²³So Jesus called them and spoke to them in parables:^† “How can Satan^† drive out Satan? ²⁴If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. ²⁵If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. ²⁶And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. ²⁷In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man. Then he can rob his house.^{† 28}I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them. ²⁹But whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; he is guilty of an eternal sin.”^†

³⁰He said this because they were saying, “He has an evil spirit.”

Jesus’ Mother and Brothers

³¹Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived.^† Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him. ³²A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”

³³“Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.

³⁴Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! ³⁵Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

Mark 4

The Parable of the Sower

¹Again Jesus began to teach by the lake.^† The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge. ²He taught them many things by parables,^† and in his teaching said: ³“Listen! A farmer went out to sow his seed.^{† 4}As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path, and the birds came and ate it up. ⁵Some fell on rocky places, where it did not have much soil. It sprang up quickly, because the soil was shallow. ⁶But when the sun came up, the plants were scorched, and they withered because they had no root. ⁷Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants, so that they did not bear grain. ⁸Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up, grew and produced a crop, multiplying thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times.”^†

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Politics in the Holy Land Leading Up to the Time of Jesus

Mark 4 The Holy Land just prior to and during the time of Jesus was formally under the supervision of the Roman governor of Syria. The Roman period began in 63 B.C. and culminated with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70 and the establishment of Jerusalem as a pagan city in A.D. 135. As a critical epoch in the history of Israel, ancient contemporaries and modern interpreters view these years as a period of tremendous change, expectation and consequence.

Arrival of Rome and the End of the Hasmoneans

Roman control debuted in Israel in the wake of a conflict for succession between two sons of the Hasmonean queen Salome Alexandra: Hyrcanus II, who had served as high priest, and Aristobulus II, who had been the chief military commander. Although Hyrcanus initially yielded to his brother, he was pressed by the Idumean leader Antipater to fight for the throne. Both sides sent delegations before the Roman general Pompey in Damascus, who eventually sided with Hyrcanus. In the meantime, the supporters of Aristobulus had barricaded themselves in the temple of Jerusalem. Pompey’s forces besieged the temple mount for three months, eventually taking the area. Josephus recorded that Pompey desecrated the temple by entering into the Most Holy Place (Wars, 1.7.1–6). Hyrcanus was confirmed in power, although denied the title of king and stripped of all coastal and Transjordanian Greek cities. After another rebellion in 57 B.C. by Aristobulus’s son Alexander, Hyrcanus retained only the high priesthood and the temple, while the province of Judea was divided into five administrative districts.

During the course of a Roman civil war between Pompey and Julius Caesar, the Idumean Antipater encouraged Hyrcanus to support Caesar and to send auxiliary troops to his aid in Egypt (47 B.C.). As a gesture of thanks, Julius Caesar conferred upon Hyrcanus the title Ethnarch of the Jews (an Ethnarch was a man appointed by Rome to be ruler of a people) and named Antipater as the first procurator of Judea.¹ Antipater named his two sons, Phasael and Herod, as prefects over Judea and Galilee, respectively. Herod quickly distinguished himself and was named prefect of Syria by the Roman governor.²

Herod the Great

Caesar’s assassination in 44 B.C. was a blow to Jewish communities throughout the empire and produced a period of instability in Rome. During this interval the eastern empire was attacked by Parthians from Mesopotamia. They named Antigonus, the son of Aristobulus, as high priest and king in Jerusalem. Phasael was captured and slain, while Herod fled to Rome. After the defeat of the Parthians, Mark Antony and Octavian (Julius Caesar’s heir)³ conferred the title King of the Jews upon Herod in 37 B.C.

Herod ruled from Jerusalem with the support of Rome from 37 to 34 B.C. He functioned as a client-king (a king who rules under the authority of an outside power) and was considered a “friend and ally of the Roman people” (a title conferred by the senate upon non-Romans whose support they valued). He was dependent upon Rome for his kingship and was compelled to swear an oath of allegiance to Caesar (Josephus, Antiquities, 17.2.4). In return he promised stability, order and tax revenue. Herod earned an international reputation as a great benefactor and builder of cities and temples, but his legacy within Judaism is almost entirely negative. Josephus recorded the contemporary evaluation that Jews suffered more during the reign of Herod than during the entire period prior to Herod since the Babylonian exile (Josephus, Wars, 2.6.2).

1. See “The Roman Governor.”

2. See “Herod the Great.”

3. See “Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome; the Census; and Quirinius, Governor of Syria.”

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Herod’s Successors and Uneasy Relations Between Rome and the Jews

Mark 4

Herod’s Successors

When Herod died in 4 B.C., the predominantly Gentile area northeast of the Sea of Galilee, known as Iturea and Trachonitis, was given as a tetrarchy to Philip, the half brother of Antipas (Mt 14:3; Lk 3:1). Philip ruled his territory well from his newly constructed capital, Caesarea Philippi.¹ When he died in A.D. 34 his tetrarchy was incorporated into the Roman province of Syria. Galilee and Perea were assigned to Philip’s half brother Antipas (also known as Herod the tetrarch; cf. Mt 14:1; Lk 3:1). Herod Antipas ruled from Sepphoris, near Nazareth, and later from Tiberias until his banishment by the Roman emperor Caligula in A.D. 39.² He is often remembered for his illegal marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias, and for his imprisonment and execution of John the Baptist (Mt 14:3; Josephus, Antiquities, 18.5.1–2).

Judea and Samaria were placed under the control of Herod’s son Archelaus (the full brother of Antipas and half brother of Philip), who was given the title of ethnarch (cf. Mt 2:22). Archelaus began his reign by slaughtering 3,000 people during the Jewish Passover, and he was eventually banished for incompetence by Augustus to Gaul in 6 A.D. (Josephus, Antiquities, 17.13.2). At this point Judea became a Roman province, ruled directly by a series of Roman prefects (A.D. 6–41) and then procurators (A.D. 44–66), who maintained their residence in Caesarea and at the Fortress of Antonia near the temple in Jerusalem. The most important prefecture for early Christianity was that of Pontius Pilate (A.D. 26–36).³

The Uneasy Relations Between Rome and the Jews

The first act of direct Roman rule was the taking of a census by Quirinius, legate of Syria, in order to determine the amount of tribute owed by Judea (cf. Lk 2:1–3; Ac 5:37).⁴ The census itself and the paying of tribute provoked great animosity within Judean society. Under the prefects, internal Jewish affairs were governed by the high priestly aristocracy and judicial cases were determined by the Sanhedrin, or court of seventy-one.⁵ The prefects reserved the power of the sword, or the right of capital punishment. However, Jewish leadership seems to have retained this power in cases that dealt exclusively with religious crimes, especially those having to do with the sanctity of the temple. It is for this reason that Jesus, Paul and Stephen were tried on the accusation of “speaking against” or “defiling” the temple (Mt 26:61; Ac 6:13–14; 21:28). The prefects further maintained their authority over the high priests through the power of appointment and by their authority to control custody of the high priestly garments (Josephus, Antiquities, 20.1.1).

