A Chiastic Literary Structure is part of Jewish writing and is designed specifically to point to the important components or the center of the text. Each component has a mirror component. So as seen below, A and A’ are mirrored, John points to Jesus and the young man points to Jesus at the end of the Gospel text.
Following the Chiastic Structure in Mark, the passion prediction becomes the epicenter of the Gospel. I find this particularly interesting especially in light of the shorter ending of Mark where the “women flee and say nothing.”
The Gospel of Mark is a literary challenge. Have you the faith to go to ahead to Galilee. Have the faith to believe in the words of Christ, that the Son of Man must suffer and die before he is to be raised from the dead and ascend into heaven. Have you the faith to believe in the resurrection? The text for me is symbolic of the faith that is required of each Christian. It stands in place of Thomas. Can you believe without seeing?
A Beginning – John points to Jesus 1:4-8
B Jesus’ baptism – The splitting of the heavens, “You are my son,” 1:9-11
C Jesus is tested in the wilderness 1:12-13
D The parable of the sower 4:1-9
E Raising of the young girl 5:21-43
F The death of John the Baptist 6:14-29
G Stilling of the second storm (exorcism of the deep) 6:45-52
H Peter’s confession 8:27-30
I – Jesus’ first passion prediction 8:31-33
H’ Transfiguration 9:2-10
G’ Exorcism of possessed boy 9:14-29
F’ Appearance of the rich (young) man 10:17-22
E’ Raising of the young man in Secret Mark (followed Mark 10:34)
D’ Parable of the vineyard 12:1-11
C’ Jesus is tested in the temple 12:13-27
B’ Jesus dies, the temple veil is split “Truly this was God’s son.” 15:33-39
A’ The “post-runner” the young man, points to Jesus 16:1-8
Good day.
There is a bit of a divide on the parallel passages among us, however there is obviously a reverse parallel in Mark’s account. What is interesting is the central part. That is the outer layers of the center, Peter’s confession “You are the Anointed-One” paralleled with “This is my beloved Son”. This is followed by a discussion about Elijah who has “already come”. This central point of Mark’s account is summed up in the prologue, ‘The beginning of the good news of Jesus the Anointed-One, the Son of God’, which is directly followed by the one who comes in a the spirit of Elijah.
Mark states that he takes a passage from Isaiah, but actually first quotes Malachi, followed by the “one crying in the wilderness”. Therefore showing that this one is the one who comes in the spirit of Elijah.
In the center point of the account it is revealed that Elijah did come, but he was not identified as John (according to Mark’s account). However the central point of the account and the prologue makes a great correspondence.
Mark occasionally uses a literary device called ‘sandwiches’. The central point of his account itself are one. And in the center of it the suffering and resurrection of our Master is announced beforehand. The apostles in the beginning delivered the ‘decrees’ (Acts 16) unto the churches. These decrees states the good news as preserved for us in 1 Corinthians 15. It starts of with two ‘sandwiches’ followed by a series of chiasms.
It says that; the Anointed-One died for our sins according to the scriptures; and he was buried; and he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
Followed by the witnesses being, Peter and the twelve; then above 500 brothers; then Jacob and the twelve.
These two decrees make two fixed sandwiches when you look at it closely. Thus Mark structured the good news as we have in the decree in the center of his own sandwich. When speaking of Elijah Jesus mentions that the Son of Man will be handled ‘according to the scriptures’. So the central point of the account is the summary of the good news delivered by the apostles. Hence ‘the beginning of the good news…’.
We are buried with Jesus by means of baptism. And Paul also states we are unleavened in him. In the center of Mark’s account Jesus says that he will rise “after three days”. Jesus did die according to the Scriptures on the preparation day of Passover. So after one day was the day after the preparation day. Because the preparation day cannot be after one day if the event took place on that day. So after three days would naturally mean three days after Passover preparation day. This falls in line with the days of unleavened bread. The first day of unleavened bread started after preparation day. Hence the third day of unleavened bread would be “three days after” preparation day. Thus the Anointed-One our Lord truly rose from the dead “the third day according to the Scriptures”, his burial being a fulfillment of unleavened bread, being buried in line with unleavened bread. So Paul confirms in 1 Cor. 5 That we are unleavened in him, being baptised into his death, since he was sacrificed for us.