In reading the Gospel of Mark I was reminded of how newspapers were sold on the street
corners early in the nineteenth century. I can envision the Gospel of Mark being held up on the
street corner and a fifteen year old boy yelling out. “Jesus of Nazareth claims to be the
Messiah!” read all about it. This would be the headline; “Jesus of Nazareth – Messiah or
Impostor?” There would be the story on the front page on how Jesus brought the little girl that
had died back to life, on the following pages stories of the parables Jesus used to teach the
people. Some would say he was an agent of Satan but others that heard Jesus rebuke this
would say Jesus made perfect sense when He said “how can Satan drive out Satan?”

In the commentary section many would have given testimony of how Jesus had fed them when
there was no food and others who had witnessed a man’s withered hand be restored. Others gave false testimony in order to have him crucified. In the opinion section the Sadducees would say “Jesus is a phony, he claims he can forgive sin; only God can forgive sin. We need to silence him, let us ask Pilate to crucify him.”

In the obituary section it would read: “Jesus of Nazareth, died 33 AD after being scourged and
crucified along with two thieves. He had his mother by his side with many friends and well
wishers. He claimed he was the Messiah but the Jewish high priests would not believe him. He
was given over by one of his apostles, Judas Iscariot who was paid twenty pieces of silver to
hand him over to the authorities. Joseph of Arimathea handled the burial arrangements.”

Late breaking story: “Jesus not found in the tomb, Mary Magdalene said Jesus appeared to her
but Apostles skeptical till Jesus appears to them and commissions them to proclaim the Word.

— Mike Gardner