After a brief return to Herodian rule under Agrippa from A.D. 41–44 (cf. Ac 12:20–23), Judea, Samaria and Galilee were ruled by a series of procurators until the outbreak of war in A.D. 66. Agrippa’s son reigned over a small kingdom in the north from A.D. 48–66 (Ac 25:13), and several later procurators are known from the New Testament, including Marcus Antonius Felix (A.D. 52–59; Ac 23:24) and Porcius Festus (A.D. 59–62; Ac 24:27), under both of whom Paul was imprisoned.

The reality of Roman control during the time of Jesus produced various reactions within Israelite society. Archaeology has revealed the large extent to which the upper classes adopted Greco-Roman customs and welcomed this new relationship. Evidence for such Hellenization can be observed in both public and private architecture, civic institutions and the widespread use of the Greek language. At the same time, Roman control generated widespread animosity and concern for the vitality of traditional Jewish values and expectations.

1. See “Caesarea Philippi.”

2. See “Sepphoris” and “Tiberias.”

3. See “Pontius Pilate.”

4. See “Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome; the Census; and Quirinius, Governor of Syria.”

5. See “The Sanhedrin.”

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Messianic Conflicts and the Fall of Jerusalem

Mark 4

Messianic Movements and Other Conflicts

One of the most explicit Messianic images of the Old Testament, the vision of four successive empires in Daniel 2 and 7, was understood to signal the advent of the Messianic kingdom after the downfall of Rome.¹ For this reason a number of Messianic movements arose within this period. According to Josephus, the actions of Messianic teachers and the failure of Judean and Roman leaders to deal effectively with them propelled the nation toward open revolt. A review of select Messianic incidents reveals the tension, potential violence and general atmosphere in which Jesus proclaimed the “good news of the kingdom” (Mt 4:23):

• Near the time of Herod’s death in 4 B.C., two leading Jewish teachers incited their students to remove the large, golden eagle (the symbol of Rome) that Herod had erected over the great gate of the temple. Herod arrested the teachers and their students and proceeded to burn them alive, also deposing the reigning high priest for his assumed complicity (Josephus, Antiquities, 17.6.2).

• The census of Quirinius in A.D. 6 prompted an open revolt, led by Judas of Galilee, which was violently suppressed (Antiquities, 18.1.1; Ac 5:37).

• When Pilate became prefect in A.D. 26 he commanded his troops to bring standards bearing the image of Caesar into Jerusalem. A large crowd followed him to Caesarea and sat outside his palace for five days and nights in protest. When he surrounded them with troops, they fell prostrate, exposed their necks and confessed themselves willing to die rather than to have the (Mosaic) Law transgressed (Antiquities, 18.3.1).

• Pilate later used funds from the temple treasury to build an aqueduct and crushed all public opposition to this action (Antiquities, 18.3.2).

• He also slaughtered a group of Galileans while they were offering sacrifices in Jerusalem (Lk 13:1).

• John the Baptist appeared in Judea around A.D. 27, preaching repentance, the imminent advent of God and public criticism of Herod Antipas. He was arrested and subsequently executed (Mk 6:16–29).

• A few years later Pilate crucified Jesus of Nazareth on the charge that he claimed to be “THE KING OF THE JEWS” (Mt 27:37; Antiquities, 18.3.3).

• In A.D. 36 Pilate brutally suppressed a Messianic movement in Samaria, which precipitated his removal from office (Antiquities, 18.4.1–2).

• In A.D. 41 the emperor Caligula sought to have a statue of himself erected in the temple of Jerusalem. Tens of thousands of Jews protested, demanding that they be slain first (Antiquities, 18.8.2–3).

• Around A.D. 45 a would-be prophet, Theudas, led a large crowd to the Jordan, promising to part the river at his own command as the sign of a new exodus. Roman troops slaughtered most of his followers and carried the head of Theudas to Jerusalem (Antiquities, 20.5.1; Ac 5:36).

Many other such incidents are described in ancient sources, providing an important window into the complex and challenging world of the Holy Land during the time of Jesus.

The End of Jerusalem

All of these tensions ultimately led to the Jewish revolt and the destruction of Jerusalem.² Josephus blamed the incompetence and insensitivity of the later procurators for the disastrous revolt. Despite initial Jewish success, the rebellion was crushed and the temple destroyed by the Roman general Titus in A.D. 70. After the war Judea was governed by a legate of senatorial rank who was under the direct supervision of the emperor. A second Jewish revolt in A.D. 132–135, led by the Messianic pretender Bar Kokhba (“son of the star”; cf. Nu 24:17), resulted in a great slaughter of Jews and the forcible removal of surviving Jews from the land. The Romans renamed the province Palestine and converted the temple into a pagan shrine. Jerusalem itself became a Roman city, named Aelia Capitolina.

1. See “The Kingdoms of Daniel’s Prophecies.”

2. See “Josephus and the Fall of Jerusalem.”

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⁹Then Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”^†

¹⁰When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables. ¹¹He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God^† has been given to you. But to those on the outside^† everything is said in parables ¹²so that,

“ ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving,

and ever hearing but never understanding;

otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!’^[10] ”^†

¹³Then Jesus said to them, “Don’t you understand this parable? How then will you understand any parable? ¹⁴The farmer sows the word.^{† 15}Some people are like seed along the path, where the word is sown. As soon as they hear it, Satan^† comes and takes away the word that was sown in them. ¹⁶Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. ¹⁷But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. ¹⁸Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; ¹⁹but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth^† and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. ²⁰Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop—thirty, sixty or even a hundred times what was sown.”

A Lamp on a Stand

²¹He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?^{† 22}For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.^{† 23}If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”^†

²⁴“Consider carefully what you hear,” he continued. “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more.^{† 25}Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.”^†

The Parable of the Growing Seed

²⁶He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like.^† A man scatters seed on the ground. ²⁷Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. ²⁸All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. ²⁹As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.”^†

The Parable of the Mustard Seed

³⁰Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like,^† or what parable shall we use to describe it? ³¹It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. ³²Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”

³³With many similar parables Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand.^{† 34}He did not say anything to them without using a parable.^† But when he was alone with his own disciples, he explained everything.

Jesus Calms the Storm

³⁵That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” ³⁶Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat.^† There were also other boats with him. ³⁷A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. ³⁸Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”

³⁹He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

⁴⁰He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”^†

⁴¹They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!”

Mark 5

The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man

¹They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[11] 2}When Jesus got out of the boat,^† a man with an evil^[12] spirit^† came from the tombs to meet him. ³This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain. ⁴For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

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Gergesenes, Gerasenes or Gadarenes?

