Markus 2:18

The Superiority of the New

2:18 Now ¹  John’s ²  disciples and the Pharisees ³  were fasting. ⁴  So ⁵  they came to Jesus ⁶  and said, “Why do the disciples of John and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples don’t fast?”

Markus 3:8

3:8 Jerusalem, ⁷  Idumea, beyond the Jordan River, ⁸  and around Tyre ⁹  and Sidon ¹⁰  a great multitude came to him when they heard about the things he had done.

Markus 5:15

5:15 They came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man sitting there, clothed and in his right mind – the one who had the “Legion” – and they were afraid.

Markus 5:19

5:19 But ¹¹  Jesus ¹²  did not permit him to do so. Instead, he said to him, “Go to your home and to your people and tell them what the Lord has done for you, ¹³  that he had mercy on you.”

Markus 11:33

11:33 So ¹⁴  they answered Jesus, ¹⁵  “We don’t know.” ¹⁶  Then Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you ¹⁷  by what authority ¹⁸  I am doing these things.”

Markus 14:12

The Passover

14:12 Now ¹⁹  on the first day of the feast of ²⁰  Unleavened Bread, when the Passover lamb is sacrificed, ²¹  Jesus’ ²²  disciples said to him, “Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?” ²³ 

[2:18]  ¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[2:18]  ² sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[2:18]  ³ sn See the note on Pharisees in 2:16.

[2:18]  ⁴ sn John’s disciples and the Pharisees followed typical practices with regard to fasting and prayer. Many Jews fasted regularly (Lev 16:29-34; 23:26-32; Num 29:7-11). The zealous fasted twice a week on Monday and Thursday.

[2:18]  ⁵ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “So” to indicate that in the narrative this question happened as a result of the fasting of John’s disciples and the Pharisees.

[2:18]  ⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:8]  ⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[3:8]  ⁸ tn “River” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for clarity. The region referred to here is sometimes known as Transjordan (i.e., “across the Jordan”).

[3:8]  ⁹ map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[3:8]  ¹⁰ sn These last two locations, Tyre and Sidon, represented an expansion outside of traditional Jewish territory. Jesus’ reputation continued to expand into new regions.

[3:8]  map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[5:19]  ¹¹ tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[5:19]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:19]  ¹³ sn Jesus instructs the man to declare what the Lord has done for him, in contrast to the usual instructions (e.g., 1:44; 5:43) to remain silent. Here in Gentile territory Jesus allowed more open discussion of his ministry. D. L. Bock (Luke [BECNT], 1:781) suggests that with few Jewish religious representatives present, there would be less danger of misunderstanding Jesus’ ministry as political.

[11:33]  ¹⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of previous action(s) in the narrative.

[11:33]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “answering, they said to Jesus.” The participle ἀποκριθέντες (apokriqentes) is redundant, but the syntax of the phrase has been modified to conform to English style.

[11:33]  ¹⁶ sn Very few questions could have so completely revealed the wicked intentions of the religious leaders. Jesus’ question revealed the motivation of the religious leaders and exposed them for what they really were – hypocrites. They indicted themselves when they cited only two options and chose neither of them (“We do not know”). The point of Mark 11:27-33 is that no matter what Jesus said in response to their question they were not going to believe it and would in the end use it against him.

[11:33]  ¹⁷ sn Neither will I tell you. Though Jesus gave no answer, the analogy he used to their own question makes his view clear. His authority came from heaven.

[11:33]  ¹⁸ tn On this phrase, see BDAG 844 s.v. ποῖος 2.a.γ. This is exactly the same phrase as in v. 28.

[14:12]  ¹⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[14:12]  ²⁰ tn The words “the feast of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied for clarity.

[14:12]  ²¹ sn Generally the feast of Unleavened Bread would refer to Nisan 15 (Friday), but the following reference to the sacrifice of the Passover lamb indicates that Nisan 14 (Thursday) was what Mark had in mind (Nisan = March 27 to April 25). The celebration of the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasted eight days, beginning with the Passover meal. The celebrations were so close together that at times the names of both were used interchangeably.

[14:12]  ²² tn Grk “his”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:12]  ²³ sn This required getting a suitable lamb and finding lodging in Jerusalem where the meal could be eaten. The population of the city swelled during the feast, so lodging could be difficult to find. The Passover was celebrated each year in commemoration of the Israelites’ deliverance from Egypt; thus it was a feast celebrating redemption (see Exod 12). The Passover lamb was roasted and eaten after sunset in a family group of at least ten people (m. Pesahim 7.13). People ate the meal while reclining (see the note on table in 14:18). It included, besides the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs as a reminder of Israel’s bitter affliction at the hands of the Egyptians. Four cups of wine mixed with water were also used for the meal. For a further description of the meal and the significance of the wine cups, see E. Ferguson, Backgrounds of Early Christianity, 523-24.