Saturday before Sunday
All manner of things going on here in 7H this cool autumn Saturday morning. For one and mainly, prepping for tomorrow morning's adult Sunday school class session about the evangelist "Mark" and the gospel he wrote. Initially I thought to take four sessions, tomorrow will be five and will need one more session next week, for a six-session presentation. I hope folks enjoy it as I am, Mark is certainly worth several hours of the study and discussion Time of any Christian!
Below (scroll down) is our handout for tomorrow morning. Other goings on, this week we stopped at Grocery Outlet (which we call "Bill's"), Sam's Club, Publix, and Aldi. Linda bought other things, at Bill's I bought an enormous baking potato, at Aldi I bought the German beer that I like, and at Sam's I bought a package of pork hot dogs.
Linda had said she was tired of the all-beef hot dogs, so I bought these, pork with cheese. I can't taste the cheese, but the hot dog with bun, bit of mayo, RAO's catsup with truffle (which I bought at The Fresh Market PCB on one of our rare trips across the bridge), and a smear of German senf, mustard - - made a good breakfast. The pork hot dog was like old Times in America instead of somebody's trip down Healthier For You Lane, nomesane?
At ninety now, a nonagenarian for a month, how'm I doing? Fine except I wish I could keep up with my cell phone. Although, as I've noted here before, I'm glad that when I lose it I only have three rooms and a bathroom to search instead of upstairs and downstairs in a thirteen-room house. And every day halfway through the morning I can't remember whether I've taken my furosemide pill(s). The overhead lights are so bright in the kitchen and dining room that I have to wear a hat with a bill, see:
In addition to the Handout for tomorrow's Mark discussion I copied an intelligent short essay on Mark from the Facebook page of a friend (below). I don't know John Rawlinson, whose essay is in scholar style and well done. My only tentative riff with him might be in his assertion that "Mark was penned in well-written Greek," as Mark's writing style seems rough and unpracticed. Anyway, here's Rawlinson's essay, followed by the copy of tomorrow's Handout.
Pic: St Andrews Bay looking toward the Pass from 7H porch earlier this morning.
RSF&PTL
T90
Thank-you John Rawlinson:
There are four different canonical Gospels because each one was written for a different purpose, and a different group or recipients-- and audience. To whom was this Gospel directed? is there any parallel between Mark's original audience and us? Does the original language of the text tell us anything?
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MARK’S Audience
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INTRODUCTION
Since the original Gospel texts do not mention an author, or the places to which they were directed, we have to scrutinize the texts for clues about these matters. Most scholars widely agree that Mark was the first written gospel, and that Matthew and Luke were based upon it. The result is that there are few unique clues in Mark to help us. Of course, each of the gospels was written in a different place, and for a different group of people.
The location and date of composition are not minor factors! The place where Mark was written would indicate the audience for which it was written, and why the author included particular sayings and stories of Jesus. The date of composition helps us understand the historical context— and therefore what was important to share from Jesus’ ministry. For example, if it was written after 70 A.D., when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem, that would help understand the memories of Jesus’ comments about death and the destruction of Jerusalem
DATE OF WRITING
Since we have no fixed date when Mark was written, it is common to indicate a range of years when it might have been written. The most common belief is that it was written between 65 and 75 A.D.
There are references to “the Decapolis” (the Ten Towns) (Mk. 5:20, and 7:31). Only after the destruction of Jerusalem was that title used. That indicates Mark was written after 70 A.D.
Many lean toward the end of that period. First, some references emphasize the cost of discipleship in challenges and suffering. That suggests it was written after the destruction of Jerusalem. Second, as Jesus’ immediate Apostles were dying, it became important to place his message into written form so that it could continue without being altered and corrupted.
AUTHOR
Sometime before 130 A.D., Papias, a bishop in Turkey, said, “Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatsoever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter….” Mark has been the attribution ever since.
John Mark is mentioned in Acts (esp. 12:12, and 12:25), and he was a Jew. He accompanied Paul in some missionary activity. Scholars have debated whether or not he is the Mark of the Gospel. Also, John (Yohann) was a common Jewish name, and Mark (Marcus) was a common Roman name.
