Before we run, we walk. Before we walk, we crawl.
And so our journey with Jesus in the Gospel of Mark starts with just one verse. Don’t worry, the pace will pick up. But it’s important that we not rush past this first verse, thinking we know what it means.
READ
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1).
Mark introduces us to three key terms which were better understood 2,000 years ago than they are today.
Gospel or good news (Greek: euangelion) doesn’t mean what I thought it meant as a kid growing up in church. “Gospel” doesn’t mean “message of salvation for sinners, leading to eternal life in heaven.” That’s not untrue, but it’s also not what euangelion means. And, yes, it does mean “good news” in a way, but it’s a particular form of good news. It’s the good news that the king had been victorious, as N.T. Wright and numerous scholars before and after him have pointed out.
When the king was off fighting a major battle somewhere and that battle had come to a decisive conclusion, a runner would be sent back to the people waiting at home to bring them the news of the fighting. We see this in 2 Sam. 18:19-32. In that case, King David received what the runners called “good news,” since he’d been persuaded to stay at home. But the concept is the same.
So, what Mark is offering here is the beginning of the euangelion. It’s the start of the story of the victory of the King.
The decisive battle of a great war has been won. The enemy’s back has been broken. Victory is assured, even if fighting continues on for a time.
Christ or Messiah both mean anointed one, Christ from the Greek (Christos) and Messiah from the Hebrew (Mashiach). Christ is not Jesus’s last name. It’s a title. It’s an abbreviation for “the one who has been anointed to be king of the world.” And that’s a massive title. Every time you read either version of that word, you should have the full ramification of the title in mind. Again, it’s not a name, it’s a title. Because of that, I’d prefer that neither Christ or Messiah were used and Anointed King was used instead. But I’m not on the translation committees.
All that to say, Messiah/Christ fits very well with gospel/good news. Jesus is the Anointed King of the world and this is the beginning of the telling of the story of how he won the decisive battle to claim that title.
Son of God sounds pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? It’s not. While we would expect it to refer to the divinity of Jesus, just as we would expect the term “Son of Man” to refer to the humanity of Jesus, they’re actually the opposite. Son of Man is a term of divinity, echoing Daniel 7:13-14 —
In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.
Son of God is used throughout the Hebrew Bible as a term referring to human kings (and sometimes to princes and other lordly men). In Matt. 26:63-66, the high priest doesn’t tear his robes when Jesus calls himself Son of God (i.e., a human king), but does so when Jesus calls himself Son of Man (i.e., the divine king). All that to say, Son of God here adds emphasis to the title Messiah, pointing to Jesus as the King of the world.
(Now, some early manuscripts of Mark don’t include this term, making many scholars believe the term was added in by a scribe. That’s quote possible. Thankfully, it doesn’t change the meaning of the text. We’ll come back to the issue of textual criticism later on. Some find it disconcerting that there are variations between the manuscripts of the New Testament. Personally, I find it encouraging. Not only did God use flawed humans to make copies of the Scriptures, but their flaws disprove every conspiracy theory about some backroom group of priests editing the Bible to their liking. If that were the case, there would be no variations.)
ENGAGE
Does the world you live in feel like Jesus is the King? What evidence points to an opposite conclusion?
This is the “beginning” of the gospel. The decisive battle has been won, but the fighting isn’t over yet. How does that help make sense with the struggles you see in the world? How does that keep you hopeful in the face of evil, death, and destruction?
We think of Jesus in many nice, soft ways. How does this introduction to the Gospel of Mark with its double emphasis on Jesus as King change the way you approach him already?
PRAY
Jesus, you have already won the decisive battle to save the world. Please bring the war to an end.
Jesus, I treat you so casually. But you are the King. Anointed. Victorious. Cause me to honor you as such. Even as the Gospel shows your kingship in new and bigger ways, may I never treat you as less than the King of the world.
Send me, Lord, as a runner, proclaiming the victory of King Jesus. Fill me with enthusiasm, for I am a herald of the King.
LIVE
To tell the good news of the victory of the King is to be an evangelist. The word “evangelist” comes straight from the Greek word euangelion. As such, it doesn’t refer to people standing on soap boxes on street corners (do people still do that?) or stealing money on TV. It doesn’t require a theological degree or going overseas as a missionary. It simply requires telling the story of how Jesus became King of the world.
Find someone today to tell or remind that Jesus is King. Be creative. Don’t hit them over the head with it. Let them know that what’s wrong in the world will be made right, for Jesus has won the decisive battle against evil and though the fight continues, the outcome is already determined.