The Gospel of Mark Chapter 6: With Dr. Craig Keener

Summary

In this episode of Remnant Radio, Dr. Craig Keener, a renowned Bible scholar, discusses the Gospel of Mark. The conversation highlights Jesus' ministry, miracles, and teachings, including his rejection in his hometown and the significance of faith in his works. Dr. Keener also explores the death of John the Baptist, the feeding of the 5,000, and Jesus walking on water, providing insights into the theological and historical context. The episode emphasizes the importance of faith, the interplay between miracles and suffering, and the distinctiveness of Jesus' divine identity.

Takeaways

• 📜 The episode features Dr. Craig Keener, a prominent Bible scholar, discussing the Gospel of Mark.
• 🌟 Dr. Keener connects various themes and events in Mark, highlighting their significance and interconnections.
• 📚 The episode was filmed at Asbury Seminary, and the team is offering home group material to help offset production costs.
• 🏠 The home group material includes a leader's guide, participant's guide, video discussions, and discussion questions.
• 📖 Jesus' inability to perform miracles in his hometown is discussed, emphasizing the need for faith and the implications of unbelief.
• 📜 The story of John the Baptist's beheading by Herod is a central narrative, highlighting the themes of suffering and persecution.
• 🌾 The feeding of the 5,000 is connected to Old Testament stories of miraculous provision, emphasizing Jesus' divine identity.
• 💧 Jesus walking on water is linked to Old Testament theophanies, demonstrating his divine nature and authority over creation.
• 📖 The contrast between Herod's self-centered, destructive banquet and Jesus' selfless, life-giving provision is explored.
• 🤝 The disciples' reaction to Jesus' miracles reveals their ongoing struggle to understand his true identity and mission.

Q & A

Who is Dr. Craig Keener and why is he featured in the episode?

Dr. Craig Keener is one of the preeminent Bible scholars on the planet, featured in this episode to discuss the Gospel of Mark.

What is the main topic of the episode?

The main topic of the episode is the Gospel of Mark and the insights Dr. Keener provides about its narrative.

What challenges did the show face in producing the content?

The show faced significant expenses in traveling to Asbury Seminary to film the content.

How can viewers support the show?

Viewers can support the show by purchasing the home group material, which includes a leader's guide and a participant's guide, or by donating through PayPal links provided in the video description.

What is the significance of Jesus' miracles in his hometown as discussed in the episode?

In Jesus' hometown, his miracles were limited due to the lack of faith among the people, which contrasts with his miracles elsewhere that revealed his divine identity.

Why is the phrase 'Is this not Mary's son?' significant?

The phrase 'Is this not Mary's son?' could be interpreted as an insult, potentially hinting at illegitimacy, and deviates from the norm of referring to someone by their father's name.

What differences exist between Matthew 13 and Mark 6 regarding Jesus' miracles?

Matthew 13 states that Jesus 'would not' do many miracles because of their unbelief, while Mark 6 says he 'could not,' which may suggest different theological emphases.

What instructions did Jesus give his disciples when sending them out, and why?

Jesus instructed his disciples to travel light, without bread, bag, or money, to avoid accusations of greed and to emphasize reliance on faith and mobility.

What is the significance of John the Baptist's death in the narrative of Mark?

John the Baptist's death serves as a foreshadowing of Jesus' own suffering and martyrdom, highlighting the cost of discipleship and the reality of persecution.

How does the feeding of the 5,000 relate to Old Testament themes?

The feeding of the 5,000 echoes Old Testament themes such as God providing manna and quail to Israel in the wilderness and the miracles performed by prophets like Elijah and Elisha.

What is the significance of Jesus walking on water in relation to Old Testament imagery?

Jesus walking on water draws on Old Testament imagery where God treads upon the waters and passes by to reveal His glory, signifying Jesus' divine nature.

Why does Mark emphasize that the people touched the fringe of Jesus' garment for healing?

The emphasis on touching the fringe of Jesus' garment highlights his adherence to Jewish customs and prefigures the upcoming confrontation with the Pharisees over Torah traditions.

What contrast does Mark create between Herod Antipas' banquet and Jesus' feeding of the 5,000?

Mark contrasts Herod Antipas' self-centered, scandalous banquet with Jesus' selfless feeding of the 5,000, illustrating different models of leadership and service.

What was the reaction of Jesus' disciples to his walking on water and why?

