![]() ![]() Instead, Mark plunges right into the public ministry of Jesus. Unlike John, we learn nothing about his pre-existence or “incarnation” (coming to earth as a human being). Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark tells us nothing about Jesus’ birth or childhood. The first line of the Gospel introduces Jesus as “the Messiah, the Son of God” and the narrative that follows is clearly meant to confirm this identity. The Identity of Jesus: Mighty Messiah & Son of God (Mark 1:1-8:30) Following Jesus means denying yourself, taking up your cross, and following him (Mark 8:34). Mark writes to show that Jesus’ crucifixion does not negate his claim to be the Messiah, but rather affirms it! His faithfulness to this mission becomes the model for all discipleship. Shockingly, the Messiah is not here to conquer the Roman legions but to suffer and die as an atoning sacrifice for sins. The second half concerns the mission of Jesus (Mark 8:31–16:8). The first half of the Gospel concerns the identity of Jesus as the mighty Messiah and Son of God (Mark 1:1–8:30). The structure of Mark’s Gospel provides the key to the author’s purpose. Like the other Gospels, he provides a unique portrait of Jesus, with a special insight into who Jesus was and what he came to accomplish. Mark writes with a powerful and energetic literary style, full of drama, mystery, and color. A significant majority of scholars consider it to have been the first Gospel written and a primary source for both Matthew and Luke. ![]() This historical neglect, however, has been reversed in recent years, and today Mark’s is among the most intensely studied of the Gospels. Mark also has a greater number of “problem passages,” difficult statements and actions by Jesus that Matthew and Luke tend to smooth out. ![]() It is not nearly as elegant as Luke, for example, nor as thematically structured as Matthew. Mark’s Gospel also has a somewhat rougher, less literary style than its peers. The early church father, Augustine, considered Mark to be a mere abbreviation of Matthew and Luke. Ninety-percent of its stories are found in either Matthew or Luke. It is by far the shortest of the four Gospels. Indeed, no commentary was written on it until the sixth century! Various factors may account for this. Among the four Gospels, Mark’s was the most neglected by the early church. ![]()
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