The Drama of the Gospel

This morning we are beginning a new series of studies on the Gospel of Mark. Mark is considered to be the earliest of the accounts of the life of Jesus. It is a fast-paced, action-packed narrative revealing who Jesus is and what He came to do through His words, deeds, actions, miracles and climactically in His death and resurrection. This morning we are only introducing the series and our focus will be on the first verse, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1). We will ask two questions of this opening: (1) What Is Mark About? And (2) How Does He Go About It? In other words, we will be concentrating on Mark’s overall purpose and his strategy in accomplishing his purpose.

Tim Keller, in his book, King’s Cross writes, “Mark does not read like a dry history. It is written in the present tense, often using words like “immediately” to pack the account full of action. You can’t help but notice the abruptness and breathless speed of the narrative. This Gospel conveys, then, something important about Jesus. He is not merely a historical figure, but a living reality, a person who addresses us today. In the very first sentence Mark tells us that God has broken into history. His style communicates a sense of crisis, that the status quo has been ruptured” (p. xiii). This living reality comes to us as both a servant and a King. A good summary of Mark’s account of Jesus is found in Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”