The Gospel According to Mark
Each of the four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) is a Holy Spirit-inspired retelling of the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. The gospel of Mark is the shortest of the four books and contains much less of Jesus’ teaching than the others. It emphasizes Jesus’ power and suffering. Early historical sources link the human authorship to a disciple named John Mark (Acts 13:5).
Mark is fast-paced. In fact, a favorite word in Mark is the word translated as ‘immediately’ or ‘at once’. Mark uses this word about 40 times in 16 chapters to highlight that Jesus is constantly on the move from one place to the next. As you read through Mark, notice how the scene rapidly changes as the gospel unfolds.
Although Mark is considered the first gospel written, it is the second book of the New Testament. Why is that? First, when we study Scripture, it’s important to know that the books were written at different times over many, many years and they are not in chronological order according to when they were written. For example, the four gospels were not written before the letters that appear later in the New Testament. Galatians or First Thessalonians is probably the earliest of all the New Testament books. Revelation is probably the last written so it’s in the proper place at the end of the Bible.
Second, the New Testament as we know it today was compiled as one book in the 2nd century AD (100-200 AD). While we cannot know for certain why the books are ordered the way they are because Scripture does not say, Matthew begins with a genealogy that links Jesus to Abraham who was the patriarch of Jewish faith. Out of the four gospels, Matthew provides the best transition from the Old to the New Testament.
Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah, the prophesied king of Israel. Mark describes the kind of King that Jesus came to be—a servant king who gave his life for our redemption, which makes Mark fit well after Matthew.
The original purpose of Mark was to equip disciples to face and overcome suffering. Mark lets us know that Christianity is not easy, but as followers of Christ, we will be victorious. Time will not permit me to preach from each chapter of Mark during the Lenten season. So, here’s a concise outline of the gospel to help you in your personal devotion and study:
I. Different reactions to God’s kingdom arriving in Jesus (Mark 1:1- 8:26)
II. What it means for Jesus to be the Messiah (Mark 8:27- 10:52)
III. Confrontation, Crucifixion, and Resurrection (Mark 11:1 – 16:20)
May the Spirit lead you and guide you into the truth.
Lenten Blessings,
Dr. Prince R. Rivers
Below, is a 42-Day Reading Plan you can use to read through the entire gospel of Mark and a link to a video overview of the Gospel that we shared with our Connect Group participants.
