Introduction

Mark 1 verse 1

For anyone new to the Bible, there is no better place to start to read about Jesus than the Gospel of Mark. Here we have an eyewitness account of his life that includes his teaching, activities and journey from life in Galilee to the cross in Jerusalem.

Mark writes the story of Jesus in everyday language that is full of action and bound to keep the reader engaged. Unlike the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, we don’t have a story of the birth of Jesus – Marks jumps straight in with an introduction to Jesus’s cousin, John the Baptist, who tells his followers to look out because something amazing is about to happen (you can read more about John the Baptist on day 34). Right at the start, the very first verse, tells us that Jesus is the Son of God. Throughout the life of Jesus many people questioned who he was and where he had come from. John has no doubts, this is Jesus Christ the Son of God and this is his story.

So, as you read the story of Jesus through the eyes of Mark, try to keep an open mind and receptive heart. If you are new to the story, then be prepared – this could change your life! If you have read it before on countless occasions, then try to read it as if you have never heard it before.

Look out for those encounters that Jesus had on his journey that resulted in them too acknowledging that he was the Son of God. Then listen out for the same call that Mark and others heard – to follow Jesus.