The Gospel of Mark: A Theological Synthesis of the First Gospel

The account of the Gospel according to Mark contributes a great deal to our understanding of Jesus — His life and His central mission: to announce the Good News and proclaim that the Kingdom of God was at hand, presenting Himself as the Suffering Servant.

Through its narrative emphasis on Jesus’ public ministry, the Gospel’s chief aim is plainly to bring out His humanity. His purpose in performing miracles, moreover, was the building up of the people around Him rather than of Himself. That He is the Son of God is equally clear: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).

According to church tradition, every indication is that these accounts came directly from the apostle Peter, since John Mark was not himself an apostle but a companion of Peter in his walk of faith. He also accompanied the apostle Paul and Barnabas on missionary journeys, and was rebuked by the apostle to the Gentiles on one of them.

In an age when oral tradition still predominated, the Gospel according to Mark was committed to writing around 55–65 AD in Rome, before the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (according to orthodox tradition). It inaugurated a literary genre never seen before: the euangélion (εὐαγγέλιον), the “good news.”

Throughout the narrative, Jesus required of His disciples and of those healed of sickness and evil spirits that they keep silent about Him, for He had appointed the right moment to reveal His greatest purpose to the world: His death and resurrection, the plan of salvation for all who believe in Him. Through His end, access to eternal life was opened — made available through faith — to Jews and Gentiles alike.