Mark 16:1-8 (Easter)

Here are links for Greek commentary on all four Gospel
Matthew 28:1-10
Mark 16:1-8
Luke 24:1-12
John 20:1-18

Summary:  This familiar text offers many directions for preaching.  One unique feature of Mark's Gospel is the name of Jesus, given by the Angel, "Jesus of Nazareth, the crucified."  As the grammar note explains, the word crucified here indicates not simply a past action but a present state:  "Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified, but in a cosmic sense is still in the state of being crucified."  This is a witty way for Mark to get at the point:  The risen Christ still has holes in his hands.

Sermon idea cluster #1

αλειφω ("anoint"; here as ηλειφον; 16.1)  Earlier in Mark, Jesus' disciples anointed people with oil in order to heal them (6:13).  I wonder if sometimes we are healed as we do the right thing, honoring the dead, showing love, in the face of a merciless world.

αρωματα ("spices"; literally "aromata"; 16.1)  Footnote of NET Bible is interesting here.  Because Jews' didn't practice embalming...spices were used not to preserve the body, but as an act of love, and to mask the growing stench of a corpse.   A potential sermon note here: They were doing the right thing, even when hope seemed lost.  It reminds me of this Vaclav Havel quote:  "Hope is definitely not the same thing as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out."

Sermon idea cluster #2

μνημειον ("tomb" or "monument"; 16.2)  This word comes from the Greek for memory (think: mneumonic device).  The tombs are a place of memory, interesting in itself but even more so because

θυρα ("gate" or "door"; 16.3)  The word for entrance means also door.  So the "entrance of the tomb" is literally, "the door to memories." 

Προάγει ("go ahead"; 16:7)  Jesus is not in the past; nor is he in memory.  He is not in nostalgia, but is on the loose!

Sermon idea cluster #3

γαρ ("for" or "however"; 16:8)  My father once preached a great sermon on this word.  Here is the deal.  This word is a conjunction.  It should not, no cannot end a sentence.  But here it does.  So what is up?  My dad's sermon was that the Gospel message continues on in our lives.

Sermon idea cluster #4

εκστατις ("exstatis" - ecstasy; 16.8)  Accordance has a Thayer Greek dictionary.  Citing Philo, it says this regarding this "out of state" - 

"that of the man who by some sudden emotion is transported as it were out of himself, so that in this rapt condition, although he is awake, his mind is so drawn off from all surrounding objects and wholly fixed on things divine that he sees nothing but the forms and images lying within, and thinks that he perceives with his bodily eyes and ears realities shown him by God."  Are they afraid or simply so in awe of what has happened.   In this way, is τρομος (tremble) a bad thing or a profoundly good thing, akin to the last verse of "where you there"?  Are they afraid because something bad has happened or because the whole world has just flipped up upside down?  What is God is actually alive and doing things, going ahead of us??

Note -- the ancients were more welcoming of the spiritual reality breaking into our world.  How does this happen to us?  Does it happen anymore?  What pries open our closed (materialist) system?  

Perhaps this is why they are ζητεῖτε (seeking, 16:6) - seeking for something beyond themselves?  What opens our eyes, I offer, forever shutting down a strict materialism is the combination of suffering and resurrection that makes no sense in a closed system that has no evil and no good.

Sermon Cluster #5

All the verbs are you plural :-)

Sermon Cluster #6 

(A brief commentary on the Perfect tense:)

The perfect tense indicates a previous action that still describes the current state.  Hence:

αποκεκυλισται ("rolled"; 4) and περιβεβλημενον ("dressed"; 5).  In both cases, the previous action of rolling and dressing still are in force.  Thus, we read with total surprise:

εσταυρομενον ("crucified"; 6).  This word is also in the perfect, meaning an action happened in the past that still describes the state of affairs.  The angel declares that even though he is risen, Jesus is still in the state of being crucified.  You are seeking the crucified one; he is risen.  Jesus is alive but he still has the wounds in his hands.

Mark 11:1-11

This passage occurs in the RCL Year B for Palm Sunday, most recently March 24, 2024.