Some of Mark’s references indicate the author was not familiar with the geography of Palestine. In Mark 11.1 it says that Jesus was going from Jericho to Jerusalem, and came to Bethphage, then Bethany, However, that is their reverse order. Mark 7:31 says that Jesus went from Tyre north to Sidon, then to the Sea of Galilee by way of the Decapolis (the Ten Cities). That would have him going from the south to the north, then far to the east, then south to the Decapolis, then back north to the Sea of Galilee— which is illogical.
Another possibility for authorship is that it WAS a Mark who wrote it, and who accompanied Peter, but not the same as the John Mark of the book of Acts.
LOCATION
There are several references to enduring through persecutions (Mk. 8:34-38; 10:38; and 13:9-13). There was no persecution in Palestine before Jews rebelled against Rome in 66 A.D. Since it seems to have been written after 70 A.D., it would not have been written in Jerusalem. So it was not written in Palestine.
The use of some Latin terms indicates it was written in Rome for the church there. However recently it was recognized that those Latin words were commonly used in conquered territories and were also widely known. However, there was persecution in Rome, so that remains a possibility. On the other hand, Latin was the common language in Rome, and Mark was written in Greek, which weighs against Rome as the origin.
One scholar, Reginald Fuller, pointed to the many Greek qualities and characteristics and said that points to an Eastern Mediterranean origin— probably Antioch. That city was about 25% Jewish— which included a number of the earliest followers of Jesus.
LANGUAGE
Mark was penned in well-written Greek. There are no hints of Aramaic or Hebrew grammatical elements, so it is unlikely that the author was originally an Aramaic speaking Palestinian. Also, the Old Testament quotations are from the Greek Septuagint, not the Hebrew.
AUDIENCE
It was not intended for a Jewish audience, In several places Jewish customs are explained (e.g., Mk. 7.3). The fig tree was one of the images for Israel (i.e., the Jewish people) and in the comment about the unproductive fig tree (Mk. 11:13-14), Jesus seems to be criticizing the Jews and shifting responsibility for God’s message to non-Jews. There are several brief Aramaic sayings which are translated (i.e., Mk. 5:41; 7:34; 14:36, and 15:34). Since Aramaic was the common language of Palestine, that indicates that the audience was not Palestinian.
Being written in Greek, Mark was intended for an audience beyond the narrow confines of Rome! In spite of the existence of the ROMAN Empire, Greek was the most common language outside the city itself, So, the Gospel seems not intended for the city of Rome!
Jesus is quoted as saying “Anyone who does the will of God is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.” (Mk. 3:35) In effect, he displaced the Jews as God’s favorite. This also indicates the audience was not the Jews of Palestine, or elsewhere.
Mark 12 Good News Translation
The Question about Paying Taxes
13 Some Pharisees and some members of Herod's party were sent to Jesus to trap him with questions. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you tell the truth, without worrying about what people think. You pay no attention to anyone's status, but teach the truth about God's will for people. Tell us, is it against our Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor? Should we pay them or not?”
15 But Jesus saw through their trick and answered, “Why are you trying to trap me? Bring a silver coin, and let me see it.”
16 They brought him one, and he asked, “Whose face and name are these?”
“The Emperor's,” they answered.
17 So Jesus said, “Well, then, pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor, and pay to God what belongs to God.”
And they were amazed at Jesus.
The Question about Rising from Death
18 Then some Sadducees, who say that people will not rise from death, came to Jesus and said, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote this law for us: ‘If a man dies and leaves a wife but no children, that man's brother must marry the widow so that they can have children who will be considered the dead man's children.’ 20 Once there were seven brothers; the oldest got married and died without having children. 21 Then the second one married the woman, and he also died without having children. The same thing happened to the third brother, 22 and then to the rest: all seven brothers married the woman and died without having children. Last of all, the woman died. 23 Now, when all the dead rise to life on the day of resurrection, whose wife will she be? All seven of them had married her.”
