The Gospel of Mark looks at the face of the ox, Jesus as the suffering servant who came to lay down His life for His friends. The ox has always been seen as a beast of burden, toiling hard in the fields and strong for his task. The ox was also used in some sacrifices in the Old Testament. So Jesus came to be a servant to man and to lay down His life for us so that we could enjoy eternal life with Him.
Mark Has No Genealogy or Nativity
One thing that is noticeable about the gospel of Mark is that it has no genealogy or nativity, this is because no one really cared where a servant came from, only what they were able to do for them. The gospel of Mark begins with John preparing the way for Jesus and then jumps straight into Jesus’ ministry.
The Ascension in Mark
Just before the ascension in Mark we see Jesus telling His disciples about the works or miracles those who believed in Him would do, the ways in which He had served mankind by casting out devils and healing the sick. After this it simply said Jesus was received into heaven and sat at the right hand of God.
Keywords in Mark
One of the keywords in Mark is ‘immediately’, this is because a master expects immediate obedience from his servant. Jesus likewise expects immediate obedience from His disciples.
Action and Laying Down One’s Life
Another focus of Mark is action and laying down one’s life. Mark’s gospel starts quite early pointing towards the crucifixion and there is more talk of laying down one’s life than in the other gospels. There is also far more focus on action and serving both in His miracles and in His parables and the general story of Mark.
Mark therefore focuses on Jesus being the suffering servant without genealogy or any concern for his birth and early life and focused on what He did for the people and what was expected of His disciples.
