Last week on the bulletin, I wrote of how different perspectives yield a greater appreciation of an object. That my trip up the southern pylon gave me a different delight in the Harbour Bridge, than the time I’d spent in parks beneath or simply strolling across. I wrote as well of the kindness of God in giving four perspectives on Jesus in preserving Matthew, Mark, Luke & John for us. Perhaps you took the opportunity to take a glimpse of Jesus through the eyes of Matthew over the past week. This week, let me encourage you to bask in Mark’s take on our Lord.

Mark is punchy in style. It is a book written to be read quickly. In fact, it was a book originally written to be not so much read, as heard. It is easy to forget that the features of our editions of the Bible – the headings, chapters & verses – are all added centuries after the original. They are really helpful in finding information with speed, but can work against us in listening to what is an exciting tale.

And Mark does present an exciting tale. His language is tight. He runs through events in a way that feels like all the action could’ve happened in a year – rather than three years of Jesus’ public ministry, & skipping over Jesus’ birth & childhood. It is structured around action & travel. Jesus is shown as a man constantly on the move. The action moves from beside the Sea of Galilee in the north (1-4), then back & forth across the sea (4-8), before he heads south to Jerusalem, into opposition & death (8-16). His movements bring about ‘the kingdom’ that he preached was near (1:15) with a sense of urgency.

Again is a book to be read & heard in one go – so this week, appreciate Mark’s view of Jesus by reading it out loud to yourself or someone else. As you do take note of three big questions:

1. Who is Jesus?  From the outset Mark makes clear who the book is about: ‘The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.’ (1:1).  But even with it flagged up front, the plot spins around revealing what that means for Jesus to be the ‘Christ/Son of God’. We listen in as the people of the times fail to recognise or understand him.  He is rejected by the religious authorities (3:22-30; 14:63-65), his parents (3:21), his hometown (6:1-6), and even the misunderstanding of his disciples (4:35-41, 6:45-52, 8:31-33).  The only ones who do truly recognise him – the demons – are silenced.  When the disciples do stumble over the truth, they also are told to keep the secret (8).  Which brings us to the 2nd key question…

2. What has he come to do?  Even though Jesus preached that he was bringing the kingdom from the very start, it is only after the disciples stumble upon his true identity that he explains the painful sacrifice that was required to bring the kingdom.  3 times he explains in chapters 8-10 what he came to do – but even then it is so shocking, that it is hard to grasp for those around him in a way that we perhaps have become numb to.

3. What will you do with that information?  The final question is one we must constantly ask – but Mark’s abrupt ending forces us to, even if we didn’t want to ask it.  Mark ends at 16:8 – with the risen Jesus’ telling the women to spread the news.  But in fear they run off silenced.  It seems such an anti-climactic ending, that your Bible may include attempts made in later centuries to fix it up!  But that is exactly Mark’s storytelling intention.  He has told you the good news about Jesus – who he is & what he has done – & the ending puts it over to us to finish.  What will we do with the information?

Happy listening!

In Him,
Mark Smith