Mark: The Training Of A Savior

The book of Mark is the shortest of the four gospels however its brevity does not detract from its action. Mark's narrative centers on Galilee, the area where Christ lived. The book begins with the story of John the Baptist, baptizing Christ in the Jordan River. The story goes on to say that the heavens opened and a dove came down. Then those in attendance heard a voice from heaven that said, "You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

After this event Christ went out into the wilderness for forty days, while in the desert he was tempted by Satan. The complete story of the wilderness is given in Mathew chapter 4 and Luke chapter 4.

After Christ's excursions in the desert Mark begins discussing Christ's ministry in Galilee. It is here that Christ gets his first disciples Simon and Andrew, two Jewish brothers who are both fishermen. Jesus asks them to follow him, saying that he will teach them to fish for people rather than fish. Simon and Andrew as well two of their colleagues, James and John quit the fishing business to follow Christ.

Mark continues tell of Christ' miracles, the healing of a paraplegic, the healing of Simon's mother-in-law, and the fixing of a man's withered hand. These miraculous displays soon begin to draw crowds of spectators. However Jewish officials become concerned with Christ's growing number of followers and they begin a plot to kill him.

As the book continues on the miracle stories begin to become more detailed and begin to accentuate Christ's supernatural powers. Around this time Mark notes that Christ is beginning to be misunderstood by his disciple and they begin to reject some of his teachings. Christ's power persists and he demonstrates his control over nature: he calms a storm, cures a man possessed by a demon, and revives a dead young girl. The story of Christ's miracles reaches King Herod, the ruler that ordered the death of John the Baptist.

Soon Christ orders his disciples to go out and spread the Gospel and to perform miracles. After the time of separation the disciples and Christ get back together and draw crowd. It is with this crowd that feeding of the 5000 with only five loaves of bread and two small fish occurs. Even after this miracle the disciples still have doubts of Christ power so he proves himself once again by walking on the water.

The Jewish Pharisees were now beginning to get upset with Christ due to his defiance of the traditional Jewish laws. Christ was brought before the Pharisees and questioned about his faith. Christ tells the Pharisees that it is better to follow the will of the lord than to do the things that the law forbids. It is during this that Christ preaches that human willingness is the way to salvation.

Christ again goes out and performs more miracles; he heals a deaf man and the child of a gentile. It was also during this excursion that Christ fed another large group of people; this time he fed 4,000 people. Still some of his disciples are still doubtful. One of Christ's principal disciples, Peter, gives the impressions that he is the only one that recognizes Christ's divine power. Soon Christ begins foretelling of his own crucifixion and resurrection. He heads back out on the road to continue perform more miracles.

Mark writes that after a while Christ appears to be glowing and give off a brilliant white light. Christ tells the disciples many strange things that they do not at first grasp, for example at one point Christ told them that John the Baptist was comparable to Elijah in the aspect that he foresaw the arrival of a savior.

Christ continues to go out and preach he begins to renouncing divorce and remarriage. He proclaims that children due to their purity