I'd like to meet Mark

Beginning this Sunday, we will start a new 12-week series that will take us verse by verse through Mark chapters 14-16 as we see the passion of Christ from the perspective of the Gospel of Mark. We will be calling this series, “Experience the Passion.” In order to fully appreciate what we will study, it would be good for you to know a little more about the author of this second Gospel in the New Testament.

Mark was probably the youngest of all the Gospel writers at the time of his writing this account. Nothing is known about his father, but his mother was named Mary who was a resident of Jerusalem and a sister to Barnabas (Acts 12:12; Colossians 4:10).

Mark is not mentioned by name in the Gospels but it seems fairly apparent that he knew the Apostles and Jesus. Some have speculated that it was his house in which the last supper took place (Mark 14:12-16). Some believe that Mark was the young man spoken of in his account (Mark 14:51-52) who followed Jesus after his arrest but who later fled naked when the arresting crowd spotted him. This speculation is primarily due to the uniqueness of the Gospel of Mark being the only Gospel to record this event.

Mark is first mentioned in the Bible at the time of James’ martyrdom and Peter’s being put in prison (Acts 12:12-17). He accompanied Paul and Barnabas during parts of their first missionary journey (acts 12:25; 13:3-13). Mark later left them abruptly and returned to Jerusalem. This caused a rift that separated Paul and Barnabas later on due to Barnabas wanting to take Mark again but Paul not feeling that was a good idea (Acts 15).

For about the next 10 years of his life the Bible is silent on the life of Mark. He is later associated with Paul during his first Roman imprisonment (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24). Mark also worked with Peter (I Peter 5:13). During Paul’s second Roman imprisonment, he asked Timothy to come and see him and to bring Mark with him (II Timothy 4:11). Obviously, Mark had grown deeply in his faith and service of the Lord. Tradition has it that Mark ended up going to Egypt and establishing churches in Alexandria. Many believe he died as a martyr during the reign and persecution of Nero.

Mark probably got much of his information from Peter while working with him. This would explain the many pointed references to Peter in the writing such as seen in Mark 16:7 when it speaks of the words of the angels after Christ’s resurrection.

The Gospel of Mark is very distinctive in nature. It is a book of action seen by the often repeated word, “immediately.” Mark very much has a “say it and move on” style of writing that doesn’t allow for a lot of editorial. This is much different than the writing of Luke who was a historian and medical doctor and who would use much additional explanations and facts. Over 90% of the content of Mark can be found in the other 3 Gospels as well. Mark does have some controversy in its final verses (Mark 16:9-20) which many believe were not part of his original manuscript but were added later.