Mark 5 Three of the four Gospels record the miracle of the healing of the demoniac (and, as a consequence, of the pigs rushing into the sea), but a vexing issue remains: Did this take place in the region of the Gerasenes, the Gadarenes or the Gergesenes? All three can be found among the Greek manuscripts of the Gospels. On textual evidence alone, manuscripts of Matthew 8:28 probably favor “Gadarenes,” but those of Mark 5:1 and Luke 8:26 both suggest “Gerasenes.”

Gadara, modern Umm Qeis, was about 5 miles (8 km) from the Sea of Galilee and thus cannot have been the place where the miracle took place. Gerasa (Jerash) contains magnificent Roman ruins and a number of pagan temples, but it is 37 miles (60 km) southeast of Galilee and thereby also out of the question as the site of the miracle.

Gergesa (see “Map 9”), modern Kursi, is situated on the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and is also the only spot on this shore with a steep bank overlooking the sea (Mk 5:13). The church historian Eusebius identified this as the site of the miracle. The remains of a Byzantine monastery, built in the sixth century to commemorate this healing, have been found here. Based upon this evidence, it would appear that the earliest texts rendered the site “Gergesenes” but that, because the name was unfamiliar to many scribes and because of the similarity in pronunciation and spelling, it was erroneously copied as both “Gerasenes” and “Gadarenes.”

Jerash: the Arch of Hadrian

Umm Qeis: the site of Gadara

Jerash: the street of columns looking toward the modern city

Photographs courtesy of © Dr. Gary Pratico

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The Life of Jesus

Mark 5 In what year was Jesus born, and when was he crucified? These are longstanding historical questions. The seemingly obvious answer to the first—that he was born in A.D. 1 (there is no year 0)—is incorrect, however, since the calculations on which our modern calendar is based were faulty.

The basic data of Jesus’ life are well known. After his birth in Bethlehem,¹ he spent most of his youth and early years of ministry in Galilee.² Like many Jews, Jesus would have made trips to Jerusalem and Judea (noted especially in John’s Gospel), but he is also reported to have journeyed at various times into the regions surrounding Galilee, such as Phoenicia (Mt 15:21)³ and Caesarea Philippi (Mt 16:13).⁴ But most of his life was spent in his hometown of Nazareth and in the fishing villages around the sea of Galilee.⁵ Jesus’ final period of ministry centered on Judea, with the crucifixion and resurrection events occurring in and about Jerusalem.

The chronology of Jesus’ life, though clear in outline, cannot be fixed with absolute precision. Matthew and Luke both inform us that Jesus was born before the death of Herod (4 B.C.), though it would appear that his birth occurred toward the final years of Herod’s reign,⁶ suggesting an approximate date of 6–4 B.C. The next chronological marker comes from Luke 3:1, where we learn that John the Baptist’s ministry began during the fifteenth year of the reign of the emperor Tiberius.⁷ Since A.D. 14 is the generally accepted date for Tiberius’s accession to the throne, John’s ministry would have commenced between August of A.D. 28 and December of 29. Jesus began his own ministry shortly after John had embarked on his, at some point in A.D. 28 or 29, making Jesus about 32 or 33 years old at the time. This fits well with Luke’s statement that Jesus was “about thirty years old” (Lk 3:23).

The duration of Jesus’ public ministry was approximately three years. While the exact chronology of this period is difficult to ascertain, the final phase of his ministry allows for closer scrutiny. It is clear that Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, who governed Judea from A.D. 26–36.⁸ Moreover, it is likely that he was put to death on a Friday on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month Nisan, as the Passover lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the Passover that Friday night; this is the clear implication of John’s narrative (Jn 18:28; 19:31). While it is true that in the Synoptic Gospels Jesus referred to the Last Supper, which took place on a Thursday, as a “Passover” meal (e.g., Mk 14:12–16), this may be accounted for in a few different ways. It has been suggested, with some historical support, that some Jews (in this case Jesus and his Galilean companions) may have reckoned the feast days from sunrise to sunrise rather than from sunset to sunset. This explanation would accommodate the material both in John and in the Synoptics. It is also possible that Jesus deliberately held his meal on a different day from the Passover because of his intention to radically transform the meaning of the Passover.⁹

Taking Friday, Nisan 14, as the day of the crucifixion, astronomical data informs us that the only years from A.D. 29–36 that could have seen Nisan 14 on a Friday are A.D. 30, 33 and 36. A.D. 36 is easily dismissed as too late, while A.D. 30 seems too early (although some who begin Jesus’ ministry in A.D. 28 and shorten his public ministry find it acceptable). This leaves A.D. 33 as the most likely date for the year of Jesus’ death and resurrection.¹⁰

Mosaic at a Christian church at Tabgha, on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where tradition says Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount

Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin

1. See “Bethlehem” and “The Birthplace of Jesus.”

2. See “Galilee in Jesus’ Time.”

3. See “Phoenicia.”

4. See “Caesarea Philippi.”

5. See “Nazareth.”

6. See “Herod the Great.”

7. See “Tiberius Caesar, the Caesar of Jesus’ Ministry.”

8. See “Pontius Pilate.”

9. See “The Last Supper and the Passover.”

10.See “The Resurrection of Jesus.”

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⁶When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me,^† Jesus, Son of the Most High God?^† Swear to God that you won’t torture me!” ⁸For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you evil spirit!”

⁹Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”

“My name is Legion,”^† he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.

¹¹A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹²The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.

¹⁴Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion^† of demons,^† sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.

¹⁸As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your family and tell them^† how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis^{[13] †} how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman

²¹When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake,^† a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.^{† 22}Then one of the synagogue rulers,^† named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet ²³and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on^† her so that she will be healed and live.” ²⁴So Jesus went with him.

A large crowd followed and pressed around him. ²⁵And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding^† for twelve years. ²⁶She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. ²⁷When she heard about Jesus, she came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, ²⁸because she thought, “If I just touch his clothes,^† I will be healed.” ²⁹Immediately her bleeding stopped and she felt in her body that she was freed from her suffering.^†

³⁰At once Jesus realized that power^† had gone out from him. He turned around in the crowd and asked, “Who touched my clothes?”

³¹“You see the people crowding against you,” his disciples answered, “and yet you can ask, ‘Who touched me?’ ”

³²But Jesus kept looking around to see who had done it. ³³Then the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came and fell at his feet and, trembling with fear, told him the whole truth. ³⁴He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you.^† Go in peace^† and be freed from your suffering.”

³⁵While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler.^† “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”

³⁶Ignoring what they said, Jesus told the synagogue ruler, “Don’t be afraid; just believe.”

³⁷He did not let anyone follow him except Peter, James and John the brother of James.^{† 38}When they came to the home of the synagogue ruler,^† Jesus saw a commotion, with people crying and wailing loudly. ³⁹He went in and said to them, “Why all this commotion and wailing? The child is not dead but asleep.”^{† 40}But they laughed at him.

