The Gospel Of Mark
The Gospel of Mark, which is the shortest of the four Gospels, begins and ends abruptly. The abruptness, together with its quick pace characterized by the connector word immediately (GK. euthus) between scenes of action, suggests a story about Jesus that is adapted for a specific audience and setting, very likely a tense situation of persecution and suffering where the slower pace and more expansive style of the other Gospels are inappropriate.
Each of the four Gospels is distinctive and complements the other three, affording a four-dimensional portrait of Jesus and His ministry. Mark limits himself to describing the kerygmatic activity of Jesus, unlike the other Gospels which begin with descriptions of Jesus’ prehistory (birth or preexistence) and conclude with His posthistory (resurrection appearances). Mark 1:1 is an important clue to Mark’s thematic limitation and points to the fact that he is a pedagogue par excellence who is producing a short, pithy, but intense manual for missionary work as well as for teaching and Christian instruction that calls for absolute commitment to Christ and to preaching His gospel, no matter what the cost may be in suffering.
- The Evangelical Commentary on the Bible