Mark 1:1

Why does Mark omit giving any genealogy of Jesus like Matthew and Luke do?

PROBLEM: Both Matthew (chap. 1) and Luke (chap. 3) give an ancestry of Jesus (see Matthew 1:1). However, Mark provides no genealogy whatsoever. Why the omission?

SOLUTION: Mark presents Christ as a servant, and servants need no genealogy. The Roman audience to whom Mark directed his Gospel was not interested in where a servant came from, but in what he could do. Unlike Mark’s Roman audience, Matthew’s Jewish audience looked for the Messiah, the King. Thus, Matthew traces Jesus back to His Jewish roots as the Son of David the king (Matthew 1:1). Likewise, Luke presents Christ as the perfect man. Hence, Christ’s ancestry is traced back to the first man, Adam (Luke 3:38). John, on the other hand, presents Christ as the Son of God. Therefore, he traces Christ back to His eternal source with the Father.

Consider the following comparison of the four Gospels which explains why Mark needed no ancestry for Jesus. Matthew Mark Luke John

Christ King Servant Man God

Presented Lion Ox Man Eagle

Key Sovereignty Ministry Humanity Deity

Audience Jews Romans Greeks World

Ancestry To royalty In anonymity To humanity To deity