Theology Reflection Paper II: The Role of Jesus� Life and Death in the Gospel According to Mark

Paul M. Nguyen
University of Notre Dame � THEO 100: Foundations of Theology

In The Gospel According to Mark, the portrayal of events around the time of Jesus� death on the cross emphasizes the need for believers to focus on their faith and trust in God. Mark documents the event�s of Jesus� miracles in the gospel to show God�s power and mercy, however more importantly he showcases how the miracles are the blessings that follow the people�s entrusting in God. In this respect, Jesus� death was a statement of entrust with God�s will in proclaiming the way to salvation and God�s kingdom.

Jesus� portrayal in Mark was initially that of a prophet sent to awaken Israel to the knowledge of the kingdom of God. After being baptized with the Holy Spirit and surviving the trials in the desert, Jesus proved to be the Son of God and one of full trust with his faith in his father, �You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased� (Mark 1.11). Jesus proclaims the revelation of a kingdom of God, �The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the good news� (1.15). The theme of belief is emphasized and sparks the beginning of Jesus� journey as a teacher and Son of Man - �Let us go on to the neighboring towns so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came to do� (1.38). With his disciples he traveled to proclaim his message and taught the people of faith in God.

Jesus� identity as a teacher of God�s will was not fully entrusted by the people around him - evident by the people�s attachment to Jesus as the being of power and by the people�s disbelief in his motives. As Son of Man, Jesus took upon him the responsibility of teaching God the Father�s will in truth and did so authoritatively - �They were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes� (1.22). His miracles also were questioned as blasphemy to some of the scribes in which Jesus answered, �Why do you raise such questions in your hearts?� (2.8). The inability for the scribes to believe that acts of miracle are not already associated with God astounded Jesus in which he revealed himself to be the Son of Man.

The disciples and faithful leaders even cast doubt and disbelief with Jesus� relation and faith in God. After settling a sea storm when his disciples awoken him in fear, Jesus asks, �Why are you afraid? Have you still no faith?� (4:40). This idea of losing faith in God creates this theme of Jesus� task to renew people�s faith. When healing a seemingly lost child Jesus reaffirms to the leader of the synagogue, �Do not fear, only believe� (5:36). This continues even in his hometown synagogue where people questioned his teachings and his power with God. This unbelief heavily wounded Jesus� ability to share God�s blessings, �And he could do no deed of power there� And he was amazed at their unbelief� (6.5-6). Jesus� domain was challenged and people even begun to separate his works from the works of God.

Jesus performed miracles to the people under the authority of God and the people became attached to him - honoring him as a king rather than a servant to man. Jesus proclaims, �Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and what mercy he has shown you,� but even then the people proclaimed only how much Jesus had done (5:19). The Pharisees even confronted Jesus, asking for proof that his good will is truly from heaven in which Jesus replies, �Why does this generation ask for a sign? Truly I tell you no sign will be given to this generation� (8.12). Jesus begins to emphasize the role of people�s faith in general in his teachings, �For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it� (8.35). This emphasized that man�s will to live is not enough, but man must have will to live for God and his will. Ultimately Jesus� death would be the ultimate message to be sent in order for people to realize the importance of faith in God. This is foreshadowed in, �You faithless generation, how much longer must I be among you? How much longer must I put up with you� (9.19). This leads to Jesus� death as a sign of belief in his sacrifice for man�s sins and unbelief.

His undying faith in his role as Son of Man causes him to continue his works without forwardly addressing himself as the Son of God and in doing so leads to his crucifixion. He refutes his identity as a king and remains true as a servant of God even in fact that he is God�s son, �the Beloved� - �For the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many� (10.45). Jesus reaffirms the importance of faith and belief in God, �Go; your faith has made you well,� �Have faith in God,� �So I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours� (10.52, 11.18, 11.24)

In his death, Jesus upholds his truth with God. When confronting Pilate the crowd was unruly and demanded his crucifixion in which Pilate asked them, ��Why, what evil has he done?� But they shouted all the more, �Crucify him!�� (15.14). Some wished for proof from Jesus of his power, �Let the Messiah, the King of Israel, come down from the cross now, so that we may see and believe� (15.32). In his crucifixion, Jesus had faith that his father�s will would be carried out and that he would ascend into the kingdom of heaven and rise to let it be known to the world that faith in God will bring salvation.

By portraying Jesus as one of true faith and belief, Mark emphasizes in his Gospel that we must also follow his example of faith and belief - that even in death, if we live under the way of good as seen in the scriptures, we will be saved under God�s will. Jesus� death was brought to him due to man�s unbelief in his teachings and separated Jesus as comparable to God the Father and placed him in his role as servant of man as God the Son. In dying, Jesus reminded man of the importance of belief, in this case referring to his message that he would be a martyr for man. Once God�s will was fulfilled, the apostles were able to see the truth in faith in the word of God through Jesus and set out to proclaim it. By having faith in the scriptures and entrusting in God man can find salvation as Jesus taught us.