Biography of John Mark (17)

Introduction

Who am I? I am John Mark. Sometimes I am referred to as John, Mark or Marcus

My mother was one of the women pillars in the church. Her name was Mary. You can catch a glimpse of her faithfulness to the Lord, devotion to the church at Jerusalem, and her support for the leaders of the church in Acts 12.

Acts 12 was a bad day for the church at Jerusalem. She lost one of her leaders, a man loved by everyone. James the brother of John one of the first apostles chosen by the Lord, and a part of his inner circle, became a martyr to the faith.

King Herod had James killed by the sword in Acts 12:2.

At this time in Jerusalem, the Jews raged with hatred towards Christians. The news of James death so pleased the Jews that Herod decided to incarcerate another leader and inner circle of Jesus named Peter.

To have one leader put to death was tough but to have two leaders put to death within a span of a few of days would have been devastating.

Yet, the Lord knows how much we can take. At the midnight hour, God miraculously freed Peter from prison. Where did Peter go after his liberation? He went to my mom’s house. Where many in the church were praying for God’s will to be done (Acts 12:12)

Acts 12:12 KJV 1900

And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark; where many were gathered together praying.

She must have been a prominent supporter of the early church, because Peter knew he could go to her home to receive help and reassure the church.

My mom was brave and heroic in the faith. The church was enduring persecution — James the brother of John had been martyred recently, and Peter seemed about to share that fate — but Mary still welcomed the church into her home at great personal risk.

Before moving on, everything I have read about American history indicates that American Christians are living in their darkest days since before the Revolution. Where religious freedom is on the brink of collapsing right before your eyes. We need more people like my mother in the church today. Peter, James and John were by no means perfect people. But she supported them becasue they were God’s chosen men. She was not a nitpicker but a uniter. Realizing the best way to stand the attacks of Satan was to bring the church together through prayer. When we are busy praying, we have less time to nitpick and divide.

Why John Mark?

Your pastor could have called on a number of people to stand before you during your Home-Coming Service. There was Abraham, Joseph, Samuel, David, Elijah, and some of the greatest men to ever live - the Apostles of Jesus Christ. Instead, you get me, Mark.

I hope to answer the question “Why Me?” before we get to the end.

Where to begin? The Low Point

My story begins at the end of Acts 12:25

Acts 12:25 KJV 1900

And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministry, and took with them John, whose surname was Mark.

Paul and Barnabas had been sent by the church at Antioch to give financial assistance to the churches in Judea. The last church they visited was the church at Jerusalem. Now that their mission was completed, they returned back to their home church. They allowed me to go back with them.

Honestly, this was an exciting time in my life. Not only did I have an opportunity to work with two amazing servants of Christ; But I was going to a church that was blessed to have an Apostle, prophets and teachers of God’s word. Not only this, the church at Antioch was quickly replacing Jerusalem as the epicenter of Christianity.

A year or so later, the Lord had moved the church at Antioch to send out her first missionaries: Barnabas and Paul. Of all the people they could have chosen to go with them, they chose me. Not only was this an honor but it demonstrated that I had arrived in my spiritual development.

My official title was not glamorous Acts 13:5

Acts 13:5 KJV 1900

And when they were at Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews: and they had also John to their minister.

The word for “minister” means an “Under oarsmen.” An under-rower or subordinate rower.

Our first stop was the island if Cyprus. We traversed the Island from east to west. Our first stop was at a Jewish synagogue. We had very little response.

It was not until we got to the west side of the Island, Paphos, where we met someone that was interested in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Serguis Paulus was his name. He was a chief deputy of the region. However, he was not the only person we met. There was a Jewish false prophet named Barjesus. He had dark magic like I have never seen before.

Eventually, we got onto a ship, left Cyprus for Pamphilia. It was not a long boat ride but it did give me time to think. Missionary work was difficult. And I realized that this was not something that I could or wanted to do. It was not just one thing. It was not just the rejection of the Jews on the east side of Cyprus, the confrontation with the sorcerer on the west side of the island, doing the dirty work for Barnabas and Paul as their minister or being homesick for Jerusalem. It was a culmination of events that led me to the darkest hour of my life, where I forsook the team. In the middle of the mission trip, I forsook them and went back home.

Jerusalem

There were four people instrumental in getting me back to where I needed to be:

My mom

Peter

Barnabas

Paul

It was not easy going back home. After all, my mom has shown so much courage in her faith over the years, and I could last but a short time on the mission field. She was strong and I am weak.

It was tough seeing her and the rest of the church. Everyone would know that I bailed on Barnabas and Paul. That I left them high and dry on the mission field.

They were counting on me to provided a function within the team and I let them down.

However, to my surprise, there were condemning eyes. My mother was loving and caring, and did what was necessary to help to rebuild the mess that I was.

