This week we begin our series on the Gospel of Mark. Pastor Dennis walks us through Mark 1:1-13, with a particular emphasis on the first verse of Mark's Gospel. At the time Mark was writing his gospel, the Roman empire was experiencing significant turmoil. Four emperors had risen to power in one year. The fourth, who would rule for a decade, a man named Vespasion, launched a propaganda campaign in an attempt to convice the populace that he was the Messiah. Mark is writing to push back on Vespasian's propganda, and to declare that Jesus, not the emperor, is the one, true, singular Messiah and that Jesus - alone - is worth of our love and loyalty.