“Christ” as an indication of Jesus’ dignity. Scribes add more familiar titles, “Son of God” or “Son of the Lord,” to fill out the verse. Mark’s introduction could lead an ancient audience to expect a speech in praise of Jesus as Messiah or Son of God. Or they might expect an account of his great deeds such as one finds in inscriptions honoring the emperor. Neither a speech nor stories about deeds require a full biography, an account of the subject’s ancestry, parents, education, and adult life. Whereas