Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Praise of one another 1:12-2:6
  1:12-14 The Shulammite girl (6:3) described the effect that seeing Solomon had on her as he reclined at his banquet "table."She wore nard (spikenard, "perfume"NASB, NIV; cf. Mark 14:3; John 12:3), which was an ointment that c...
• The healing of two blind men 9:27-31
  9:27-28 This is the first time in Matthew's Gospel that someone called Jesus the "Son of David"(cf. 1:1; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30, 31; 21:9, 15). This was a messianic title, and the blind men's use of it undoubtedly expressed thei...
• Outline
  I. Introduction 1:1-13A. The title of the book 1:1B. Jesus' preparation for ministry 1:2-131. The ministry of John the Baptist 1:2-82. The baptism of Jesus 1:9-113. The temptation of Jesus 1:12-13II. The Servant's early Galil...
• A. The title of the book 1:1 (cf. Luke 3:1-2)
  Mark may have intended this sentence to introduce the ministry of John the Baptist since that is what follows immediately. It could also refer to the inception of Jesus' public ministry and therefore be a title of the Gospel'...
• II. The Servant's early Galilean ministry 1:14--3:6
  Mark omitted Jesus' year of early Judean ministry (John 1:15-4:42), as did the other Synoptic evangelists. He began his account of Jesus' ministry of service in Galilee, northern Israel (1:14-6:6a). Because of increasing oppo...
• 1. The message of the Servant 1:14-15 (cf. Matt. 4:12, 17; Luke 4:14-15)
  This topic sentence summarizes Jesus' whole ministry in Galilee. It identifies when it started, where it happened, and the essence of what Jesus' proclaimed that was the basis of His ministry.1:14 Jesus began His Galilean min...
• 1. The healing and forgiveness of a paralytic 2:1-12 (cf. Matt. 9:1-8; Luke 5:17-26)
  2:1-2 These two verses are an introduction to what follows. Mark frequently used summaries such as this one (cf. 1:14-15, 39; 2:13; 3:7-12, 23; 4:1, 33-34; 8:21-26, 31; 9:31; 10:1; 12:1). They are a mark of his literary style...
• 1. Jesus' ministry to the multitudes 3:7-12 (cf. Matt. 12:15-21)
  This pericope introduces Jesus' continuing ministry in Galilee following the religious leaders' decision to kill Him (cf. 1:14-15; 2:13). It provides much more detail than the parallel account in Matthew.3:7-8 The sea to whic...
• 1. The increasing rejection of Jesus 3:20-35
  Mark again returned to the opposition theme (cf. 2:1-3:6). He directed his readers back and forth between Jesus' acceptance on a superficial level by the multitudes, His disciples' growing commitment to Him, and the increasin...
• The plan of Jesus' family 3:20-21
  The picture the writer painted was of Jesus and his disciples in a house in Capernaum. Jews wanting healing or some other favor from Jesus barged right in the door. There were so many of them that Jesus could not even eat a m...
• 6. Peter's confession of faith 8:27-30 (cf. Matt. 16:13-20; Luke 9:18-21)
  The healing of the deaf man with the speech impediment resulted in a confession of Jesus' greatness that fell short of identifying Him as God (7:37). The healing of the blind man was the incident that God used to open the dis...
• The cleansing of the temple 11:15-19 (cf. Matt. 21:12-13; Luke 19:45-48)
  This was Jesus' second messianic act that constituted part of His formal presentation to Israel. The first was the Triumphal Entry (vv. 1-11).11:15-16 The market atmosphere existed in the court of the Gentiles, the outermost ...
• C. Jesus' teaching on Mt. Olivet ch. 13
  The Olivet Discourse is the longest section of Jesus' teaching that Mark recorded (cf. 4:1-34; 7:1-23). Mark used this discourse as a bridge between Jesus' controversies with Israel's leaders (11:27-12:44) and the account of ...
• 1. Jesus' sufferings because of betrayal 14:1-11
  This is another section of the Gospel that has a chiastic or "sandwich"structure (cf. 3:20-35; 5:21-43; 6:7-31; 11:12-26; 14:27-52). Mark's account of the conspiracy to kill Jesus (vv. 1-2, 10-11) surrounds Jesus' anointing i...
• The plot to arrest Jesus 14:1-2 (cf. Matt. 26:1-5; Luke 22:1-2)
  These verses introduce the whole passion narrative. Passover commemorated the Israelites' redemption from slavery in Egypt through the Exodus (Exod. 12:1-13:16). It anticipated a greater deliverance from the consequences of s...
• The anointing at Bethany 14:3-9 (cf. Matt. 26:6-13; John 12:1-8)
  14:3 For thematic reasons Matthew and Mark both placed this event within the story of the hostility of Jesus' enemies. It is apparently out of chronological order (cf. John 12:1). This rearrangement of the material highlighte...
• Judas' betrayal of Jesus 14:10-11 (cf. Matt. 26:14-16; Luke 22:3-6)
  If the preceding incident happened on Saturday evening and Judas betrayed Jesus on Wednesday, Mary's act of extravagance did not lead Judas to betray Jesus immediately. The Gospel writers did not explain Judas' reasons for be...
• Preparations for the Passover meal 14:12-16 (cf. Matt. 26:17-19; Luke 22:7-13)
  The main feature of this pericope is the unusual method by which Jesus' directed His disciples.14:12 The Jews commonly referred to the first day of the combined Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts as the feast of Unleavened ...
