Twist family Bible study: the Gospel of Mark

[Wayne]

Jesus is taken to the authorities (in the middle of the night if I understand correctly).

They make lots of accusations, but the stories are inconsistent and do not seem to constitute a solid case. They beat him, blindfold and mock him.

Outside, Peter warms himself by the fire. Just as Jesus foretold, Peter is asked 3 times if he is one of Jesus's followers, and denies it all 3 times.

[Wayne]

By the way, we might wonder here: since Peter is outside at this time, and this is Peter's version of the story as re-told by Mark, who provided the information about what was going on inside the court?

One possibility, consistent with the information in the gospel of John, is that the beloved disciple went into the court with Jesus and provided this perspective.

[injest]

Well, I've had a hard day. My cat Mister Mew died yesterday afternoon... no illness, just sleeping on the couch.

I love him so much. He will be part of me forever.

{{{Wayne}}}

[ifyoucantfixit]

    Its so hard when we lose ones we love.. sorry  so sorry.

[Wayne]

Thank y'all so much for thinking of me ...        Cliff and I just have to go through it.

We don't know what happened; he had not been ill.  I can only say I'm glad he didn't suffer.

And that I know he knows we love him and we always will. And that he will always love us, and always be part of us.

We will both miss Mister Mew very very much...

[Wayne]

Well, things are not going well for Jesus either in Mark 15. In the early morning the local authorities take him to the court of Pontius Pilate, the Roman "prefect" of Judea from 26 to 36 AD.

Pilate is concerned with any political threat, and asks Jesus if he is "King of the Jews." According to Mark, Jesus answers "You say it." This seems pretty enigmatic, very much in Jesus's style.

Sometimes this gets translated as "Yes." But it seems it could also mean anything ranging from "If you say so," to "Listen to yourself, even you say so." It probably left even Pilate wondering what he meant (verse 5).

Wikipedia says that in modern times, Western traditions of Christianity hold Pilate and thus Rome accountable for Jesus's death, while Eastern traditions believe Pilate was exonerated by washing his hands as indicated in other gospels. Mark does not mention the hand-washing ceremony.

Mark writes that Pilate suggested Jesus be released under the annual tradition of release of prisoners at Passover, but the people said release Barabbas instead. Mark says "Barabbas had been imprisoned with the insurrectionists who had committed murder in the insurrection." Other gospels say he was a robber.

[Wayne]

Jesus is scourged, mocked, and taken to be crucified. They offer him wine containing myrrh, but he did not receive it. In Luke, of course, myrrh is one of the 3 gifts that had been brought to Jesus as a baby. It was sometimes worth more than gold, 5 times as costly as frankincense, used in perfumes and to dress dead bodies. Here is some myrrh:

When he was crucified, people mocked him saying "You saved others, why don't you save yourself now?"

After six hours, he said "My God, my God, why did you forsake me?" He cried out and died. Mark says he "yielded the spirit." The word "spirit" comes from the same source as "breath." So when God's spirit moved upon the waters in Genesis, you can also think of that as the breath of God.

[Wayne]

I don't have any myrrh, but I do have a bottle of lavender.

I just now sprinkled a little where we buried Mister Mew about this time yesterday.

[Wayne]

Mark says the veil of the sanctuary in the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. This represents of course an opening of the block between earth and heaven.

I can't find this right now but I have read an interesting hypothesis that some of the disciples may have gone into the temple and torn the veil.

No idea how plausible this is, but it's an interesting thought.

[Wayne]

The centurion guard watching him die said "Truly this man was Son of God."

Joseph of Arimathea requested the body. The centurion certified to Pilate that Jesus was dead, and the body was granted. He and several women who were disciples from Galilee wrapped the body in fine linen and laid his body in a tomb that had been carved out of rock.

They placed a heavy stone across the front of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.