An Introduction to Mark

The Gospel According to Mark

Introduction

The Servant’s Credentials

The Servant’s Way

The Servant’s Crown

Introduction

Good morning and welcome to Countryside Vineyard!

For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Joe Fager, one of the pastors here.

Today we’ll be starting our study of The Gospel According to Mark with an Introduction.

We could actually call this the gospel according to Peter, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

Before we begin let’s pray…

Author and Date

John Mark is the most likely author, writing in the mid-50s to 60s—one of the earliest New Testament books and almost certainly the first written Gospel.

He was a disciple of Peter, a close ministry associate of Paul, and cousin to Barnabas. Though he stumbled on the first missionary journey, Paul later called him “useful,” likely while Paul was in Rome.

Mark came from Jerusalem; his mother Mary hosted gatherings for believers (cf. Acts 12).

Because of Mark’s close relationship with Peter, early Christian testimony often describes Mark’s Gospel as Peter’s eyewitness preaching in written form.

About the Gospel of Mark

Fast-paced and thematic. Mark cares less about strict chronology and more about thematic movement—think “three-act play” or “three-movement symphony.”

Mark uses εὐθύς (euthys)—“immediately” over 40 times, and καί (kai)—“and” more than 1,300 times. It moves. Something always follows.

It reads like eyewitness testimony. Details such as “they sat down on the green grass” stand out.

It’s visceral and human: Jesus is tired, hungry, grieved, amazed—fully divine, fully human.

Only Mark adds, about the rich young ruler, “Jesus loved him”—which some have wondered might hint at Mark’s own story.

Audience

Likely Roman Gentiles under pressure.

Mark explains Jewish customs and festivals.

He notes things obvious to Judeans but not to Romans (e.g., when Jesus curses the fig tree, Mark includes, “it was not the season for figs”).

Purpose (for them… and for us)

Credential the Servant: Mark’s gospel is uniquely focused on Jesus’ servanthood, not his royalty, his humanness, or the fact that he is God, but servanthood.

Redefine Greatness: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (10:45)

Immediate, obedient discipleship as normal Christianity.

Cross-shaped community: power becomes service, endurance, mercy.

Confidence under pressure: Jesus’ authority and resurrection secure our courage and mission.

One author states Mark’s purpose in this way…

Mark’s aim is to win Roman Gentiles into urgent, cross-shaped allegiance to Jesus—the true Son of God—so they can endure pressure with hope and bear bold witness to the risen Servant - King.

That’s our purpose as well

A Servant’s Credentials

 Credentials by action, not pedigree: no genealogy; instead, baptism + Father’s voice, wilderness victory, and immediate works (1:10–15).

Matthew, Luke, John

Ne genealogy, just doing and teaching

 Signature tempo: “immediately” (εὐθύς) keeps the camera on what He does because servants are known by their work.

 Authority exercised as service: teaching (1:22), demons expelled (1:25–27), diseases healed (1:34), leper touched (1:41), sins forgiven in service to the man (2:5–12).

 Servant secrecy: He shuns publicity, withdraws to pray, forbids demons to speak (1:34–38)—not a king basking in acclaim, but a servant faithful to mission.

 Gentile/Roman sensitivity: fewer OT quotes, more deeds; Aramaic glossed; Latinisms sprinkled—Mark is showing Roman hearers what the Servant does.

Receipts of authority:

Demons obey (1:27) — spiritual realm

Bodies heal (1:31; 5:34) — physical realm

Sins forgiven (2:5–12) — eternal realm

Sabbath redefined (2:28) — covenant authority

Storm stilled (4:41) — creation obeys

Death reversed (5:41–42) — the final enemy

Feeds 5k: (6:30-44) – Multiplies food

Ministers to Syrophoenician: (7:24-30) Faith Lesson

What Mark is saying (Movement One): When you really look at his credentials one thing is clear, he is capable to do the job, in fact any job. He can truly save me, I can trust him and get behind him. I can feel safe with Him, because he speaks with authority, backed by authority.

But how does his authority play out in real life? Is he a dictator or something else entirely?

The Servant’s Way

Hinge miracle: Two-stage healing of the blind man (8:22–26). That miracle interprets the structure: the disciples (and we) are seeing Jesus in stages.

