Mark 11:30

11:30 John’s baptism – was it from heaven or from people? ¹  Answer me.”

Mark 5:9

5:9 Jesus ²  asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “My name is Legion, ³  for we are many.”

Mark 8:2

8:2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have already been here with me three days, and they have nothing to eat.

Mark 2:14

2:14 As he went along, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax booth. ⁴  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

Mark 6:25

6:25 Immediately she hurried back to the king and made her request: ⁵  “I want the head of John the Baptist on a platter immediately.”

Mark 11:29

11:29 Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question. Answer me and I will tell you by what authority I do these things:

Mark 8:34

Following Jesus

8:34 Then ⁶  Jesus ⁷  called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, ⁸  he must deny ⁹  himself, take up his cross, ¹⁰  and follow me.

Mark 12:15

12:15 But he saw through their hypocrisy and said ¹¹  to them, “Why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius ¹²  and let me look at it.”

Mark 10:21

10:21 As Jesus looked at him, he felt love for him and said, “You lack one thing. Go, sell whatever you have and give the money ¹³  to the poor, and you will have treasure ¹⁴  in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

¹ tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is probably used here (and in v. 32) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).

² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ sn The name Legion means “thousands,” a word taken from a Latin term for a large group of soldiers. The term not only suggests a multiple possession, but also adds a military feel to the account. This is a true battle.

³ tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.

⁴ tn Grk “she asked, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant and has not been translated.

⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

⁷ tn Grk “to follow after me.”

⁸ tn This translation better expresses the force of the Greek third person imperative than the traditional “let him deny,” which could be understood as merely permissive.

⁹ sn To bear the cross means to accept the rejection of the world for turning to Jesus and following him. Discipleship involves a death that is like a crucifixion; see Gal 6:14.

⁶ tn Grk “Aware of their hypocrisy he said.”

⁷ tn Here the specific name of the coin was retained in the translation, because not all coins in circulation in Palestine at the time carried the image of Caesar. In other places δηνάριον (dhnarion) has been translated simply as “silver coin” with an explanatory note.

⁷ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

⁸ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.