A Closer Look at the Gospel of Mark

The Gospel of Mark, as seen in the New Testament of the Bible, serves not only as an account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, but also as a possible historic record of the early Christian church . Within it as well are found some unique passages which play a pivotal role in the development of the Biblical texts that followed it. In modern times, Biblical scholars like Craig Blomberg bring the text into a contemporary focus, drawing readers back to the gospels themselves. Both the original gospel and the modern scholars provide insight into Mark's gospel, and are worthy of discussion.

Upon studying the works of Blomberg and others, one particularly interesting passage was quite captivating; a passage that in fact can be found nowhere else in the New Testament, namely, the passage (Mark 14:51-52) that depicts the flight of one of Jesus' disciples from the garden at Gethsemane. It is believed today that this young man was in fact Mark himself , bringing forth one of the most pivotal events of the eventual death and resurrection of Christ- the betrayal of Jesus by his previously devoted followers and friends. This being the case, an expanded comprehension of this gospel emerges from several points of view. The human element of the New Testament surfaces; the very real possibility that the disciples were not divine in nature, but fallible and very much human. What this means for the average Biblical reader today is that the message of the gospel of Mark is meant for the divine and domestic alike. In this, the attraction to this passage lies as well, for if the New Testament is meant for everyone to read and gain enlightenment, then the redemption and blessings it promises are attainable by human beings of today who, like Mark, are subject to fear, doubt and a wide range of emotions.

Lastly, the gospel of Mark has definite correlations to the modern interpretations of it; both are written to be a sort of biographical account of Jesus himself, as well as a depiction of his suffering and death, bringing the process of life full circle from beginning, to apex, to end.

In conclusion, let it be understood that the gospel of Mark is compelling for its original content, correlation to the lives of real people today, and the promises it holds for the believer in its words. In short, it is inspirational to say the least.

Works Cited

Blomberg, C. L. Jesus and the Gospels-An Introduction and Summary. Nashville: Broadman and Holman, 1997.

Palmer, Kenneth. Gospel of Mark. 2005. 29 Sept. 2006 .

Stein, R. H. A Summary of the Life of Christ. Downers Grove, IL, USA: Inter Varsity P, 1996.

Struthers, Malbo Elizabeth. 2003. Fear, Anomaly and Uncertainty in the Gospel of Mark. Theological Studies 64, no. 3: 616+.

Telford, W. Theology of the Gospel of Mark. Cambridge, Mass. USA: Cambridge U P, 1999.