After he put them all out, he took the child’s father and mother and the disciples who were with him, and went in where the child was. ⁴¹He took her by the hand^† and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means, “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).^{† 42}Immediately the girl stood up and walked around (she was twelve years old). At this they were completely astonished. ⁴³He gave strict orders not to let anyone know about this,^† and told them to give her something to eat.

Mark 6

A Prophet Without Honor

¹Jesus left there and went to his hometown,^† accompanied by his disciples. ²When the Sabbath came,^† he began to teach in the synagogue,^† and many who heard him were amazed.^†

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Sepphoris

Mark 6 The city of Sepphoris (modern Zippori) is mentioned nowhere in the Bible, even though it was a town that Jesus must have known well. Located just four miles (six km) northwest of Nazareth,¹ Sepphoris had become quite prominent by the first century B.C. In the winter of 39/38 B.C., Herod the Great captured it and used it as his northern base.² At his death the city rebelled but was harshly defeated by the Roman governor, Varus. Herod Antipas inherited this territory from Herod the Great and set about rebuilding the town, transforming it into the most opulent city of Galilee.³ A theater seating three thousand, possibly built by Herod Antipas, was located there. A beautiful mosaic of a woman’s face has been unearthed there, dating much later, to the third or fourth century A.D. The first-century inhabitants of the city appear to have been staunchly pro-Roman, since they refused to join the Jewish revolt of A.D. 70. During the second century A.D., however, the city did become a center of Jewish learning.

The elaborate rebuilding of this city, carried out by Herod Antipas, occurred during the lifetimes of both Joseph and Jesus. Since the two were craftsmen (perhaps carpenters; see Mk 6:3), some suggest that they may in fact have worked at construction projects there. Sepphoris is the traditional birthplace of Jesus’ mother, Mary.

1. See “Nazareth.”

2. See “Herod the Great.”

3. See “Galilee in Jesus’ Time.”

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“Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles! ³Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph,^[14] Judas and Simon?^† Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.^†

⁴Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”^{† 5}He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on^† a few sick people and heal them. ⁶And he was amazed at their lack of faith.

Jesus Sends Out the Twelve

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.^{† 7}Calling the Twelve to him,^† he sent them out two by two^† and gave them authority over evil^[15] spirits.^†

⁸These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff—no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. ⁹Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. ¹⁰Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. ¹¹And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet^† when you leave, as a testimony against them.”

¹²They went out and preached that people should repent.^{† 13}They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil^† and healed them.

John the Baptist Beheaded

¹⁴King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying,^[16] “John the Baptist^† has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”

¹⁵Others said, “He is Elijah.”^†

And still others claimed, “He is a prophet,^† like one of the prophets of long ago.”^†

¹⁶But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

¹⁷For Herod himself had given orders to have John arrested, and he had him bound and put in prison.^† He did this because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, whom he had married. ¹⁸For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife.”^{† 19}So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him. But she was not able to, ²⁰because Herod feared John and protected him, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man.^† When Herod heard John, he was greatly puzzled^[17]; yet he liked to listen to him.

²¹Finally the opportune time came. On his birthday Herod gave a banquet^† for his high officials and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee.^{† 22}When the daughter of Herodias came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his dinner guests.

The king said to the girl, “Ask me for anything you want, and I’ll give it to you.” ²³And he promised her with an oath, “Whatever you ask I will give you, up to half my kingdom.”^†

²⁴She went out and said to her mother, “What shall I ask for?”

“The head of John the Baptist,” she answered.

²⁵At once the girl hurried in to the king with the request: “I want you to give me right now the head of John the Baptist on a platter.”

²⁶The king was greatly distressed, but because of his oaths and his dinner guests, he did not want to refuse her. ²⁷So he immediately sent an executioner with orders to bring John’s head. The man went, beheaded John in the prison, ²⁸and brought back his head on a platter. He presented it to the girl, and she gave it to her mother. ²⁹On hearing of this, John’s disciples came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand

³⁰The apostles^† gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.^{† 31}Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat,^† he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”

³²So they went away by themselves in a boat^† to a solitary place. ³³But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. ³⁴When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.^† So he began teaching them many things.

³⁵By this time it was late in the day, so his disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. ³⁶Send the people away so they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.”

³⁷But he answered, “You give them something to eat.”^†

They said to him, “That would take eight months of a man’s wages^[18]! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?”

³⁸“How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.”

When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.”^†

³⁹Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. ⁴⁰So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. ⁴¹Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves.^† Then he gave them to his disciples to set before the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. ⁴²They all ate and were satisfied, ⁴³and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. ⁴⁴The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.

Jesus Walks on the Water

⁴⁵Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat^† and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida,^† while he dismissed the crowd. ⁴⁶After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.^†

⁴⁷When evening came, the boat was in the middle of the lake, and he was alone on land. ⁴⁸He saw the disciples straining at the oars, because the wind was against them. About the fourth watch of the night he went out to them, walking on the lake. He was about to pass by them, ⁴⁹but when they saw him walking on the lake, they thought he was a ghost.^† They cried out, ⁵⁰because they all saw him and were terrified.

Immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.”^{† 51}Then he climbed into the boat^† with them, and the wind died down.^† They were completely amazed, ⁵²for they had not understood about the loaves; their hearts were hardened.^†

⁵³When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret and anchored there.^{† 54}As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. ⁵⁵They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. ⁵⁶And wherever he went—into villages, towns or countryside—they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak,^† and all who touched him were healed.

Mark 7

Clean and Unclean

¹The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and ²saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,”^† that is, unwashed. ³(The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.^{† 4}When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.^[19])^†

⁵So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders^† instead of eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

⁶He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“ ‘These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

⁷They worship me in vain;

their teachings are but rules taught by men.’^{[20] †}

⁸You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.”^†

⁹And he said to them: “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe^[21] your own traditions!^{† 10}For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’^{[22] †} and, ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’^{[23] † 11}But you say^† that if a man says to his father or mother: ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), ¹²then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. ¹³Thus you nullify the word of God^† by your tradition^† that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

¹⁴Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. ¹⁵Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’^[24] ”

¹⁷After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him^† about this parable. ¹⁸“Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? ¹⁹For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods^† “clean.”)^†

²⁰He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ²¹For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²²greed,^† malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³All these evils come from inside and make a man ‘unclean.’ ”

The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman

²⁴Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.^{[25] †} He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. ²⁵In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an evil^[26] spirit^† came and fell at his feet. ²⁶The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷“First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”

²⁸“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “but even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man

³¹Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre^† and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee^† and into the region of the Decapolis.^{[27] † 32}There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk,^† and they begged him to place his hand on^† the man.

