MARK - Week 1
If you’ve ever read the Gospel of Mark, you’ll know it doesn’t waste any time.
No angelic announcements, no shepherds, no wise men—just straight in:
“The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).
Mark is a gospel on a mission, and it moves at pace.
In the interest of replicating that style, I’m aiming to keep this post brief too!
Mark is widely considered the earliest of the four Gospels, written around the late AD 50s or early 60s. It was a time of increasing persecution for Christians in the Roman Empire, especially under Emperor Nero. Many scholars believe Mark wrote in Rome, drawing on the apostle Peter’s firsthand accounts to encourage believers facing trials.
If that’s the case, it’s no wonder his Gospel feels urgent—there’s no time to lose.
While Matthew and Luke give us extended birth narratives, Mark launches straight into Jesus’ adult ministry.
This isn’t an oversight; it’s a deliberate choice. For Mark, the most important thing is getting to the heart of the gospel: Jesus as the suffering servant, the Son of God, whose death and resurrection change everything.
In biblical scholarship, Mark is often seen as the foundation for the Synoptic Gospels.
Both Matthew and Luke seem to have used Mark as a source, sometimes expanding on his accounts or adding additional teachings. But where they take time to explain, Mark is direct. His favourite word seems to be “immediately” (euthys in Greek)—it appears over 40 times. The effect is a fast-moving, action-packed narrative that keeps us on the edge of our seats.
Mark’s structure is striking too. The first half (chapters 1-8) builds momentum as Jesus teaches, heals, and amazes the crowds. But then, in chapter 8, there’s a turning point. Peter declares Jesus as the Messiah, and from that moment, Jesus sets his face towards Jerusalem and the cross.
The urgency shifts—now it’s about what it truly means for him to be the Christ.
Mark’s Gospel invites us not just to know the story, but to be caught up in it. As we read, we’re constantly challenged:
Who do we say Jesus is?
And if we believe he is the Son of God, what difference does that make to how we live today?
No preamble, no distractions—just Jesus, the cross, and the call to follow.
Mark makes sure we don’t miss it.