Reflection on Mark's Gospel - Mark 1:1

What follows are a series of reflections from my Quiet Times on Mark's gospel. They have been largely unedited, and I recognise they now contain some errors, but I want to preserve them as a record of my thinking at one point...


Eight Words Of Victory
These 8 Gk words start the account of a whole new phase of history. Before this was B.C., now it is A.D.

Only four books in the Bible begin with the word "beginning": Genesis, (Hosea - according to the Pillar Commentary but I couldn't find a reference to it in the e-sword commentaries on Hosea), Mark and John. The books of Genesis and John refer back to the beginning of all things. Mark refers to the beginning of a new thing - a new phase of God's dealings with his people.

I accept that Mark was the first of the four gospels written. Thus, he launched a whole new literary genre: the "gospel". But don't be confused. The traditional titles for these four books is, "the gospel according to...". So, the gospel is not the account, but the person and events behind the account. The person is being mediated to us through these gospel writers, two of whom were eyewitnesses, one was a historian of high order. And Mark was the disciple of Peter - one who was at the heart of the whole story.

The purpose of writing this account is greater than just to preserve the facts of the story, Mark wants us to believe in the person of Jesus.

The term "ευαγγελιου" was used in secular writing to refer to the announcement of victory in battle. Mark gives it new meaning as it announces the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus is presented with his formal title, "Jesus Christ" but also assigned an awesome position, "the Son of God".
As I read and study this book, the question will be raised again and again, "who is Jesus revealed to be?". Then I will be asked, "How will you respond to him?"

In this verse, Jesus is the one who breaks into history, introducing a new phase, an invasion that brought victory over the forces of darkness, the coming of the long-anticipated Messiah, the Son of God.

Am I ready for the radical transformation that accepting such news surely envisages? Or am I comfortably invested in the assets of the present age?