Chiasms In Mark

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last.” – Mark 15:37

Eugene Peterson describes the chiastic structure of the latter half of the book of Mark, which he pictures as a pyramid leading up to the apex of four events:

A   Burial: Woman anoints Jesus’ body for burial (14:3-11)

B   Eucharist: Passover meal (14:12-25)

C   Cup/Prayer: Garden of Gethsemane (14:26-42)

D   Cross: Betrayal and arrest (14:43-52)

E   Trial: Jewish council trial before high priest (4:53-65)

F   Denial: Peter denies Jesus (14:66-72)

F’  Trial: Roman trial before Pilate (15:1-15)

E’  Mockery: Mock worship from Roman soldiers (15:16-20)

D’  Cross: Simon carries cross and the crucifixion (15:21-32)

C’  Cup/Prayer: Jesus dies (15:21-32)

B’  Eucharist: Women who stay (15:40-41)

A’  Burial: Joseph buries Jesus in tomb (15:42-47)

The first and last scenes are burial scenes, the preparation for burial and the burial itself. The next are gatherings for eucharist: the last supper, and the women gathered for the six-hour breaking of flesh and pouring out of blood on the cross. The next are scenes of Jesus’ prayers: that the cup might pass from him, then his prayer as he drinks the cup. The scenes of the cross contrast Judas, who brings Jesus to crucifixion by betraying him, and Simon of Cyrene, who brings Jesus to crucifixion by carrying his cross.

The central four scenes interrelate to form a capstone to the pyramid. E and F are sequential, occurring in the Jewish court and outside courtyard. E and F’ are both trials, Jewish and Roman. F and E’ are both mockeries or denials. F and F’ are both rejections, from the leader of the apostles (Peter) and the leader of the Romans (Pilate). “A double rejection,” Peterson writes, “the person closest to Jesus and the person most remote from Jesus rejecting him; the foreign outsider who hasn’t the slightest idea of who Jesus is or might be now paired with the apostolic insider who was the first to recognize and confess Jesus’ messianic identity, both teaming up to say ‘no’ to Jesus.” F’ and E’ are again sequential, but here in the Roman court and away inside the palace.

Peterson sums it up this way: “St. Mark’s death narrative is an intricately interwoven web of echoes, parallels, contrasts, allusions, and repetitions. The death of Jesus gathers everything into it and fashions the finished work of salvation. Everything that goes into the work of salvation is found in this death. And everything that goes into our involvement in salvation is found in this death.”