“Would it surprise you to learn that Mark was not only the first Gospel written, but that, with this book, Mark invented the literary genre that we call “Gospel?” You see, like the other Gospels, Mark is not really a biography – certainly not in the way we think about it. It doesn’t give any information about the beginning decades of Jesus’ life. Mark doesn’t really tell us what was going on in the wider world. Biographies usually try to fill in as many gaps as possible with character development.
But Gospels are not just biography. They’re something new in human history. They present the story of the life, teaching, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. They’re proclaiming Good News to needy hearts. The opening line of this book is paraphrased this way: “The beginning of the preaching of the joyful tidings concerning Jesus the Messiah.” This is no mere biography. This is a we-interrupt-your-regular-programming, breaking news message. It’s not a book for the shelf, it’s a book for you.”
