The Navigators’ 5x5x5 reading plan starts with Mark’s gospel. If you’re following this plan, it may be helpful to know a little bit about Mark’s gospel. I don’t claim any credit for what follows; it comes from the ESV Bible introduction to Mark.
The Gospel of Mark emphasizes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus announced the Kingdom of God, healed the sick, and died as a ransom for sinners. In addition to Jesus, Mark features three main groups of people: the disciples, the crowds, and the religious leaders, none of whom understood Jesus. When the time came for Jesus to go to the cross, the religious leaders arrested him, the disciples abandoned him, and the crowds jeered him. Only when he died alone on the cross did a Roman centurion recognize that he was the Son of God. Though the book is anonymous, tradition identifies John Mark (Acts 12:12) as the author. He may have based his Gospel on Peter’s preaching, writing sometime in the 50s or 60s A.D.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2025), Mk.
Mark is the shortest gospel, moving quickly; the accounts are often briefer than those in the other gospels. We see Jesus revealed as “the Messiah, the Son of God” in chapter 1 verse 1. Through quick snapshots of Jesus’ teaching and miracles, the gospel demonstrates who Jesus is: he has authority over demons, sickness, sin and death. The turning point is Mark 8:29 when Jesus asks “who do you say I am?” Peter answers, but it is clear that he doesn’t understand yet. From this turning point, we see increasing rejection of Jesus, leading to the cross where (as pointed out in the quote above) the centurion recognises Jesus as the Son of God (Mark 15:39).
The question for us readers are these: do we recognise who he is, do we believe, are we true disciples who take up our cross and follow him?
The best is yet to come 