking. He also tells the disciples that signs will accompany those who believe. They will drive out demons, speak in tongues, handle snakes, drink poison with no ill effects, and heal the sick by laying on of hands. Was the person who wrote this trying to kill off crazy Christians?

When he was done talking, he was taken up to heaven and sat at the right hand of god. How do they know that? Then the disciples went out and preached. Stuff happened just the way Jesus said it would. Amen.

We are done! Next time we will do a wrap up of what we learned in the book of Mark.

Mark part twenty nine

We are at Mark 15:38 Jesus has just breathed his last. He did not ask god to forgive his executioners and those crucified with him were not told they would be with him in paradise. His side was not pierced. He said nothing but a lament. Then, according to the text, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This would not have been seen by anyone unless they were at the temple, and certainly not by anyone at the execution. It is also not recorded in extrabiblical history.

A centurion who heard Jesus's lament and saw him die said, "surely this man was the son of god." I don't see how he came to that conclusion. Some women watched the crucifixion from a distance. One was Mary Magdalene, who is first mentioned here. Another was Mary the mother of James, Joses, and Salome. These women were part of a group of women who had followed Jesus to Jerusalem from Galilee. They had been "taking care of his needs." This probably means they cooked and washed for him, because for some reason he couldn't do it for himself. (It couldn't be because he was sexist and thought that was women's work, could it?) The text does not say Jesus's mother or any of the twelve disciples was there.

In verse 42 we are told it was preparation day, the day before the Sabbath, Friday. Either Passover fell on a Friday that year or something about the timeline in Mark is off. It is still Passover if we follow the text. Evening is coming. The Sabbath begins at dusk. Joseph of Arimathea went to Pilate and asked for Jesus's body. Pilate confirmed with the centurion that Jesus was already dead and then gave the body to Joseph. The body was wrapped in linen and put in a tomb. A stone was rolled in front of it. The text does not say the tomb belonged to Joseph of Arimathea. The two Marys previously mentioned saw where the body was laid.

We are now in chapter 16. The Sabbath is over. It is just after sunrise on the first day of the week, Sunday. Jesus has been dead approximately 39 hours, less than two full days, if you count hours. If you count the names of the days he has been dead, I guess it makes three: part of Friday, all of  Saturday, and part of Sunday. But that seems like cheating to me.

The two Marys are going to the tomb to anoint the body with spices. They aren't sure who will roll the stone away from the entrance to the tomb. When they got there, the stone was already rolled away. A young man dressed in white was sitting inside the tomb. The ladies were alarmed but the young man told them not to be. He said Jesus had risen. They were to go tell Peter and the disciples that Jesus was going ahead of them to Galilee and they would see him there.

The women were naturally frightened and confused. They ran away from the tomb and told no one what had happened!  So, how does the author know anything about it? This is where the story ends in the earliest manuscripts, suggesting that perhaps Jesus was never actually seen alive again.

Mark 16:9-16 appear to have been added to the text at a later date, making its events highly unlikely. We will cover that passage next time.

What happened on Sunday morning part 2

What was the response when the women told people about finding Jesus gone from the tomb?

*Mark: WhenMary Magdalene told the mourners Jesus was alive, they did not believe her story.

*Matthew: The disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted. Previous passages say nothing about a mountain,

*Luke: when the women told the disciples, they did not believe and thought they were talking nonsense. Peter got up and ran to the tomb, saw the linen grave clothes, and wondered what happened.

*John: Peter and "the other disciple" raced to the tomb at the news. The other disciple got there first. He saw the grave clothes. They believed Jesus was gone but didn't understand that he had risen from the dead.

What are the reports of initial Jesus sightings after that?
*Mark: Jesus appeared in a different form to two of the mourners while they were walking in the country. They returned and reported it to the rest, but they did not believe them.
*Matthew: the eleven disciples went to the mountain in Galilee where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshipped him, but some doubted.
*Luke: That same day, two disciples, one named Cleopas, encountered Jesus on the road to Emmaus. They did not recognize him when he talked to them. They talked together, travelled together, and sat down to eat together. When Jesus broke the bread and gave thanks, they finally recognized him. As soon as they recognized him, he vanished. They went right back to Jerusalem, where they told their story to the eleven who also had a story of Jesus appearing to Simon (Peter?)
*John: After Peter and the other disciple went home. Mary remained at the tomb weeping, then saw two angels in white seated where the body had been. They asked her why she was crying. She said it was because Jesus's body had been taken and she didn't know where. Then she turned around and saw  someone she thought was the gardener but who was actually Jesus. He spoke her name. She cried out "Teacher!" He told her not to hold on to him because he had not yet returned to the father, God. She was to tell the disciples. And she did. No response at the news is indicated. This is a different sequence of events than the other stories.

What are the reports of further Jesus sightings?
*Mark: Jesus appeared to the eleven while they were eating and rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
*Matthew: none

*Luke: While Cleopas and the other follower of Jesus were talking to the eleven, Jesus appeared in their midst. They thought he was a ghost and were startled. He told them to touch him and see that he had flesh and bones. He showed them his hands and feet. He ate some food to prove he was alive. He opened their minds so they could understand scripture.
*John: It was still resurrection Sunday, in the evening, when Jesus appeared to the disciples in a locked room. He said "Peace be with you." He showed them his hands and feet. He breathed on them and said, "recieve the holy spirit." Thomas was not with the disciples at that time. (That makes ten, not eleven present.) Whe he heard the story, he doubted and said he would have to touch Jesus to believe. A week later, Jesus appeared in the locked room again. This time, Thomas was there and he got to see and touch Jesus. Afterward, Jesus appeared again to his disciples by the sea of Tiberious where he helped them catch fish, and had breakfast with them, and talked to Peter.

Now we see the stories clearly diverging in details, especially Matthew and John. Matthew has the disciples going to a mountain in Galilee, that's it. Is Jesus a spirit or flesh and blood? John includes a fish story. Notice the element of doubt introduced in each story. More to come...