At first sight the Gospel of Mark is a simple account of the ministry of Jesus with lots of stories, plenty of action, a large amount of human interest, and some very straight and searching questions, mostly from Jesus himself.

Yet underlying the Gospel is the cross and the cost of discipleship, focusing the question of who Jesus was, and how people should respond to him. Donald English's The Message of Mark picks up Mark's focus on faith as a risky, total commitment to Christ, and on its mysteries - pre-eminently, why some people believe, and others do not, even to the point of opposition.

About the Bible Speaks Today (BST) Series:

Edited by J.A. Motyer and the late John R. W. Stott, the Bible Speaks Today commentaries are characterized by what Stott called a "threefold ideal . . . to expound the biblical text with accuracy, to relate it to contemporary life and to be readable." As such, each contributor in this series is both a noted scholar and a working pastor.

The BST series, now complete, covers all sixty-six books of the bible (Old and New Testaments) in fifty-five volumes. If you preach or teach from Scripture, the Bible Speaks Today series will help you apply the timeless biblical message to the everyday experiences of your listeners. And if you study the Bible on your own, these volumes will be a helpful resource focusing on the significance of God's Word for your own life and work.