Expository Reflections on the Gospels - Mark

Douglas Sean O'Donnell (PhD, University of Aberdeen) is the senior vice president of Bible editorial at Crossway. Over the past twenty-five years he has helped train people around the world to read and teach the Bible clearly. He has pastored several churches, served as a professor, and authored or edited over twenty books, including commentaries, Bible studies, children's books, and a children's curriculum. He also wrote The Pastor's Book with R. Kent Hughes and The Beauty and Power of Biblical Exposition with Leland Ryken.

Endorsements:

"Sound theological exegesis. Engaging exposition. Helpful subtitles for sermon outlines. Ready-made illustrations ripe for the picking. Personal stories that nudge your own memory. Practical takeaways. Just an all-around enjoyable read. What more does a preacher need when preparing for Sunday? Doug O'Donnell has not replaced your quality time with God in sermon preparation; he has enriched it. Keep his reflections handy. You and God's people will be the better for it."
--S. Jonathan Murphy, Department Chair and Professor of Pastoral Ministries, Dallas Theological Seminary

"There is no more reliable guide to teaching or preaching the Gospels effectively than Doug O'Donnell. In these pages, readers will find fresh insights and ideas for communicating the heart of the biblical text in a way that puts the person and work of Christ at the center and connects to the hearts of real people."
--Nancy Guthrie, Bible teacher; author

"This learned, profound, utterly practical commentary is a great model for preachers of the Gospel of Mark. It will help them to practice faithful biblical exegesis, goad them to keep their teaching focused on Jesus, and thereby encourage those who listen to their sermons to 'arise and follow the Son.' O'Donnell here reminds you why you answered God's call to be a minister of the Word and supports you in your efforts to unpack this precious book."
--Douglas A. Sweeney, Dean and Professor of Divinity, Beeson Divinity School, Samford University

"The most obvious virtue of this commentary is its thoroughness. It is a triumph of scholarship-a one-volume library of the best that has been written on the Gospel of Mark. But it is more than that-a blend of head and heart, with the author's intermittent sharing of his life experiences lending both human interest and a testimony to the reality of the good news."
--Leland Ryken, Emeritus Professor of English, Wheaton College

"With seamless synergy between exegesis and the everyday, Doug O'Donnell masterfully dissects and demystifies the Gospel of Mark to aid preachers in feeding their flocks. Having once preached through Mark myself, I wish this resource had been available then. Thankfully, it exists now, and it will be of tremendous benefit to clear preachers and engaged hearers as well as zigzagging preachers and meandering listeners."
--Matthew D. Kim, Professor of Practical Theology and Raborn Chair of Pastoral Leadership, Truett Theological Seminary, Baylor University; author, A Little Book for New Preachers

"The church has long been nourished by pastor-theologians who have the intellectual gifts and pastoral sensibilities to understand God's Word and apply it to God's world. Doug O'Donnell is a modern-day representative who serves in this historic office. In his Expository Reflections on the Gospels: Mark, O'Donnell conducts a symphony involving a critical (in the good sense!) interpretation of the biblical text in its historical context, a confessional understanding of the theological subject matter of Scripture, and a contextual integration that applies the message of the Gospel of Mark to the lives and realities of the reader. This is a top-tier resource for every pastor and preacher."
--Edward W. Klink III, Senior Pastor, Hope Evangelical Free Church, Roscoe, Illinois; Professor, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; author, John (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

"With the mind of a scholar and the heart of a pastor, O'Donnell has provided an exegetically rich and practically applicable exposition of this shortest Gospel account. This commentary takes us into the heart of the text and reveals with clarity how to apply the text to our own hearts. Highly recommended!"
--Matthew Newkirk, President and Professor of Old Testament, Christ Bible Seminary, Nagoya, Japan