The document provides an overview of Gospel readings and themes for Lent, comparing the Gospels of Mark, Matthew, Luke and John. It examines the different portrayals of Jesus, including an immediacy in Mark versus reflection in John. Major events like the temptation of Jesus, transfiguration, and crucifixion are discussed. The document also explores the kingdom of God and Jesus' acts of serving others.

1. Spirit in the Desert Retreat Center
February 16, 2012

2. Lent, Year B

 Lent 1 (Mark 1:9-15)
 Lent 2 (Mark 8:31-38)
 Lent 3 and 4 (John
2:13-22; John 3:14-21)
 Lent 5 (John 12:20-33)

3. Two Entirely Different
Gospels

 Immediacy and three-year ministry
 Gospel and Word
 Suffering Christ and the Jesus in control
 Active Jesus and reflective Jesus

4. 

5. Beginnings

 Matthew: “An account of the genealogy of Jesus the
Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham.”
 Luke: “Since many have undertaken to set down an
orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled
among us…”

6.  “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God.”
 Not “story,” “information,” or “doctrine”
 Continuity and newness

7. The Gospel of God

 Isaiah 40:9-11; Isaiah 52:7-10
 present participle; the one who brings good news
 Exile; sentinel; news
from the front;
God is here,
God is victorious
 Romans 1:1-6;
1 Thess 2:1-2; 3:2
 At the heart of
who God is

8.  In the wilderness
 Decentering of God‟s good news
 Found on the edge and also belongs there
 Goes beyond the boundaries of where we thought God
was supposed to be

9. 

10.  Cosmic: separating humanity from God
 Religious or Ceremonial: separating unacceptable
from acceptable
 Political: separating oppressed from powerful
 Ethnic and Geographic: separating peoples
 Ultimate or Existential: separating life and death

11. The Word of God

 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God.
 Origin
 Relationship
 Identity

12. John 1:14
And the Word
became flesh and
lived among us, and
we have seen his
glory, the glory as of
a father's only
son, full of grace and
truth.

13. Endings

 They said nothing to anyone for they were afraid…
 Additional Endings
 A new beginning?
 Not tidy, no tying up
loose ends

14. Grace upon grace…

 25 But there are also
many other things
that Jesus did; if
every one of them
were written
down, I suppose
that the world itself
could not contain
the books that
would be written.

15. Two Entirely Different
Gospels

 Immediacy and three-year ministry
 Gospel and Word
 Suffering Christ and the Jesus in control
 Active Jesus and reflective Jesus

16. The suffering Christ

17. The “I AM” Statements in John

Absolute “I AM” – without a predicate
nominative:
4:26; 6:20; 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 7
“I AM” with a predicate nominative:
6:35; 6:51; 8:12; 9:5;
10:7, 9, 11, 14; 11:25-26;
14:6; 15:1, 5

18. Two Entirely Different
Gospels

 Immediacy and three-year ministry
 Gospel and Word
 Suffering Christ and the Jesus in control
 Active Jesus and reflective Jesus

19. What is Jesus‟ First Public
Act in Each Gospel?

20. Matthew 5-7: Sermon on
the Mount


21. The Beatitudes
„Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

„Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
„Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
„Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they will be filled.
„Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
„Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
„Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of
God.
„Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness‟ sake, for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
„Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and
utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and
be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.

22. Luke 4:16-30:
The Rejection in Nazareth

23. Good News to the Poor
When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he
went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom.
He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was
given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where
it was written:
„The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives
and recovery of sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
to proclaim the year of the Lord‟s favour.‟
And he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and
sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.
Then he began to say to them, „Today this scripture has been
fulfilled in your hearing.‟

24. John 2:1-11: The
Wedding at Cana


25. A Sign of Abundance
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the
mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been
invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus
said to him, „They have no wine.‟ And Jesus said to her, „Woman,
what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.‟
His mother said to the servants, „Do whatever he tells you.‟ Now
standing there were six stone water-jars for the Jewish rites of
purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. Jesus said to
them, „Fill the jars with water.‟ And they filled them up to the brim.
He said to them, „Now draw some out, and take it to the chief
steward.‟ So they took it. When the steward tasted the water that
had become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the
servants who had drawn the water knew), the steward called the
bridegroom and said to him, „Everyone serves the good wine first,
and then the inferior wine after the guests have become drunk. But
you have kept the good wine until now.‟ Jesus did this, the first of
his signs, in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples
believed in him.

26. Mark 1:21-27
The Man with an Unclean Spirit


27. Crossing Boundaries
21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, he
entered the synagogue and taught. 22They were astounded at
his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and
not as the scribes. 23Just then there was in their synagogue a
man with an unclean spirit, 24and he cried out, „What have
you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to
destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God.‟
25But Jesus rebuked him, saying, „Be silent, and come out of
him!‟ 26And the unclean spirit, throwing him into convulsions
and crying with a loud voice, came out of him. 27They were
all amazed, and they kept on asking one another, „What is
this? A new teaching—with authority! He commands even
the unclean spirits, and they obey him.‟ 28At once his fame
began to spread throughout the surrounding region of
Galilee.

28. Lenten Themes

 The
Boundary
Crossing God
 Where is
God?
 What Jesus
do you need
and when?
 Who do you
say that I am?

30. Typically temptation of Jesus

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan.
10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn
apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him.
11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you
I am well pleased."
12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.
13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with
the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good
news of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come
near; repent, and believe in the good news."

31. KJV Mark 1:10 And straightway coming up out of the
water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a
dove descending upon him.
NAS Mark 1:10 And immediately coming up out of the
water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a
dove descending upon Him.
NRS Mark 1:10 And just as he was coming up out of the
water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit
descending like a dove on him.
NIV Mark 1:10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he
saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on
him like a dove.
NKJ Mark 1:10 And immediately, coming up from the
water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit
descending upon Him like a dove.
Mark 1:10

32. 
Mark 1:10
kai. euvqu.j avnabai,nwn evk
tou/ u[datoj ei=den
scizome,nouj tou.j
ouvranou.j kai. to.
pneu/ma w`j peristera.n
katabai/non eivj auvto,n

33. Mark 15:38
NRS Mark 15:38 And the curtain of
the temple was torn in two,
from top to bottom.
Kai. to. katape,tasma tou/
naou/ evsci,sqh eivj du,o
avpV a;nwqen e[wj ka,twÅ

34. The Transfiguration

 7 Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the
cloud there came a voice, "This is my Son, the
Beloved; listen to him!"

35. The Lonely Places

12 And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.

36. Mark 14:50

All of them deserted him
and fled.

37. Mark 1:40-45

40 A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees,
"If you are willing, you can make me clean."
41 Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched
the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!"
42 Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
43 Jesus sent him away at once with a strong warning:
44 "See that you don't tell this to anyone. But go, show yourself to
the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your
cleansing, as a testimony to them."
45 Instead he went out and began to talk freely, spreading the
news. As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but
stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to him
from everywhere. (Mar 1:40-45 NIV)

38. 

39. Kingdom of God is Near

13 He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with
the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good
news of God,
15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come
near; repent, and believe in the good news."

40. Service as Mark of Discipleship

 As soon as they left the synagogue, they entered
29
the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and
John.
 30 Now Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a
fever, and they told him about her at once.
 31 He came and took her by the hand and lifted her
up. Then the fever left her, and she began to serve
them.
 45 For the Son of Man came not to be served but to
serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."
(Mar 10:45 NRS)