For the next 2 weeks we’ll be reading through the Gospel of Mark. 16 chapters that quickly run through the life of Jesus. I hope you’ll find this Gospel to be helpful in your daily walk with Christ.
The Gospel of Mark is an absolute treasure for the Church. Because Mark seems to be writing for a Hellenistic audience (Greek-speaking residents of the Roman Empire), the Gospel has a great evangelistic spirit. Gentile readers have the chance to be introduced to Jewish traditions, Aramaic words and phrases (which are explained in detail to novice readers), and Septuagint quotations of the Old Testament verses (Greek translation). While a Gospel written to a Jewish audience might be sensitive to Hebrew culture (ex: in Matthew, the phrase “Kingdom of Heaven” is used so that Jewish people won’t say the name “God”), Mark is free to use phrases like “Kingdom of the Most High God” (perhaps claiming that Jesus is higher and more powerful than any of the gods of Greek Mythology).
The narrative can be divided into three sections: the Galilean ministry, including the surrounding regions of Phoenicia, Decapolis, and Caesarea Philippi (1-9); the Journey to Jerusalem (10); and the Events in Jerusalem (11-16).
As you read through the Gospel, notice phrases like "and immediately" (which occurs nearly forty times in Mark, while in Luke, which is much longer, it is used only seven times, and in John only four times). Mark’s focus on immediate action is central to his depiction of Jesus. Gentiles would know that Jesus is active in his fight against evil and death. Also note that Mark doesn’t spend time at the beginning of the Gospel with the Christmas Story, but instead begins with Jesus’ Baptism and then immediate encounters with the devil and demons. This is an action Gospel! My conjecture is that Hebrew thinkers would be looking for Jesus to fulfill Old Testament prophesies while Gentile thinkers would simply want to know whether Jesus is powerful. If you are looking for a book of the Bible to share with a non-believer, this might be the one!
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