Videos from Fr Claudio Doglio
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Beginning of the Narration
“The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Thus begins the text of the evangelist Mark. It is a somewhat strange way to start a story. “Beginning of the good news” sounds like a trivial indication. This is how the text begins. We see it for ourselves. It means more than the term ‘gospel’ suggests; we use it as the title of the book, but by itself it means ‘good news.’ Before it designated a book, it referred to preaching, the content of the apostolic preaching. Only in the second century did they begin to call the four books ‘the Gospels.’ The Gospel is the preaching of the apostles.
Saint Paul often speaks of his Gospel, not because he has written a book about the life of Jesus, but because he announced what is essential to the experience of Jesus. So Mark entitled his work not the Gospel but the beginning of the Gospel, Ἀρχὴ = ‘Arjé’ of the Good News. It’s like saying: “I’ll tell you how apostolic preaching began, with Jesus as its main character.”
Mark makes two claims about Jesus. First, Jesus is the Christ. Second, Jesus is the Son of God. For Mark, these two fundamental statements constitute the basic apostolic kerygma, the content of the preaching. In fact, his work is structured into two parts. The title, in a way, tells us the organization of the whole text, because the first part of Mark’s story culminates in chapter 8 with the apostle Peter’s profession of faith: “You are the Christ.”
Eight chapters narrate how the disciples have come to recognize that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah; however, saying that Jesus is the Messiah does not mean truly understanding who he is, because ‘messiah’ is a functional title; he could be a leader who seizes power and becomes king, reorganizing a state. He could be the legitimate successor to David in Israel’s ruling dynasty, and Jesus is not.
The apostles have come to recognize Jesus as the Christ. But there is a need for a second phase. The second part of the Gospel is when the Master explains to his disciples that being the Messiah means dying and giving his life. The second part is the path of formation for the disciples to understand the drama of the cross so they can accept its salvific meaning.
The second part culminates at the foot of the cross, where a Roman soldier, having seen Jesus die that way, said: “Truly, this man was the Son of God.“ A Roman soldier offers the highest profession of faith, recognizing Jesus’ divinity.
In the beginning, the evangelist gives the synthetic title: “Beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.“ In the composition, he tells how, in the first phase, he has come to recognize him as Christ, and, in the second phase, we have come to profess our faith in the Son of God. If it is true that the Gospel of Mark was written for catechumens, it is considered a catechetical formation for Christians who aspire to become catechumens and prepare for baptism, welcoming this message for life. We understand better that he has titled it ‘arjé,’ meaning ‘beginning of the Gospel’ and the starting point of an evangelical life.
It is a journey of faith to truly adhere to Jesus. So, let’s follow the story of the evangelist Mark, highlighting the narrative’s main elements. After this title, the narration begins with a link to the Old Testament: “As written by the prophet Isaiah,“ and a verse that brings together several Old Testament texts. A quote from Malachi: “I am sending my messenger ahead of you,“ and a text from Second Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord.‘”
All this reminds us of the character of John the Baptist. Mark begins the story with the Baptist preaching to the people at the fords of the Jordan River, announcing the imminent coming of the Messiah and inviting them to prepare to receive him worthily. John preached a baptism of penance; that is, he preached a rite of immersion in water.
In the area where the Baptist preached, the river ran along the road to Jerusalem. Because it was not recommended to go through Samaria, which was considered impure and where the Samaritans were often violent toward pilgrims traveling to or from Jerusalem, the inhabitants of Galilee who went to or returned from Jerusalem preferred to pass beyond the Jordan, crossing the river more or less at the height of Jericho and then going up to the Holy City.
People gathered to cross the Jordan River at that point, probably using rafts or barges. There was always a crowd waiting to cross. In that setting, John’s strange appearance stands out, dressed as the ancient prophet Elijah, right where Elijah was taken into heaven, almost a reprise of the old story.
John is presented as the new Elijah who prepares the way of the Lord; he is the messenger sent by God to inaugurate the end times. People listen to him, follow him, are struck by his preaching, and are fascinated by the imminent announcement of the Messiah’s coming. They immerse themselves in the water as a symbolic gesture, acknowledging that the water reaches their necks. ‘I’m about to drown. If the Lord does not intervene to save me, I am finished.’ It is a penitential act of humiliation that recognizes one’s dire situation. “And behold, in those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
The main character suddenly appears, with no mention of his childhood, birthplace, birthdate, or how he came to be. Mark says nothing. The first Christian catechesis, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, began with John’s baptism in the desert. Everything starts there. It is the moment of public manifestation in Israel.
