The Gospel of Mark, our study for this quarter written by Thomas Shepherd, can be divided into two halves. Most of the first eight chapters deal with the question of who Jesus is. The answer is displayed in Jesus’ teachings and miracles, which clearly reveal that He is the Messiah. The second half of the book (Mark 8:31 until the end of the book) answer the question of where Jesus is going. The answer, of course, is to the cross. This gospel shows us the darkness that Christ experienced—the cost of our salvation. But the cross is not the end of the journey. After His resurrection, Jesus plans a meeting with His disciples in Galilee—and, as we know, the Christian church began. It is a remarkable story, told in a terse, fast-moving style with little commentary from Mark himself. Mark simply tells the story, and then allows the words, the deeds, and the actions to speak for themselves regarding the life and death of Jesus of Nazareth. It is our prayer that you will be blessed by this study.