Mark: Journeying With JesusSample

According to the opening line of Mark, what is Christianity all about?

“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1)

Mark was a friend and companion of Peter, who was one of Jesus’ closest friends. Peter died about 30 years after Jesus died. The evidence tells us that Mark wrote his book around then.

Mark’s design in writing the first part of his book is to prompt the question: “Who is Jesus?”.

He begins to show his readers that there is good news in Jesus Christ. And in a world full of ‘fake news’, we need good news more than ever.

Some people criticize Christianity. They say:

“It is a list of rules.”

“It is about going to church and pretending to be a good person.”

“It’s a western religion.”

“It is boring.”

The Christian claim is that we can know God personally. God wants to meet us in person, and the life and death of Jesus Christ is the way he’s chosen to do it.

"This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins." (1 John 4:9-10)

PRAYER | Heavenly Father, thank you that Jesus is good news. Help us to remember that he is the better name and hope for our present and future. Amen.