These accessible volumes break down the barriers between the ancient and modern worlds so that the power and meaning of the biblical texts become transparent to contemporary readers.
I love to see how the old testament and new testament fit together as one story and Mr. Hurtado must love it too because he does an amazing job of letting you know the OT references for so many passages. Early on, he points out that Mark's audience would have known the reference and I encourage you to have a separate copy of the Bible handy to look it up; it brings so much more clarity to Jesus' parables and statements! He is generous with providing the original meanings of key phrases and concepts, and that also helps me see things in a more comprehensive way (eg what it means to be 'like a child' - not quite what you think, I'd guess!). The book is smart but very readable and this gospel is now the most Marked-up (haha) book in my bible from all the fascinating things I learned I didn't want to forget.