“Look at the Book” is Bible Gateway’s series of short blog posts and infographics introducing you to the books of the Bible. The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and almost certainly the earliest of the four gospels.
Scroll to the bottom if you’d prefer to see (and save) this article as an infographic. You’ll also find a handy 30-day reading guide. Or, for a challenge, you can do it in one week using the 7-day reading guide below.
Summary
Mark targeted a Gentile audience, especially a Roman one. Mark is the gospel of action; the frequent use of “immediately” and “then” keeps his narrative moving rapidly along. Mark’s fast-paced approach would especially appeal to the practical, action oriented Romans.
- Category: Gospels
- Theme: Identity
- Timeline: Approx. 55 AD by John Mark, Peter’s interpreter
Key Verse
“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.” — Mark 10:45 (NIV)
God’s Human Side
Mark shows the humanity of Christ more clearly than any of the other evangelists, emphasizing Christ’s human emotions, His human limitations, and other small details that highlight the human side of the Son of God.
Mark sustains a fast-paced plot not only by compactness but also by using words suggesting the next event happened right away, “immediately” and “quickly,” some forty times. More than that, over half of the Gospel is about the last week of Jesus’s life.
7 Day Reading Guide
(See 30-day guide below.)
- Day 1: Mark 1-3
- Day 2: Mark 4-5
- Day 3: Mark 6-7
- Day 4: Mark 8-9
- Day 5: Mark 10-11
- Day 6: Mark 12-13
- Day 7: Mark 14-16
The First Evangelism?
“Gospel,” euangelion, means “good news.” In secular Greek, euangelion referred to a good report about an important event.
Access the rest of the series. Browse Bible studies for each book of the Bible. Or right-click on the infographic below to download and save the image for your reference.
Chris Fann is the Senior Digital Marketing Manager for Harper Christian Resources. He loves the smell ofa baseball glove, coffee, and old books. He lives in Grand Rapids, Michigan with his wife, 2 teenage boys, and their dog, Freya.