24 Jesus answered them, “How wrong you are! And do you know why? It is because you don't know the Scriptures or God's power. 25 For when the dead rise to life, they will be like the angels in heaven and will not marry. 26 Now, as for the dead being raised: haven't you ever read in the Book of Moses the passage about the burning bush? There it is written that God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 27 He is the God of the living, not of the dead. You are completely wrong!”
The Great Commandment
28 A teacher of the Law was there who heard the discussion. He saw that Jesus had given the Sadducees a good answer, so he came to him with a question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus replied, “The most important one is this: ‘Listen, Israel! The Lord our God is the only Lord. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ 31 The second most important commandment is this: ‘Love your neighbor as you love yourself.’ There is no other commandment more important than these two.”
32 The teacher of the Law said to Jesus, “Well done, Teacher! It is true, as you say, that only the Lord is God and that there is no other god but he. 33 And you must love God with all your heart and with all your mind and with all your strength; and you must love your neighbor as you love yourself. It is more important to obey these two commandments than to offer on the altar animals and other sacrifices to God.”
34 Jesus noticed how wise his answer was, and so he told him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.”
After this nobody dared to ask Jesus any more questions.
The Question about the Messiah
35 As Jesus was teaching in the Temple, he asked the question, “How can the teachers of the Law say that the Messiah will be the descendant of David? 36 The Holy Spirit inspired David to say:
‘The Lord said to my Lord:
Sit here at my right side
until I put your enemies under your feet.’
37 David himself called him ‘Lord’; so how can the Messiah be David's descendant?”
[Psalm 110:1, Of (or About) David, A Psalm.
Thus says Yahweh to my lord: ‘Sit at my right hand, till I make your enemies your footstool.”]
Jesus Warns against the Teachers of the Law
A large crowd was listening to Jesus gladly. 38 As he taught them, he said, “Watch out for the teachers of the Law, who like to walk around in their long robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplace, 39 who choose the reserved seats in the synagogues and the best places at feasts. 40 They take advantage of widows and rob them of their homes, and then make a show of saying long prayers. Their punishment will be all the worse!”
The Widow's Offering
41 As Jesus sat near the Temple treasury, he watched the people as they dropped in their money. Many rich men dropped in a lot of money; 42 then a poor widow came along and dropped in two little copper coins, worth about a penny. 43 He called his disciples together and said to them, “I tell you that this poor widow put more in the offering box than all the others. 44 For the others put in what they had to spare of their riches; but she, poor as she is, put in all she had—she gave all she had to live on.”
Mark 13 Good News Translation
Mark 13 is called “The Little Apocalypse”
Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple
13 As Jesus was leaving the Temple, one of his disciples said, “Look, Teacher! What wonderful stones and buildings!”
2 Jesus answered, “You see these great buildings? Not a single stone here will be left in its place; every one of them will be thrown down.”
Troubles and Persecutions
3 Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, across from the Temple, when Peter, James, John, and Andrew came to him in private. 4 “Tell us when this will be,” they said, “and tell us what will happen to show that the time has come for all these things to take place.”
5 Jesus said to them, “Watch out, and don't let anyone fool you. 6 Many men, claiming to speak for me, will come and say, ‘I am he!’ and they will fool many people. 7 And don't be troubled when you hear the noise of battles close by and news of battles far away. Such things must happen, but they do not mean that the end has come. 8 Countries will fight each other; kingdoms will attack one another. There will be earthquakes everywhere, and there will be famines. These things are like the first pains of childbirth.
9 “You yourselves must watch out. You will be arrested and taken to court. You will be beaten in the synagogues; you will stand before rulers and kings for my sake to tell them the Good News. 10 But before the end comes, the gospel must be preached to all peoples. 11 And when you are arrested and taken to court, do not worry ahead of time about what you are going to say; when the time comes, say whatever is then given to you. For the words you speak will not be yours; they will come from the Holy Spirit. 12 Men will hand over their own brothers to be put to death, and fathers will do the same to their children. Children will turn against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me. But whoever holds out to the end will be saved.
