Considered the earliest of the New Testament Gospel of Mark announces the good news of the fulfilment of God's redemptive purposes in the life and ministry of Jesus. By gradually revealing the identity of Jesus as Messiah and Son of God, the narrative strips away any militaristic ideas popularly associated with messiahship. For Mark, the humiliation of the cross, with all its torture and horror, points to Jesus as a Messiah who gives his life on the...