Mark, meaning “a defense,” gives a brief, energetic account of the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, for he portrays Him as the perfect Servant of God. His language is direct and simple, and his description of events is in chronological order, the order in which they actually happened. None of the other Gospel writers follows this order, but each uses an order that is appropriate to his particular theme. The lowliness and unwearying service of the Lord Jesus shines out beautifully in this Gospel which rapidly passes from one scene to another. The Lord meets the need of unnumbered people at the perfect time and in the perfect manner.

His death, too, is the sacrifice of One perfectly devoted to the will of God, a service to meet the deepest needs of mankind. The sin-offering character of His sacrifice is seen here, not simply that He has borne our sins, but that He has taken the full judgment against sin, the dreadful root of sins, the very principle of all that has opposed God. And He has served God in absolute devotion in this matter, even to the dreadful necessity of being abandoned by God in those hours of unalleviated agony.

Observe Mark’s frequent use of the word “immediately.” In this precious character of Servant, the Lord Jesus is not only to be admired for His devotion, but also to be followed as an example by those who are saved by His grace.