Mark, The Beginning

Mark Chapter One

English Standard Version Introduction

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus announced the Kingdom of God, healed the sick, and died as a ransom for sinners. In addition to Jesus, Mark features three main groups of people: the disciples, the crowds, and the religious leaders, none of whom understood Jesus. When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross, the religious leaders arrested him, the disciples abandoned him, and the crowds jeered him. Only when he died alone on the cross did a Roman centurion recognize that he was the Son of God. Though the book is anonymous, tradition identifies John Mark (Acts 12:12) as the author. He may have based his Gospel on Peter’s preaching, writing sometime in the 50s or 60s A.D.

The prologue introduces the Gospel of Mark by presenting Christ’s forerunner and the initial preparation and ministry of Christ. It lingers on John the Baptist’s conformity to OT Scripture, pointing out that God has indeed fulfilled his promises to bring the forerunner of Christ (1:1–8). The prologue also presents the baptism and temptation of Jesus, emphasizing Jesus’ identification as God’s Son and as the last Adam, again in conformity to OT expectation (1:9–13). The prologue also encapsulates Jesus’ message, which regards the fulfillment of God’s plan and the call to repent and believe (1:14–15). The section is designed to make the point that God is fulfilling his redemptive plan precisely as he said he would.

Structure and Outline of Mark

There are two main sections in the Gospel of Mark. The first section (1:1–8:26) deals with Jesus’ ministry in Galilee, while the second section (8:27–16:8) deals with Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection and the events leading up to it. The outline of the book is as follows: