The Passion Narratives - Mark's Account

This week and next we will be looking at Mark's account of the Passion of Our Lord. He writes in a very different style from Matthew, which you should be able to notice. Some points to keep in mind about Mark in general:

• Mark writes almost like a newspaper reporter. He seems to just be reporting facts rather than spending a lot of time interpreting them. Therefore, his Gospel moves very quickly. However, the Passion is of the utmost importance to Mark and so he slows down considerably and adds layers of detail when he gets to the Passion.


• Mark presents a very human Jesus, showing him eating, drinking, resting, as well as being happy, sad, frustrated, angry, and loving.


• Scholars believe Mark was writing to a primarily Gentil audience.


• Scholars date the writing of this Gospel, the first official Gospel to be written, to somewhere between 65 and 70 C.E. (Common Era). That places it firmly in the context of the Second Jewish Revolt against the Romans, which concluded in 70 C.E. with the destruction of the Temple and the defeat of the Jewish rebellion.

So, what do you notice about the Markan account? How is it different for you from Matthew's? How is it the same? What does it tell us about Jesus and ourselves?

-Fryan