Outline for Chapters 11-13

It can be very helpful to take a look at the larger context of this section, Chapter 11-13, lest we begin to miss the bigger picture of Mark's narrative.  My own personal outline of this section goes like this:

A.  Jesus, the Son of David

1. The Return of the King
1. Bartimaeus identifies Jesus as the Son of David
1. He has eyes to see, even though he is blind
2. As the king enters Jerusalem he serves the least, last, lost
2. The Temple and the Tree
1. The cursing of the tree, so uncharacteristic of Mark’s presentation of Jesus so far in this Gospel, sets the tone for this section. It is one of judgment. The son of David has indeed returned, but not as expected.
2. The parable of the tenants recalls the parables of chapter 4. For those with eyes to see Jesus message is clear. For the spiritually blind, they lose even what they used to have.
3. The series of questions by the religious leadership emphasizes their spiritual blindness and the fact that they have forfeited all claim to the leadership of Israel. They have utterly misunderstood God’s intentions in blessing the nation of Israel: a light to the nations, and not nationalistic exclusivity.
4. And again recalling the parables of the Kingdom, those with eyes to see – the religious leader focused on God’s greatness in the Shema and the least, last, lost helpless widow – these have the secret of the kingdom: they respond to Jesus, and receive more of him.
3. Watch!
1. This is Jesus’ longest teaching block in Mark’s gospel and may be something of a farewell address like that of Abram, Moses, Joshua, and Samuel. If we take this section out of Mark’s context we will entirely miss Mark’s intent. The context is the Son of David reestablishing God’s intended kingdom of blessing for all nations. What the builders rejected, Jesus will reestablish.
2. This section is the text that relates the great themes of Jesus ministry to the task the disciples will face in the immediate years ahead following Jesus’ death and resurrection. These themes are:
1. Conflict with the power centers of Rome and Jerusalem
2. Proclamation of Jesus’ gospel
3. The mystery and efficacy of the cross and suffering in God’s kingdom
4. Refocus from Second Temple apocalyptic glory to a life of discipleship.
3. If we will allow the author to speak and not impose ideas on this text, we will find transformational teaching about not only the days the first apostles experienced but significant implications for the days in which we live.
4. There is literary structure in these verses built around a recurring theme of ‘take heed’ summed up by yet another parable.
5. Most of the events Jesus references in these sayings occurred in the lifetime of ‘this generation’: the sending of the apostles (translated here as angels, but the same word for apostle) to gather the elect, Jerusalem sacked in 70ad, the power of Rome shaken by the gospel.