The disciples were initially fearful, thinking Jesus was a ghost, revealing their lack of understanding and faith despite witnessing previous miracles.

How does Mark's narrative emphasize the popularity of Jesus in Galilee?

Mark emphasizes Jesus' popularity in Galilee by showing how people eagerly sought him out for healing, contrasting with the rejection he faced in Nazareth and by Jerusalem's elites.

Outlines

00:00

📺 Introduction to the Series with Dr. Craig Keener

The video introduces Remnant Radio's 19-episode series featuring Dr. Craig Keener, a renowned Bible scholar. The episode focuses on the Gospel of Mark. The hosts discuss the costs of producing the series and encourage viewers to purchase home group materials or donate via PayPal to support the channel. They emphasize the usefulness of these materials for various church roles and provide links for easy access.

05:01

📜 Jesus' Miracles and Rejection in His Hometown

Dr. Keener discusses Jesus' mixed reception in His hometown, where He performs few miracles due to a lack of faith. The conversation explores whether the term 'Mary's son' was an insult and touches on the differences in gospel narratives about Jesus' miracles. It concludes with the notion that Jesus' ability to perform miracles was contingent on faith rather than magic.

10:02

🕊️ John the Baptist's Martyrdom and its Narrative Role

The discussion shifts to the martyrdom of John the Baptist, comparing it to the Old Testament story of Elijah and Jezebel. It highlights the brutal and grotesque nature of ancient executions and how John’s death contrasts with Jesus' miracles. The segment also covers the narrative purpose of including John's death in the Gospel of Mark, emphasizing the intertwining of miracles and suffering.

15:03

👑 The Herodian Family's Role and the Symbolism of Banquets

Dr. Keener explains the Herodian family dynamics, including incest and political intrigue. The segment explores why Herodias' daughter asked for John the Baptist's head and the symbolic contrast between Herod's self-indulgent banquet and Jesus' miraculous feeding of the 5,000. The narrative uses these stories to illustrate different leadership styles and the ultimate sacrifices required.

20:05

🍞 The Miracle of Feeding the 5,000

The segment discusses Jesus feeding the 5,000, drawing parallels to Old Testament miracles, such as the manna in the wilderness and the miracles of Elijah and Elisha. It emphasizes Jesus as a new Moses performing signs in the wilderness, surpassing the false prophets of the time who promised but failed to deliver such miracles.

25:07

🌊 Jesus Walking on Water and Old Testament Theophany

Dr. Keener explores the story of Jesus walking on water, connecting it to Old Testament themes of God treading upon the waters and passing by figures like Moses and Elijah. He explains the significance of Jesus using the phrase 'I am,' linking it to divine self-identification. The discussion highlights the disciples' misunderstanding and fear, contrasting with the intended revelation of Jesus' divinity.

30:08

🤲 Jesus' Growing Popularity and Preparation for Conflict

The final segment highlights Jesus' popularity, especially among the common people in Galilee, as they sought to touch the fringe of His garment for healing. This scene sets the stage for the upcoming conflict with the Pharisees, who question Jesus' adherence to Jewish laws. The narrative emphasizes Jesus' genuine Jewish piety, contrasting with the Pharisees' focus on traditions over the Torah.

Keywords

💡Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark is one of the four canonical gospels in the New Testament that describes the life, teachings, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the video, Dr. Craig Keener discusses various episodes from the Gospel of Mark, including miracles performed by Jesus, his rejection in his hometown, and the narrative of John the Baptist.

💡Dr. Craig Keener

Dr. Craig Keener is a prominent Bible scholar known for his extensive work on the New Testament and early Christian history. In the video, he provides in-depth analysis and commentary on the Gospel of Mark, discussing its historical and theological context.

💡Miracles

Miracles refer to extraordinary events attributed to divine intervention. In the Gospel of Mark, Jesus performs various miracles such as healing the sick and feeding the 5,000. Dr. Keener explores how these miracles reveal Jesus' divine identity and authority, particularly in the context of faith and belief.

💡Faith

Faith in the context of the Gospel of Mark is portrayed as a crucial element for experiencing Jesus' miracles. Dr. Keener discusses how Jesus' ability to perform miracles was sometimes limited by the lack of faith among people, particularly in his hometown, where his works were seen as mere magic without the foundation of faith.