The first preaching concerned the public ministry of Jesus, that is, from the moment the apostles knew and followed him. What had happened before somehow did not interest him. It was not important. It was not part of the apostolic experience. Therefore, only the later works of Matthew and Luke present sketches of the Savior’s childhood with particular theological intention. Mark has none of this and presents Jesus simply as one who came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized; he was immersed in the Jordan by John: “The moment he came up out of the water, heaven opened before him, and he saw the Spirit coming down on him like a dove. And these words were heard from heaven: ‘You are my Son, the Beloved, the one I have chosen.‘”
It is a theophany in the Jordan, the inauguration of Jesus’ ministry. ‘Theophany’ means a manifestation of God. Something extraordinary happens that points to Jesus. Mark’s description is essential. Once he has gone down into the water, Jesus comes up, and a particular phenomenon occurs as he rises from the water.
It all begins with a baptism scene, like the one that will take place for the catechumens on that Easter night when the Gospel of Mark is proclaimed. In the beginning, Jesus is immersed in the waters, and his emergence anticipates the paschal mystery of death and resurrection. It is in the moment when Jesus comes out of the waters that the heavens open. This is an expression of the revelation of God. The Spirit of God is shown as a dove; the voice of the Father is heard speaking to Jesus: “You are my Son.” It is a word from the Father to his Son. It is a personal revelation.
Jesus saw the heavens open. It was his mystical experience. We could say it is the culminating moment in the formative itinerary of his human growth. At that moment, Jesus attains complete self-awareness of his nature and mission, and the revelation of his Father and the descent of the Spirit confirm who he is and what he must do. From that moment,Jesus begins his ministry; he no longer returns to Nazareth. Immediately, the Spirit driveshim into the desert.
We are familiar with the accounts in Matthew and Luke of the desert temptations, but those texts are later re-elaborations. The oldest tradition preserved by Mark is exceptionally concise. Here is the essential data: The Spirit descended on Jesus, guided him, and drove him into the desert, where he remained for 40 days, tempted by Satan.
Forty days is an evocative number in Israel’s history in the desert, as in the story of Elijah’s desert journey; it is a long period of spiritual retreat, a time of testing in which Jesus must decide how to be the Messiah. By now, the conviction that one is the Messiah and the Son of God is clear, but how to live it out? He must think about it, project, and choose.
Here comes the satanic temptation that Mark does not specify. The whole life of Jesus was a temptation. Throughout the years of his ministry, many people, including his friends,suggested alternative paths to him. We will find that at the center of Mark’s story is the character of Peter, whom Jesus calls “Satan”: “Get behind me, Satan!“ He is one of the tempters. He is a friend of Jesus who suggests something wrong and shows him a road that is not God’s. In those desert days, Jesus chose the way of the Messiah according to God’s plan.“He was with the wild animals, but angels ministered to him.“
It is a strange remark. Indeed, wild beasts are in the desert, but Jesus being with them carries symbolic significance. Perhaps it recalls the condition of the initial Adam in an uncorrupted state, or maybe it is an apocalyptic detail in which the wild beasts are a figure of evil. Think of the psalm that says, ‘the righteous will walk among lions and dragons; he will crush snakes and scorpions.’ These are wild desert animals. Crushing them means dominating the world of evil.
Jesus in the desert stands with the wild beasts in this fight against evil, and at the same time, he is served by angels; that is, the presence of God does not abandon him. There is aclash between good and evil, God’s way and this world’s corruption. Jesus is in the middle of this situation. “After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the good news of God. He said, ‘The time has come; the kingdom of God is at hand. Change your ways and believe the Good News!‘”
Thus begins the first part of Mark’s story. After the introductory scenes of the baptism and the temptations, the ministry of Jesus begins in Galilee following John’s arrest. Jesus does not compete with the Baptist after learning that John has been arrested. (Mark does not tell us by whom or why. He will tell us about it later.) Now, he gives his reader only the necessary information.
“After John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee and began preaching the good news of God.” It is a synthetic sentence, the fundamental kerygma. Four verbs, two affirmations, and two imperatives. The first: ‘The time has come.’ The second: “The kingdom of God is near.“These are the affirmations; the time (the ‘kairos’ in Greek) indicates an excellent opportunity.We are here… this is the auspicious moment… do not miss this opportunity for the presence of the kingdom of God—typically a Semitic expression indicating the reign of God.
Because God is king, he is the Almighty Lord. ‘It’s here’—not in the sense that it is closeor nearby. If he has become a neighbor, it means that the reign of God has arrived, that it is here, in the person of Jesus. Jesus is the kingdom of God. This is a good opportunity. God who reigns is present in his person.
Therefore, two imperatives. First, be converted. Second, believe in the Gospel. Change your mindset – μετανοεῖτε = ‘metanoeite’ = change your way of thinking and trust this good news. It is the good news of God’s intervention, a universal, sovereign God who is present here and now. Trust and welcome this opportunity. This is how Mark admirably sums it up. So begins the ministry of Jesus.