Mark: The Most Roman Gospel

Four views, one news

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:1

Four Views, One Good News is a four-part series exploring the unique emphases of each gospel writer. Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John each tell the story of Jesus from a distinct angle—but together they proclaim the same good news.

One of the challenges of a chronological reading plan is that you can lose the unique voice of each evangelist. Reading straight through each Gospel helps you hear their distinctive accents.

In seminary, my New Testament professor summed it up like this:

• Matthew was a Jew, writing to Jews, about the Jewish Messiah
• Mark was a Roman, writing to Romans, about Jesus the Perfect Son of Man (more on this in a minute)
• Luke is a Gentile, writing to a specific Gentile (Theophilus, see Luke 1:1) about Jesus the Light to the Gentiles.
• John is a disciple, writing to the church, about Jesus the Word of God made flesh.

Let’s look at Mark, the most Roman Gospel. For this post, I’m especially indebted to Marty Solomon’s blog Covered in his Dust is a great resource.

A Roman Pace

Mark is the shortest Gospel and by far the fastest. In chapter one, Mark covers ground Matthew and Luke don’t reach until chapter four. Of the sixty-three uses of the word immediately in the Gospels, more than half belong to Mark.

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark rarely gives us long teaching sections. There’s no Sermon on the Mount here. Only eight parables, compared to 23 in Matthew and 24 in Luke. Instead, Mark strings together scenes of action, conflict, and miracles.

Marty Solomon observes:

“Romans want you to get to the point and tickle their fancy. And so Mark writes a gospel that is a fast-paced tale of all the things Jesus did. He bounces from story to story, keeping the characters moving and Jesus busy.”

Action over philosophy. Deeds over discourse. That’s Mark’s rhythm.

Roman Values

Greco-Roman culture rested on four pillars: education, health, entertainment, and competition. Mark highlights each of them right in chapter one.

Education – Jesus enters the synagogue in Capernaum and astonishes people with his teaching:

They were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. (1:22)

Health – Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law, then the whole city gathers at the door for healing (1:32–34). Later, he cleanses a leper (1:40–44).

Entertainment – Rome loved spectacle, and Mark notes how crowds followed Jesus everywhere:

• “At once his fame spread everywhere” (v. 28).
• “The whole city was gathered at his door” (v. 32).
• “Everyone is looking for you” (v. 37).
• “People were coming to him from every quarter” (v. 45).

Competition – Romans celebrated contests of strength. Mark presents Jesus as stronger than every rival:

• “Mightier than I” (John the Baptist, v. 7).
• “With authority, not as the scribes” (v. 22).
• Tested by Satan in the wilderness (v. 13).
• Commanding unclean spirits who obey him (v. 27).

No wonder modern Westerners resonate with Mark. As Solomon puts it, “We are Romans.”

A Roman Confession

But Mark’s agenda isn’t just to entertain. He makes his point from the very first verse:

• “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (1:1)
• “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (1:11)
• “I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” (1:24, even the demons confess).

The twist is that in all of Mark, only one human declares Jesus the Son of God. Not a disciple. Not a Pharisee. Not a scribe.

It’s a Roman.

At the cross, the centurion—an officer of Rome—looks up and says, “Truly this man was the Son of God” (15:39).

Did you catch that? The most Roman gospel has the most crucial confession of faith coming from the mouth of a Roman.

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