💡John the Baptist

John the Baptist is a significant figure in the New Testament, known for baptizing Jesus and preparing the way for his ministry. The video covers the narrative of John the Baptist's imprisonment and execution, exploring its thematic importance in the Gospel of Mark and its foreshadowing of Jesus' own suffering.

💡Herod Antipas

Herod Antipas was a ruler of Galilee during the time of Jesus, known for his role in the execution of John the Baptist. The video delves into his character and his controversial relationship with Herodias, as well as his depiction as a morally corrupt leader contrasted with Jesus' righteousness.

💡Parallels with Elijah

Elijah was a prophet in the Old Testament known for his confrontations with the wicked King Ahab and Queen Jezebel. The video highlights parallels between Elijah's narrative and that of John the Baptist and Jesus, such as their prophetic roles and the themes of suffering and divine intervention.

💡Feeding of the 5,000

The feeding of the 5,000 is a miracle where Jesus feeds a large crowd with five loaves of bread and two fish. Dr. Keener discusses how this event is symbolic of Jesus' provision and parallels the Old Testament stories of God providing manna to the Israelites in the wilderness, underscoring Jesus' role as a divine provider.

💡Walking on Water

This miracle involves Jesus walking on the Sea of Galilee towards his disciples, demonstrating his power over nature. The video explains how this event echoes Old Testament themes of God's dominion over the waters and serves as a theophany, a visible manifestation of divine power, further affirming Jesus' divine identity.

💡Passover and Theophany

Passover is a significant Jewish festival commemorating the Israelites' liberation from Egyptian slavery, while a theophany refers to a visible manifestation of God to humans. Dr. Keener connects the Passover themes in the Gospel of Mark to Jesus' miracles, particularly how his actions serve as divine revelations and fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies.

Highlights

Introduction to the episode featuring Dr. Craig Keener discussing the Gospel of Mark.

Dr. Keener provides insights into Jesus' miracles and his reception in his hometown.

Discussion on the potential insult in referring to Jesus as 'Mary's son' rather than 'Joseph's son.'

Comparison between Matthew and Mark's accounts of Jesus' miracles in his hometown.

Explanation of the disciples' mission instructions and the significance of traveling light.

Analysis of John the Baptist's death and its narrative significance in Mark's Gospel.

Connections drawn between John the Baptist's fate and Jesus' mission, highlighting the theme of suffering.

Discussion on the feeding of the 5,000 and its Old Testament parallels, particularly with Moses.

Dr. Keener explains the significance of Jesus walking on water and its Old Testament background.

Insight into the phrase 'I am' used by Jesus, linking it to God's self-identification in Exodus.

Analysis of the disciples' failure to understand the miracle of the loaves and its implications.

Discussion on the Herodian family dynamics and their historical context.

Dr. Keener highlights the contrast between Herod's banquet and Jesus' feeding of the 5,000.

Closing discussion on the significance of people reaching for the fringe of Jesus' garment for healing.

Preview of the upcoming discussion on Jesus' defense of the Torah against Pharisaic traditions.

