Mark 1:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

NIV: The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,

NASB: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,

CSB: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

NLT: This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began

KJV: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

NKJV: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark can be divided into seven sections—seven segments of Jesus' ministry on earth. The first section (Mark 1:1–13) describes how God used His last Israel-era prophet, John the Baptist, to prepare His people. In this section, John "clears the way" for Jesus and the message of salvation, and shows how Jesus prepared for His ministry. The Messiah's arrival had been promised since Genesis 3:15 and had now come. In Greek, the word translated "beginning," arche, can also mean "origin." In the next few verses, Mark talks about John the Baptist and his baptism of repentance, which is both the beginning of Mark's account and the starting point of the story of the gospel, or "good news," of Jesus and His message.

Jesus is both the Christ and the Son of God. Christos is the Greek translation of the Hebrew word Mashiyach. This Jewish term, from which we derive the term "Messiah," means "anointed one." By anointing Jesus, God chose or commissioned Him to save us from our sins and restore our relationship with God. As the "Son of God," Jesus is both Messiah and divine. Jesus is the one who has come from the Father and is equal with the Father. He is God and man in one person, fully God and fully human. This was not a doctrine developed later in the history of the church. Rather, it is displayed in the first verse of Mark, most likely the earliest Gospel, based on the eyewitness of the apostle Peter given to Mark.

It is only as the Son of God that Jesus can also be the Christ—the Messiah—whose sacrifice takes away our sins.

Mark 1:1–13 rapidly introduces the ministry of Jesus, as introduced by John the Baptist. While other Gospels include many details, the Gospel of Mark briefly sets the stage for Jesus' baptism by John. In a few short verses, we are told that John preached a message of repentance, that Jesus came to be baptized, and that Jesus spent forty days being tempted in the wilderness. The narrative quickly moves on to describe Jesus' miraculous healings.

John the Baptist is introduced as a figure preparing the world for the arrival of the Messiah. John's baptism teaches people about their need for repentance. When Jesus arrives, and is baptized, it signals the coming of God's fulfillment and the need of people to recognize their Savior. Mark briefly notes Jesus' baptism, desert temptation, and the calling of the first four disciples. After this, Jesus begins teaching in the synagogue and performs miraculous healings which spread His fame around the region.

The first chapter of the Gospel of Mark sets the tone for the rest of the story. Mark's writing is concise, action-packed, and short on details. Within a few verses, Mark establishes the transition from the wilderness ministry of John the Baptist to the healing and preaching of Jesus Christ. This first chapter includes the calling of Jesus' earliest disciples, His early miracles, and His early teaching. This establishes the pattern shown throughout the Gospel of Mark, where Jesus mingles His teaching with miraculous signs.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.