‘The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.'
‘The beginning.' These words have overtones of something especially important. Genesis 1 begins with the words, ‘in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth', and John begins his Gospel with the words ‘in the beginning was the Word,' and in his first letter commences with ‘that which was from the beginning -- we declare to you'. In each of these cases ‘in the beginning' takes us back into eternity. Mark may also therefore be seeking to turn our thoughts to the eternal One. But his words are also a stress on the fact that here there is a new beginning, a beginning specifically foretold and prepared for by God. God is now beginning the new work that He has promised through the ages. And the fact that it is ‘the beginning' emphasises that there will be so much more to follow, for what he writes about is only ‘the beginning'. Only eternity will reveal its final outcome, although initially it will be tough going (Mark 1:12-13).
Interestingly Peter also begins his summary of the life of Christ with a reference to a ‘beginning' in Acts 10:37 where he says, ‘the word which was proclaimed throughout all Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power --'. Perhaps Mark had a similar idea in mind and is here echoing Peter.
‘Of the good news of Jesus Christ.' This beginning relates to Jesus Christ, and is ‘good news'. The latter term (‘good news') was used of such things as the birth of a baby to the emperor, or of his coming of age, indicating an announcement of great importance. A greater than the emperor was here! But it was also used verbally in the Septuagint (the prominent Greek translation of the Old Testament - LXX) to describe the good news of deliverance which was to be declared by the great prophet who was anointed by God (Isaiah 61:1), and of the ‘good news' that ‘God reigns' as the Shepherd King (Isaiah 40:9-11; Isaiah 52:7). Here then we are presented with that ‘good news' as personified in the arrival of the Coming One Himself.
This ‘good news' is a theme of Mark. It is the good news of the Kingly Rule of God in fulfilment of the Isaianic promises (Mark 1:14), it is the message which is to be wholeheartedly believed (Mark 1:15), men must be prepared to ‘lose their lives', and their possessions, for the sake of it (Mark 8:35; Mark 10:29), and it must be proclaimed among all nations (Mark 13:10; Mark 14:9; Mark 16:15). And its content is Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God. In Him has come the Kingly Rule of God. Compare the similar connection of the Kingly Rule of God with the Lord Jesus Christ in Acts 28:23; Acts 28:31.
The name ‘Jesus' stresses that He was a man among men, for it was at the time a common Jewish name. But it also stresses that He was a man closely connected to God's saving purposes, for the Hebrew equivalent, ‘Joshua', means ‘YHWH is salvation', and looks back to one who was called ‘the servant of YHWH' (Joshua 24:29; Judges 2:8), who was also significantly the one who first sought to establish the kingly rule of God in Canaan (Joshua 24:2-14; Joshua 24:22; Joshua 24:26-27). It was specifically given to Jesus because ‘He will save His people from their sins' (Matthew 1:21), and as an indication that He too has come to establish the Kingly Rule of God (Mark 1:15).
The name/title ‘Christ' (Hebrew: Messiah; English: Anointed One) emphasises His uniqueness. Here was no ordinary man. He was the great expected Messiah, the Anointed One, the One Who was waited for with bated breath by the Jews. Depending on different viewpoints they expected Him to come, either with powerful words or with powerful weapons, in order to free them from all bondage and subservience, and to introduce the coming Kingly Rule of God. Then God would be over all through His chosen Messiah, and all would be made well. Now Mark is saying, ‘this is the One of Whom I am about to tell you.'
We must, however, note the difference between his view and the popular Jewish view. To most Jews the Kingly Rule of God was seen as important because of the benefits that they would obtain through it. Apart from among the truly godly their hope was that they would become ‘top people', and the nations would serve them, although of course they were fervently willing to share the honour with their God. But to Mark what was important was the King Himself, for to him, as to Jesus Himself, the Kingly Rule of God meant total submission to His Rule. It required one hundred percent commitment to Him. Those who would be involved must be active, not passive. It was only for those who wanted go become truly godly.
But he will also later stress (as Jesus did Himself) that this Jesus Christ is to be a suffering Messiah (Mark 8:29-31; Mark 10:45), and one third of his Gospel will be connected with the last days of Jesus, demonstrating how important what happened then was seen to be. He saw this as an essential and important part of the ‘Gospel' he proclaimed, and this ties in with his emphasis on the fact that Jesus Himself stressed His coming sufferings (Mark 8:30-31; Mark 9:12; Mark 9:31), and indeed on the fact that He had come to give His life as ‘a ransom for many' (Mark 10:45) through His ‘blood of the covenant' poured out for many (Mark 14:24). The saving death and resurrection of Jesus was central to Mark's message. Thus he stresses that the Coming One, the great Messiah, the Son of God, had come, in order to suffer and to give His life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
‘The Son of God.' The inclusion of this phrase here has been questioned as it is omitted in one important manuscript (Theta), and half omitted in another (Aleph - it was, however, immediately corrected), and some consider that it is difficult to see how such an important statement could have been dropped out, unless by accident in a very early manuscript. Accidental omission is a real possibility due to the number of -ou endings in this verse. But it may in fact have been deliberately dropped out by an unwise copyist in order to lay greater emphasis on ‘Jesus Christ' at a time when His Name was seen as so exalted that the explanation was no longer felt to be necessary. ‘The Son of God' is certainly included in the majority of important manuscripts and is one of Mark's main themes, and if introduced later must be seen as a justifiable editorial comment. We ought, however, probably to see it as indicating the original text, and this is supported by the parallel in the chiasmus. (If introduced later it must certainly have been so very early on in order for it to be in the majority of ancient manuscripts, so that we may postulate that it was possibly even then by Mark himself. Thus we could well see it as an integral part of, if not the first, then a ‘second edition' of the Gospel and therefore of the text).
Jesus as ‘the Son of God' in the mouths of others is undoubtedly a theme of Mark. He was testified to as the Son of God by the voice from Heaven at His baptism, ‘you are My beloved Son' (Mark 1:11), and at His transfiguration, ‘this is My beloved Son' (Mark 9:7). The title was wrenched as a title from evil supernatural spirits by the very power of His presence (Mark 3:11; Mark 5:7). It was spoken of by Jesus Himself as the well-beloved son of the parable (Mark 12:6) and as ‘the (unique) Son' (Mark 13:32). It was indirectly acknowledged by the high priest, an idea to which Jesus gave His assent (Mark 14:61). And finally it was stated by the Roman centurion at the cross (Mark 15:39). Thus the voices of Heaven and Hell, of the Messiah Himself and of the representatives of Jerusalem and Rome, are all seen as bearing testimony to Him as uniquely the Son of God. And to the Gentiles to whom Mark wrote that did not just mean the Messiah, it meant that He was divine. (It is indeed questionable how far ‘son of God' ever was seen as a specific Messianic title on any widespread scale, although there is evidence for it at Qumran. But to Mark it would be seen as going further than that).
But He would mainly reveal Himself to men as the redeeming (Mark 10:45), suffering (Mark 8:31; Mark 9:12; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33-34) Son of Man, Who had the power on earth to forgive sins (Mark 2:10), was Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28), would give Himself a ransom for many (Mark 10:45) and who would rise again from the dead (Mark 9:9; Mark 9:31; Mark 10:33-34) and appear before His Father in glory to receive kingly power as described in the Book of Daniel (Mark 14:62 compare Daniel 7:13-14), finally coming back to earth in His power and great glory surrounded by angels (Mark 8:38; Mark 13:26). That, however, is a later revelation in Mark, once He has first been revealed in His great authority and glory.