Overview of the Book of Mark

The overview of the week for this Sunday is the Gospel according to Mark. Mark, also known as John Mark, while he was not one of the Twelve Apostles, he was a close friend of the Apostle Peter, and of course he worked with the Apostle Paul joining him on his first missionary journey.

The theme of Mark's Gospel is Christ the Servant. You may remember that Matthew's theme was Christ the King, but Mark is Christ the Servant. And while Matthew seemed to be directing his Gospel more towards a Jewish audience, Mark seems to be directing it more towards a Roman audience.

Mark wrote sometime around 68 AD, although scholars will debate that. Mark is the shortest Gospel and has a real fast-moving pace to it. The word immediately is used often, so it it quickly moves from one story to another.

And Mark focuses on Christ's work more than his teachings. Jesus is pictured as a healer, a miracle worker, and also an exorcist. Mark contains several accounts of demonic possession, where Jesus has the authority to cast the demons out.

Another thing that is unique about Mark's Gospel is how it ends. Most modern Bible translations will contain a note in the margins indicating how there are questions about the final 12 verses. Some people believe that the Gospel originally ended with verse 8, which if true, and that's debatable, but if true, it would be unlike all of the other Gospels since it leaves the women at the tomb afraid, not having seen the risen Lord.

Whatever your view is on that, however, Mark is a unique, easy-to-read account of the life and ministry of Christ. So in conclusion, just a personal note, I know that most Christians tend to give the advice that people in reading the Bible for the first time should start in the Gospel of John.

You always hear that, and here's the thing about the Gospel of John. It is the deepest of all the Gospels. It is the most theological of all the Gospels. Therefore, it's harder to understand, in my opinion, than the other Gospels.

So take it for what it's worth. I would recommend someone reading the Bible for the first time, I would recommend they start with the Gospel of Mark.