What follows comes from my commentary. If you are interested, go here to order it.
From Mark 11 to the end of the Gospel we have two double cycles following an ABAB pattern:
1A Mark 11.1-13.2
Beginning: Mark 11.1-6 / Jesus sends 2 disciples to those who give in response to Jesus’ authority.
Ending: Mark 12.41-13.2 / Woman gives all that she has. Jesus leaves the Temple in anger and predicts not one stone will be left upon another.
1B Mark 14.12-31
Beginning: Mark 14.12-16 / Jesus sends 2 disciples to those who give in response to Jesus’ authority.
Ending: Mark 14.26-31 / Jesus leaves the Upper Room singing a hymn but predicts the sheep will be scattered. But they will regroup in Galilee. Peter claims he will give up his very life, but Jesus says otherwise
2A Mark 13.3-14.11
Beginning: Mark 13.3ff / Jesus with Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Olives.
Ending: Mark 14.1-11 / A woman anoints Jesus body for burial at great expense and Jesus predicts the her story will be told wherever the Gospel is proclaimed
2B Mark 14.32-16.20
Beginning: Mark 14.32ff / Jesus with Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Olives.
Ending: Mark 16.1ff / Women come to anoint Jesus’ buried body but are greeted by an angel who reminds them that Jesus said to regroup in Galilee. Gospel is proclaimed
NOTES
1. The two beginnings of these double cycles show Jesus fulfilling Samuel’s signs of kingship (1 Samuel 10.2-4). First there is the sign of the donkey; then there is the sign of the sacred feast.
2. The first double cycle begins and ends with Jesus fulfilling David’s instructions for how his son is to be declared king (1 Kings 1.32-40). First, there is the riding of the donkey, and then the anointing. The last section in Mark 11.1-14.11 is a “sandwich” in which the “bread” is the betrayal of Jesus (14.1, 2, 10, 11) and the “meat” is the woman anointing Jesus (14.3-9).
3. Notice that we can array the two double-cycles as four cycles and see the endings building up to a climax in the resurrection of Jesus:
The woman gives all that she has and the Temple stones condemned to be scattered
The Woman gives all that she has to anoint Jesus’ body and Judas arranges to betray Jesus. Jesus says the woman’s story will be proclaimed wherever the Gospel is preached.
Jesus says the disciples will be scattered and tells them to regroup in Galilee. Peter offers to give all if necessary and Jesus predicts his faithlessness
The women come tardily to anoint Jesus’ body. The angel tells them to regroup in Galilee as Jesus had said. The women keep silent. but then the Gospel is preached everywhere.
Theological Payload: parallels
Double-Cycle 1:
Ending of Temple Sacrifice >> Apostles to be Persecuted / Tribulation for Jerusalem
Double-Cycle 2:
Establishment of Lord’s Supper >> Jesus Persecuted / Tribulation for Jesus
Thus, Jesus is the first Apostle of our Faith and the one who took Jerusalem’s sin on himself. If you want the details of how this works out, consult my book or else wait for me to find time to blog about it some day.