The Gospel According to St Mark: A Devotional Commentary

Volume 3

A word as to the exact chronological position of this journey to Jerusalem. Mark’s is, as you all know, the briefest of the Gospels, and we are not to conclude that incidents that follow one another in the narrative necessarily came immediately the one after the other. For the sequence of events, we must compare Gospel with Gospel. Now, as far as I can judge from a comparison with the other Gospels, and especially with St John, several notable events had happened since the incident of the rich young ruler and the subsequent conversation, and, amongst them, the raising of Lazarus from the dead. That astounding and overwhelming miracle had caused immense excitement, with the result that the Sanhedrim met together and deliberately resolved that they would put Christ to death. Jesus got to know of their resolution, and, inasmuch as His hour was not yet come, He departed into a city called Ephraim, about twenty miles to the north of Jerusalem. There apparently He remained for some time, until, indeed, His Passion drew nigh. Then of His own free will He journeyed back, to face His foes and meet His death. That is the exact point in our Lord’s career to which this paragraph brings us. He is setting out on His last journey to Jerusalem. His hour has struck. It is no longer the hour for flight and concealment. It is the hour to go forth and drink the cup and bear the cross and die.

What a journey that was! Never in all human history was ever so wonderful and subduing a march undertaken as this! The wonder of it, the awe of it, smote those who witnessed it with amazement and fear. Look at Mark’s vivid account, “And they were in the way, going up to Jerusalem; and Jesus was going before them.” Usually, our Lord walked along in the very midst of His disciples, but on this last march He strode in front of them, He “was going before them.” “And they were amazed,” not simply because the action was unusual; there was about the attitude and appearance of Jesus that which filled the Twelve with wonder; “and they that followed,” i.e. the larger crowd that always hung about the steps of Christ—the multitude that pressed upon Him and thronged Him—“they that followed were afraid.”