We have seen four stories that follow in a certain logic upon the first prediction of the passion resurrection conditions of discipleship the Transfiguration the mystery of Elijah who restores all things and the faith to call upon Jesus in prayer for healing We continued with the second

Still in Galilee Jesus predicts his suffering and resurrection a second time here as earlier and later he says he will die and rise as the Son of Man i e the person the OT has said would suffer then be glorified and would finally be judge of the world Messiah Lord Savior

The first series of stories after the first passion prediction finishes with a story of the healing of a boy possessed by a demon The beginning of this story continues Jesus descent from the mount of Transfiguration The lengthy story is quite picturesque with a number of places dedicated to

Mark has divided his work literarily now into three units each headed by Jesus prophecy that he will be killed and will rise from the dead In the first literary unit these is the Transfiguration story which we spoke of in no 27 There are two more stories to hear now The first has to do w

We notice now that Mark records three predictions by Jesus of his passion death and resurrection 8 31 9 31 10 33-34 From a literary point of view each of these three predictions serves as a heading for the stories which follow it That is each of the stories in each of the three groupin

With the announcement of Jesus death comes the serious news that Jesus disciple must be ready to carry his own cross and follow Jesus It is particularly for this news that Mark writes his Gospel He struggles to clarify the identity of Jesus now revealed as one destined to be killed but t