Summary:  Mark uses some really bizarre words in his Greek, that as usual, Matthew, Luke and the translators cover up for you.  How lovely.  This passage gets at the core of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, though:  We are sent to free other people (creation!) to serve the Lord.

It is worth noting that although the disciples perform well in this passage, they are not the one's who will save the world.  In short, this passage is one that can get at the heart of the Gospel:  We are servants of the Lord, sent to make a difference in this world.  Jesus is the Lord, sent to make a different world.

Key Words
αποστελλει ("send"; 11.1, 3)  The disciples have been sent out a number of times in Mark's Gospel and will continue to be sent, hence the term "apostles."  It is interesting that in Scripture there is not a clear distinction between being a disciple and an apostle.  To be a disciple is to be sent.

δεδεμένον (from δεω, meaning "bound"; 11.2)  The donkey is bound.  (Good use of a perfect participle in Greek!)  It has never been used.  I wonder if Mark is making a point here that things that are bound are not yet useful to God or to put it more positively...

λυσατω (from λυω; meaning "untie" or "loosen"; 11.2)  Jesus frees an ass so the ass can be useful.  Preach on that.  I double dare you.  It gets better.

ο κυριος αυτου χρειαν εχει (11.3)  The Greek is straight forward:  "The Lord of it need has."  It is striking:  The Lord has a need!! 

κοψαντες (from κοπτω, meaning "cut" or "lament"; 11.8)  Every other time this word is used in the New Testament, it means lament as in beat one's chest (Luke 8:52, 23:27; Matthew 11:17, 24:30; Rev 1:7, 18:9)  This is not say that it means lament in this case, but it is an interesting choice of words, perhaps foreshadowing a future lament!!

Also, there are no palm branches in Mark's gospel, just branches cut from the field (ἀγρός).  Which is kind of cool to think that humans, animals and plants are all praising God.

ωσαννα ("Hosanna"; 11.10)  Meaning he saves us -- more at http://lectionarygreek.blogspot.com/2014/04/john-1212-27.html

Quirky words I can't quite figure out 
ελαιων ("olives"; 11.1, 13.3, 14.26)  I missed that the Mount of Olives almost becomes Jesus' home base during the passion; he launches his entry into Jerusalem from there; he announces the destruction of the temple; he prays after the Last Supper.  Not sure what to make of this -- he keeps coming and going!

φερετε ("carry"; 11.2, 11.7)  It is a bizarre use of words in that the disciples are asked (and do) carry the colt to Jesus.  (Both Matthew and Luke use a different word, meaning "lead.")  Is the colt that small and is this an ironic scene, if not a parody of a royal procession?  Or is there something about being a disciple that suggests we might have to work -- to carry a donkey??

This is nothing in Greek - but the reaction in the temple is quite strange.  It is like a western scene where nothing is happening except a cool sound effect of a snake coil or something...

John 3:1-21; Nicodemeus

This passage occurs in both the Narrative and Revised Common Lectionaries.  The Revised Common Lectionary breaks it up into two separate passages; the narrative leaves it as one.

Summary:  I don't know if one truly can summarize John 3.  One could describe it as THE chapter of Scripture.  The Greek shows a number of interesting wrinkles in the text, each of which can help get at the core message about the work of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, in saving the world.  Perhaps one little tidbit: eternal life doesn't begin after death in the Gospel of John.

Νικόδημος ("Nicodemus" vs 1):  It is worth noting that Nicodemus gets a name; the woman at the well in chapter 4 will not.  Nicodemus, like the woman at the well, misunderstands Jesus.  His story should end in chapter 3, but it does not.  It keeps going.  Because God is author of our story, our own failures do not end the narrative.  In chapter 7 Nicodemus will defend Jesus; at the end of the Gospel he will help bury Jesus (19).  Jesus invites people to come and see.  For Nicodemus, this invitation changed his life, as he came and saw, and was drawn in. 

Little side note:  Nicodemus' general confusion is emphasized in the Greek that he repeatedly says "How can it be that..."  (The tense of λεγω in 3:4 is present tense).