The Awful Horror
14 “You will see ‘The Awful Horror’ standing in the place where he should not be.” (Note to the reader: understand what this means!) “Then those who are in Judea must run away to the hills. 15 Someone who is on the roof of a house must not lose time by going down into the house to get anything to take along. 16 Someone who is in the field must not go back to the house for a cloak. 17 How terrible it will be in those days for women who are pregnant and for mothers with little babies! 18 Pray to God that these things will not happen in the winter! 19 For the trouble of those days will be far worse than any the world has ever known from the very beginning when God created the world until the present time. Nor will there ever be anything like it again. 20 But the Lord has reduced the number of those days; if he had not, nobody would survive. For the sake of his chosen people, however, he has reduced those days.
21 “Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’—do not believe it. 22 For false Messiahs and false prophets will appear. They will perform miracles and wonders in order to deceive even God's chosen people, if possible. 23 Be on your guard! I have told you everything ahead of time.
The Coming of the Son of Man
24 “In the days after that time of trouble the sun will grow dark, the moon will no longer shine, 25 the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers in space will be driven from their courses. 26 Then the Son of Man will appear, coming in the clouds with great power and glory. 27 He will send the angels out to the four corners of the earth to gather God's chosen people from one end of the world to the other.
[Daniel 7:13, “13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.”]
The Lesson of the Fig Tree
28 “Let the fig tree teach you a lesson. When its branches become green and tender and it starts putting out leaves, you know that summer is near. 29 In the same way, when you see these things happening, you will know that the time is near, ready to begin. 30 Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
No One Knows the Day or Hour
32 “No one knows, however, when that day or hour will come—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son; only the Father knows. 33 Be on watch, be alert, for you do not know when the time will come. 34 It will be like a man who goes away from home on a trip and leaves his servants in charge, after giving to each one his own work to do and after telling the doorkeeper to keep watch. 35 Watch, then, because you do not know when the master of the house is coming—it might be in the evening or at midnight or before dawn or at sunrise. 36 If he comes suddenly, he must not find you asleep. 37 What I say to you, then, I say to all: Watch!”
Mark 14 Good News Translation
The Plot against Jesus
14 It was now two days before the Festival of Passover and Unleavened Bread. The chief priests and the teachers of the Law were looking for a way to arrest Jesus secretly and put him to death. 2 “We must not do it during the festival,” they said, “or the people might riot.”
Jesus Is Anointed at Bethany
3 Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon, a man who had suffered from a dreaded skin disease. While Jesus was eating, a woman came in with an alabaster jar full of a very expensive perfume made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on Jesus' head. 4 Some of the people there became angry and said to one another, “What was the use of wasting the perfume? 5 It could have been sold for more than three hundred silver coins and the money given to the poor!” And they criticized her harshly.
6 But Jesus said, “Leave her alone! Why are you bothering her? She has done a fine and beautiful thing for me. 7 You will always have poor people with you, and any time you want to, you can help them. But you will not always have me. 8 She did what she could; she poured perfume on my body to prepare it ahead of time for burial. 9 Now, I assure you that wherever the gospel is preached all over the world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.”
Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus
10 Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, went off to the chief priests in order to betray Jesus to them. 11 They were pleased to hear what he had to say, and promised to give him money. So Judas started looking for a good chance to hand Jesus over to them.
Jesus Eats the Passover Meal with His Disciples
12 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the day the lambs for the Passover meal were killed, Jesus' disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and get the Passover meal ready for you?”
13 Then Jesus sent two of them with these instructions: “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him 14 to the house he enters, and say to the owner of the house: ‘The Teacher says, Where is the room where my disciples and I will eat the Passover meal?’ 15 Then he will show you a large upstairs room, fixed up and furnished, where you will get everything ready for us.”
16 The disciples left, went to the city, and found everything just as Jesus had told them; and they prepared the Passover meal.
17 When it was evening, Jesus came with the twelve disciples. 18 While they were at the table eating, Jesus said, “I tell you that one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”
19 The disciples were upset and began to ask him, one after the other, “Surely you don't mean me, do you?”
20 Jesus answered, “It will be one of you twelve, one who dips his bread in the dish with me. 21 The Son of Man will die as the Scriptures say he will; but how terrible for that man who will betray the Son of Man! It would have been better for that man if he had never been born!”
