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We turn to read and study the Gospel of Mark, having been in the first eight Psalms over these past three months.

We are dealing here with the text of what has been regarded and accepted as the first account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark can be a neglected Gospel. It is probably the earliest Gospel, having been accepted as the first for many years. Matthew and Luke both used Mark's Gospel. Mark was a friend of both Peter and Paul, and it has been suggested that his Jerusalem home might have been the possible venue of the Upper Room. He was certainly there in the drama of the betrayal and arrest. Simon Peter must have passed on many of the details of the life and ministry of Jesus. It is the shortest Gospel and quite easy to read right through. You can read Mark's Gospel in an hour. It is a lively Gospel. It has a narrative with a fast pace. 'Immediately' or 'right away' are favourite words. He uses this expression some 41 times. What an advantage it is to have such an early account of the life of Jesus. This is a valuable and highly reliable document. Mark writes about "Jesus Christ, the Son of God" He goes to what is central and important right away. "Son" has that sense of being "of the same stuff" or "of the same substance". We use the phrase "a chip of the old block" - meaning having the same characteristics, or another of the same. This is quite an insight. There are fewer words in this Gospel than in the newspaper, so it is easy to read - and yet as I have been reading and studying it afresh it is not such an 'easy' read. Time and time again I have had to go back and re-read various passages. It has been likened to an express train, as Mark races through various events - then slowing down to the last week in the life of Jesus, and then we have the final days and hours in the life of Jesus. The Romans liked action. Mark gave them action and excitement. We need to note too that Mark's Gospel is not a biography of Jesus. We have only 3 years out of His 33 years, and one third of the book is spent concentrating on the death of Jesus. It is not a story - it is much more than a story - it is a Gospel - the Good News of God - the EUANGELION. If a battle was won in the days of the Roman Empire, a runner would come with the news, and shouting the word 'Gospel' - meaning - won - won - won. A herald would come with this announcement. A battle has been won. Warfare has been engaged, and you can now have peace, because we have won. There has been a victory. The battle here was between God and Satan, and it took place in the life of a man called Jesus Christ, and we need to know right at the start that Jesus Christ won, and was victorious, and through the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ we can share in that victory - having our sins forgiven through the blood Jesus shed on the cross.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Moralism

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