Reflection
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6TheMissionaryTheologyofMarkJohn.pptxTHE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK AND JOHN
Module 6 - MISS 500
Foundation for Biblical Mission
THE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK
Mark’s gospel is the first of the four canonical Gospels, and he narrates the history of Jesus with the goal of inviting “the acclamation, the recognition of the true dignity of Jesus” (Theissen 1974:212).
The entire movement of Jesus—”from the preparation of the way of the Lord” by John the Baptist (Mk. 1:1-8) to his “going ahead” after his resurrection (Mk. 16:7).
His role as beloved Son (Mk. 1:11; 9:7; 12:6) Son of the Father, who sent Jesus of Nazareth in Galilee as his last messenger (Mk. 12:6).
His ministry as the “Son of Man,” who is anointed by God the Holy Spirit and is victorious when Satan tempts him.
His proclamation of the dawn of the kingdom of God.
THE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK
His miracles, his controversy disputes, his great success, the early and constant rejection, his death, which come into view at an early stage (Mk. 2:20).
His journey from Galilee to Jerusalem to the temple, where he acts as the messianic prophet; his path to suffering and to his death on the cross (Mk. 14-15).
His path to the resurrection, where his path leads to the church—Mark asserts in Mk 1:1 that his book summarizes the foundations and the content of the evangelion of Jesus Christ.
Mark is aware of his “missionary and catechetical responsibility” for the Christian church.
As Rudolf Pesch notes: “The entire history of Jesus has become the content of the gospel. The entire book of Mark is a missionary book.”
THE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK
Mark’s missionary interest surface in the very title of the Gospel “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk. 1:1).
When Mark begins his book about Jesus, the Messiah of Nazareth, using words that remind his readers of the central element of the imperial cult, which had become increasingly popular since Augustus, he expresses his conviction that the message of Jesus Christ is the only “good tidings,” that Jesus the Messiah from Israel is the only true “Son of God,” whose significance is relevant for the entire world (Evans 2000:70, 80-81).
The fact that Mark begins his Gospel with such a categorical “beat of the drum” in the very first line perhaps can be explained by the fact that Mark possibly wrote his Gospel around A.D. 68/69, after Nero’s death, during the disturbances linked with the power struggle for Nero’s succession.
THE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK
Craig Evans comment, “The Markan evangelist presents Jesus as true son of God and in doing so deliberately presents Jesus in opposition to Rome’s candidates for a suitable emperor, savior, and Lord…Jesus was indeed the Son of God, humanity’s true Savior and Lord. Mark’s purpose is to narrate the story of Jesus in such a way that such a confession will appear compelling and plausible to Jews and Romans alike” (2000:80-81).
THE MISSIONARY THEOLOGY OF MARK
The Gospel of Mark clearly links the universal dimension of the significance of Jesus of Nazareth with the cross.
In Mark, Jesus limits his contacts with non-Jews to the unavoidable minimum (Mk. 7:24).
He encountered rejection (Mk. 5:14-17) and partial or unwitting acknowledgment (Mk. 15:2-27).
Two Gentiles recognize his distinctive dignity as God’s agent as well as that dimension of his ministry that was grounded in this dignity but transcends Israel (Mk. 7:25-30; 15: 37-41).
This dimension consists primarily in the fact that his ministry is fulfilled in his death.
Because it is his death, as a death ‘for many’ (Mk. 10:45; 14:24), that establishes the eschatological ‘house of prayer’ replacing Israel’s temple—for all nations (Mk. 11:12-12:12).
A house to which the disciples of Jesus, who proclaim the gospel in the entire world (Mk. 13:10; 14:9), invite Gentiles as well as Jews so that they who are the ‘elect’ will be saved at the parousia (Mk. 13:20).
The missionary theology of john
Jesus’s mission and the mission of the church have a central role in the Gospel of John.
Both the rhetorical structure of the Gospel and many individual rhetorical elements supports the pastoral-missionary concerns of the author.
The disciples who are John’s readers had to be reminded of Jesus’ uniqueness as God’s eschatological mediator of salvation and how that therefore requires total dependence upon Jesus.
Karl Bornhäuser and other scholars suggests that John wants to evangelize (Diaspora) Jews and proselytes; that the Fourth Gospel intends to show unbelievers what it means to belong to the community of the Messiah and to participate in its mission to the world (Bornhäuser 1928; Oehler 1936; 1941; Davey 1961; Han 1963, 135-45).
The missionary theology of john
Some scholars connect the Gospel of John with a mission to the Samaritans or more generally with non-Christian readers of the Hellenized world (Dodd 1953).
Benedict Viviano believes that the Fourth Gospel is a “missionary project” in terms of a “large-scale apologetic enterprise” that could be interpreted as “an expanded and improved version of the great missionary speeches in Acts: chapter 13 to the Jews, chapter 17 to the Athenians” (1984:387).
