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

Mark was a no-nonsense writer. He had a story to tell and he tells it. He does not take us back to eternity past like John (see Jn 1:1ff.). He does not take us back to the sixth day of creation like Luke (see Lk 3:38). He does not take us back to Abraham like the preeminent Jewish writer, Matthew (see Mt. 1:1-17). He just starts with the ministry of Jesus: The beginning of the gospel… His opening sentence gives us both a thesis statement and a sort of outline of his book. From the second verse all the way through Peter’s confession, he demonstrates as Peter says, “You are the Christ” (8:29b). Then part two begins in earnest and continues through the confession of a centurion facing him at the foot of the cross, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” (15:39b). Then Mark concludes with the burial and resurrection of Jesus, reinforcing his remarkable argument.

Mark’s telling of the good news of Jesus and the coming of the Kingdom God into human history in his person and work is a manual of discipleship. Mark gets to the point quickly and hammers it home over and over. Jesus, through Mark calls you to take up your cross and follow him. He invites you into the life of faith with the father of the demon-possessed boy, “I believe; help my unbelief!” He disarms you with his compassion for sinners, even those who think they are OK: And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, … And he arrests you with his conclusion: They went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them. [See chs. 8, 9, 10, and 15.]

Believe. Receive. Worship. He came for sinners like you and like me: For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (10:45). Peter, likely John Mark’s writing companion, preached it pointedly to the religious leaders of his day: This Jesus … rejected by you … has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved (Acts 4:11-12 CSB).