Mark 1

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 3: Also, the scribes who come down from Jerusalem are saying: “he has Beelzebub, and he expels the demons by means of the ruler of the demons.”

- How is it possible to be so ignorant? Through man’s tradition? And they can see all his miracles! How is it possible? Unfortunately, everything can happen in this world again and again!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 4: Then he adds: “Let the one who has ears to listen, listen.”

- How do they want people to listen to them if they are not able to listen themselves!

- Jesus is able to speak and listen at the same time that is why he goes directly to the point!

- It is hard to learn how to listen carefully but it is easy to speak for nothing!

- In fact, first it is necessary to listen carefully and second you can speak meaningful words!

- The reverse doesn’t work!

- It is the same when studying, you need to penetrate deeply the context, otherwise you will only bring what is superficial!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 4: For whoever has will have more given to him, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.

- Religious leaders have nothing to offer, they lead people to destruction: that’s what we find in the Bible!

- But if they have nothing to offer, it means that those who follow them won’t receive anything from them except destruction! So we must be careful to what we do if we don’t want to pay the price!

- Think about what happens when parents don’t educate their children and look at the world today: the result is clear!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 5: now there is a woman who has had a flow of blood for 12 years. She has suffered much at the hands of many physicians and has spent all her resources, and she is no better but, rather, has become worse. When she hears the reports about Jesus, she comes up behind him in the crowd and touches his outer garment, for she keeps saying: “if I touch just his outer garments, I will get well.” And immediately her flow of blood dries up, and she senses in her body that she has been healed of the grievous sickness.
Immediately Jesus realizes in himself that power has gone out of him, and he turns around in the crowd and asks: “Who touches my outer garments?”

- Jesus is close to people, they can approach him easily except when they are too many people! We can’t say the same of religious leaders!

- Jesus lives among people! We can’t say the same of religious leaders!

- Jesus eats with people! We can’t say the same of religious leaders!

- Jesus lives like people! We can’t say the same of religious leaders!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 6: When it is the Sabbath, he starts teaching in the synagogue, and most who hear him are astounded and say: “Where does this man get these things? And why should this wisdom have been given to him, and such powerful works be performed through his hands? This is the carpenter, the son of Mary and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas, and Simon, is it not? And his sisters are here with us, are they not?

- They clearly don’t want to listen and understand Jesus’ words!

- Of course, they don’t accept him because he didn’t go to their schools!

- And he doesn’t speak according to their own interests!

- So they are ready to find any excuse!

- They can hear his teaching and see his miracles, but no!

- They are their own decisions, their own responsibilities, their own choices!

- We can’t let others take decisions for us and decide for us!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 7: Now the Pharisees and some of the scribes who have come from Jerusalem gather around him. And they see some of his disciples eat their meal with defiled hands, that is, unwashed ones. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands up to the elbow, clinging to the tradition of the men of former times…

- Once again we hear about the religious leaders who follow man’s tradition!

- How easy it is to become blind or to stay blind because of man’s tradition!

- It prevents us from understanding God’s Word!

- It prevents us from opening our eyes and ears and heart!

- It makes us insensitive!

- It leaves us in the past when we must live in the present and prepare for the future!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 7: There are many other traditions that they have received and cling to, such as baptisms of cups, pitchers, and copper vessels.

- Once again, the religious leaders are only interested by man’s tradition!

- In fact, they put a heavy load on ordinary people!

- They mix man’s tradition with God’s teaching!

- They dilute God’s teaching!

- How do you want ordinary people not to be puzzled?

- What a responsibility!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 7: So these Pharisees and scribes ask him: “Why do your disciples not observe the tradition of the men of former times, but they eat their meal with defiled hands?” He says to them: Isaiah aptly prophesied about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far removed from me. It is in vain that they keep worshiping me, for they teach commands of men as doctrines.” You let go of the commandment of God and cling to the tradition of men.”

- How powerful!

- How accusing!

- How striking!

- How real unfortunately!

- How sad!

- May people remember these words of Jesus!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 7: Further, he says to them: “You skillfully disregard the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. For example, Moses said, “Honor your father and your mother,” and, “Let the one who speaks abusively of his father or mother be put to death.” but you say, “If a man says to his father or his mother: “Whatever I have that could benefit you is corban (that is, a gift dedicated to God),” you no longer let him do a single thing for his father or his mother. Thus you make the word of God invalid by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”

- They use man’s tradition against God’s word to serve their own interest!

- They turn the truth into falseness and falseness into the truth!

- They turn people away from God!

- They just bring emptiness!

 

[JLG]

Jesus vs the religious leaders

Mark 8: And he warns them in no uncertain terms: “Keep your eyes open; look out for the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

- Yes, the religious leaders are dangerous because they look for their own interests!

- They are more interested in man’s tradition than God’s word!

- It can only lead to the wrong way!

- Remember the destruction of Jerusalem!

- The foreign army would come and leave and come again to stay!

- When they first left, it was the signal to go away!

- But the religious leaders didn’t follow Jesus’ advice!

- And Jerusalem was destroyed and the inhabitants who didn’t listen to Jesus but to the religious leaders paid a high price!

- Death or slavery!

- And the scenario didn’t happen once!

- Exactly the same situation and the same end!

 

[JohnDB]

I like the book of Mark.

