Before diving into the Gospel of Mark let us take time to understand how to apply the Bible faithfully to our lives. Faithful application begins with faithful interpretation. This means we cannot apply the Bible correctly without understanding the meaning of what we are reading. This process is called exegesis, and it is all about understanding the original meaning of a passage. We must first ask, “What did this mean to the people it was originally written to?” before we ask, “How does this apply to me today?” Once we understand the meaning of the past we can then understand how to apply it.[1]
UNDERSTANDING MARK: LAYING THE FOUNDATION
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and is structured in two different halves. The first half of Mark’s Gospel reveals the identity of Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God (Mark 1:1–8:30), with the key word being “authority.” Jesus does everything with authority! The climax of the gospel is in the confession of Peter. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do people say I am?” Peter answers for the others: “You are the Messiah!” All the authority Jesus has displayed has made an impact on Peter and revealed to him that Jesus is indeed the Messiah and the Savior.[2]
The second half tells us about the mission of Jesus (Mark 8:31–16:8), as a Suffering Servant. In the next three chapters Jesus predicts his suffering and death three separate times (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:34). These predictions lead us to our monthly memory verse of Mark 10:45, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
At the end of His mission, we see Jesus on the cross, fulling the scriptures as He cries out the words of Psalm 22:1: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34).
WHO WAS MARK?
Mark is recognized as John Mark, cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). He worked with Barnabas and the apostle Paul (Acts 13:5; Acts 13:13; Acts 15:37-41; 2 Tim 4:11). He also spent time with Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13). Papias, the early church father, tells us that Mark became Peter’s interpreter and that his writings are a reflect Peter.[3]
Another important verse to study and understand in Mark’s Gospel is, “Whoever wants to be my disciple,” Jesus says, “must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me” (Mark 8:34). We will study this verse later as we continue our study of Mark’s Gospel in the coming weeks.
[1] Derrick Rugamba, “What is Biblical Application?” In Truth She Delights, last updated January 21, 2025, www.intruthshedelights.com/what-is-biblical-application/.
[2] Mark L. Strauss, “Mark: The Gospel of the Servant-Messiah The Once-Neglected Gospel,” Bible Project, last updated September 16, 2017, www.bibleproject.com/articles/mark-gospel-servant-messiah/.
[3] Ibid.
Bibliography
Rugamba, Derrick. “What is Biblical Application?” In Truth She Delights. Last updated January 21, 2025. www.intruthshedelights.com/what-is-biblical-application/.
Strauss, Mark L. “Mark: The Gospel of the Servant-Messiah The Once-Neglected Gospel.” Bible Project. Last updated September 16, 2017. www.bibleproject.com/articles/mark-gospel-servant-messiah/.