The Passion of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

Donald Senior, CP, (1940-2022), was a professor of New Testament at Catholic Theological Union in Chicago. He served for twenty-three years as president of CTU and was its chancellor. He was a frequent lecturer and speaker throughout the United States and abroad and served on a variety of boards and commissions, including the Pontifical Biblical Commission. He published extensively on biblical topics, with numerous books and articles for both scholarly and popular audiences. 

Contents
Preface  7
          Part I Preparation for the Passion
Introduction  15
   I  The Passion of the Baptist  16
   II  Plots Against Jesus' Life  20
       A. The Plot in Galilee (3:6)  21
       B. The Plot in Jerusalem (11:18)  24
   III  The Way of the Son of Man (8:22-10:52)   28
       A. The Journey  30
       B. The Disciples  31
       C. The Cross as Revelation and Crisis  35
   IV  The Passion of the Community  37
Conclusion  39
          Part II The Passion (Mark 14:1-15:47)
  I  Fidelity and Betrayal: The Passion Begins (14:1-10)  42
     A. Time for the Plot (14:3-9)  43
     B. The Burial Anointing (14:3-9)  44
     C. Judas' Betrayal (14:10-11)  48
  II  The Final Passover (14:12-31)  49  
     A. Preparation for the Passover (14:12-17)  50
     B. Prediction of Betrayal (14:18-21)  52
     C. The Meal  53
     D. Predictions of Discipleship Broken and Renewed (14:26-31)  62
  III  Gethsemane: Prayer and Arrest (14:32-52)  67
     A. Prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42)  69
     B. The Arrest (14:43-52)  80
  IV  The Trial Before the Sanhedrin: Confession and Denial (Mark 14:53-72)  85
     A. Jesus and Peter (14:53-54)  86
     B.  The Confession before Sanhedrin (14:55-65) 88
     C. Peter's Denial (14:66-72)  102
  V  The Trial Before Pilate: Jesus the King (15:1-20a)  105
     A. The Interrogation: "Are You the King of the Jews?" (15:1-5)  107
     B. Jesus or Barabbas (15:6-14)  110
     C. Mockery of the King (15:16-20)  112
  VI  Crucifixion and Death (Mark 15:20b-41)  114
     A. Golgotha (15:20b-24)  115
     B. Final Mockery (15:25-32)  117
     C. Death (15:33-41)  121
  VII  The Tomb (15:42-47)  132
  The End: The Passion as Prelude to Resurrection  135
          Part III The Passion of Jesus: Mark's Message
   The Passion and Mark's Portrait of Jesus  139
     1. The death of Jesus is the climax of a life for others  139
     2. In his passage from death to life, Jesus is proclaimed as the suffering yet triumphant Sone of Man  142
     3. Jesus' death is a "theophany," revealing God's power at work in weakness  144
  The Passion and Mark's Portrayal of the Church  148
     1. The way of the disciple must be the way of the cross  148
     2. The church, through the experience of the cross is to be a non-triumphant, reconciled church  150
     3. The crisis of the passion reminds the church that it must be open to outsiders  153
     4. The church is to be a living "Temple," open to all people and suffused with the spirit of the crucified Christ  155
     5. The passion reveals that the redemptive mission of the church is world-wide and costly  156
Indexes  157