³³After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit^† and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴He looked up to heaven^† and with a deep sigh^† said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). ³⁵At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.^†

³⁶Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone.^† But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. ³⁷People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 8

Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand

¹During those days another large crowd gathered. Since they had nothing to eat, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ²“I have compassion for these people;^† they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. ³If I send them home hungry, they will collapse on the way, because some of them have come a long distance.”

⁴His disciples answered, “But where in this remote place can anyone get enough bread to feed them?”

⁵“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked.

“Seven,” they replied.

⁶He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. When he had taken the seven loaves and given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people, and they did so. ⁷They had a few small fish as well; he gave thanks for them also and told the disciples to distribute them.^{† 8}The people ate and were satisfied. Afterward the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.^{† 9}About four thousand men were present. And having sent them away, ¹⁰he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the region of Dalmanutha.

¹¹The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven.^{† 12}He sighed deeply^† and said, “Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it.” ¹³Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.

The Yeast of the Pharisees and Herod

¹⁴The disciples had forgotten to bring bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. ¹⁵“Be careful,” Jesus warned them. “Watch out for the yeast^† of the Pharisees^† and that of Herod.”^†

¹⁶They discussed this with one another and said, “It is because we have no bread.”

¹⁷Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are your hearts hardened?^{† 18}Do you have eyes but fail to see, and ears but fail to hear? And don’t you remember? ¹⁹When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

“Twelve,”^† they replied.

²⁰“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of pieces did you pick up?”

They answered, “Seven.”^†

²¹He said to them, “Do you still not understand?”^†

The Healing of a Blind Man at Bethsaida

²²They came to Bethsaida,^† and some people brought a blind man^† and begged Jesus to touch him. ²³He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit^† on the man’s eyes and put his hands on^† him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”

²⁴He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”

²⁵Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. ²⁶Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.^[28] ”

Peter’s Confession of Christ

²⁷Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

²⁸They replied, “Some say John the Baptist;^† others say Elijah;^† and still others, one of the prophets.”

²⁹“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.^[29] ”^†

³⁰Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about him.^†

Jesus Predicts His Death

³¹He then began to teach them that the Son of Man^† must suffer many things^† and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law,^† and that he must be killed^† and after three days^† rise again.^{† 32}He spoke plainly^† about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.

³³But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!”^† he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”

³⁴Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.^{† 35}For whoever wants to save his life^[30] will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.^{† 36}What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? ³⁷Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? ³⁸If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man^† will be ashamed of him^† when he comes^† in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

Mark 9

¹And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come^† with power.”^†

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Capernaum

The Capernaum synagogue

Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin

Mark 9 Jesus chose as the headquarters for his Galilean ministry the city of Capernaum (“Map 9”), on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee.¹ In Matthew 9:1 Capernaum is referred to, in fact, as Jesus’ “own town.” Jesus stayed in Peter’s house there and frequented the Capernaum synagogue. Residents of the town were simple folk who made their living from fishing, agriculture, industry and trade. The road leading to Damascus passed nearby, providing a commercial link with regions to the north and south.

It was in the vicinity of Capernaum that Jesus chose several of his disciples: the resident fishermen Peter and his brother Andrew (Mk 1:16–18); John and James, the sons of Zebedee, also local fishermen (1:19–20); and Matthew, a tax collector (2:13–14). In addition, Jesus performed several miracles there. He cured Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever (1:29–31), healed many townspeople of diseases and demon-possession (1:32–34) and restored a paralytic on a pallet let down with ropes by his friends through a roof (2:1–5). Elsewhere in the town Jesus healed the servant of the Roman centurion under whose auspices the local synagogue had been constructed (Lk 7:1–10).

The remains of what was probably a first-century synagogue were discovered beneath those of a later, Byzantine-period synagogue. The first-century structure archaeologists uncovered featured a basalt floor 60 feet (18 m) wide by 79 feet (24 m) long. Too large to have been a private dwelling, this was very possibly the synagogue at which Jesus taught (Mk 1:21). Impressive remains of the Byzantine-era synagogue can still be seen by visitors today.²

A site that may have been the location of Peter’s house has also been excavated. The remains are located 84 feet (26 m) south of the synagogue, at the bottom of three layers of construction. The topmost layer has been identified as the ruins of a fifth-century octagonal church; the second layer, a fourth-century house-church; and the lowest layer, a simple, first-century home. The house had narrow walls, which would have been too weak to support a second story or a roof of masonry; it probably had a roof of branches covered with earth. Thus, this house or one like it could have been the scene of Jesus’ healing of the paralytic man who was lowered through the roof (2:4).³

1. See “Galilee in Jesus’ Time.”

2. See “The Capernaum Synagogue.”

3. See “Houses in the Holy Land of the First Century A.D.: Peter’s House in Capernaum; Insulae.”

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The Transfiguration

²After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John^† with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them. ³His clothes became dazzling white,^† whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them. ⁴And there appeared before them Elijah and Moses, who were talking with Jesus.

⁵Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^† it is good for us to be here. Let us put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” ⁶(He did not know what to say, they were so frightened.)

⁷Then a cloud appeared and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud:^† “This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to him!”^†

⁸Suddenly, when they looked around, they no longer saw anyone with them except Jesus.

⁹As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus gave them orders not to tell anyone^† what they had seen until the Son of Man^† had risen from the dead. ¹⁰They kept the matter to themselves, discussing what “rising from the dead” meant.

¹¹And they asked him, “Why do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?”

¹²Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah does come first, and restores all things. Why then is it written that the Son of Man^† must suffer much^† and be rejected?^{† 13}But I tell you, Elijah has come,^† and they have done to him everything they wished, just as it is written about him.”

The Healing of a Boy With an Evil Spirit

¹⁴When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. ¹⁵As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.

¹⁶“What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

¹⁷A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. ¹⁸Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

¹⁹“O unbelieving generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring the boy to me.”

²⁰So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.^†

²¹Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?”

“From childhood,” he answered. ²²“It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.”

²³“ ‘If you can’?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.”^†

²⁴Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

²⁵When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene,^† he rebuked the evil^[31] spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” he said, “I command you, come out of him and never enter him again.”

²⁶The spirit shrieked, convulsed him violently and came out. The boy looked so much like a corpse that many said, “He’s dead.” ²⁷But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

²⁸After Jesus had gone indoors, his disciples asked him privately,^† “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

²⁹He replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer.^[32] ”

³⁰They left that place and passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where they were, ³¹because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man^† is going to be betrayed into the hands of men. They will kill him,^† and after three days^† he will rise.”^{† 32}But they did not understand what he meant^† and were afraid to ask him about it.

Who Is the Greatest?