Transcripts

hey guys welcome to the remnant radio

you're watching one of 19 episodes with

dr craig keener one of the preeminent

bible scholars on the planet and we're

talking about the gospel of clark this

is gonna be an exciting episode the

connections that dr keener put together

while we were with him at asbury

seminary phenomenal but man it was an

expensive trip to get all of us out

there to film this content but we want

to give it to you for free well we do

want to give it to you for free but one

of the ways that you can help offset the

cost for this is by purchasing our home

group material dawson our researcher has

put together this material there's a

leader's guide there is a participant's

guide so you you watch the video you

read the material and then we walk you

through we have discussion questions

that go along with it could be a huge

blessing for you and your church yeah

and this would be perfect for tons of

different mediums maybe you're a pastor

who's preaching through the gospel of

mark a home group leader a sunday school

teacher this would fit all of your needs

and if you want to pick this up there's

a link in the description for the home

group material in addition to that maybe

you're out there and you don't lead any

kind of group like that maybe you just

want to contribute as a thank you to

what we've put together here on remnant

there's paypal descriptions in the link

of this video if you would like to

support us so absolutely click those

links in the description hit that

subscribe button and please enjoy this

video with dr craig here

a whole lot is happening in this chapter

uh could you just frame this for our

viewers

what is uh

how does this build upon what's gone

before and build into what's coming next

how does it fit into mark's narrative

jesus is still working miracles he's

very popular in many places

except in his hometown

where he he can't work many miracles

because

it would it would be seen like magic

because it's not it's not based on faith

and yet

he goes on to um

delegate this miracle working power to

others he's got so much of it himself

obviously

and and and ultimately you see his

miracles revealing his divine identity

toward the end of the chapter

but

smack dab in the midst of it in 6 14

through 29

you have

the death of john the baptist jesus

forerunner

which keeps you from a triumphalistic

view of miracles

it's it's got to be mixed with the

reality of suffering for christ

okay so the very first little section

there is we have jesus in his hometown

he goes and he's speaking they're

they're kind of amazed they're baffled

they're like wow great wisdom great

teaching miracles done by his hand but

there's like this hard left turn it

seems like where they they're upset that

he's just hometown boy able to do these

things where to get this stuff and

there's a phrase in here that i've heard

people kind of debate over is this not

mary's son now it would have been i

think appropriate um for them to have

named him the son of joseph right like

this is the carpenter's kid

some have suggested that son of mary is

kind of an insult it's a slam uh

speaking of i don't know illegitimate

sunship

potentially what do you think yeah i

think the the hard left turn may

actually be explained some by luke's

fuller description in luke chapter four

okay but

in terms of the insult i mean there are

some insults i mean

carpenter carpenter actually an artisan

was probably higher level than what a

lot of them were

were doing in terms of status but it

wasn't real high status wasn't as high

status as the sage was supposed to be

although there were some carpenter sages

shamai allegedly was both

um but in the case in the case of uh

son of mary there are debates about

about this

um

sometimes people were called by their

mother's name especially if the mother

was more prestigious than the father

sometimes if the father was dead

you could be called by the name of the

mother although still you would often be

called by the name of the father and

then

sometimes it would be if the mother

you know

for the reasons that you said so some

people do view it as an insult

which may be a backhanded reference to

the virgin birth but since matthew since

since mark doesn't go into that we we

don't know for sure but we do know for

sure

that they weren't

they weren't all that impressed they

weren't too keen

yeah yeah i'm keener than me that's

that's right hey

dr cain is keen

okay so i i'm interested in the

difference between matthew 13 and mark

chapter 6.

