The Gospel According To MarkSample

 Announcement of the Messiah: Mark 1:1-15

Consider how the gospel opens in Mark 1:1:

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

When Mark referred to Jesus as “Christ,” he used the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Messiah. Similarly, the term Son of God was another indication that Jesus was God’s Messiah.

In the Old Testament and in contemporary Jewish theology, the Messiah was to be the descendant of King David who would restore the royal throne to Israel and turn the nation into God’s kingdom on earth. 

This opening declaration is followed by a brief account of Jesus’ baptism by John the Baptist in Mark 1:2-11. At the end of Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus, and God the Father’s voice was heard from heaven announcing that Jesus was his beloved Son. In this way, both the Spirit and the Father confirmed that Jesus was indeed the long-awaited Messiah. 

But Jesus was not the kind of Messiah many people expected. In general, first-century Jews thought the Messiah would march into Israel and take over the government. But in Mark 1:12-13, we learn that immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit sent him into the desert to be tempted by Satan. He would ultimately triumph. But according to God’s plan, his path to victory would follow a long road of trouble.

Consider the way Mark summarized Jesus’ preaching in Mark 1:15: 

"The time has come," [Jesus] said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" 

Mark indicated that Jesus’ central purpose in Galilee was to preach the gospel or good news that the kingdom of God was near, and that its blessings were offered to all those who would repent and believe. 

Throughout his record of the power of the Messiah, Mark focused on Jesus’ ministry in and around the region of Galilee, beginning near the city of Capernaum, and spreading out from there. By comparing Mark’s account with the other gospels, it appears that Mark omitted times when Jesus ministered in other places. These omissions indicated that Mark’s goal was to report Jesus’ activities and strategy in the region of Galilee, rather than to provide a detailed report of all his travels.