³³They came to Capernaum.^† When he was in the house,^† he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” ³⁴But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.^†

³⁵Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all.”^†

³⁶He took a little child and had him stand among them. Taking him in his arms,^† he said to them, ³⁷“Whoever welcomes one of these little children in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me does not welcome me but the one who sent me.”^†

Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us

³⁸“Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”^†

³⁹“Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, ⁴⁰for whoever is not against us is for us.^{† 41}I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.^†

Causing to Sin

⁴²“And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin,^† it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.^{† 43}If your hand causes you to sin,^† cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell,^† where the fire never goes out.^{[33] † 45}And if your foot causes you to sin,^† cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.^{[34] † 47}And if your eye causes you to sin,^† pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,^{† 48}where

“ ‘their worm does not die,

and the fire is not quenched.’^{[35] †}

⁴⁹Everyone will be salted^† with fire.

⁵⁰“Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again?^† Have salt in yourselves,^† and be at peace with each other.”^†

Mark 10

Divorce

¹Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan.^† Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.^†

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*

New Testament Jericho

Mark 10 Mark 10:46–52 tells of Jesus’ healing of blind Bartimaeus as he was going out from Jericho. The same account in Luke 18:35–43, however, records that this happened as Jesus was approaching Jericho. This appears to be a contradiction in the texts, but the explanation may be very simple—that in Jesus’ day there were two cities called Jericho—an Old Testament Jericho and its New Testament counterpart. The Old Testament city was located at a site now called Tell es-Sultan¹ and the New Testament city at nearby Tulul Abu el-Alayiq.

The new town, which thrived from the late second century B.C. to the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70,² extended south and west of the mound that covered the ruins of Old Testament Jericho. The heart of the newer city was the winter palace complex built by Herod the Great, situated about 2 miles (3.2 km) southwest of Old Testament Jericho.³ Incorporating the foundations of earlier Hasmonean palaces, this complex covered an area of some 35 acres and was made up of luxurious palaces, villas, gardens, pools, theaters and athletic facilities. The Jewish historian Josephus mentioned many of these palatial facilities, as well as the murder of Aristobulus III in one of the pools (Josephus, Antiquities 15.3.3 and Wars 1.22.2).

Mark related the healing of Bartimaeus to Old Testament Jericho; thus the event occurred as Jesus was leaving that city and entering its New Testament counterpart. Luke, on the other hand, associated the incident with New Testament Jericho; following this, he recounted Jesus’ encounter with Zacchaeus within the town (Luke 19:1–10). Thus, Luke wrote that Bartimaeus was healed as Jesus was approaching Jericho (18:35) and then that Jesus encountered Zacchaeus as he entered and was passing through the city (19:1).

The region of Jericho

Photograph courtesy of © Dr. Gary Pratico

1. See “The Walls of Jericho.”

2. See “Josephus and the Fall of Jerusalem.”,

3. See “Herod the Great.”

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²Some Pharisees^† came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”

³“What did Moses command you?” he replied.

⁴They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”^†

⁵“It was because your hearts were hard^† that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied. ⁶“But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’^{[36] † 7}‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife,^{[37] 8}and the two will become one flesh.’^{[38] †} So they are no longer two, but one. ⁹Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

¹⁰When they were in the house again, the disciples asked Jesus about this. ¹¹He answered, “Anyone who divorces his wife and marries another woman commits adultery against her.^{† 12}And if she divorces her husband and marries another man, she commits adultery.”^†

The Little Children and Jesus

¹³People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. ¹⁴When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.^{† 15}I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.”^{† 16}And he took the children in his arms,^† put his hands on them and blessed them.

The Rich Young Man

¹⁷As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees^† before him. “Good teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?”^†

¹⁸“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. ¹⁹You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.’^[39] ”^†

²⁰“Teacher,” he declared, “all these I have kept since I was a boy.”

²¹Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor,^† and you will have treasure in heaven.^† Then come, follow me.”^†

²²At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

²³Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich^† to enter the kingdom of God!”

²⁴The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is^[40] to enter the kingdom of God!^{† 25}It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”^†

²⁶The disciples were even more amazed, and said to each other, “Who then can be saved?”

²⁷Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.”^†

²⁸Peter said to him, “We have left everything to follow you!”^†

²⁹“I tell you the truth,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰will fail to receive a hundred times as much^† in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come,^† eternal life.^{† 31}But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”^†

Jesus Again Predicts His Death

³²They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid. Again he took the Twelve^† aside and told them what was going to happen to him. ³³“We are going up to Jerusalem,”^† he said, “and the Son of Man^† will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law.^† They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles, ³⁴who will mock him and spit on him, flog him^† and kill him.^† Three days later^† he will rise.”^†

The Request of James and John

³⁵Then James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came to him. “Teacher,” they said, “we want you to do for us whatever we ask.”

³⁶“What do you want me to do for you?” he asked.

³⁷They replied, “Let one of us sit at your right and the other at your left in your glory.”^†

³⁸“You don’t know what you are asking,”^† Jesus said. “Can you drink the cup^† I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”^†

³⁹“We can,” they answered.

Jesus said to them, “You will drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with,^{† 40}but to sit at my right or left is not for me to grant. These places belong to those for whom they have been prepared.”

⁴¹When the ten heard about this, they became indignant with James and John. ⁴²Jesus called them together and said, “You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their high officials exercise authority over them. ⁴³Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant,^{† 44}and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve,^† and to give his life as a ransom for many.”^†

Blind Bartimaeus Receives His Sight

⁴⁶Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth,^† he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David,^† have mercy on me!”

⁴⁸Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

⁴⁹Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”

So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.

⁵¹“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.

The blind man said, “Rabbi,^† I want to see.”

⁵²“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.”^† Immediately he received his sight and followed^† Jesus along the road.

Mark 11

The Triumphal Entry

¹As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany^† at the Mount of Olives,^† Jesus sent two of his disciples, ²saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden.^† Untie it and bring it here. ³If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.’ ”

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Herod’s Temple

Mark 11 For hundreds of years the Jerusalem temple was the center of Jewish life. However, in the centuries leading up to the New Testament era, the postexilic edifice rebuilt by Zerubbabel¹ suffered serious damage. The renovation and expansion of this dilapidated structure gave Herod the Great the opportunity to construct the greatest of his numerous building projects and perhaps the most impressive structure Jerusalem has ever seen.²

Work on Herod’s temple began in 20–19 B.C., and though most of it was finished within ten years, adornment continued until A.D. 63. Herod faced a significant challenge: The size of the temple was limited by the Biblical precedent of Solomon’s temple, a fairly modest structure.³ But pagan temples of the New Testament era were becoming increasingly mammoth, and the Jerusalem temple if confined to Biblical standards would have seemed puny in comparison. Therefore, although the temple proper was left fairly small, the temple precincts in Herod’s scheme were enormous. Zerubbabel’s temple had to be torn down and the three surrounding valleys filled in. Massive retaining walls helped to support the platform of the temple precinct (the western retaining wall is the familiar “Wailing Wall”). The temple and its surrounding courtyards created a rhomboid shape, measuring 1,590 feet (485 m) on its western side, 1,536 feet (468 m) on the eastern side, 1,035 feet (315.5 m) on the northern side and 912 feet (278 m) on the southern side.

The temple area was essentially a series of concentric courts, each of increasing holiness as one proceeded closer to the temple proper.

An ancient mikveh (ritual bath)

Photograph: © Todd Bolen/Bible Places.com

• The first courtyard, the court of the Gentiles, was open to Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. This area contained the merchant and money-changing areas, and here the blind and lame begged and children were present (Mt 21:14–15).⁴

• Only Jewish men and women could enter the court of women, which contained chests for tithes that contributed to temple expenses and was the location of the poor widow’s contribution (Mk 12:44).

• Only ritually clean Jewish men were permitted to proceed beyond into the court of Israel. When Jesus came to the temple and “looked around at everything” (11:11), he was surveying this area.

• Only priests could move farther into the temple area. The approach included an altar of uncut stones, the porch and finally the temple itself. Constructed of marble and gold, the temple was built to the same specifications as Solomon’s earlier counterpart. Golden spikes lined the roof to prevent birds from alighting there and defiling the structure.

• Entering the temple proper, one first came to the Holy Place, which contained the lampstand, the table for the bread of the Presence and the incense altar, all cast in pure gold.

• Separated by a heavy, embroidered curtain, the Most Holy Place contained only a single rock, upon which the high priest offered incense and sprinkled blood once annually on the Day of Atonement (the ark of the covenant had long since been lost). Some surmise that the Most Holy Place was located where the Islamic holy place, the Dome of the Rock, now stands.

Other important structures were within the vicinity of the temple. The Fortress of Antonia, north of the temple vicinity, was the barracks for Roman troops in Jerusalem. Soldiers from the fortress could enter the temple area quickly if needed, as when a riot broke out during Paul’s visit there (Ac 21:31–32). On the south side of the temple was the house for the Sanhedrin and a bathhouse for ritual immersion (a requirement for entering the temple area).⁵ As a social center, the temple was the most important locale for education and debate in Judea (Lk 2:46), as well as the backdrop for many events recorded in the Gospels, most notably Jesus’ ejection of the merchants. Jesus’ actions and words upon that occasion created an “enacted parable.” He was angry not only at the extortion but also at the moneychangers’ occupation of the court of the Gentiles, which effectively limited access to this area.

For all its glory, this temple had a short life. Completed in A.D. 63, it was destroyed in A.D. 70 by the Romans. Jesus’ words to his disciples in this regard were fulfilled: Not one stone was left upon another (Mt 24:2).⁶

1. See “The Postexilic Period of the Old Testament: The Persian Period.”

2. See “Herod the Great.”

3. See “Solomon’s Temple and Other Ancient Temples.”

4. See “The Dividing Wall of the ‘Court of the Gentiles’ in Herod’s Temple.”

5. See “Baptism in the Ancient World.”

6. See “Josephus and the Fall of Jerusalem.”

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⁴They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway.^† As they untied it, ⁵some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?” ⁶They answered as Jesus had told them to, and the people let them go. ⁷When they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their cloaks over it, he sat on it. ⁸Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. ⁹Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted,

“Hosanna!^[41] ”

“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”^{[42] †}

¹⁰“Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David!”

“Hosanna in the highest!”^†

¹¹Jesus entered Jerusalem and went to the temple. He looked around at everything, but since it was already late, he went out to Bethany with the Twelve.^†

Jesus Clears the Temple

¹²The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry. ¹³Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.^{† 14}Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.

¹⁵On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, ¹⁶and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. ¹⁷And as he taught them, he said, “Is it not written:

“ ‘My house will be called

a house of prayer for all nations’^[43]? ^†

But you have made it ‘a den of robbers.’^[44] ”^†

¹⁸The chief priests and the teachers of the law heard this and began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him,^† because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.^†

¹⁹When evening came, they^[45] went out of the city.^†

The Withered Fig Tree

²⁰In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. ²¹Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi,^† look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”

²²“Have^[46] faith in God,” Jesus answered. ²³“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.^{† 24}Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.^{† 25}And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.^[47] ”^†

The Authority of Jesus Questioned

²⁷They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him. ²⁸“By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

²⁹Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things. ³⁰John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”

³¹They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’ ³²But if we say, ‘From men’ …” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)^†

³³So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.”

Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

Mark 12

The Parable of the Tenants

¹He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.^† He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey. ²At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. ³But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed. ⁴Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully. ⁵He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

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*

The Imperial Cult

Mark 12 The Roman imperial cult was essentially a “religion” based upon the deification of Roman emperors. It had its origins in eastern and Greek practices, in which kings were often said to be gods. Roman emperors were regularly deified after their deaths by an act of the Senate. The attribution of deity was seen as the highest possible manifestation of gratitude and honor, and participation in the imperial cult was a religious way of expressing gratitude for the benefits experienced during that emperor’s rule. There was no expectation that the deified emperor would continue to intervene in human affairs, and sacrifices were also made to the “genius,” or spirit, embodied in his current, living successor.

Temple to Caesar near the Cave of Pan at Caesarea Philippi

Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin

The imperial cult had both a religious and a political function, serving as a unifying factor in the empire and as a test of loyalty.¹ Refusal to participate in the cult by offering sacrifices in honor of the emperor could result in execution. The New Testament’s central confession that “Jesus is Lord,” as well as references to Christ as “Savior” and the “Son of God,” while based upon Jewish and Christian theology, also served to undermine the lofty assertions of the imperial cult. The silver denarius² mentioned in Mark 12:15 bore the image of the emperor Tiberius and the inscription “Augustus Tiberius Caesar, Son of the Divine Augustus,” reflecting both the deification of Augustus and Tiberius’s desire to highlight his filial relationship to his deified predecessor.³

The imperial cult placed early Christians in the empire in a dilemma. On the one hand the cult was fundamentally a manifestation of the antichrist, while on the other, Christians were called upon to respect the institution and power of government (Ro 13). This quandary was anticipated in the Jews’ question about paying taxes, and Jesus’ answer pointed to a paradox of the Christian life: Believers, though in the world, are not to be of it.

1. See “The Roman Empire.”

2. See “Coins and Numismatics.”

3. See “Caesar Augustus, Emperor of Rome; the Census; and Quirinius, Governor of Syria” and “Tiberius Caesar, the Caesar of Jesus’ Ministry.”

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⁶“He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all,^† saying, ‘They will respect my son.’

⁷“But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’ ⁸So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.

