From the Holy Bible: The Gospel of Mark – Excerpts from Chapters 1-4, Part 1 of 2

Jesus Christ: prophet, carpenter, mystic, Son of God, savior and friend; He is known by many names. The birth of this beloved Master who was born in Bethlehem marks the beginning of the Western calendar; so important was His influence on humanity.

Chapter 1 “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send My Messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’ John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea were going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. And he was preaching, and saying, ‘After me, One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. ‘I baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’”

The Calling of the First Disciples “As He was going along by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew, the brother of Simon, casting a net in the sea; for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on a little farther, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who were also in the boat mending the nets. Immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went away to follow Him.”

The Law and the Sabbath “And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. The Pharisees were saying to Him, ‘Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?’ And He said to them, ‘Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?’ Jesus said to them, ‘The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.’”