INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL: JOHN THE BAPTIST AND JESUS

Introduction

Beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ [Son of God]

The incipit, or opening words of the text, introduces the theme of this literary work. The life of Jesus Christ is good news, Gospel. We think of “the gospel” as a genre of literature, but here Mark is referring to the opening of an account of events that God has pointed to through Scripture. That is why the next verses cite texts of the Hebrew Scripture. However, the reference to the beginning of the story shows the verse is not a title for the whole Gospel. The person the beginning introduces is the subject of the entire Gospel in the roles the verse introduces. In pointing to the start of this key story, the verse introduces the topic of the entire work, the Gospel and Jesus as Christ and Son of God.

How much of the opening of the Gospel does this initial verse cover? If we allow the opening word link to be a clue, then verses 14–15 are a candidate. Mark 1:14–15 is a call to repent and believe the Gospel. That call invokes the Gospel message for the first time, with multiple mentions in the body of the Gospel (Mark 8:35; 10:29; 13:10; 14:9). John the Baptist is the key figure in this introduction until verse 9. Verses 9–11 have Jesus and John overlap. Then Jesus becomes the center of the story. Jesus’ first utterance comes in verse 15. The call to the kingdom and its drawing near initiate the Gospel story in Jesus’ ministry.

There is an important cultural allusion in the term Gospel. “Good news” is what emperors claimed to bring to Roman culture. Mark is noting those rulers have nothing on Jesus. In terms of significance to the world, Mark is making the amazing claim that this Jewish Galilean teacher has something to offer that the rulers of Rome do not: access to God's rule. God's good news is distinct from what Rome celebrates.

Good news also has Jewish background in the eschatological hopes of deliverance from Isaiah (Isa 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 60:6; 61:1). It is no accident that a text from Isaiah 40 follows. Here God is coming in victory and the establishment of his rule.