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The Lord's Supper (Disciples’ Literal New Testament)
Mark 14:22 And while they were eating, having taken bread, having blessed it, He broke it and gave it to them and said, “Take it. This is My body”. 23 And having taken a cup, having given-thanks, He gave it to them. And they all drank from it. 24 And He said to them, “This is My blood of the covenant— the blood being poured-out for many. 25 Truly I say to you that I will no longer by any means drink of the fruit of the grapevine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God”.
The Lord's Supper (from Eucharistic Prayer, BCP p.362)
On the night he was handed over to suffering and death, our
Lord Jesus Christ took bread; and when he had given thanks
to you, he broke it, and gave it to his disciples, and said, "Take,
eat: This is my Body, which is given for you. Do this for the
remembrance of me."
After supper he took the cup of wine; and when he had given
thanks, he gave it to them, and said, "Drink this, all of you:
This is my Blood of the new Covenant, which is shed for you
and for many for the forgiveness of sins. Whenever you drink
it, do this for the remembrance of me.”
The Lord's Supper (Disciples’ Literal New Testament)
1 Corinthians 11:23 For I received from the Lord what I also handed-over to you— that the Lord Jesus, in the night on which He was being handed-over, took bread. 24 And having given-thanks, He broke it and said “This is My body, the one being given for you. Be doing this for My remembrance”. 25 Similarly also the cup after the dining, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. Be doing this, as-often-as you drink it, for My remembrance”. 26 For as-often-as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you are proclaiming the death of the Lord, until which time He comes.
Matthew 26:26 And while they were eating, having taken bread and having blessed it , Jesus broke it. And having given it to the disciples, He said, “Take, eat. This is My body”. 27 And having taken a cup and given-thanks, He gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, everyone. 28 For this is My blood of the covenant— the blood being poured-out for many for forgiveness of sins. 29 And I say to you, I will by-no-means drink of this fruit of the grapevine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in the kingdom of My Father”.
Luke 22:14 And when the hour came, He fell back [to eat], and the apostles with Him. 15 And He said to them, “I greatly desired to eat this Passover [meal] with you before I suffer. 16 For I say to you that I will by no means eat it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God”. 17 And having taken a cup, having given-thanks, He said “Take this and distribute it to yourselves. 18 For I say to you that I will by no means drink from the fruit of the grapevine from now on until which time the kingdom of God comes”. 19 And having taken bread, having given-thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying “This is My body, the one being given for you. Be doing this for My remembrance”. 20 And similarly the cup after the dining, saying “This cup is the new covenant in My blood— the blood being poured-out for you.
[Back to the Good News Translation]
26 Then they sang a hymn and went out to the Mount of Olives.
Jesus Predicts Peter's Denial
27 Jesus said to them, “All of you will run away and leave me, for the scripture says, ‘God will kill the shepherd, and the sheep will all be scattered.’
Zechariah 13:7 “Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.” KJV
28 But after I am raised to life, I will go to Galilee ahead of you.”
29 Peter answered, “I will never leave you, even though all the rest do!”
30 Jesus said to Peter, “I tell you that before the rooster crows two times tonight, you will say three times that you do not know me.”
31 Peter answered even more strongly, “I will never say that, even if I have to die with you!”
And all the other disciples said the same thing.
Jesus Prays in Gethsemane
32 They came to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” 33 He took Peter, James, and John with him. Distress and anguish came over him, 34 and he said to them, “The sorrow in my heart is so great that it almost crushes me. Stay here and keep watch.”
35 He went a little farther on, threw himself on the ground, and prayed that, if possible, he might not have to go through that time of suffering. 36 “Father,” he prayed, “my Father! All things are possible for you. Take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet not what I want, but what you want.”
37 Then he returned and found the three disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Weren't you able to stay awake for even one hour?” 38 And he said to them, “Keep watch, and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
39 He went away once more and prayed, saying the same words. 40 Then he came back to the disciples and found them asleep; they could not keep their eyes open. And they did not know what to say to him.