νυκτος (νυξ, "night", vs 2)  The fact that he visits at night might have many meanings.  It might mean that he is worried about shaming himself by association with Jesus.  It might also suggest he is still 'in the dark'.  Finally though it might suggest that he does not want a confrontation.  He is not seeking to embarrass Jesus but wants to meet with him alone.

ο διδασκαλος ("the teacher", vs 2)  Nicodemus calls Jesus "a" teacher; Jesus calls Nicodemus "THE teacher."  Obviously Jesus is catching Nicodemus in his words!

βασιλεια του θεου ("Kingdom of God", vs 3).  It is interesting that Nicodemus didn't ask about the Kingdom.  Jesus seems to give a strange reply.  One might argue that Jesus is simply pushing his own agenda.  However...Jesus never will use the phrase Kingdom of God in the Gospel of John outside of this conversation.  He somehow is addressing a concern specifically for Nicodemus.  I wonder if one could make the argument that Jesus whose listening is so powerful that he can force us not only to listen to him, but somehow to listen to ourselves.  Why did Nicodemus come to Jesus?  Because he wanted to enter into the Kingdom of God.  Nicodemus must realize that this is both a gift but also comes with a profound transformation of Nicodemus' life, one akin to a new birth. 

ανωθεν ("again" or "above" vs 3)  I would argue that 'above' is a better translation here. Not simply because of the context (Jesus says you don't have to come out of the womb, but must be born of the water and Spirit), but because above includes again.  If you are born from above, this is the second birth anyway!  We must be born again, but this birth isn't through human agency, but God alone.

πνευμα (literally, "pneuma"; meaning "spirit" vs 5, 6 and 8)  The word Spirit is related to breath, but also blow and wind.  So the verse that reads "The wind blows where it will" could and arguably should be translated "the Spirit blows where it will."  In fact, one could read it as "The spirit spirits where it will."

πιστευω ("believe" vs 15 and 16, etc).  Believe is only a verb in the Gospel of John.  It means trust; it is an action not a thing.  It is also in the present and active tense:  the one is who is trusting...

εχη ("have" vs 16)  The word here is in the present tense.  ETERNAL LIFE begins NOW.  It is not a future reality, but a present one found in Christ!  Whoever is trusting in God has life which continues into eternity.

κοσμος ("world" vs 16).  Throughout the Gospel of John, the world doesn't like God.  It doesn't understand God (1:10); it doesn't give like God (14:27) ; in fact, it hates God (7:7).  This is the world God loves!

Also important to recognize that the WORLD is the object of salvation.  The individuals receive eternal life, but the scope of salvation is broader than simply humans.

John 3:16

This passage occurs in the RCL Lent Season, Year A and B, most recently March of 2024 and also on Holy Cross day.  It also occurs in the Narrative Lectionary Year 4 Epiphany cycle.
 
Summary:  We've heard John 3:16 a million times before.  For this week, I broke it down, word by word.  Awful for a sermon, yes, but a closer look reveals how this really is the Gospel in a nutshell.  Fun Greek fact:  The phrase eternal life is literally "eons of a zoo."  God's eternal party is a zoo!  Helpful Greek fact:  This eternal zoo is not a future reality, but a present one, available here and now.

John 3:16.  Broken down.

ουτως γαρ ηγαπησεν ο θεος τον κοσμον, ωστε τον υιον τον μονογενη εδωκεν, ινα πας ο πιστευων εις αυτον μη αποληται αλλ εχη ζωην αιωνιον

ουτως γαρ:  Two interjections, combining to mean:  "For in this manner"  Don't spend too much time here, we have bigger fish to fry.

ηγαπησεν (αγαπη):  This word supposedly means divine, only from God love.  In this particular sentence that's what it means: divine, pure, gracious, awesome, life changing love.  Interestingly, later in this section people will love (αγαπη) the darkness more than the light.  First, this shows that agape is not simply a divine thing.  Second, it reminds us how absurd (and misdirected) some of our love really is.

ο θεος:  God (think theos as in theology)

τον κοσμον:  The world.  This word in English is cosmos, like universe or cosmopolitan or cosmetic.  The point is that in the Gospel of John the world does not love God (John 7:7; 15:18,19; 17:14).  God's love comes over and against the world that does not like God

ωστε:  that.  Conjunction.  Don't worry.

