The Gospel of Mark: Scripture Illuminated
Every writer has a purpose for telling their story, and God purposed humans to tell His. Under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, He worked through each biblical author to convey His message. However, He didnāt download or dictate information, as some are tempted to think. Instead, He used each author’s unique personality and circumstances to accomplish His goal.
Next to the other Gospel authors, Mark is a man of few words. But he knows how to pack a punch. His account of Jesusā life and ministry reads like one rapid strike after the next. Itās easy to get lost in the action without connecting all the dots. At least, thatās how I used to feel. But he punches with purpose. So, if youāve ever felt that Markās Gospel left you lacking, get ready to see with new eyes.
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
Mark never identifies himself, but tradition gives authorship to John Mark, a cousin to Barnabas and colleague to the apostles Peter and Paul. Most scholars believe Mark was the first Gospel written and circulated among the Gentile (non-Jewish) church in Rome.
Around this time, Christians faced intense persecution, and both apostles were eventually martyred. As the original apostles began to die, the Church saw a need to capture Peterās oral, eyewitness testimony. The Gospel of Mark then emerges as a witness to the identity of Jesus and a call to faithful discipleship amid suffering and persecution.
THEMES OF MARK’S GOSPEL
The next time you read Markās Gospel, think of it in terms of two main sections. The first half focuses on Jesusā identity as the Messiah and Son of God; the second half emphasizes the Suffering Servant of the Lord.
IDENTITY
Mark wastes no time making his point from the start: āThe beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.Ā As it is written in Isaiah the prophetā¦ā (Mark 1:1-2).Ā Jesus is no random person; His life represents the faithful fulfillment of Israelās unfaithful story.Ā
From His water baptism to the desert temptation, among too many examples to name, the events in Jesusā life parallel key moments in Israelās history, such as the Red Sea crossing and their wilderness experience.Ā Itās only fitting that scholar N.T. Wright sees Markās account of āthe story of Jesus as the unveiled story of Israel.ā1
Mark uncovers this mystery through repeated themes, such as the Kingdom of God and Jesusā authority. Through miracles and healings, Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God and overthrows the forces of darkness. Only the God of Israel has the power to confront such chaos.2
Ironically, the demons seem to be the only ones who recognize Him at first. Mark makes great use of irony throughout his gospel. Consider how demons recognize Jesusā identity while the religious leaders deny it (Mk 3:11, 22). Even the disciples are slow to understand. Notice how they are blind to the meaning of Jesusā teaching while a blind man sees and follows (Mk 8:21-25). Or how the Pharisees accuse Jesus of breaking Godās law but then plot to kill Him themselves (Mk 3:5). What other examples can you find?
Mark also uses a āsandwichingā technique that helps interpret the meaning of the text. Remember when Jesus curses the fig tree? He then enters the temple and overturns the tables of the money changers. Upon returning, they pass the fig tree again to find it withered (Mk 11:12-25). This temple āsandwichā reveals how the judgment of the fruitless fig tree represents the judgment against Israel for their fruitless unbelief.
Likewise, the beheading of John the Baptist is sandwiched between the calling of the twelve disciples and their subsequent return from mission (Mk 6:7-30). Bible scholar Mark Strauss suggests that this āā¦illustrates the willingness of a true disciple to lay down his life for the kingdom[,]ā another key theme in Markās Gospel.3
THE SUFFERING SERVANT
A fundamental shift occurs in the center of the narrative. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, His true identity (Mk 8:29). But Jesusā messianic purpose looks quite different from the disciplesā expectations. This begins the second half of Markās Gospel, focusing on Jesusā mission as the Suffering Servant of the Lord (Isaiah 53).
The disciples expected a political or military leader who would overthrow Romeās oppressive government. But when Peter finally realizes who Jesus is, the Messiah orders him to secrecy and predicts His suffering (Mk 8:30-31). What kind of revolutionary is this?
So, the disciples argue over which one of them is the greatest and compete for a prominent position at Jesusā side (Mk 9:34; 10:37). But Jesus corrects them: Whoever desires to be great must be a servant (Mk 10:42-44). His kingdom is not of this world, and a theme of suffering unfolds.
Here, Mark begins to slow his pace.Ā Mystery and awe hang in the air.Ā The Messiah is crucified, and darkness falls.Ā How could it be? Ā
Wright observes, āMark wants to lead readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah ā not despite the cross, but precisely because of it.ā5 It is why He came.Ā Through His covert Scripture-fulfilling mission, He establishes Godās Kingdom, breaks the chains of sin, and reconciles believers to the Father. Ā All while doing so, He sets a perfect exampleā yet another theme – of humble, cross-bearing servanthood for His followers.
THAT ENDING THOUGHā¦
Hope seems lost. The disciples scatter. A few women head for the tomb where Jesusā body had been laid. But instead of finding His body, they find a young man dressed in white announcing His resurrection. He instructs them to tell the disciples and prepare to meet Jesus ahead in Galilee (Mk 16:1-7). But they flee āā¦for trembling and astonishment had gripped them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraidā (v8).
The End.
What? Why would Mark leave us hanging like that?
In the last chapter of Markās Gospel, there should be a footnote in your Bible after verse 8. The earliest, most reliable manuscripts stop here, concluding Markās Gospel with the women at the tomb. Verses 9-20 only appear in later manuscripts. Due to the awkward transition from verse 8 to 9 and the change in vocabulary typical of Mark, most scholars believe these verses were added later. Questions surround the intended ending. Did Mark do this on purpose? Was the original lost? Did scribes try to clarify it later?
Scholars have differing opinions, but some suggest the sudden ending fits Markās style and purpose. Heās not one to elaborate. Mystery and awe remain, leaving the reader to examine their own response to Jesus. Will you run away, too? Or will you faithfully follow Jesus no matter the cost?6
FINAL THOUGHTS
Understanding Markās narrative style will enrich your reading and deepen your appreciation of the Scripture. He doesnāt throw random punches; he has a structure and method. Awareness of repeated themes will help you connect the dots, and the punches will land in a whole new way.
Just as Mark carefully reveals Jesusā identity before displaying His example of humble servanthood, so do we need a proper revelation of who God is before we can rightly apply His Word in our lives. Jesus – Messiah and Son of God – paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins and rose again in liberating victory over sin, death, and Hell. As a result, He calls us to faith and discipleship from the heart.
How will you respond?
For Further Study:
- N.T. Wright and Michael F. Bird, The New Testament in Its World: An Introduction to the History, Literature, and Theology of the First Christians (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2019), 556. ā©ļø
- Wright and Bird, The New Testament in Its World, 566. ā©ļø
- Mark Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus: A Survey of Jesus and the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2007), 175. ā©ļø
- Strauss, Four Portraits, One Jesus, 172. ā©ļø
- Wright and Bird, 561. ā©ļø
- āGuide to the Book of Mark,ā BibleProject, accessed February 7, 2024,Ā https://bibleproject.com/guides/book-of-mark/#mark-169-20-summary. ā©ļø
