4. Women in the Passion Narratives Mark 14-15

Transcript:4. Women in the Passion Narratives Mark 14-15:
4. Women in the Passion Narratives Mark 14-15 Matthew 26-27 Luke 22-23 John 18-19 1 Something to remember as we begin our study of women in the Passion Narratives The most important belief of the first Christians was that Jesus suffered died, and rose so that all could have new life St Paul’s letter to the Romans was his last letter and written about 57AD, some 13 or so years before Mark wrote the first gospel around 70. Paul never talks about Jesus’ ministries of healing, preaching or teaching. He talks about what Jesus’ death and resurrection meant for the Christian communities to whom Paul wrote his letters Although the passion and resurrection narratives come at the very end of our four gospels, they were in fact what were written first and what were most important Later, as those early followers of Jesus who had seen his miracles, and heard his teaching, died off, so did the disciples begin to collect orally, and then in written form, stories of what Jesus said and did before his passion, death and resurrection 2 Something else about women in the passion narratives Jesus called twelve men to be his closest followers. Remember in Mark, we read: “As Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake—for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me and I will make you fish for people.’ And immediately they left their nets and followed him. As he went a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John, who were in their boat mending the nets. Immediately he called them; and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men, and followed him (Mark 1:16-20). Remember how Peter, James and John were with Jesus when Jesus was transfigured before their eyes Remember the twelve were witnesses to all Jesus’ wonderful miracles Remember Jesus asked Peter, James and John to come and pray with him in the Garden of Olives/Gethsemane, before he was arrested. Remember they fell asleep Remember Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, and all the twelve ran away 3 We know from other gospel texts that other women and men followed Jesus besides the 12, although we usually hear more about the 12 In Mark we read: Then Jesus’ mother and his brothers came; and standing