τον υιον τον μονογενη:  only begotten son.  Nice like adjectival participle here.  The son, the only begotten.  If you break the Greek down you get :  mono-gene.  The only one who has the Father's genes are the son.  In this case, Christ is the only one who really is of the Father, who has his dna to love a world that doesn't love him back.

εδωκεν:  Gave.  Jesus Christ is the gift.

ινα:  In order.  God's giving of his son had a purpose

πας ο πιστευων:  Substantive participle:  All who believe.  Because it is present tense we should make it:  All who are constantly believing.  Remember, in John's Gospel, believe is a verb; faith is a not a think, it is an action, a constant trusting not in a thing, but in a person.
 
εις αυτον:   In fact you cannot trust in something but have to trust INTO something.

μη αποληται:  Be lost, be destroyed.  This verb is in the "middle" voice, which means that it is not simply active "He destroyed" or passive "He was destroyed" but is reflexive "He destroyed himself."  This particular verb is one that often appears in active or middle voice; I would not want to confidently assert the full semantic difference between the two.  However, I think is interesting that in this case, we are left with some agency, however unclear, in our own destruction.

αλλ :  but

εχη :  STOP.  read carefully: This is a present tense verb.  This means that we HAVE the eternal life, not we will have, but we HAVE the eternal life.  In John's Gospel life begins here and in as we, through faith, live in the son.  This means that we experience both spiritual living at the same time as we are physically dying.

ζωην αιωνιον:  literally:  eons of zoo.  That is the grand goal of God:  eons of zoo.  The word for eternal (αιωνιον) is kind of interesting, but in the singular form it can be understood as eternal.  

Luke 23:44-49

 This passage was looked at as part of a "Seven Last Words" preaching series in 2024.  

Some reflections

Psalm 31

When Jesus says "Into your hand, I commend my Spirit" he is referencing Psalm 31. (LXX 30).

In itself, this is interesting in that the word for Spirit here is "Ruach" or "ר֫וּחִ֥" which has all sorts of conations about life, breath and spirit. Looking at the root of the word "Spirit" helps make sense of why the next action of Jesus is to breath his last.  In fact, in Greek the word for "Spirit" is πνεῦμά and the word for "exhale" is ἐξέπνευσεν.

What is more interesting to me, at least, is the second half of the Psalm: "For you have redeemed me, O God of truth" (or faithful God).  Jesus final breath, I would contend, is not the first part of the Psalm, but the second part, in that he knows that God has faithfully delivered him.  The final part of Psalm 31:5 is "O God of Amen."  This final breath is Jesus 'amen' to the God and to the word.

Three reactions to Jesus death

Luke shows a few reactions to the death of Jesus

• Centurion:  Admiration.  The centurion glorifies God [ἐδόξαζεν (from , meaning "glorify")] and declares Jesus to be righteous [δίκαιος (meaning "righteous", 23:47)].  I like the connection here between Luke and Paul, in that for Paul, Jesus' righteousness is revealed in the faithfulness of Jesus on cross.  Here the Centurion acknowledges the righteousness of Jesus as he sees his faith on display in spite of everything.
• Crowd:  Perfunctory sadness.  The crowd is grieved [τύπτοντες their chests (meaning "beating", 23:48)], but does not linger, instead returns home [ὑπέστρεφον (meaning "return", 23:48)]
• Women:  Ready to follow.  The women have been following Jesus [συνακολουθοῦσαι (meaning "follow", 23:49)]  A couple things to note about this verb.  First, it is in the present tense.  They were in the process of following him to the cross and nothing suggests this has changed.  Also, the verb has a "συν" prefix, meaning they are following together.

Perhaps those are all three our reactions - amazement, sadness and readiness...

[As the week wore on, other things caught me]

• The contrast of Joseph of Arimathea with Roman centurion, both people of power
• The women who were following (note: Luke has this in the present tense) also returned, but they did not return in resignation, but to bury Jesus.