Jews, Samaritans, and the Gentiles are the main theme of the book.
The promotion of the faith of Christians through an exposition of the nature and work of Jesus always implies a missionary component.
And the active propagation of faith in Jesus Christ among unbelievers always strengthens the faith of Christians.
The missionary theology of john
The Synoptic Gospels emphasize the salvation-historical priority of Israel or of the Jews before the Gentiles.
John emphasizes the significance of Jesus as the bringer of God’s revelation into the world.
Jesus is the light of the world (Jn. 8:12; 9:5) and the savior of the world (Jn. 3:17; 4:42; 6:33, 51; 11:27; 12:20-23).
The prologue refers to the antithesis of light and darkness (Jn. 1:5) only after references to creation (Jn. 1:1-4).
John underscores the fact that God has not abandoned his creation:
He sent his Son into the world (Jn. 3;16; 10:36)
Jesus is the Son of God, who has come into the world (Jn. 11:27)
Gives life to the world (Jn. 6:33)
He is the light of the world (Jn. 9:5)
The missionary theology of john
3. The Johannine dualism must be understood not in a protological sense but as a logical consequence of Christology.
The person of Jesus Christ decides the issue of salvation (Jn. 3:16-17; 8:12; 12:46; 10:28).
People who refuse to believe in him remain in darkness.
It is in other words, unbelief that turns the world into God’s enemy (Jn. 1:10; 7:7; 8:23; 9:39; 14:17; 16:9).
4. The existence of the community of the disciples in the world is not unavoidable fate; rather, it expresses will of Father (Jn. 17:15).
As the Son has brought the Father’s revelation and thus salvation into the world, it is now the Christian community that proclaims to the world the message of Jesus Christ, which alone brings salvation.
The missionary theology of john
This takes place in the missionary initiative of the church.
A mission that overcomes the world as the place of unbelief as Jews and Gentiles come to faith in Jesus the Messiah and Savior.
Jesus came “into the world,” which means that he came to people.
The statement about Jesus coming “into the world” indicate that John presupposes another dimension of existence that is different from the “world” of human beings.
The world of human beings is “from below,” whereas Jesus comes “from above” (Jn. 8:23).
What Jesus offers to the world is also different from what the world has to offer: the peace that Jesus gives is different from the peace that the world gives (Jn. 14:27).
The Kosmos into which Jesus has come.
The missionary theology of john
The Kosmos into which Jesus has come had a beginning and will come to an end (Jn. 17:5, 24; 1 Jn. 2:17), as the world, including all human beings and all powers that operate in the world, are temporal and transitory.
The state of affairs of the world is described as darkness without life, as blindness without knowledge, as lack of orientation without meaning.
The world is the place of sin that need to be carried away (Jn. 1:29).
The world is the place where Satan, the “ruler of the world,” dominates, controlling all desires, motivations and initiatives.
In other words, the world is a dangerous place, both of human beings in general and for believers in Jesus Christ.
The missionary theology of john
John focuses his exposition entirely on the mission of Jesus.
Jesus the only and preexistent Son of God (Jn. 1:14, 18), sent by God to reveal God in the world and to take away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:18, 29, 36; 3:16).
The “works” that Jesus performs are “signs” of his messianic authority as the Son, who reveals the Father and brings to the Jews the salvation that God promised according to the Scriptures.
For this reason, the “hour” of Jesus’ death is the hour of his glorification (Jn. 12:23; 13:31-32; 17:1).
Jesus is the promised messianic shepherd (Ezek. 34:23-24; Zech. 13:7-9), who, in contrast to the leaders of the Jews, gives his life for the sheep and thus leads them safely to green pastures (Jn. 10:1-15).
The missionary theology of john
The new flock initially consists of Jews but eventually includes “other sheep” as well (Jn. 10:16).
The new people of God established by the Father’s revelation in the Son is defined no longer by ethnic identity but by faith in Jesus:
All those who hear Jesus’ voice belong to the flock that is God’s people, whether they are Jews or Gentiles, so that “there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn. 10:16).
The mission of the disciples is a function of the mission of Jesus, derived from his mission (Jn. 17:18; 20-21) and subordinated to his mission:
The disciples have been called by Jesus (Jn. 1:35-51)
The have been commissioned by Jesus (Jn. 20:21-23)
They follow Jesus (Jn. 1:37; 21:22)
The missionary theology of john
They reap where they have not labored (Jn. 4:38)
They see fruit that they themselves have not produced (Jn. 15:8,16)
They give witness not to themselves but of Jesus (Jn. 15:27)
Their mission takes place “in the world,” which hates them because it hated Jesus as well (Jn. 15:19).
