Mark portrays a definitively more dynamic Jesus in his Gospel than the familiar teacher Matthew presented to us.The Gospel of Matthew was structured around his big sermons. The Gospel of Mark is structured as to make an action hero of Him. This Gospel uses the word “immediately” an astounding 42 times, especially near the beginning (1:10, 12, 18, 20, 21, 23, 28, 29, 30, 42, 43; 2:8, 12; 3:6; 4:5, 15, 16, 17, 29; 5:2, 29, 30, 42; 6:25, 27, 45, 50, 54; 7:25; 8:10; 9:15, 20, 24; 10:52; 11:2, 3; 14:43, 45, 72; 15:1). A short but flashy opener to introduce our hero- then on to his adventures gathering his ‘army’ and casting out demons. This may very well be due to the change in the audience. Where Matthew wrote for a largely Jewish audience- it is assumed that Mark was recording the preaching of his close friend Paul for the early Church. (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, p.1648) The early Church would not need convincing that He was The Christ. They, and we, need His example. “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45) Jesus is adamant throughout Mark that those who receive and witness His miracles …show more content…
Mark references the story of His 40 days in the wilderness and battle with Satan’s temptation in the first chapter. (1:12), and portrays his confrontations with demons as well as with the religious leaders of His time. In the Gospel of Mark- the Jewish elders form a united front against Jesus. Jesus, the Messiah, is endowed with divine authority and views reality from a divine perspective. The religious leaders view it from a purely human perspective. The conflict between Jesus and the elders is a clash over authority. Instead of receiving Jesus as God's Messiah and Son,They oppose Him throughout His ministry. In direct contrast to Jesus- the religious leaders of His time were consumed with status and authority, not