| Mark |
| Mark 1:29-31 | Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law. |
| Mark 2:1-12 | The people who let a sick man in through a hole in the roof. |
| Mark 2:23-28 | Jesus violates the Sabbath law. |
| Mark 3:19-30 | Even Jesus’ family accuses him of being out of his mind. Others say he works for the Devil. Jesus’ comments illustrate Mark’s sense of the dramatic conflict between good and evil. |
| Mark 4:1-20 | The parable of the Sower. |
| Mark 4:35-41 | Jesus does battle with the elements, calming a storm after sleeping in the boat. |
| Mark 5:1-20 | Demons, driven out of a wild man by Jesus, enter a herd of pigs. |
| Mark 6:14-29 | The murder of John the Baptist; Salome dances her famous dance. |
| Mark 6:30-44 | Feeding the five thousand. |
| Mark 7:24-30 | The Gentile woman who didn’t mind being a “dog.” |
| Mark 10:35-45 | James and John request the best jobs in Heaven. |
| Mark 14 and 15 | The Crucifixion, Mark’s version. |
| Mark 16 | The Resurrection, Mark’s version. |
| |
| Luke | |
| Luke 1 to 3 | The best-known stories of the birth of Jesus. |
| Luke 1:46-55 | Magnificat . The first of three famous poems, often said or sung in worship. Note the ‘revolutionary’ content of this piece. |
| Luke 1:68-79 | Benedictus. The second famous poem (see above). |
| Luke 2:29-32 | Nunc Dimittis. The third famous poem. This one is often used at Christian funerals. |
| Luke 4:16-30 | Jesus inaugurates his ministry by citing the prophet Isaiah in synagogue. The people try to throw him off a cliff. |
| Luke 5:1-11 | Included in Luke’s account of the call of the disciples is this story of an impressive catch of fish. |
| Luke 6:20-26 | Luke’s version of Jesus’ famous ‘sermon’. This one is often called the “Sermon on the Plain.” Note Luke’s concern for the poor. Compare Matthew 5:3-10. |
| Luke 7:36-50 | A woman anoints Jesus’ feet with ointment. |
| Luke 10:1-20 | Jesus sends out a large number of followers on a mission of their own. |
| Luke 10:25-37 | The Good Samaritan. |
| Luke 12: 15-21 | Jesus tells a parable which becomes the origin of the saying, “Eat, drink, and be merry - tomorrow we die.” |
| Luke 15:1-10 | God treats human sinners like something valuable which has been lost. |
| Luke 15:11-31 | The Prodigal Son. |
| Luke 22 and 23 | The Crucifixion, Luke’s version. |
| Luke 22:36-38 | Jesus suggests the disciples buy weapons. |
| Luke 23:6-12 | A separate trial of Jesus, before prince Herod - not the ferocious King Herod who tried to murder Jesus at his birth. Only Luke gives information about this second trial. |
| Luke 24 | The Resurrection, Luke’s version. |
| |
The Gospel of John
This gospel appears to have been written much later than the other three, and is characterised by long reflective sections, often presented as the words of Jesus himself. John 21:21-24 suggests that the book was put together by a small group who in turn got their material from someone identified as “the disciple Jesus loved.” This person has a prominent role only in this gospel, but is never named. Tradition links him with St.John.
A disconcerting habit of the writer of this gospel is to use the phrase “The Jews” to describe the people opposed to Jesus. The fact is, with the exception of Pontius Pilate and the Roman soldiers, all the people in the narrative are Jews.
|
| John 1:1-18 | The Prologue (a theological reflection on the meaning of Jesus’ life, probably one of the most beautiful and memorable passages in the Bible). |
| John 2:1-11 | The Wedding in Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine. |
| John 2:13-22 | Jesus overturns the tables of the money changers in the temple. Note his use of a whip. |
| John 3:1-21 | A visit from Nicodemus, a religious leader. In the passage Jesus says the phrase, “You must be born again...” (vv. 3, 7, etc.). |
| John 3:16 | The famous passage, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten son...” |
| John 4:1-39 | The Samaritan woman with many husbands. |
| John 6:1-13 | The feeding of the 5,000... John’s version. |
| John 6:35 | Jesus says, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry...etc.” The entire passage, John 6:25-70, an essay on the meaning of Holy Communion, is worth careful reading. |
| John 8:1-11 | The woman caught in the act of adultery; one of the most appealing stories of Jesus in the New Testament. However, the story seems to have been added to John sometime after the Gospel was first published. |
| John 9 | The healing of the man born blind. |
| John 10:1-21 | Jesus, the Good Shepherd. |
| John 11:1-44 | The raising of Lazarus. |
| John 13:1-18:1 | The Last Supper, John’s version. In this gospel , the Last Supper becomes the setting for the most important sayings/meditations by Jesus. Note, too, the absence of reference to Holy Communion here (but see John 6:25-70). John’s account of the Last Supper focusses instead on the washing of the disciples’ feet. |
| John 13:1-20 | Jesus washes the disciples’ feet. |
| John 13:21-30 | The ‘beloved disciple’ is mentioned for the first time. Others ask him to find out who Jesus thinks will be the betrayer. |
| John 14:1-3 | “Let not your hearts be troubled...” a passage often read and bringing great comfort at the time of a funeral. |
| John 14:6 | “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” |
| John 15:5 | “I am the vine, you are the branches.” |
| John 15:13 | The greatest love: lay down your life. |
| John 17 | This section is called “The High Priestly Prayer.” Jesus, the great High Priest, fulfils the role of all ancient high priests, to stand before God and pray for the people. |
| John 18 & 19 | The Crucifixion, John’s version. |
| John 19:26 | Jesus, on the cross, asks the ‘beloved disciple’ to care for his Mother. |
| John 20 & 21 | The Resurrection, John’s version. |
| John 20:2-8 | The ‘beloved disciple’ is first to understand the empty tomb. |
| John 20:11-18 | Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene. |
| John 20:24-31 | Thomas, the disciple who doubted. |
| John 21:15-19 | Jesus appears to Peter, and three times asks “Do you love me?” |
| John 21:20-25 | The fate of the ‘beloved disciple.’ |
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