Naturally, reading Mark’s Gospel for yourself is the greatest way to learn more! It is short—only 16 chapters—and flows swiftly from one event in Jesus’ life to the next. You can get a brief introduction to this motivational Bible book in this article.
The aim of the gospel of Mark
Mark’s goal, as with all the other gospels, was to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Most of Mark’s readers were Gentiles (not Jews) when he penned this gospel, perhaps between AD 55 and 59. He gave them a tour of Jesus’ life, emphasizing that he is both the world’s Savior and God’s Servant. Mark 10:45, which states, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many,” is a lovely summary of this. The purpose of Mark’s gospel is to teach his readers what it means to follow Jesus and to fortify their faith.
Overview of the book
There are two main sections to the gospel of Mark:
- Chapters 1-10 covers over three years of Jesus’ earthly life. These chapters describe Jesus’ teachings and miracles. A lot of Jesus’ teaching comes in the form of parables, e.g. the parable of the sower (Mark 4:1-20) and the parable of the growing seed (Mark 4:30-32). Mark describes eighteen miracles, ranging from Jesus calming a stormy sea (Mark 4:35-41) and feeding thousands of people (Mark 6:30-44; 8:1-13) to Him healing the sick and demon possessed (Mark 1:21-45; 2:1-12; 5:1-20) and raising a dead girl (Mark 5:21-43). These miracles show us who Jesus is and what His Kingdom is like.
Mark also mentions how Jesus met increasing enmity and opposition. In Mark 8:31-32 we read: “He began to teach them [His followers] that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again.” This prophecy is repeated in Mark 9:30-32 and 10:32-34, leading up to the second part of the book. - Chapters 11-16 (about 40% of the book) focus on the last eight days of Jesus’ earthly life, concluding with His resurrection from the dead. In much detail, Mark describes how Jesus went to Jerusalem, where the opposition of the religious leaders culminated in Jesus being arrested, taken to court and sentenced to death. His affirmation that He was “the Christ, the Son of the Blessed” was considered blasphemy deserving death (see Mark 14:61-64). Jesus was crucified and buried in a tomb. The last chapter of Mark’s gospel quotes the words of an angel telling Jesus’ followers: “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen” (Mark 16:6). This wonderful news should be spread all around the globe so that “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved”! (Mark 16:16).
We need to follow Jesus
The gospel of Mark offers more than merely a chronicle of Jesus’ life and times. It is also an exhortation to everyone who believes in Him! As God’s ultimate servant, Jesus sets an example for us to follow. Mark 8:34–35 and Mark 12:33 should serve as inspiration for us to love the Lord God above everything else. As Jesus did, we are to minister in humility and with a commitment to helping others. We must serve everyone if we are to be great in God’s kingdom (Mark 10:44). Our aim shouldn’t be to be rewarded or recognized. Instead, we ought to focus on Jesus, who was prepared to give His life in order to save His people.
The gospel of Mark is God’s word for us
To properly grasp the wonderful news of Jesus Christ, please read the entire gospel of Mark. Not only was it written by God for his initial audience, but it also serves as [God’s message for us in the present day]. It is a living message that, to those who receive it as God’s word, has the capacity to transform, free, and heal.