and matthew 13 it says that jesus would

not do many miracles because of their

unbelief but mark's version says he

could not do

and some people want to make something

of this and because you know in one hand

it sounds kind of like uh he just opted

not to it's almost like you know in his

own divinity he just decided not to do

where's the other

you know almost seems like it limits his

divinity

you know people will kind of make these

arguments is there any real substantive

difference i i think there's a

substantive difference in terms of

matthew wanting to make sure you don't

misunderstand the point and so he he

rewords it but even in mark you notice

it says he couldn't do any but then it

says except he did a few

and then he then he sends out his

disciples to do to do the same things

and so what does it mean that he

couldn't

and you know he he did some other things

despite the disciples lack of faith i

mean like just calm the calm the storm

at the end of chapter 4 and so on

so i think when it says he couldn't he

couldn't

do it and still

and still make it what it should be i

mean

if you

go around

doing stuff for people

who

are unresponsive who aren't going to

going to believe

it's not helping them it's it's it just

is like a form of magic you go through

the formula you make it happen he wants

he wants faith and not just

um

yeah but

but it's not like he never does it

otherwise it's not it could not have

ability it's a could not of like within

his own nature like

yeah a self-contained could not it

wouldn't be appropriate so so same kind

of question on the heels of that the

matthew mark kind of

seems a little bit different

the isn't he the carpenter

and then is it matthew that says the

carpenter's son so there's like a a

little bit of a variant between these

two gospels yeah which one should we go

with matthew matthew 13 55 i think in

mark 6 3 i believe um well usually

people were trained in the trade of

their their father so that was that was

very common and it's not surprising that

you would have somebody with the

carpenter's role in nazareth because

four miles away from nazareth is a

forest which was destroyed and

immediately began to be rebuilt when

jesus was a child

and so you know four mile walk

is not at all difficult when they need a

lot of carpenters and stone masons

to

rebuild this area so

jesus would have been raised in that

same occupation as his father the fact

that it says the carpenter probably a

lot of people got that work but jesus

was particularly skilled he and his

he and joseph were particularly skilled

in this profession

okay so you mentioned a moment ago about

the disciples being sent out that's the

next scene so

jesus 7-13 so jesus could not do many

miracles there but he did a few and he

sent his disciples out and they did a

bunch

and uh but of course they didn't do a

bunch in their hometown they're going

all over the place on mission and i'm

interested in their their directions he

charged them to take nothing for their

journey except a staff no bread no bag

no money and their belts but to wear

sandals not even two uh not even two

tunics and so what's behind the command

like why does he care so much what they

bring on their journey

well they have to travel light

also there were a lot of accusations and

antiquity about greedy preachers yeah uh

they weren't all preachers a lot of

different kinds of

oh yeah what science you mean that

happens today

i just thought it was a tsa thing i mean

it's kind of a real strict

security

yeah but but

yeah they they they wanted to uh

i think jesus wants them not to be

accusable of things but he also

you know the idea that in some circles

today that miracles and prosperity go

together

is uh it arose around the mid-20th

century i mean through most of history

people thought the opposite you know

it's it's what you sacrifice that that

gives you spiritual power really what

gives you spiritual power it's the name

of jesus where the where the power lies

but but we have to be willing to

sacrifice and they had to be mobile in

this case now the instructions differ

here somewhat from what you have in

matthew and luke but i think that's

because you know to keep the narrative

concise they're giving you one mission

we already know from luke when he sends

the 70 there were actually multiple

missions and so um i think you may have

had different instructions and different

missions and they're they're drawing on

different bodies of

of material there okay so uh john john

mark introduces us to john with kind of

this

prophetic narrative of john the

baptist-esque like ministry of preparing

the way for jesus

and we know that john is kind of this

john the baptist 2.0 carrying on the

ministry of elisha i i'm using the wrong

phrase john what did i say he's elijah

2.0 yeah yeah yeah there you go yes so

john is carrying on the ministry of

elijah

but in the same narrative

of elijah in the old testament his his

arch nemesis is jezebel who i

affectionately call jesse b um and he

called john the baptist johnny b johnny

b

johnny be good versus yeah anyway so in

this in this situation jezebel is

threatening to cut off the head of

elijah and here comes john the baptist

and he is confronting a wicked king just

like elijah is and

but this woman comes in and is able to

get the head of john the baptist where

jezebel couldn't get the head of elijah

there are no fiery chariots there's no

ravens there's no

miraculous rescue and yet john the

baptist is greater which is

oddly enough well this because of whose

way he prepares yes yeah but yeah

