ABSTRACT
The Gospel according to Mark, by common consent the earliest of the Gospels (composed around the year 71 CE), takes for granted that those to whom the Gospel is addressed know that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. Precisely because Mark attests this consensus among early Christians, its opening should be held in mind (Mark 1:1–3):
Beginning: the message of Messiah Yeshua, God’s son, just as is written in Yeshayah the prophet, Look: I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way. Voice of one calling in the wilderness—Prepare the Lord’s way, make his paths straight.
