Book Description

Matthew, Mark, and Luke are synoptic in portraying the Savior’s humanity in different aspects with His deity. Since Mark presents the Savior as a slave, he does not tell His genealogy and status, because the ancestry of a slave is not worthy of note. Furthermore, in contrast to Matthew, who presents to us the Savior’s marvelous teachings and parables concerning the heavenly kingdom, and John, who presents His profound revelations of the divine truths, Mark’s intention is not to impress us with the Slave’s wonderful words, but with His excellent deeds in His gospel service. Mark’s Gospel provides more details than the other Gospels in order to portray the Slave-Savior’s diligence, faithfulness, and other virtues in the saving service He rendered to sinners for God. In Mark's Gospel are the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isa. 42:1-4, 6-7; 49:5-7; 50:4-7; 52:13–53:12 concerning Christ as the Slave of God. His diligence in labor, His need of food and rest, His anger, His groaning, and His affection display beautifully His humanity in its virtue and perfection, while His lordship, His omniscience, His miraculous power, and His authority to cast out demons to forgive sins, and to silence the wind and the sea manifest in full His deity in its glory and honor. What a Slave of God! How lovely and admirable! Such a Slave served sinners as their Slave-Savior, with His life as their ransom, for the fulfillment of the eternal purpose of God, whose Slave He was.