Mark’s Gospel: The King has Come

Day 0 – Introduction: Why Mark? Why this series?

Opening Prayer

Father, as we begin Lent, slow my racing heart. Open my eyes to Jesus in Mark’s Gospel, and help me respond with repentance, faith, and joy. Amen. 

Mark’s Gospel doesn’t warm up. It sprints.

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark doesn’t begin with Jesus’ birth. He drops us straight into the action: Jesus arrives on the scene as an adult, and the story moves thick and fast from there—teaching, healing, confrontation, compassion, the pressing crowds, confused disciples, and the shadow of the cross growing longer by the page.

It’s no accident that many Christians have found Mark a wonderfully accessible place to begin. Mark is likely the first Gospel written, it’s the shortest of the four, and it’s vivid and direct. It’s also the Gospel I was reading when I became a Christian at age 20. As a young man, I didn’t need “slow and scenic”—I needed something clear, urgent, and compelling. Mark was exactly that. And I think it will be exactly that for us, too.

Right from the opening line we’re told what this book is about: “the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1). And as we keep reading, Mark presses the question onto us: Who is Jesus—and what will you do with him?

One theme to watch for is what people sometimes call “the messianic secret”—Jesus managing how widely his identity is known. Watch how he handles attention, popularity, misunderstanding, and hype. And watch the contrast between the crowds and the disciples: both are close to Jesus, but not always for the same reasons. Jesus doesn’t want a superficial understanding of him, or a shallow response. He calls for repentance and faith.

About the plan and blogs

We’ll read Mark on weekdays from Ash Wednesday (18 February) to Maundy Thursday (2 April), moving through the Gospel in bite-sized sections: 32 days with the weekend to catch up 🙂

Each day includes:

– A short prayer to prepare your heart
– The full Bible passage (NIV) 
– A devotional reflection exploring the passage, using a simple structure: 
   – What’s happening here?
   – Where does this fit—in the book and in the Bible’s bigger story?
   – Why might God want me to hear this today?
– Three questions to help you reflect and engage
– A closing prayer of response 

Not every question will be equally useful every day. And the aim isn’t to “get the answers right.” The aim is simpler (and better): to hear our good God speak as we read his Word.

So—Bible open. Heart attentive. Jesus in view.
Let’s walk with the King together on the road to the cross… and on to Easter joy.

Closing Prayer

Lord Jesus, show me who you are as I read Mark. Rescue me from shallow impressions and half-hearted faith. Give me repentance that’s real, trust that’s deep, and joy that lasts. Amen.