Mark – Introduction – Learning to Live at the Speed of Service

“The Gospel According to Mark”: a witness document designed to preserve the Apostolic tradition and provide strength to believers undergoing persecution.

Paul, in his second letter to the Corinthian church, tells us that it is Christ’s love that “compels” him to do what he does. The sense here is one of pressure. Not a restrictive force, but one that helps establish boundaries to operate within and provide a recognition of urgency. It is with this conviction that we are encouraged to take up the ministry of reconciliation and stand as Christ’s ambassadors.
That all sounds well and good but is that the characterization of my life? Do I wake up with the daily motivation to be the “righteousness of God”? For Paul, understanding what Christ had accomplished and why made the difference. Studying Jesus’ life and ministry as recorded in “The Gospel According to Mark” might be exactly what we need to inspire us to live a life worthy of our calling; perhaps for the first time or maybe as a reminder that the race has not yet reached its end.

Who wrote “The Gospel According to Mark”?

When beginning any study of a book in the Bible, we do well to be reminded by Peter, in his second letter, that no prophecy of Scripture finds its origin in human interpretation but rather through inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is first and foremost Gods word to us in which He reveals His Son Jesus Christ.
Who then was the human writer the Holy Spirit inspired? While each of the three Synoptic gospels are actually anonymous i.e. there is no direct identification of the author within the text itself, there is significant acceptance within the early Church and biblical scholarship to be fairly confident the author to be John Mark.
John Mark was not one of the 12 disciples but was the cousin of Barnabas and son to Mary of Jerusalem in whose house the church likely met. He travelled with Paul and Barnabas as a missionary and apparently became so close to the Apostle Peter that he refers to him as his “son” i.e. spiritual child.
While he may be known best for deserting Paul, it is important to recognize that God chose someone with a less than perfect beginning to record the eyewitness testimony of an Apostle with a less than a perfect beginning. Therefore, we can fairly safely conclude that God by His Spirit inspired John Mark to write the testimony of the Apostle Peter which we have before us as “The Gospel according to Mark”.

What is “The Gospel According to Mark”?

Mark is one of the Synoptic gospels i.e. the presentation of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It is a passion narrative regarding the death and resurrection of Jesus with an extended introduction. It is not a biography or chronological history but a witness document presenting Jesus in a particular way using eyewitness testimony and selective writings to a particular audience. It often has taken a back seat to both Matthew and Luke because its writer was a secondary figure, although, they quote all but 31 verses.

Who was the original intended audience?

Mark was most likely written to Gentile believers in Rome as this is where Peter was situated prior to his death. It contains the most Latin of any of the gospels and often explains Jewish words and customs.

When was “The Gospel According to Mark” written?

There is much debate as to an actual date. Due to the fact that it does not mention the fall of the Temple in Jerusalem, it is considered to be prior to AD 70. It was likely written after the Apostle Peter’s martyrdom in Rome, which puts the date somewhere between AD 60-70. Some scholars believe Mark to be the first written account of Jesus’ life and the model on which Matthew and Luke are based, dating it as early as AD 50. We can only be confident if we conclude the date to be somewhere between AD 50-70 which still allows us to be assured that this was written close enough to Jesus’ ministry that any misrepresentations of events could be easily refuted.

Why was “The Gospel According to Mark” written?

The purpose for writing the gospel is evangelical i.e. proclaiming the life and ministry of Jesus Christ culminating in His death and resurrection. In doing this, Mark brings out a number of themes including Jesus’ humanity, role as Messiah, miracles, necessity of His suffering but more than all His obedience to His Father as a servant.

Why study “The Gospel According to Mark”?

Why study “The Gospel According to Mark”?
Rather than asking “ What Would Jesus Do?”, this gospel is concise and fast paced presenting in rapid succession its events so can see exactly “What Jesus Did” . It clearly establishes the sovereign authority of Jesus as someone we can put our faith in and who can relate with our suffering. Hopefully, it re-energizes us to live the servant life we have been called to.

Mk 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (NASB®)

This verse is considered by some scholars to be the actual title of this gospel. It speaks of “the beginning”, which turns our minds toward the start of something, or even it origins, hearkening us back to the first verse of Genesis. The subject of this beginning is “the gospel” (gk. euangelion = good news).

What is this good news or gospel to which the writer is referring? Our modern day, evangelical understanding of the gospel as the effective atonement of Christ to procure our salvation is not likely what the original readers would be thinking. Both Jewish and Gentile cultures would recognize the word as a heralding or proclamation of a coming King or Monarch who would usher in a period of peace, prosperity and blessing.
Is this merely an announcement of a new Emperor? No. The joyful tidings relate to the coming of someone identified with a relatively common Jewish name Jesus (heb. Iesous = Joshua) which means God (Yahweh) is salvation. What should catch our attention are his titles. This Jesus is further identified as Christ (gk. Christos = anointed) which means the chosen one and Jews would recognize as a title of “Messiah”, describing His rightful role as King.

The second identifier, “the Son of God”, helps us with the seeming lack of any genealogy which are found in both Matthew and Luke. This title declares him as the progeny of the Sovereign Almighty; c0-eternal, co-equal and thus clearly defines His birthright and deity.

Mark is recording for us the arrival of the long awaited King i.e. Jesus, the Messiah, God’s Son, now incarnate.

Worship

I Want to Know You – Jesus Culture: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UAu5KSc7Kc