• The announcement of Jesus' betrayal 14:17-21 (cf. Matt. 26:20-25; Luke 22:14, 21-23; John 13:21-30)
  Mark did not record all that happened in the upper room. He stressed the announcement of Jesus' betrayal and Jesus' explanation of the significance of the bread and wine.14:17 This would have been Thursday evening. Because th...
• Jesus' agony in the garden 14:27-52
  Jesus experienced suffering as He said farewell to His disciples in Jerusalem (vv. 12-26), but His suffering increased as He anticipated the Cross on the Mount of Olives (vv. 27-52)....
• The crucifixion of Jesus 15:21-32 (cf. Matt. 27:32-44; Luke 23:26-43; John 19:17b-27)
  15:21 Probably only Mark mentioned Simon's sons because the Christians in Rome knew them or knew of them (cf. Rom. 16:13). Evidently Simon became a believer in Jesus. Mark mentioned very few people by name other than the Twel...
• A. The announcement of Jesus' resurrection 16:1-8 (cf. Matt. 28:1-8; Luke 24:1-8; John 20:1)
  16:1 The Sabbath ended with sundown Saturday evening. The women did not come to the tomb until Sunday morning (v. 2, cf. Matt. 28:1). Why did Mark refer to the Sabbath at all? Probably he did so to clarify that Jesus had been...
• Jesus' appearance to the Eleven 16:14-18 (cf. Luke 24:36-43; John 20:19-23)
  Mark said that Jesus appeared to the Eleven on this occasion. However, John qualified that statement by explaining that Thomas was absent (John 20:24). Mark was speaking of the Eleven as a group.16:14 This event evidently hap...
• 2. Jesus' ascension 16:19-20 (cf. Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9-12)
  16:19 This event happened 40 days after the appearances that Mark just recorded (cf. Acts 1:3). Mark narrated the ascension and session of Jesus simply. The title "Lord Jesus"occurs only here and in Luke 24:3 in the Gospels. ...
• Bibliography
  Adams, J. McKee. Biblical Backgrounds. Nashville: Broadman Press, 1965.Alexander, Joseph Addison. The Gospel According to Mark. 1881. Reprint ed. London: Banner of Truth, 1960.Alexander, William M. Demonic Possession in the N...
• 4. The anointing by a sinful woman 7:36-50
  This incident, appearing only in Luke's Gospel, illustrates the truth just expressed in verse 35. Here is a case in point of what Jesus had just described happening (v. 34). Jesus reached out to a sinner only to receive criti...
• 2. Judas' offer 22:3-6 (cf. Matt. 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11)
  Luke omitted the story of Jesus' anointing in Bethany (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; John 12:2-8). He had already narrated a similar event that happened on another occasion (7:36-50). By his omission Luke allowed the story of t...
• Writer
  The writer of this Gospel did not identify himself as such in the text. This is true of all the Gospel evangelists. Nevertheless there is evidence within this Gospel as well as in the writings of the church fathers that the w...
• Lazarus' death 11:1-16
  In this pericope John stressed Jesus' deliberate purpose in allowing Lazarus to die and the reality of his death.11:1-2 "Lazarus"probably is a variant of "Eleazar"meaning "God helps."379The Synoptic writers did not mention hi...
• The revelation of the resurrection and the life 11:17-29
  The scene now shifts from the region near Bethany of Perea (1:28; 10:40) to the Bethany in Judea. Both towns became sites where people believed on Jesus.11:17 There is some evidence that the later Jewish rabbis believed that ...
• The revelation of Jesus' compassion 11:30-37
  The emphasis in this pericope is on Jesus' compassion in the face of sin's consequences.11:30-32 Mary's physical response to Jesus was more emotional that Martha's had been, perhaps reflecting her temperament. Again we find M...
• The official response 11:47-53
  The raising of Lazarus convinced Israel's leaders that they had to take more drastic action against Jesus. John recorded this decision as the high point of Israel's official rejection of God's Son so far. This decision led di...
• 3. Mary's anointing of Jesus 12:1-8 (cf. Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9)
  In contrast to the hatred that the religious leaders manifested stands the love that Mary demonstrated toward the One she had come to believe in. Her act of sacrificial devotion is a model for all true disciples. This is the ...
• The act of foot-washing 13:1-11
  "In the Synoptic account of the events of this evening we read of a dispute among the disciples as to which of them would be the greatest. John does not record this, but he tells of an action of Jesus that rebuked their lack ...
• 2. Jesus' announcement of His betrayal 13:21-30 (cf. Matt. 26:21-25; Mark 14:18-21; Luke 22:21-23)
  Jesus had spoken only briefly about His betrayal until now (cf. 6:70; 13:10, 18). Now He gave the Twelve more specific information.13:21-22 The prospect of His imminent betrayal and death upset Jesus visibly (Gr. etarachthe, ...
• 3. The encouragement to persevere 10:32-39
  The writer concluded his warning by reminding his readers of their former faithfulness when tempted to encourage them to endure their present and future testings (cf. 4:12-16; 6:9-20)."The juxtaposition of 10:26-31 and 32-35 ...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• St. Mark 10-16
  Mark 10-16
• The Alabaster Box
  And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me. 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. 8 She hath done what she co...
• A Secret Rendezvous
  And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, His disciples said unto Him, Where wilt Thou that we go and prepare that Thou mayest eat the passover? 13. And He sendeth forth two of His disciples, and s...
• Is It I?'
  Mark 14:19.THE scene shows that Judas had not as yet drawn any suspicion on himself.Here the Apostles seem to be higher than their ordinary stature; for they do not take to questioning one another, or even to protest, No!' bu...