Mark's gospel is fast. He jumps right into what is central to the good news, the gospel, of Jesus. John the Baptist comes, and he is great, but his whole message is one of preparation for the greater one who would come after, Jesus. And everything John says has to do with this comparison of just how great Jesus is. We also see this through the writer of the gospel, Mark, and the apostle who was behind Mark's writing, Peter. Then we quickly move to Jesus' baptism by John and we see here the other central idea of the gospel, that this great one who has come humbles himself to associate and own the sins of humanity. Here is good news!