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How quickly do you decide whether to keep reading a new book or keep watching a new show? Usually it's the first few lines. A good opening tells you what kind of story it is and who you should be watching.
This term we are reading the Gospel of Mark from start to finish, and we'll keep asking one big question: "Who is this?" Mark only gets one first sentence, and he doesn't waste it. Before the story even starts, he tells you exactly who the main character is.
What you'll learn
- What Mark's very first sentence tells us about Jesus
- Why John the Baptist was like a messenger running ahead of a king
- What Jesus' baptism shows about who he is
Mark's first sentence
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels, and it moves fast: short scenes, lots of action, and the word "immediately" again and again. Early Christian writers said Mark wrote down the memories of Peter, one of Jesus' closest friends.
Here is how he begins:
"This is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1)
Three big words are packed into that one sentence:
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Gospel | Good news: an announcement that changes things. |
| Christ | The Greek word for Messiah: God's promised, chosen King. |
| Son of God | Jesus has a one-of-a-kind relationship with God the Father. |
Here is the clever part. You, the reader, are told the answer in verse 1. But the people in the story aren't. All the way through Mark they keep scratching their heads and asking who Jesus is (look up Mark 1:27, 2:7, 4:41, 8:29 and 15:39). As you read, you get to watch them slowly work it out, and ask yourself what you think.
The messenger runs ahead
In the old days, when a king was coming to town, a messenger would run ahead. People would fix the roads and get everything ready. Mark says that is exactly what happened before Jesus arrived.
Hundreds of years earlier, the prophets Isaiah and Malachi had promised that God would send a messenger to get the road ready for the Lord himself. That messenger was John the Baptist. He even dressed like the prophet Elijah, a big hint, because Malachi had said Elijah would come back before God acted.
John called people to repent and be baptised. Crowds came to him. But he kept pointing away from himself:
"And he proclaimed: ‘After me will come One more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’" (Mark 1:7–8)
Untying sandals was a servant's job, one of the lowest there was. John is saying, "The one coming after me is so great that I'm not even good enough to be his servant."
The beloved Son
Then Jesus arrives. He joins the line of people being baptised in the Jordan River, and something amazing happens:
"As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’" (Mark 1:10–11)
| What happens | What it shows |
|---|---|
| The heavens are torn open | God is breaking into the world. (Remember this word. It comes back at the very end of Mark.) |
| The Spirit comes down like a dove | God's Spirit rests on Jesus for the work he has come to do. |
| A voice from heaven speaks | God the Father says who Jesus is: his loved Son. |
| Jesus spends 40 days in the wilderness | Israel failed God in the wilderness for 40 years. Jesus faces Satan there and stands firm. |
Notice who is there at the baptism: the Father speaking from heaven, the Son standing in the water, and the Spirit coming down. Christians call this the Trinity: one God in three persons. It isn't easy to picture, and Christians don't believe it because it's easy. They believe it because of moments like this one.
Mark said in verse 1 that Jesus is the Son of God. Ten verses later, God himself agrees. Then Jesus starts announcing that God's kingdom is near (Mark 1:14–15), and we already know who its King is.
"Who is this?" clues
Here are the first clues Mark gives us. Keep adding to the list each week.
| Verse | Clue about who Jesus is |
|---|---|
| Mark 1:1 | Mark says he is the Christ, the Son of God. |
| Mark 1:7 | John says he is more powerful than John. |
| Mark 1:11 | God the Father says he is his loved Son. |
Key words
- Gospel: good news; also the name for the four books about Jesus' life.
- Repent: to turn around and come back to God.
- Baptise: to wash with water as a sign of a fresh start with God.
- Trinity: one God in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
How this points to Jesus
The Old Testament ends with God promising to send a messenger and then come himself. Mark opens by saying, "It's happening." Jesus isn't just a good teacher who turns up out of nowhere. He is the one the whole Bible story has been waiting for.
Think about it
Why do you think Mark tells us who Jesus is in the very first sentence, instead of saving it for the end?Show answer
So that we know what to look for as we read. We can watch the evidence pile up and see the people in the story slowly working out what we've already been told.
John the Baptist was famous, but he kept pointing away from himself. Why?Show answer
His whole job was to get people ready for someone much greater. A messenger who makes everything about himself isn't doing his job.
Jesus had done nothing wrong. Why might he have joined the line of people being baptised?Show answer
He was standing with the people he came to save, sharing their place. It also marked the start of his work, with the Father and the Spirit showing who he is.
Take it further
If someone asked you today, "Who is Jesus?", what would you say? It's completely fine to say you're still working it out. Over the next few weeks, keep an eye on the clues Mark gives and see whether your answer changes. Your worksheet helps you collect the clues from Mark 1.
If you'd like to, you could pray:
Father, thank you for sending Jesus, your loved Son. As I read Mark, help me to see who he really is. Amen.