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Re: Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough

Re: Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough

Submitted by peter wilkinson on 25 March, 2008 - 12:17.

Andrew - Mark’s gospel seems to me to have a number of emphases, which lead me to different conclusions from you:

1. It is a declaration of who Jesus is (Lord over sickness, demons, nature and death and completer of Israel’s story)

2. This declaration is closely associated with the breaking-in of the kingdom of God, or ‘the age to come’ as described by Isaiah, on ‘this evil age’, by the Spirit - which would continue through the church after Jesus’s death and resurrection

3. Jesus calls to himself disciples who will radically give their lives to him (as he continued to do through the church in Acts, and does today)

4. It is a preparation for the disciples of how the world would receive his message (parable of the sower etc)

5. It is a precursor to Jesus’s death and resurrection, on which forthcoming event there is considerable focus, but added to which needs to be the events following - namely ascension and Spirit out-poured

All of this squarely places the gospel in a relevant frame for today. Mark provides a model for continuing discipleship - in eras of persecution or peace for the church - and the values disciples are to live by.

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Being a disciple of Jesus is not enough By: Andrew (33 replies) 24 March, 2008 - 19:53