Mark’s Gospel

Game-Changer: The Radical Call to Follow Jesus

Mark’s gospel is quite simply a radical call to follow Jesus. It is a wild, unexpected and transformative encounter with a man that is also God. If you read this gospel with an open heart it will change your life. This is an introduction to a short commentary on Mark’s gospel.

From the start Mark gets straight to the action. The other gospels have genealogies and baby stories. Not Mark he wants us to get going with the life-altering journey of Jesus. And when Jesus bursts onto the scene what is he talking about, the Kingdom of God. What does Jesus mean? Well as we read through Mark we will see that is Jesus’ primary goal, to tell people the Kingdom of God is here.

Throughout Mark, Jesus calls on us to “Repent and believe in the gospel.” This is a radical call to change. He doesn’t want us to follow some rules, he wants us to change course, change our lives and become part of God’s story.

And how do we do that? Jesus calls several men in Mark’s gospel to follow him. In fact he says, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” It is a call in this radical lifestyle to ‘cast’ God’s love in every corner of the globe. And throughout Mark’s gospel Jesus shows he has authority to call us. He demonstrates in all he does, power and authority, healing and compassion and that he is God and Man.

Following Jesus will be stormy, but Jesus calms our storms and he brings peace into our lives. We will discover this as we read about the disciples stuck in a boat with waves crashing. Following Jesus will be a call to heal the sick and embrace the cast-out. He is asking us to take action. Following Jesus will mean listening to him alone when our world calls us to a different lifestyle.

And finally at the end we find out what Jesus is all about. Following Jesus means walking the road to the cross. It is about embracing sacrifice. But it doesn’t end there, because 3 days later we find an empty tomb and overwhelming joy, victorious life, and a mission to spread the good news.

“Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” The radical journey of following Jesus isn’t a solo act. It’s a call to go, tell, and invite everyone into the adventure.

So, are you ready to answer the radical call? Because the Gospel of Mark is an invitation to a life-altering, world-shaking, and joy-filled adventure with Jesus!