Executive Summary

The Executive Summary is a fresh reading of the Gospel of Mark with a unique perspective. It considers Mark from the viewpoint of someone in the first century who was introduced to Jesus and his followers through this Gospel alone (since the other Gospels were not written yet). What does Mark, unencumbered by the other Gospels and two thousand years of teaching, preaching, interpretation, and tradition, tell us about Jesus and why he should be followed? The Executive Summary also brings to bear an understanding and appreciation of Judaism and Jewish culture. Jewish points of view and sensibilities are vital to understanding what Mark recounts. This commentary will serve as a useful guide and catalyst for adult education hours on Sunday mornings, parishioner book clubs, and Bible study groups. In addition, those outside or on the periphery of the Christian fold will find hope for something better than what the skeptical, secular twenty-first century thrusts at them, just like those who encountered Mark in the equally violent and traumatic first century. Whether readers are committed Christians, unbelievers, or seekers, it engages the questions that Mark addressed: Who was Jesus, and what was his message?