41 When he came back the third time, he said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come! Look, the Son of Man is now being handed over to the power of sinners. 42 Get up, let us go. Look, here is the man who is betraying me!”
The Arrest of Jesus
43 Jesus was still speaking when Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs and sent by the chief priests, the teachers of the Law, and the elders. 44 The traitor had given the crowd a signal: “The man I kiss is the one you want. Arrest him and take him away under guard.”
45 As soon as Judas arrived, he went up to Jesus and said, “Teacher!” and kissed him. 46 So they arrested Jesus and held him tight. 47 But one of those standing there drew his sword and struck at the High Priest's slave, cutting off his ear. 48 Then Jesus spoke up and said to them, “Did you have to come with swords and clubs to capture me, as though I were an outlaw? 49 Day after day I was with you teaching in the Temple, and you did not arrest me. But the Scriptures must come true.”
50 Then all the disciples left him and ran away.
51 A certain young man, dressed only in a linen cloth, was following Jesus. They tried to arrest him, 52 but he ran away naked, leaving the cloth behind.
Jesus before the Council
53 Then Jesus was taken to the High Priest's house, where all the chief priests, the elders, and the teachers of the Law were gathering. 54 Peter followed from a distance and went into the courtyard of the High Priest's house. There he sat down with the guards, keeping himself warm by the fire. 55 The chief priests and the whole Council tried to find some evidence against Jesus in order to put him to death, but they could not find any. 56 Many witnesses told lies against Jesus, but their stories did not agree.
57 Then some men stood up and told this lie against Jesus: 58 “We heard him say, ‘I will tear down this Temple which men have made, and after three days I will build one that is not made by men.’” 59 Not even they, however, could make their stories agree.
60 The High Priest stood up in front of them all and questioned Jesus, “Have you no answer to the accusation they bring against you?”
61 But Jesus kept quiet and would not say a word. Again the High Priest questioned him, “Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed God?”
62 “I am,” answered Jesus, “and you will all see the Son of Man seated at the right side of the Almighty and coming with the clouds of heaven!”
63 The High Priest tore his robes and said, “We don't need any more witnesses! 64 You heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?”
They all voted against him: he was guilty and should be put to death.
65 Some of them began to spit on Jesus, and they blindfolded him and hit him. “Guess who hit you!” they said. And the guards took him and slapped him.
Peter Denies Jesus
66 Peter was still down in the courtyard when one of the High Priest's servant women came by. 67 When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked straight at him and said, “You, too, were with Jesus of Nazareth.”
68 But he denied it. “I don't know … I don't understand what you are talking about,” he answered, and went out into the passageway. Just then a rooster crowed.
69 The servant woman saw him there and began to repeat to the bystanders, “He is one of them!” 70 But Peter denied it again.
A little while later the bystanders accused Peter again, “You can't deny that you are one of them, because you, too, are from Galilee.”
71 Then Peter said, “I swear that I am telling the truth! May God punish me if I am not! I do not know the man you are talking about!”
72 Just then a rooster crowed a second time, and Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows two times, you will say three times that you do not know me.” And he broke down and cried.
Mark 15 Good News Translation
Jesus before Pilate
15 Early in the morning the chief priests met hurriedly with the elders, the teachers of the Law, and the whole Council, and made their plans. They put Jesus in chains, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate. 2 Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”
Jesus answered, “So you say.”
3 The chief priests were accusing Jesus of many things, 4 so Pilate questioned him again, “Aren't you going to answer? Listen to all their accusations!”
5 Again Jesus refused to say a word, and Pilate was amazed.
Jesus Is Sentenced to Death
6 At every Passover Festival Pilate was in the habit of setting free any one prisoner the people asked for. 7 At that time a man named Barabbas was in prison with the rebels who had committed murder in the riot. 8 When the crowd gathered and began to ask Pilate for the usual favor, 9 he asked them, “Do you want me to set free for you the king of the Jews?” 10 He knew very well that the chief priests had handed Jesus over to him because they were jealous.
11 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask, instead, that Pilate set Barabbas free for them. 12 Pilate spoke again to the crowd, “What, then, do you want me to do with the one you call the king of the Jews?”