most most scholars do recognize

that in fact though

even in josephus first century jewish

historian

jezebel

sorry

um

herodias acts kind of like jezebel so

okay

not not in this story but in in in other

ways sure and and

herod antipas acts kind of like like

ahab

so

uh

but yeah they they certainly fit the

role here

then there's the scene of i mean at you

you kind of referenced it a second ago

about asking for the head

can we ask specifically why

does she ask for the head of john the

baptist why doesn't you know like his

head on a platter why doesn't she ask

some other question why does this just

want him killed you've got a lot of uh

ancient accounts in ancient historians

of people who

asked for these grotesque things at

banquets to and often to entertain their

lover a boy or a woman or whatever

and so uh this is one of those kind of

scenes and everybody understood when

they read those things there's a story

about a jewish king who had 600

men uh crucified while they were on the

crosses had their the throats of their

wives and children slit

while he and his concubines were

banqueting you know so

it's like horrible stuff

um and antipas fits that that role here

but by the way when i say antipas uh

you've got the herodian family you've

got herod the great

this herod in this story is herod

antipas who was his son who was the

governor the son of the baby killer yeah

the son of the baby killer okay um so

and uh herodias actually was the

granddaughter of herod the great so

she's the niece

of this herod as well as the wife of his

brother who also was the son of heir of

the grace of john the baptist

confronting there's a there's a lot of

incest that went on in in the herodian

family and a lot of them

just get nicknamed herod too because

they were

herods but anyway

um

but the reason that she may ask for it

in a platter

you know it fits the dinner

scene

it adds to the grotesqueness

but also if she's got to carry it back

to her mother it's less messy on the

platter

it was like the practical answers you

know like why why did jesus push out

onto a boat so they could hear him yeah

why did she ask for the head on a

platter so she could carry it just man

we don't spiritualize this

it's helpful um

uh

so you explain to us a little bit of the

herodian family line

why does mark take such a journey

on the story about john the baptist like

he's telling this really great narrative

of jesus and then he's like pause

sepia tone interlude moment where we're

going to go flashback to catch you up to

this part of the story and then we're

going to keep going what's what's the

reason for that mark and sandwich is

what we're talking about you've got uh 6

7-13 he sends out the disciples word is

spreading everywhere so

you know herod at this point definitely

hears about jesus uh you know quite in

contrast to nazareth everywhere else is

getting the word but then in verse 30

it comes back to that and they come back

and they report all the all the signs

that were were being done through their

ministry verses 14 through 29 smackdown

in the middle of it

detailed

description

of

john the baptist the forerunner of jesus

being martyred it shows you where the

narrative's headed what's going to

happen to jesus and these disciples are

all excited about sharing in jesus power

well

you know you get to chapter 13 and you

get some more explanation of they're

going to share in jesus offerings too

we're going to share in jesus offerings

too persecution

is part of the part of the deal so it

all fits together with

the message of the crucified king the

crucified king crucified king oh

and it's not just him it's all of us who

want to follow in his footsteps well i

haven't i've never noticed that that

sequence

okay so uh

just as mark gives so much detail i

think this is why we're spending such

time on the story of john the baptist as

as mark tells the story um so i i want

to ask because i know you mentioned this

before the show you're talking about

that there was a significance to the

fact that herodias's daughter goes out

to ask for the head so enlighten us what

is the

significance sure um

yeah in terms of herodius's daughter

there's actually a textual variant in

the greek uh but i think it's it it is

herodias daughter whether it was a an

ancient version of a typo or whatever

but yeah herodias daughter goes out to

ask her mother i don't think that

herodias was actually there to watch her

husband's probably drunken lust after

the daughter

when the when the offers are half the

kingdom

he actually

couldn't have given her half the kingdom

uh he's obviously kind of drunk

half the kingdom is an illusion back to

the book of esther

where uh king khashoggi xerxes offers

esther half the kingdom

but

everybody knows he's not actually going

to give her half the kingdom he's not

actually going to make her co-regent and

everybody knows it's not smart to ask

for something that the king doesn't

really want to give you anyway

but in any case

uh he he offers her this and so she goes

out and she has to ask her mother for

something more practical because you

know sometimes

people would ask for things that were

like more than the person would want to

grant

people people sometimes promised you

know i'll give you anything

just you know ask me and and then they

ask them for something the person

doesn't want to grant and they're like

the person's so embarrassed but

sometimes also some strange accident

happens to the person you ask so you

really have to be careful

about what you asked he fell out of an

elevator shaft onto some bullets oh wow

[Laughter]