Mark is actually the Gospel account according to Peter. Between internal evidence and external sources this is widely held to be true. Peter told Jesus stories so often that his cousin Mark had them memorized. And then before he died Irenius had Mark write them down.

And I'm not sure if Mark was written last or if John was written last. It is something argued over a LOT. Mostly because they want a late date for John due to some pet theologies and timing.

Also there is that passage in John 8 that they believe actually belongs in the gospel of Mark. But where it gets inserted is yet another mystery for the ages.

 

[JLG]

Thanks for the information:

Here is the first link dealing with the Gospels:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gospel

Composition

Like the rest of the New Testament, the four gospels were written in Greek.[30] The Gospel of Mark probably dates from c. AD 66–70,[5] Matthew and Luke around AD 85–90,[6] and John AD 90–110.[7] Despite the traditional ascriptions, all four are anonymous and most scholars agree that none were written by eyewitnesses.[8] A few conservative scholars defend the traditional ascriptions or attributions, but for a variety of reasons the majority of scholars have abandoned this view or hold it only tenuously.[31]

In the immediate aftermath of Jesus's death, his followers apparently expected him to return at any moment, likely within their own lifetimes, and consequently there was little motivation to write anything down for future generations. However, as eyewitnesses began to die, and as the missionary needs of the church grew, there was an increasing demand and need for written versions of the founder's life and teachings.[32] The stages of this process can be summarised as follows:[33]

• Oral traditions – stories and sayings passed on largely as separate self-contained units, not in any order;
• Written collections of miracle stories, parables, sayings, etc., with oral tradition continuing alongside these;
• Written proto-gospels preceding and serving as sources for the gospels – the dedicatory preface of Luke, for example, testifies to the existence of previous accounts of the life of Jesus.[34]
• Gospels formed by combining proto-gospels, written collections and still-current oral tradition.

 

[JLG]

- But it is a bit strange because when we read the Gospels, it is clear they didn't understand anything before his death!

- And when he died they went back to their past life!

- And when he first appeared they didn't believe it!

- Moreover, the Gospels are so similar!

- And the more you wait to tell about someything happening the more you forget details!

- And it gradually goes away!

 

[JLG]

And if what is said in wikipedia is right then Luke is a liar:

Luke 1:1-4

Seeing that many have undertaken to compile an account of the facts that are given full credence among us, 2 just as these were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and attendants of the message, 3 I resolved also, because I have traced all things from the start with accuracy, to write them to you in logical order, most excellent The·ophʹi·lus, 4 so that you may know fully the certainty of the things that you have been taught orally.

 

[JLG]

https://www.blueletterbible.org/Com.../question10-when-were-the-gospels-written.cfm

When Were the Four Gospels Written?

The Amazing Historical Accuracy of the Bible – Question 10

The evidence shows that the four Gospels were written in a relatively short time after the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Examining the internal evidence of the New Testament itself can make this plain. The evidence is as follows:

 

[JLG]

1. The City of Jerusalem and the Temple Were Still Standing When the Gospels Were Written

The first three Gospels, and possibly also the fourth, were apparently written while the city of Jerusalem was still standing. Each of the first three Gospels contains predictions by Jesus concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), but none records the fulfillment. We know that Titus the Roman destroyed the city and Temple in A.D. 70. Hence, the composition of the first three Gospels most likely occurred sometime before this event, otherwise their destruction would have been recorded. The fact that all four gospels are written from the perspective that the city of Jerusalem and the temple had not been destroyed gives evidence of an early date.

 

[JLG]

2. The Book of Acts Gives a Clue to the Date of the Gospels

The Book of Acts also provides us with a clue as to when the gospels were written. Acts records the highlights in the life and ministry of the Apostle Paul. The book concludes with Paul at Rome awaiting trial before Caesar. It says:

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. (Acts 28:30-31 KJV)​

The New Living Translation reads:

For the next two years, Paul lived in his own rented house. He welcomed all who visited him, proclaiming the Kingdom of God with all boldness and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. (Acts 28:30-31 NLT)​

The inference is that Acts was written while Paul was still alive, seeing that his death is not recorded. Since there is good evidence that Paul died in the Neronian persecution about A.D. 67, the Book of Acts can be dated approximately A.D. 62.

 

[JLG]

3. Luke’s Gospel Was Written Earlier than Acts

If Acts were written about A.D. 62, then this helps us date the four gospels. The Book of Acts is the second half of a treatise written by Luke to a man named Theophilus. Since we know that the Gospel of Luke was written before the Book of Acts, we can then date the Gospel of Luke sometime around A.D. 60 or before.

 

[JLG]

4. The Brother Who Was Well-Known May Have Been Luke

There may be further evidence for an early date for Luke’s gospel. Paul wrote of a brother who was well-known among the churches for the gospel:

And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. (2 Corinthians 8:18 TNIV)​

There is ancient testimony that this refers to Luke and his written gospel. If this is speaking of Luke and the gospel he composed, then we have it well-known in the mid-fifties of the first century.

 

[JLG]

5. Mark May Have Been a Source for Luke

There may be a reference in the writings of Luke that he used Mark as a written source. John Mark is called a “minister” by Luke in Acts 13:5 (the Greek word huparetas). In 1:2, Luke says he derived the information for his gospel from those who were “eyewitnesses” and “ministers” of the word. The term translated “minister” is the same Greek word huparetas. It is possible that this could be a reference to Mark as one of his written sources.