Hello dear friends,
Today, let’s take a look at John Mark’s introduction to his retelling of the events that transpired in Jesus’ ministry:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark 1:1
As Mark introduces his writings, we see that he goes straight to the point regarding Jesus’ ministry. Unlike Matthew, who begins by introducing Jesus’ background and genealogy, Mark goes straight into presenting His ministry. This has to do with the audience that Mark is writing to. Matthew focused on introducing Jesus to the Jews as the expected King who was to come to free them. Therefore, Matthew’s gospel starts with an extensive introduction to Jesus’ lineage, tracing it back to King David and all the way to Abraham, the father of the Jews:
The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham:
Matthew 1:1
Similarly, Luke’s introduction is quite different from Mark’s as Luke writes to a specific individual. Thus, he starts with a whole section on his reasoning and purpose for writing his version of events:
Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught.
Luke 1:1–4
Finally, John’s gospel is quite similar to Mark’s as it too dives straight into talking about Jesus’ ministry, although he starts from a rather different angle, presenting Jesus as God:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
John 1:1
Mark’s gospel is identified as part of the Synoptic Gospels. The Synoptic Gospels are the first three books of the New Testament in the Bible—Matthew, Mark, and Luke—which are similar in structure, content, and wording. The term “synoptic” comes from the Greek word “synoptikós,” which means “seeing all together” or “from the same point of view.”
It is also the earliest gospel to have been written, dating back as early as AD 70 after the temple’s destruction in Jerusalem.
The authorship of this gospel is attributed to John Mark, whom Matthew Henry points out:
Mark was a sister’s son to Barnabas, Colossians 4:10; and Acts 12:12 shows that he was the son of Mary, a pious woman of Jerusalem, at whose house the apostles and first Christians assembled. From Peter’s styling him his son, 1 Peter 5:13, the evangelist is supposed to have been converted by that apostle.
— Matthew Henry
While Mark himself was not an apostle, he was given apostolic authority to write this gospel under the guidance of the apostle Peter.
Mark’s introductory statement begins with the familiar words: “the beginning.” These words are familiar because they bring to mind the opening words of John’s gospel: “In the beginning was the Word” as well as the opening words of the book of Genesis:
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.
Genesis 1:1
What is specific about Mark’s wording is that he qualifies his “beginning” statement with a specific timeline. Unlike John’s and Genesis’ “beginning” that refers to the beginning of time, Mark’s beginning points us specifically to the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.
Next, we see Mark use the words “the gospel of Jesus.” The word “gospel” literally means “good news.” It’s the word “evangelion,” which appears in multiple places in the New Testament. Most notably, we see Paul making use of this word in his letter to the Romans:
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
Mark was clearly convinced that Jesus Christ was God incarnate as we see him later use this same phrase, only replacing “Jesus Christ” with “God”:
Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God,
Mark 1:14
Finally, we see Mark identifying Jesus as the Son of God, which is a title that we see Jesus being given throughout the New Testament.
This opening launches us directly into Jesus’ ministry. Within Mark’s Gospel, we don’t get a lot of background information on Jesus’ birth or upbringing like in Matthew and Luke. Rather, we see a heavy focus on Jesus’ ministry, His teachings, the miracles He performed, His crucifixion, and finally His resurrection.
This is the shortest gospel with only 16 chapters, and it’s important for us to consider Mark’s direct approach.
When we think about the gospel, do we see it as the gospel of Jesus? Do we see it as the gospel of God? Do we, like Mark, see Jesus as both the Son of God and God Himself?
I pray this simple phrase at the beginning of Mark’s gospel brings us back to basics, into thinking about the gospel as it relates to our salvation.
Peace be unto you.
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