so

uh

so

yeah so she goes out now

in contrast to

in rome in the eastern mediterranean

and further to the east often you had

segregated banquet halls you have that

in the book of esther

and the fortress machiris

where josephus first century jewish

historian tells us that john the baptist

was kept it actually has

separate banquet halls

so presumably

given the the customs these would be

separate banquet halls for the men and

the women so

she has to go out to ask her mother

who's not in the same banquet hall and

the only reason the daughter is there is

because she's dancing and this is

probably not a

prom

uh

prep dance or you know just she's

she's practicing her ballet before her

dad or something this is

uh a little scandalous

it's more scandalous which

some scholars have pointed out you know

you wouldn't expect uh the princess to

be doing this this was low life kind of

stuff

except from what we know from the

banquets of the herodian family they

were notoriously scandalous

what happened to the herodians like

herod and his family

ah well glad you asked that one uh herod

was technically not a king he was a

tetrarch mark calls him a king

which is probably how he was experienced

by

galileans i mean he's a he's a prince

he's the son of king herod

but he never actually got to be a king

himself

rome wasn't quite ready to trust him

with that responsibility

but herodias

technically the niece of of herod

antibus she had a full brother by the

name of herod agrippa

herod agrippa the first appears

and dies in acts chapter 12

he's also mentioned in josephus dying

under the same kind of circumstances

but

agrippa was party buddies with gaius

caligula in rome and actually ended up

getting himself in trouble because he

was like

oh i wish you were the emperor instead

of tiberius and so he gets arrested

because tiberius is the emperor and word

gets back to tiberius but

when tiberius dies

then gaius caligula

becomes the emperor and he takes he

takes good care of his party buddy

agrippa the first

like frat brothers yeah

but

eventually uh

agrippa becomes king of judea from the

years of

41 to 44 belief of the first century

he would have stayed king longer except

he died

worms acts chapter 12 yeah so but

when he was king you know herodias was

like

to her husband i mean she she had left

her previous husband

married herod antipas probably not

because he was a handsome guy or for

romance i mean he was a generation older

than she was and all that but she uh you

know it was a step up her husband seems

not to have been very politically

ambitious but

you know herod uh

herod antipas had a little bit more

future ahead of him well now her brother

is king of judea and she says no wait a

minute you've been tetrarch for a whole

generation since your father died in

what we now would call 4bc

so why are you a king you should you

should ask the emperor to become a king

too

and he said

dear nobody can become emperor and

nobody can become king unless the

emperor says they can become king

no uni josephus says she kept pestering

him and finally you know he petitions

the emperor and says mr amber sir

could i please become a king like my

brother-in-law

to which the emperor replied

that's treason no one can be king unless

i say they can become king

and so

he ends up getting banished to gaul

and

i guess for his gall but herodias

spelled differently

in wrong language but herodias ends up

going with him so he ends up losing not

half his kingdom he ends up losing

everything

maybe they should have listened to

uh john the baptist

yeah adultery never pays but but but

there's also a reason another reason i

think why mark calls him a king because

it sets up a contrast

here you have somebody with a lewd

banquet

every it's it's his own birthday which

was a back then it was just a greek and

roman custom not a jewish one but you

know they're the elite so

but it's you know it's all self-centered

uh it ends in somebody's death

contrasting with the banquet that'll

come after this

where jesus

feeds others and jesus is going to be a

servant leader who's going to give his

life for others

you know so jesus christ john the

baptist contrasting with with herod

antipas

okay so uh so john the baptist his head

is removed

his body mark mentions the

disciples of john the baptist go and

bury the body

is mark just telling us the story as an

fyi or does this have does this

contribute to the narrative flow of what

mark is trying to achieve more

importantly did they keep the head

did herod just keep the head

no detail

josephus does not mention it's not

that's not given to us but unfortunately

that was considered the merciful form of

execution though uh and the crucifixion

was death by slow torture whereas

decapitation

was uh

much

quicker relatively speaking

uh so i mean he did he did look out for

john sort of a little bit

but still very corrupt

so um in terms of them bearing the body

normally the eldest son would be in

charge of the burial and so on but john

apparently doesn't have family like that

but he has disciples who can do it for

him and disciples were often considered

like

they'd consider their teacher like kind

of a father figure

so

they bury him but what this highlights

in the larger narrative of mark is

so what happens when jesus is executed

where are his disciples

they're all in hiding

wimps

so it it brings out a contrast again

it's cool that the that mark is always

saying you know the heroes of the

stories the guys that you would want to

be like the the conquering victorious

yeah like i want to be the hero it's

like oh no i'm the bad guy um so then

it's the next story jesus feeds 5 000

people with a lunchable um how it like

is this supposed to be reminiscent from

old testament of like god feeding israel

with manna and quail like what's the and

you already talked about parallelism

with herod in the banquet feast but how

does this connect with that old

testament narrative as well yeah it does

and and again with

elijah uh feeding or multiplying food

that was for a widow and elisha doing

the same thing although you have some

clear echoes of that in john 6

but yeah

especially the feeding in the wilderness

that's interesting when you think about

people were already expecting a new

moses

a prophet like me moses says deuteronomy

18 15 and 18.