Confession & Correction:

Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi (8:27–30): “You are the Christ.”

Immediately Jesus defines the Christ: must suffer, be rejected, killed, and rise (8:31).

Call to disciples: deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow (8:34–35).

The Triad that teaches:Mark stacks

Mark stacks three passion predictions (8:31; 9:31; 10:33–34). Each has the same pattern:

Jesus predicts suffering.

The disciples misunderstand (Peter rebukes; arguing about greatness; James & John ask for thrones).

Jesus teaches true greatness: self-denial, servanthood, last-first, ransom.

Bookends of sight:

Blind man of Bethsaida (two-stage) opens the section (8:22–26).

Blind Bartimaeus closes it (10:46–52): he throws off his cloak, asks for sight, then follows on the way—the perfect picture of discipleship.

Mountaintop clarity:

Transfiguration (9:2–8): the Father’s voice again—“Listen to Him.” The kingdom’s glory flashes, but the road still runs downward to the cross.

What Mark is saying (Movement 2):“You’ve named Jesus correctly. Now

“You’ve named Jesus correctly. Now see Him rightly: the crucified Messiah. And the only way to follow Him is cross-shaped—downward in service, upward in resurrection.”

The Servant’s Triumph

Royal entry, prophetic actions:

Entry (11:1–10): The King arrives—but humble.

Fig tree ↔ Temple cleansing (11:12–25): a sandwich that interprets itself—barren worship is judged; prayer-for-the-nations is the temple’s heartbeat.

Conflict crescendo:

Traps, parables against leadership, Great Command, and the widow’s two coins (11–12).

Olivet Discourse (13): judgment on the old order; call to watchful endurance.

Passion as enthronement:

Anointing → Last Supper → Gethsemane → trials (14).

Irony everywhere: mock “king” language, purple robe, “Son of God”—all true even as they scoff.

Veil torn (15:38): what was shut is opened; presence goes public.

Gentile centurion’s confession (15:39): “Truly this man was the Son of God.” The nations see what the insiders missed.

Resurrection & sending:

Empty tomb (16:1–8): fear and awe—God is ahead of you in Galilee.

(Longer ending 16:9–20: the risen Lord authorizes a Spirit-empowered mission to the nations.)

What Mark is saying (Movement 3):“

“This is how the Son of God reigns—by giving His life as a ransom for many (10:45). The cross is not failure; it’s the throne. Now take up His mission in the Spirit.”

Hope isn’t naïve; it’s blood-bought. Endure, witness, pray, and go—the veil is torn and the King is alive.

Conclusion

This gospel is fast-paced packed with action, but it’s a call for you to go deeper with the Lord Jesus Christ. For you to accept his call to follow him at all costs.

He wants you to be his disciple. Imagine being able to place all your hope in him, not just for heaven, but for life. Imagine trusting him with every decision and every trouble you face.

That can be a reality if you take this Gospel seriously and apply every bit of it to your life. Partner with the Holy Spirit and the Word and live transformation.

The most important question in life is found in Mark 9:29 Who do you say that I am? Is he your king or a great teacher? Is he God or is he a fraud? Who do you say that I am? He’s asking you that today.

One of the most devasting verses in the gospel of Mark is Mark 12:34

A scribe is quizzing Jesus on the Law and at the end of their exchange verse 34 Jesus says You are not far from the Kingdom of God.

Listen, we don’t want to be close to the Kingdom. We want to be in the kingdom.

There are people who sit in church week after week, who are really close to the Kingdom, but not quite there.

Before we take communion together, I want to give the opportunity for you to respond to the saving work of Jesus.

You and I, all of us are sinners. We have all offended God and there is no remedy to that except one. We have been reconciled to God in the body of Jesus Christ and need only to honestly repent of our sins (agree with God that we’ve offended him) and bow to his Lordship. You can simply say in whatever words you have Lord I believe now help me with my unbelief, but I surrender to you the best way I know how.

That’s it… Now if you prayed that prayer, you are a child of God. You have been baptized into the Kingdom by Jesus himself.

In a moment we are going to take communion together, as a sign and symbol of that move of God that happened in your heart. If you just gave your life to Jesus then this act of communion is most precious to you. I encourage you to join us.