13 They shouted back, “Crucify him!”
14 “But what crime has he committed?” Pilate asked.
They shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”
15 Pilate wanted to please the crowd, so he set Barabbas free for them. Then he had Jesus whipped and handed him over to be crucified.
The Soldiers Make Fun of Jesus
16 The soldiers took Jesus inside to the courtyard of the governor's palace and called together the rest of the company. 17 They put a purple robe on Jesus, made a crown out of thorny branches, and put it on his head. 18 Then they began to salute him: “Long live the King of the Jews!” 19 They beat him over the head with a stick, spat on him, fell on their knees, and bowed down to him. 20 When they had finished making fun of him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
Jesus Is Crucified
21 On the way they met a man named Simon, who was coming into the city from the country, and the soldiers forced him to carry Jesus' cross. (Simon was from Cyrene and was the father of Alexander and Rufus.) 22 They took Jesus to a place called Golgotha, which means “The Place of the Skull.” 23 There they tried to give him wine mixed with a drug called myrrh, but Jesus would not drink it. 24 Then they crucified him and divided his clothes among themselves, throwing dice to see who would get which piece of clothing. 25 It was nine o'clock in the morning when they crucified him. 26 The notice of the accusation against him said: “The King of the Jews.” 27 They also crucified two bandits with Jesus, one on his right and the other on his left. 28
29 People passing by shook their heads and hurled insults at Jesus: “Aha! You were going to tear down the Temple and build it back up in three days! 30 Now come down from the cross and save yourself!”
31 In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the Law made fun of Jesus, saying to one another, “He saved others, but he cannot save himself! 32 Let us see the Messiah, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him!”
And the two who were crucified with Jesus insulted him also.
The Death of Jesus
33 At noon the whole country was covered with darkness, which lasted for three hours. 34 At three o'clock Jesus cried out with a loud shout, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?”
The seven last words of Jesus, recorded across the Gospels, are: (1) "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34), (2) "Woman, behold your son! Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27), (3) "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34), (4) "I thirst" (John 19:28), (5) "It is finished" (John 19:30), (6) "Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit" (Luke 23:46), and (7) the first part of a statement to a thief, "Today, you will be with me in paradise" (Luke 23:43).
35 Some of the people there heard him and said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!” 36 One of them ran up with a sponge, soaked it in cheap wine, and put it on the end of a stick. Then he held it up to Jesus' lips and said, “Wait! Let us see if Elijah is coming to bring him down from the cross!”
37 With a loud cry Jesus died.
38 The curtain hanging in the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 The army officer who was standing there in front of the cross saw how Jesus had died. “Truly this man was the Son of God!” he said.
40 Some women were there, looking on from a distance. Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of the younger James and of Joseph, and Salome. 41 They had followed Jesus while he was in Galilee and had helped him. Many other women who had come to Jerusalem with him were there also.
The Burial of Jesus
42-43 It was toward evening when Joseph of Arimathea arrived. He was a respected member of the Council, who was waiting for the coming of the Kingdom of God. It was Preparation day (that is, the day before the Sabbath), so Joseph went boldly into the presence of Pilate and asked him for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate was surprised to hear that Jesus was already dead. He called the army officer and asked him if Jesus had been dead a long time. 45 After hearing the officer's report, Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. 46 Joseph bought a linen sheet, took the body down, wrapped it in the sheet, and placed it in a tomb which had been dug out of solid rock. Then he rolled a large stone across the entrance to the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph were watching and saw where the body of Jesus was placed.
Mark 16 Good News Translation
The Resurrection
16 After the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint the body of Jesus. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3-4 On the way they said to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” (It was a very large stone.) Then they looked up and saw that the stone had already been rolled back. 5 So they entered the tomb, where they saw a young man sitting at the right, wearing a white robe—and they were alarmed.
6 “Don't be alarmed,” he said. “I know you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is not here—he has been raised! Look, here is the place where he was placed. 7 Now go and give this message to his disciples, including Peter: ‘He is going to Galilee ahead of you; there you will see him, just as he told you.’”
8 So they went out and ran from the tomb, distressed and terrified. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.