Introducing Mark

Day 47

OT Reading: Leviticus 22-23

NT Reading: Mark 1:1-22

Each of the four gospels are unique. Yet as we head into Gospel of Mark I just wanted to hit a few high-points and things to watch for as we read the work of my namesake.

It's the shortest. Mark is only 16 chapters long. For this reason anytime someone asks me where they should begin reading the Bible, I always say Mark. It gives you a complete picture of the life of Jesus, in the shortest amount of time. (Feel free to file that recommendation away and offer it if you're asked the same question.)

It's action-packed. This could be stated a number of different ways. You could say that Mark is ADD...moving from one thing to the next to the next. You could say that Mark is impatient or in a hurry, not willing to really develop some of these events like the other gospels (namely Matthew and Luke). But however you state it, Mark uses phrases like, "immediately", "right away", "just then", etc. How you may notice it more than anything is that Mark focuses on Jesus' actions more than Jesus' teachings.

The author is unnamed. This is actually the case in three of the four gospels, so it is not that unusual. However clues given throughout the text along with what we know from history make a pretty solid case that Mark did in fact write this gospel. If you'd like me to delineate reasons, I'll be happy to, but in the interest of brevity I'll spare you at this point.

Mark's purpose is clear. Go back and re-read the first verse of Mark's Gospel. Other writers began with the birth narratives, Mark dives in immediately (as is his style) and makes a claim as to who Jesus is. From that point on the rest of the gospel is written to back up Mark's conclusion.

Since I taught on Mark last Spring at CCJ, I'm looking forward to re-visiting this book and sharing some of the discoveries I had then. That is...if I don't end up fleeing without my robe (you'll get that reference by the end of Mark :-) ).