The Gospel of Mark

In this study, Pastor Kevin leads us on an overview of the Gospel of Mark.

The Gospel of Mark tells us that Jesus, God’s own Son, who came to earth and becomes the central focus of human history, disclosed the secret of Divine power through a life of compassion and service, and a death of vicarious sacrifice, and the resurrection from the dead.

The “traditional author” of this Gospel is John Mark, cousin of Barnabas, son of Mary of Jerusalem in whose house the Christian church met in its earliest days following the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost. Her home was also the likely location where the Last Supper took place. John Mark could have easily been witness to Jesus’ final week. We also know that he assisted Peter and Paul. Some scholars have noted that Mark’s writing about Jesus fits both Peter’s and Paul’s preaching and writing.

Mark’s Gospel appears to be the oldest of the four Gospels. All but thirty verses of Mark’s Gospel are reproduced in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The three main feature’s of Marks writing are:

(1) Jesus brings a fresh vision of God’s rule and reign, and this consistently causes surprise and amazement.

(2) The rise of opposition against Jesus is early and bitter in Mark’s Gospel.

(3) This opposition makes it apparent that this story will end tragically. We are only halfway through Mark’s Gospel when Jesus begins to talk about his coming suffering, crucifixion, and resurrection!