Mark 1–8:26 (Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 34a | WBC)

Top Highlights

“Jesus’ actions actually answer the question posed in 4:41b—‘Who indeed is this that the wind and sea obey him?’ The answer has two dimensions. First, the parallel with Jonah shows him to be greater than Jonah (cf. Matt 12:41; Luke 11:32). Instead of praying to God, he personally addressed the wind and the sea. Second, Jesus accomplished what in the OT only God could do in overcoming the chaotic powers of evil as numerous OT passages indicate (e.g., Gen 8:1; Pss 74:13–14; 104:4–9; 107:25–30). God was uniquely at work in Jesus. The awed response in 4:41 appropriately confirms this point.” (Page 267)

“the majority of scholars concur with the early tradition in guardedly assigning Mark’s Gospel to Rome.” (Page xxix)

“For Mark the ‘gospel’ clearly depicts Jesus as inaugurating God’s sovereign rule, the Kingdom, through his words and deeds.” (Page xli)

“Thus to ‘pass by them’ (παρελθεῖν αὐτούς) most probably has its significance in the similar language used in an epiphany of God to Moses (Exod 33:19–23; 34:6) and Elijah (1 Kgs 19:11) as the One who ‘passed by them’ in a moment of self-revelation (Lohmeyer, 133–34; Kremer, BibLeb 10 [1969] 226–28; Pesch, 1:361). Therefore, instead of a story about Jesus’ rescue of his disciples who are distressed but not in danger (cf. 4:35–41), this is an epiphany story about Jesus’ self-revelation to his own followers.” (Page 350)

“The term ‘appointed time’ (καιρός) generally connotes a decisive moment in time, an appointed time, a fixed season (cf. 11:13; 12:2) rather than an expanse or period of time. The verb πεπλήρωται thus has its redemptive historical connotation of ‘fulfillment’ or ‘coming to pass’ rather than ‘completion.’ Instead of announcing a period of time reaching its conclusion, Jesus announces the coming to pass of a decisive moment in time.” (Page 43)