The book of Mark was written by a young man named John Mark. He writes this book for persecuted Christians and for those in the Roman Empire who did not understand how the Jews lived. Because Mark stresses a suffering Messiah, this book would be intended for those who are suffering also. It shows those people that because Christ himself suffered, we, too, can expect to suffer. The structure of Mark's gospel is comprised of two main parts. Part One focuses on Jesus as Christ and ends with Jesus being declared as the Messiah, while Part Two focuses on Jesus as the "God's Son" and ends with Jesus' crucifixion. Therefore, it is the second part that portrays Jesus as a suffering Messiah.

The beginning of Mark's gospel starts not with the birth of Jesus, but with his baptism by John the Baptist. It continues to Jesus' temptation by...