Many scholars believe Mark's gospel may have been the first one written, and he jumps directly into Jesus's ministry. In these first 13 verses, we have already been through John the Baptist's declaration, Jesus's baptism, and his time in the desert. While it was fast-tracked in Mark, these are formational events. God included a final prophet (John) to prepare the way (as many others had done before him), Jesus showed us that baptism is integral, and he went through the formation of the desert's emptiness before his ministry started.