The Gospel of Mark is the second book in the New Testament, and the second of four books referred to as the Gospels, giving an insight in the life of Jesus.
Mark was a lowly servant before becoming a disciple of Jesus. Mark’s writing bear out the fact that he was a servant for he witnesses the servitude of Jesus both in everything he said and did.
Mark emphasises that Jesus was always eager to help folk in need, often Mark uses the word immediate (KJV) emphasising Jesus’s dutiful willingness to serve the people He met while ministering here on earth. Jesus began His ministry at the age of 30 it is at that time Mark begins to record Jesus’ life and ministry on earth.
Mark starts his book with Jesus meeting up with John the Baptist, followed by the temptations with Satan in the desert. It is worth noting Satan knew Jesus was starting out on his teaching ministry then the journey to the cross, to overcome the power of death and defeat Satan’s power.
Mark illustrates the power of forgiveness (Mark 2), and challenges the Pharisee’s on their hypocrisy over Jesus healing on the Sabbath day (Mark 3).
In Mark 4 He illustrates the value of Parables, to assist Him in His teaching.
In Mark 5 Jesus shows His power over death and casting out of demons.
In Mark 6 Jesus begins to display His leadership skills by sending out the 12 disciples to help them learn and share the work of the Kingdom.
Jesus miraculously feed five thousand people in Mark 7 and highlights the pride of King Herod and the Pharisees.
In Mark 9 Jesus gives Peter, James and John the privilege of meeting Moses and Elijah when they were transfigured on the mountain, giving them a glance Jesus’s Glory, then shares with them a second time His impending death.
As well as raising the issue of divorce in Mark 10, Jesus contrasts Children with the rich in relationship to where they stand in regards to the Kingdom of God, He reminds them a third time of His death.
Mark 11 records Jesus’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey.
In Mark 12 Jesus uses a powerful parable of the Tenants telling how the servants killed the son of the vineyard owner hoping to gain by foul means the inheritance. The parable is used to illustrate how Jesus as the great creator of everything, when he came to earth would be rejected and betrayed by His own people the Jews and killed, but by the death that Jesus would die, would pave the way not just for His own Jewish people, but for all of mankind to have the opportunity to receive an inheritance for eternity with Jesus in heaven in His future Kingdom.
In Mark 13 Jesus prophecies concerning the destruction of the Temple, and gives a glimpse of what will happen at the end of this age, The End Times. Just before the Last Supper with his disciples before his crucifixion, He and the disciples experience the women with the alabaster box of ointment anointing Jesus’s HEAD. This caused a controversy among the disciples about wasting her money by for this women her wholehearted giving of the perfume illustrated she gave her all she had in the service and worship to Jesus.
In Mark 15 is the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. In Mark 16 we read of Jesus’s resurrection.
Then in Mark 16:15 we read 15 He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, 19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. 20 Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.
Further writing will be given to the book at a later date.