More than that, there was Peter. Arguably one of the greatest of all Apostles. He was there to pick me up. It was during this time that our relationship flourished into a father and son in the faith kind of relationship - (1 Peter 5:13)

1 Peter 5:13 KJV 1900

The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

Peter knew where I was coming from. Mainly becasue Peter had his fair share of failures in life. He knew what it was to disappoint someone and to quit.

He’s the first to publicly confess Jesus to be the Christ and Son of God but later in that same day Peter rebukes Jesus - Matthew 16:22-24

Matthew 16:22–24 KJV 1900

Then Peter took him, and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto thee. But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Besides Jesus, he is the only man by faith to walk on water. But it wasn’t long before fear overwhelmed Peter’s faith and he began to sink into the water - Matthew 14:28-30

Matthew 14:28–30 KJV 1900

And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

As courageous as Peter was, he denied Jesus three times during the course of one evening, while Jesus was on trial. This devastated Peter. So much that he left the ministry all-together. If it was not for an amazing Savior, coming to refresh and heal Peter, perhaps Peter never gets back into ministry.

I mentioned that Peter knew where I was coming from but he never justified my actions. Instead, he focused on my pride and arrogance of life. If there ever was a person who could see pride from a mile away, Peter was that man. He gave me doctrine, reproved, corrected my ways and instructed me in righteousness - 2 Timothy 3:16

2 Timothy 3:16 KJV 1900

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

He did not give me easy answers but gave me the right answers. He did so out of a heart of mercy and love.

It is too easy to write people off. I could have been very easily written off by most people. However, the church at Jerusalem did not write me off.

It is easy to be critical of the mistakes of the younger generation. More and more young people are leaving the church, faith and morality. Yet, how many of us are willing to stop the criticizing and try to take some of them under our wings to develop and grow them. To be their father and mother in the faith.

This seems to be the point on the Great Commission

1 Timothy 5:1-2

1 Timothy 5:1–2 KJV 1900

Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren; The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

We have forsaken our sacred duties for anger and selfishness.

I wonder if more young people would be faithful in church if there were more fathers and mothers in the faith.

Return

The couple years that I spent with the church at Jerusalem was incredible. Healing, strengthening, resolve, more anchored in truth and relationships. However, it was time to right some wrongs. I had to go back to the church at Antioch to make things right.

While there, the Lord had moved upon Barnabas to revisit the churches started during their first missionary travel. Paul and the church was in favor of such a move.

Yet, Barnabas was determine to take me with him. He was resolved. Meaning that he would not take no for an answer.

Barnabas was trusting, and willing to give people second chances.

He was the one who introduced Paul to the church at Jerusalem - Acts 9:27

Acts 9:27 KJV 1900

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.

Years later, Barnabas was the one person who went to Tarsus to bring Paul to Antioch so that he can begin to fulfill his calling in life - Acts 11:25

Acts 11:25 KJV 1900

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul:

So it came as no surprise to me that Barnabas was resolved to give me a second chance. It’s who he was as a person.

The second chance did not come weeks later but years later. During the interval, I worked with others to be a more faithful and committed minister.

As resolved as Barnabas was to take me, Paul was equally resolved not to take me. He could not trust me. The only thing that came to his mind regarding me was the “who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work” - Acts 15:38

Acts 15:38 KJV 1900

But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work.

Paul was not in the mood of second chances

The stakes were too high.

In this way, he was nothing like Barnabas.

The result was the greatest team on earth split into two teams.

I felt bad about this. I was the sticking point that separated Paul and Barnabas.

I am sure Satan meant this for evil but God transformed this evil into good. Instead of one team on missionaries there was two teams of missionaries

Not only this, perhaps it was through the eyes of Barnabas discipling me that led Paul to start discipling a young man named Timothy.

Paul needs me

Years later, Paul writes of me to the church at Colossians and Philemon. He includes me at the end of each book. Needless to say, the Lord gave me an opportunity to prove myself to Paul.

But the healing from Paul and Barnabas’ split did not come until the end of Paul’s life. Just before he was to be martyred for the faith and at a time when people were leaving him. He wanted Timothy to bring me to him becasue he thought I was profitable for the ministry - 2 Timothy 4:11

2 Timothy 4:11 KJV 1900

Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry.

He knew that my life had changed and that I would never again leave him high and dry. Not only this, he knew that God had made me profitable for the ministry.

Conclusion

Why me?

To remind you that pride has no place in ministry

If you fall it is important to get back up - it is not easy but is transforming.

You cannot succeed in ministry with feet on both sides on the fence.

Heartaches and disappointments happen. Quitting is not the answer.

Who are you a father in the faith to

We should be quick to restore

The theme of my life - Jesus is the Gospel and the Son of God.