Mark 10:45 is a famous verse: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” But could it be the key to understanding Mark’s Gospel? Does it both summarize his message and hint at its purpose? According to professors and authors John Lee and Daniel Brueske, Mark 10:45 “contains the core of Mark’s message in full,” and it “carries implications for how we read and interpret Mark’s Gospel as a whole” (1).
Many other scholars have agreed and said that this verse is an extremely important verse in Mark’s Gospel. It is a pivotal verse, in fact. Yet very few give any attention as to why it is so crucial. What Lee and Brueske do in this book is to demonstrate how pivotal this verse is in Mark and how it should guide our reading and interpretation of the surrounding narrative.
Although it is difficult to give an accurate historical description, the authors believe certain details can be known about the audience based on the narrative of Mark (chapter two). Based on different sayings of Jesus (for example, in Mark 13 the disciples would be handed over to councils and beaten (v9), hated by all because of Jesus’ name (v13), and the fact that what Jesus says to them he says to everyone (v37)), it is likely Mark’s Roman audience “was either expecting or already facing suffering because of their allegiance to Jesus” in the mid 60s, possibly by the hands of Nero (p. 29). Whether this rendering is accurate or not does not change the plausibility of Mark 10:45’s purpose in the Gospel. Rather, the authors have used this chapter to focus on the occasion of Mark’s Gospel to shed any additional light on Mark so that we could discern his purpose in writing.
Chapter three gives us the purpose for writing Mark’s Gospel, a Gospel without a purpose statement (unlike two others; Luke 1:4 and John 20:30–31). The authors show us that Mark was a skillful author, which can be seen through details at both the macro and micro levels. Because Mark is so careful, we can believe that a purpose statement (of sorts) can be found. Mark does not give us mere historical information about Jesus. Jesus is the Son of God who came to inaugurate the kingdom of God and to show it through his teachings, miracles, actions, and his death and resurrection. The authors thus write, “Mark is persuading his audience to remain faithful to Jesus even in the face of suffering and trials” (3).
Mark is a storyteller who wants to compel his readers into action. Jesus is the son of God who came to serve and die for others. He had great authority, and both his words and his actions often bewildered and amazed people. The authors note, “Mark’s purpose for his Gospel is to remind his audience precisely who this Jesus is in order to motivate them to remain faithful to Jesus, even in the face of shame and suffering” (35). They are to stay on the path by looking to Jesus.
The authors show Mark to be a competent storyteller by surveying some of his literary artistry, such as his use of framing (or “inclusio“), irony, his use of the title “Son of God” at key points in the narrative, and “allusionary repetitions,” to name a few. Having Mark’s purpose in mind, the authors briefly survey Mark’s Gospel before their concluding thoughts.
Chapter four brings us to the interpretation of Mark 10:45. The authors offer an outline of Mark’s Gospel and of 10:32–45. They believe that Mark 10:45 “provides the explanation for Jesus’ teaching that anyone who would follow him must ‘deny himself and take up his cross’ (8:34). True honor and authority lie in denying oneself to serve others (10:43–44) and taking up one’s cross to face shame and suffering for the sake of Jesus (10:38–39; p.78). Lee and Brueske then offer connections between Mark 10:32–45 and the rest of the Gospel, which is really fun, and how the title “Son of Man” is used both in the Gospel as a whole and how it functions in Mark 10:45. Their understanding of “Son of Man” leans heavily on Daniel 7 (thankfully, as I would agree). To fully appreciate the glory of this divine Son of Man, disciples both then and now need to understand that Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (10:45). Lee and Brueske offer a phrase-by-phrase analysis of Mark 10:45 to help us understand this.
In chapter five the authors look at the strategic placement of Mark 10:45 at the end of the “way of the Lord” (or the Journey) section (8:27–10:45) and how it relates to the purpose and meaning of Jesus’ mission and death. That the Son of Man dies for an extensive number of people brings together Daniel 7:13–14 and Isaiah 52:13–53:12. The authors observe, “Mark depicts Jesus’s death on a Roman cross in great detail. In fact, no other section in the Second Gospel is more detailed or slower paced than the episodes surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus in chapter 15” (128). And yet Mark offers no clue as to the meaning and significance of these events. However, that is because he has already told us in 14:24 and 10:45. In fact, 14:24 only makes sense because of 10:45.
The final chapter offers a way forward for believers on how to live out the message of Mark 10:45. We follow in Jesus’ footsteps when we lower ourselves, “our liberties, comforts, rights, and sometimes even our necessities to those of others” (157). When we do this, “we embody Jesus’ own habit of sacrificial service in a small yet meaningful way” (157). What about those who fall away? Repentance. Both faith and repentance are how we accept the Godward mindset and maintain that mindset, helping us get back to our place behind Jesus.
An appendix on further reading is offered. I’ve never heard of any of these books, so I found this part very intriguing. A second, final appendix looks briefly at the ransom theory of the atonement.
Recommended?
This was a really helpful book for me. I’ve often heard Mark 10:45 quoted and used in sermons, but Lee and Brueske really highlight its importance in the Gospel of Mark. This would be a very good introductory book because it hits a lot of the core themes of Mark without being too long. They do delve into some deep details, but this helps us see what ties Mark’s Gospel together even more. It hits on the occasion and purpose for Mark while also providing knowledge of how Mark structures his Gospel and why that is important. This is a necessary book for any pastor, teacher, and layperson studying Mark’s gospel.
Lagniappe
- Authors: John Lee & Daniel Brueske
- Paperback: 200 pages
- Publisher: Lexham Press (April 26, 2023)
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Disclosure: I received this book free from Lexham Press. The opinions I have expressed are my own, and I was not required to write a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html.
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