Mark, Introduction

​We have decided to cover Mark’s account of the Gospel of Jesus Christ next! This is exciting as it is the first book study we’ve covered since this Lifegroup’s inception. It is only fitting that the first book we study as a fellowship of Christians is the life and ministry of Jesus the Messiah. In order to fully understand Mark’s Gospel, we should first of all cover who Mark was and why he chose to write the things in his account of the Gospel he did. Obviously, the Holy Spirit is the true author and Jesus is the Word incarnate, but there are things we can glean from studying the human author as well. 

​Our first introduction of Mark (as many scholars believe) is in Mark’s own Gospel narrative! In chapter 14 of Mark’s Gospel account, we come upon Jesus’ arrest and betrayal within the Garden of Gethsemane. 

 

And they all left Him and fled. A young man was following Him, wearing nothing but a linen sheet over his naked body; and they seized him. But he pulled free of the linen sheet and escaped naked. Mark 14:50-52

 

​First we see Jesus’ disciples leaving Him en masse. However one person stayed behind: a nearly-naked youth. Literary critics believe this is Mark’s way of showing himself. In a similar fashion, John, in his Gospel account, refers to himself as ‘the beloved disciple’ or ‘the disciple whom Jesus loved’. This was, as scholars tell us, a way for authors to show themselves within their text. 

​If this is Mark, however, what does this tell us about him? First it shows his faithfulness to follow Jesus even after His own disciples had left Him. It also speaks to Mark’s boldness as there was a massive cohort of individuals there to arrest Jesus, yet Mark persisted in following. It also shows peculiarly that Mark was underdressed, as it were. This may be an allusion to not yet having the Garments of Salvation, which Isaiah spoke of, but it certainly tells us that this youth made a brash and probably instantaneous decision to follow Jesus into the garden, and especially so to follow Him after He was arrested! 

​We also encounter Mark, also called John, in Acts 15:37-41, where Barnabas and Paul have a disagreement over Mark. Paul argues that Mark is unfaithful having deserted them in Pamphylia and does not wish to take Mark with them. Barnabas, however, being an encourager by nature, and someone who in the past encouraged Paul when Paul’s ministry first began, wishes to take Mark with them and encourage Mark along the way. The disagreement was so harsh (v. 39) that they had to separate and go their separate ways. While neither Barnabas or Paul was wrong in what they believed, per se, we (given the glorious benefit of hindsight and the completed Word of God) know that Mark went on to write one of the Gospel accounts of Jesus. 

​Also even Paul saw Mark’s usefulness later in life, as in his final epistle, written to Timothy, he writes and asks that Timothy should pick up Mark and bring him with Timothy because he is useful to Paul (2 Timothy 4:11). Mark, it appears has come quite a long way from being a naked youth, to a deserter, to someone useful to Paul. This takes us to the Gospel according to Mark. 

​First it should be known that Mark is writing his Gospel account primarily to Romans. Whereas Matthew wrote to Jews, Luke to Gentiles, and John to the church as a whole, Mark is writing to people whose culture and heritage was particularly Roman. This means that Mark places a lot of emphasis on things that would appeal to Romans. These include a sense of immediacy (he uses the word ‘immediately’ frequently), the sense of Jesus having a purpose or mission and carrying out that mission as a perfect soldier/servant, and finally it shows Jesus’ obedience to His Father. These things in particular would appeal to Romans whose chief exemplar of model citizenship would be a Roman soldier. 

​With this in view, let’s look at Mark’s introduction:

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1

 

​This simple introduction to Mark’s Gospel account actually says a lot. First off, he begins with the word beginning. This same word is found to begin both the book of Genesis and John’s Gospel. This is to show that this is a new beginning. A new start for humanity, found through Christ. Next he calls Jesus the Christ, which means ‘anointed one’ in Greek (or Messiah in Hebrew). This signifies that Jesus was anointed for His ministry. Christ has come to mean savior to many people, and they’re not entirely wrong to think that as Jesus was anointed to save, but it means anointed one. Finally Mark refers to Jesus as the Son of God. This denotes not only Jesus’ submission to God the Father (remember Romans seek obedience), but also His prophesied role (Proverbs 30:4 for instance) (and His mission).

​This is quite a thing to study and I simply cannot wait to get into Mark’s Gospel account. Let us take Mark’s example. Though he started out a brash youth without much fortitude, he ended up being useful to Paul and also God and went on to pen a Gospel of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. What an amazing journey! Consider dear friends, the same God who was at work in Mark’s life is in work in you. Though you may at times fail or desert your post, Jesus came to forgive you of your sins, so that you might carry on His righteousness and tell the world about the God News of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel. Amen!