⁹“What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others. ¹⁰Haven’t you read this scripture:

“ ‘The stone the builders rejected

has become the capstone^[48];^†

¹¹the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelous in our eyes’^[49]? ”^†

¹²Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd;^† so they left him and went away.^†

Paying Taxes to Caesar

¹³Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians^† to Jesus to catch him^† in his words. ¹⁴They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not? ¹⁵Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” ¹⁶They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

¹⁷Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”^†

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection

¹⁸Then the Sadducees,^† who say there is no resurrection,^† came to him with a question. ¹⁹“Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.^{† 20}Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. ²¹The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. ²²In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. ²³At the resurrection^[50] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

²⁴Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures^† or the power of God? ²⁵When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.^{† 26}Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^[51]? ^{† 27}He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

The Greatest Commandment

²⁸One of the teachers of the law^† came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

²⁹“The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.^{[52] 30}Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’^{[53] † 31}The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’^{[54] †} There is no commandment greater than these.”

³²“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.^{† 33}To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”^†

³⁴When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”^† And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.^†

Whose Son Is the Christ?

³⁵While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,^† he asked, “How is it that the teachers of the law say that the Christ^[55] is the son of David?^{† 36}David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,^† declared:

“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord:

“Sit at my right hand

until I put your enemies

under your feet.” ’^{[56] †}

³⁷David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd^† listened to him with delight.

³⁸As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, ³⁹and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.^{† 40}They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.”

The Widow’s Offering

⁴¹Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put^† and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. ⁴²But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins,^[57] worth only a fraction of a penny.^[58]

⁴³Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. ⁴⁴They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”^†

Mark 13

Signs of the End of the Age

¹As he was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

²“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”^†

³As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives^† opposite the temple, Peter, James, John^† and Andrew asked him privately, ⁴“Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

⁵Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you.^{† 6}Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. ⁷When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁸Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹“You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues.^† On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. ¹⁰And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. ¹¹Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.^†

¹²“Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death.^{† 13}All men will hate you because of me,^† but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.^†

¹⁴“When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’^{[59] †} standing where it^[60] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. ¹⁵Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out. ¹⁶Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak. ¹⁷How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers!^{† 18}Pray that this will not take place in winter, ¹⁹because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world,^† until now—and never to be equaled again.^{† 20}If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. ²¹At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ^[61]!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it.^{† 22}For false Christs and false prophets^† will appear and perform signs and miracles^† to deceive the elect—if that were possible. ²³So be on your guard;^† I have told you everything ahead of time.

²⁴“But in those days, following that distress,

“ ‘the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

²⁵the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’^{[62] †}

²⁶“At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds^† with great power and glory. ²⁷And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.^†

²⁸“Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. ²⁹Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door. ³⁰I tell you the truth, this generation^{[63] †} will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.^{† 31}Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.^†

The Day and Hour Unknown

³²“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.^{† 33}Be on guard! Be alert^[64]!^† You do not know when that time will come. ³⁴It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants^† in charge, each with his assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

³⁵“Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. ³⁶If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. ³⁷What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’ ”^†

Mark 14

Jesus Anointed at Bethany

¹Now the Passover^† and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.^{† 2}“But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

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The Upper Room

The Madaba Map

Preserving Bible Times; © Dr. James C. Martin

Mark 14 Christian tradition, supported by Cyril of Jerusalem (c. 310–386), identifies the site of Holy Zion Church in Jerusalem as the place where the upper room was located. This may well be correct, but the story is complicated and details are disputed by scholars.

First, it is unclear whether there were one or two “upper rooms.” Mark 14:15 and Luke 22:12 each speaks of an upper room where the Last Supper was held,¹ but Acts 1:13 uses a different Greek word to refer to the upper room where the disciples met after the resurrection of Jesus. Even so, the two rooms may well have been one and the same.

The traditional location of the upper room at Holy Zion Church is called the Cenacle or, in Latin, the Coenaculum. It is located outside the Old City near the Zion Gate and may be seen on the sixth-century Madaba Map, an ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land. The Cenacle is also (erroneously) referred to as David’s Tomb.

Holy Zion Church was damaged in the 1948 war, and this allowed Israeli archaeologist Jacob Pinkerfeld to investigate the site. He concluded that a Roman-period synagogue had stood on the spot, arguing that the building had a niche that could have been a repository for Torah scrolls and that it was oriented toward the temple mount. Christian scholars responded that this was probably a Jewish-Christian church built after the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70² to commemorate the site of the Last Supper (the present-day Holy Zion Church being a later structure built at the same site). They note that the building appears to have been constructed from reused stone from the fallen temple of Herod³ and that it is actually oriented toward the Holy Sepulchre (obviously implying that the builders were Christian). Since then numerous scholars have weighed in on both sides of the issue, some favoring the interpretation of the structure as a synagogue and others as a church. The debate is also complicated by questions involving comments by ancient writers.

No one is suggesting that the actual building where the Last Supper took place has been located, but only that remains of a church that commemorated its location have been unearthed. We should note that the debate here centers not upon the historicity of the Last Supper account but simply upon whether or not the traditional identification of its location is accurate. The traditional Cenacle still remains the strongest candidate for being that location.

1. See “The Last Supper and the Passover.”

2. See “Josephus and the Fall of Jerusalem.”

3. See “Herod’s Temple.”

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³While he was in Bethany,^† reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.^†

⁴Some of those present were saying indignantly to one another, “Why this waste of perfume? ⁵It could have been sold for more than a year’s wages^[65] and the money given to the poor.” And they rebuked her harshly.

⁶“Leave her alone,” said Jesus. “Why are you bothering her? She has done a beautiful thing to me. ⁷The poor you will always have with you, and you can help them any time you want.^† But you will not always have me. ⁸She did what she could. She poured perfume on my body beforehand to prepare for my burial.^{† 9}I tell you the truth, wherever the gospel is preached throughout the world,^† what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

¹⁰Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve,^† went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.^{† 11}They were delighted to hear this and promised to give him money. So he watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Lord’s Supper

¹²On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb,^† Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”

¹³So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him. ¹⁴Say to the owner of the house he enters, ‘The Teacher asks: Where is my guest room, where I may eat the Passover with my disciples?’ ¹⁵He will show you a large upper room,^† furnished and ready. Make preparations for us there.”

¹⁶The disciples left, went into the city and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover.

¹⁷When evening came, Jesus arrived with the Twelve. ¹⁸While they were reclining at the table eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me—one who is eating with me.”

¹⁹They were saddened, and one by one they said to him, “Surely not I?”

²⁰“It is one of the Twelve,” he replied, “one who dips bread into the bowl with me.^{† 21}The Son of Man^† will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it,^† and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take it; this is my body.”

²³Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, and they all drank from it.^†

²⁴“This is my blood of the^[66] covenant,^† which is poured out for many,” he said to them. ²⁵“I tell you the truth, I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it anew in the kingdom of God.”^†

²⁶When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.^†

Jesus Predicts Peter’s Denial

²⁷“You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written:

“ ‘I will strike the shepherd,

and the sheep will be scattered.’^{[67] †}

²⁸But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”^†

²⁹Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”

³⁰“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today—yes, tonight—before the rooster crows twice^[68] you yourself will disown me three times.”^†

³¹But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you,^† I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.