Mark 1:1-8
I like people of action! I think that is why I
love the Gospel of Mark so much. There is no sitting around and waiting for
something to happen, but instead, running full-speed into the will of God. And
this is how the Gospel begins. There is no fanfare, no birth narratives, no
infant stories, no insight into the struggles that Jesus’ mother and relatives
must have experienced. No stars in the sky, no shepherds in a field, no babe in
a manger. No dreams fulfilled, no heavenly visions. Instead, Mark simply
introduces Jesus, the Servant of the LORD, by letting us see the first glimpses
of Jesus’ public declaration, His introduction to the world as Messiah, God’s
promised Savior, the One who will put everything back in order.
So
who is this Mark who is writing? The name Mark is a Roman name, but as was
often the culture at that time for Jews living in Palestine he had a second
name, a Hebrew name, John (see Acts 12:12). Both of these names have been smoothed
out for us as English readers because we are unfamiliar with Greek and Hebrew
names. He has a cousin who also is mentioned in Scripture, Barnabas (Col 4:10),
and his mother Mary (Acts 12:12). Mary was a very common name, so don’t get
confused with Jesus’ mother, or the many other Mary’s who are mentioned in the
New Testament.
One
of the interesting things to note is that Mark does not use the title “Lord”
when referring to Jesus as the other Gospel writers do. Mark wants to show his
readers how Jesus fits the role of God’s Servant, a very particular role
outlined in the Old Testament. He fulfills that role as Mark tells his account
of the life of Jesus. We will read a great deal about what Jesus did and how he
did it, people’s reactions to Him and His effect on the people. We will read
about His humanity, emotions and lifestyle.
So
how does the Gospel start? Remember the beginning of the movie Star Wars,
how the background for the episode scrolled up the screen? It provided the
viewer with enough information to help them understand the basic plot up to
that point, and know what the first few important facts to be sure they had
their footing. Without knowing the main characters and how they functioned in
the story, the viewer would be lost.
So
it is with the beginning of Mark. We are introduced to the main character,
Jesus, and how He fits into history and into the lives of those who are going
to help unfold His story in this book. We meet John the Baptist and read of his
role in connecting the Promised One of the Old Testament and Jesus.
Every
few days, perhaps each week we will work our way through a section, starting
with a quick glimpse of the whole section, and then examining each smaller
piece in that section. At the end of the year I hope to have a complete
devotional of the entire Gospel of Mark. If you would like to interact with me,
just leave a comment.