Mark

Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels and probably the earliest. The pace is fast: the word "immediately" appears dozens of times, linking scene to scene without pause. There is no birth narrative; the book starts straight with John the Baptist and Jesus' baptism. Mark gives more room to actions than to speeches, shows Jesus' emotions frankly — compassion, weariness, indignation — and portrays the disciples as people who understand little and get things wrong a lot, which is oddly encouraging. The turning point sits at the middle of the book, when Peter recognizes who Jesus is and Jesus immediately speaks of the cross. It is the best Gospel to start reading the Bible with.