and

qumran talks about it the rabbis talk

about it you know a lot a lot of people

samaritans were expecting

a prophet like moses

and

then you had these prophets who arose

mainly in the 40s josephus calls them

false prophets who said you know

we are going to we are going to leave

you in the wilderness and god is going

to intervene and we're going to make the

walls of jerusalem fall down like joshua

or we're going to part the jordan like

joshua who's emulating moses a part of

the sea and so here but they promised

those things they couldn't fulfill them

but here jesus actually does a sign in

the wilderness like moses

and you you know the the crowds don't

mark doesn't tell us the crowds knew

what was going on john tells us the

crowds did see and they wanted to make

jesus king

but yeah continuing that theme of old

testament background the next scene is

jesus walking on water so they finished

feeding the 5000 he goes up on a

mountain luke tells us to pray and uh

and he's praying until the fourth watch

of the night and he walks as though he's

going to pass by the disciples they

don't recognize him at first anyway the

end of the story is the the storm is

calmed but

is there an old testament background for

the story of jesus walking on water it's

full of old testament background

in job for example well actually even in

psalms you have god being the one who

treads upon the waters but in job

chapter 9 you have god being the one

that treads upon the waters and a few

verses later i think around verse 11 of

job 9

it says

and he passed me by

and i didn't recognize him and that's an

illusion back to exodus

chapters

well in in 32

moses smashes the

tablets because of the golden calves and

so he has to go back up and get some

more and in 33 god is going to reveal

his glory to moses

and

he says

that

i'll just show you part of my glory and

it says the lord passed by moses

and so

moses gets a theophany job is saying i

didn't get the theophany you know he was

going to pass me by but it's in job it's

in the context of treading upon the

waters the god who passes by

and then in exodus

god passes by gives a theophany in um i

think it's first kings 19

god passes by

uh

where elijah is on the mountain he gets

he gets a theophany and so

here is a theophany jesus comes walking

on the water

he's he's

but he's not just walking in the water

when it says he's walking the water he's

about to pass them by

jesus is coming to them as yahweh you

know

next next closest thing to

what they're going to get at the

transfiguration

and

yet they cry out in fear

they still don't recognize what's going

on they think he's a ghost you know

earlier in the chapter

herod antipas thinks it's john the

baptist come back from the dead even

though jesus and john the baptist

lived both at the same time so now you

know i mean they have this weird

afterlife theology herod is

superstitious well so are the disciples

you know every time in the in the bible

anybody thinks somebody's a ghost it's

all they're always wrong

and that happens after the resurrection

luke 24

and then

his angel in acts 12.

but anyway

so

they think he's a ghost and jesus says

don't be afraid it's i

well it's i in greek is ego me

i am

which can mean simply i i it's me it's i

but in the context that we've got so far

it probably means something more wow

because god in exodus 3 14 says i am

and the in the specific language echoing

me i am is used a number of times in

isaiah where god says i am the lord

anihu i am he and then in greek gets

translated egg away me

so he's revealing his deity to them

and

and just real quickly on that um

when i think about exodus chapter three

moses sees this strange sight and the

wording is

and he turned aside to see it

and it seems to make something of that

do you think there's a connection here

like don't let jesus pass by don't

ignore the burning bush in your midst

like turn aside and see pay attention is

there anything on that or am i just

making things up because i'm a preacher

uh he preaches well he's looking he's

looking for validation for his last

sermon

no

okay

all right so you're about to ask

it could be a legitimate application i'm

not sure that mark intended it okay so

so last last verse here of that section

not of the chapter um for they did not

understand about the loaves

but their hearts were hardened so that's

interesting that there was something in

the lesson of the lows that they should

have picked up on that would have made

sense of this experience yeah but they

didn't pick up on that lesson yeah what

what mean is this

well he's lord of nature

he can do nature miracles he can apply

food

and why not walk on water too

although this is beyond a new moses this

is more like the one his glory moses saw

okay so i think this is probably going

to sum up our chapter is there anything

that you want to say in summation of

this chapter before we move on

well it does end with the healings and

the people reaching for the fringe of

his garments if you want to make any

comments on that quite quite quite in

contrast with nazareth toward the

beginning of the chapter

jesus is so popular i mean they get out

of the boat

and word gets around and people it's

like people are swarming them almost

before they get out of the boat

mark is very emphatic on

sometimes people say okay in the gospels

the jewish people didn't like jesus

that's not true at all

they loved jesus

in in galilee where they knew him

it was it was the the elites in

jerusalem who you know turned people

against him especially jerusalemites but

jerusalem and nazareth right yeah and

nazareth you know where they could they

took him for granted um

but

but also notice that they're they're

copying the woman who reached out and

touched jesus cloak where here it says

they touched the fringe of his garment

and that's interesting because this

would be like the talit you've got the

uh

the seat the um

the fringes tassels yeah the blue the

blue and white tassels that are

commanded in the book of numbers

he's a good jew

and that's going to be important because

in the very next chapter

he's going to be dealing with some

pharisees who think that he's not a very

good jew because he doesn't follow their

pharisaic

traditions

and and so it helps set the the tone as

you're going in because what we're going

to find in chapter 7 is jesus actually

defends the torah

what he's against

not so much against

he doesn't he doesn't he's not even

attacking them doing traditions he's

attacking them attacking his disciples

for not keeping their traditions and

he's telling them what happens when your

traditions you value them over the torah

so

anyway wow i hope you've enjoyed that

episode on the gospel of mark with dr

craig keener if you want to go back and

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