Mark begins with a simple introduction: The beginning of the Good News about Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God.
We’re then told a little about John the baptiser, the baptism of Jesus and then the temptation in the wilderness with angels and wild beasts.
Jesus begins his ministry in Galilee. He preaches, teaches, heals, and travels about.
He calls disciples. He drives out unclean spirits. He heals many. He preaches and teaches some more. He heals a leper. He heals a paralytic. He calls more disciples. He answers questions and announces a new understanding of the law.
He heals and teaches and appoints the 12. He shares parables. He explains some of them.
He calms a storm. He heals a naked bloody demoniac. He heals a bleeding woman and raises a young girl from the dead.
He is rejected at his hometown. He sends out the 12. He feeds 5000 Jews. He walks on water. He heals some more. He answers questions by the Pharisees and scribes. He heals the daughter of a foreign pagan woman. He cures a deaf man. He feeds 4000 pagans. People demand a sign. He gets frustrated with his slow disciples. He slowly heals a blind man. He fulfills ancient prophecy about the longed-for Messiah.
Then there is a shift. A change. Jesus takes his disciples north, away from the Lake and the crowds, back into mostly pagan and Roman territory. Caesarea Philippi. This is the beginning of something new. He is now on the final journey to Jerusalem and all that means. Now he asks these questions.
