Jerusalem and the Cross

Jesus explained that he was going to Jerusalem where the Son of Man would be arrested, tried, and executed – Mark 10:32-34.

Jesus is “on the way” to Jerusalem and the Cross in the Gospel of Mark. This theme occurs several times, beginning with John the Baptist who was sent to “prepare the way before the Lord.” The Nazarene would complete his messianic mission as the ‘Suffering Servant’ portrayed in the Book of Isaiah when he was tried by the priestly leaders of the Temple and executed outside the walls of the City of David at the hands of Rome, the World Empire.

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Jérusalem et la Croix

Jésus a expliqué qu’il se rendait à Jérusalem où le Fils de l’Homme serait arrêté, jugé et execute – Marc 10: 32-34.

Jésus est “en route” vers Jérusalem et la Croix dans l’Évangile de Marc. Ce thème revient plusieurs fois, à commencer par Jean-Baptiste qui a été envoyé pour “préparer le chemin devant le Seigneur.” Le Nazaréen achèverait sa mission messianique en tant que “Serviteur Souffrant” décrit dans le Livre d’Ésaïe lorsqu’il fut jugé par les dirigeants sacerdotaux du Temple et exécuté à l’extérieur des murs de la Cité de David aux mains de Rome, l’Empire mondial.

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He Baptizes in Spirit

John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, the herald of the Good News of the Kingdom of God

All four gospel accounts apply the passage from the Book of Isaiah to John the Baptist, the messenger who called men to repent in preparation for the Messiah’s arrival. The passage identifies John as the forerunner expected before the “Day of Yahweh” to summon the faithful – “The voice of one crying, in the wilderness, prepare the way of the LORD” – (Isaiah 40:3-5).

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The Anointed One

The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed who Jesus was – Son, Messiah, and Servant of the LORD.

Jesus first appears in the Gospel of Mark when John baptizes him in the River Jordan. The opening verses identify him with his hometown of Nazareth, a village of no consequence. He was the “Servant of the LORD” anointed by the Spirit who did not conform to popular messianic expectations.

John was baptizing suppliants in the Jordan River. Rather than recount the details of Christ’s baptism, the story in Mark stresses the audible and visual phenomena that accompanied it: The “rending” of the heavens, the voice from Heaven, and the descent of the Spirit “like a dove”:

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Mercy rather than Sacrifice

Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17.

When Jesus pronounced the paralytic’s sins “forgiven,” he offended the Scribes and Pharisees. He alienated them further by showing mercy to “sinners” considered especially unacceptable by more scrupulously religious Jews. Seeing Jesus eating with “tax collectors” and “sinners,” the Scribes and Pharisees insinuated that the Nazarene also was a notorious sinner – (Mark 2:1-17).

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