Mark Simplified

Author & Audience

Many Believe Mark’s Gospel Account to Be the First of the 4

From Very Early in Church History, Many Have Believed Mark to Be the Author

John Mark was a Jewish Man Who was Possibly Born in Jerusalem to a Wealthy Family

We Read in Acts 12 that His Mother, Mary, Owned a Large House with Servants…

And She Allowed Her Fellow Siblings in Christ to Assemble There

Mark was Barnabas’ Cousin…

And He Actually Went with Paul and Barnabas on Their First Missionary Journey

But He Would End Up Not Completing the Journey with Them

This Caused a Argument Between Paul and Barnabas…

Because Paul Didn’t Believe They Should Bring Mark with Them Again

But We Know that Later On Paul and Mark Were Close

Colossians 4:10–11 (NASB95)

Aristarchus, my fellow prisoner, sends you his greetings; and also Barnabas’s cousin Mark (about whom you received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him); and also Jesus who is called Justus; these are the only fellow workers for the kingdom of God who are from the circumcision, and they have proved to be an encouragement to me.

Philemon 23–24 (NASB95)

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow workers.

2 Timothy 4:11 (NASB95)

Only Luke is with me. Pick up Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for service.

It Seems Like Paul and Mark Were Very Close in Their Ministering Later in Paul’s Life

Mark was Apparently Very Close to the Apostle Peter…

Who was Likely the One Who Led Mark to Christ

1 Peter 5:13 (NASB95)

She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark.

While Peter was in Rome Before His Death…

He Greets the Churches in Asia Minor Alongside His “Son” Mark

“Son” Indicating His Son in the Faith

Peter Probably Taught and Baptized Mark

From Very Early in Church History, People Have Believed…

That Mark Got the Information for His Account Straight From Peter

Papias (60-130 A.D.) Claimed That:

“Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his hearers, but with no intention of giving a connected account of the Lord’s discourses, so that Mark committed no error while he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard, and not to state any of them falsely.”

Clement of Alexandria (150-215 A.D.) Said:

“The Gospel according to Mark had this occasion. As Peter had preached the word publicly at Rome, and declared the Gospel by the Spirit, many who were present requested that Mark, who had followed him for a long time and remembered his sayings, should write them out. And having composed the Gospel he gave it to those who had requested it.”

Irenaeus (140-200 A.D.) wrote that “after their [Peter and Paul’s] departure, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what had been preached by Peter.”

So, Strong Historic Tradition Tells Us that Mark is the Author…

But Also that What He Wrote, He Heard From Peter

In a Way, the Gospel According to Mark is Almost Like the Gospel According to Peter

Mark Wrote Primarily to Christians in Rome

That Makes His Account Primarily Written to Gentiles

That Makes Sense of Several Things We See in His Account

He Explains Many of the Jewish Customs

Things Gentile Christians Wouldn’t Be as Familiar with

He Translates Aramaic Words and Phrases into Greek

He Used Latin Terms

And He Rarely Ever Quotes From the OT

Tradition Says that Mark Would End Up Moving to Egypt

There He Would Establish Churches and Minister with Them in Alexandria

Themes

Mark is Like a Fast-Paced Action Movie

Mark Uses the Word “Immediately” Over 40 Times in His Shortest Gospel Account

Jesus Does Something Over Here…

And Then Immediately He Moves Over There to Do Something Else

Mark is More Focused On What Jesus is Doing Rather that What He is Teaching

Mark Also Presents Jesus’ Teachings as Important…

But Far More of Mark’s Time is Spent on What Jesus is Doing

Of All the Miracles We Have Recorded that Jesus Performed…

Mark Includes Over Half of Them

Mark Finally Slows Down When Jesus Enters Jerusalem in Chapter 11

From Then On Events are Marked By Days

And On Jesus’ Final Day, Events are Marked By Hours

He Devotes Almost as Much Time on Jesus’ Last Week as He Does His Entire Ministry

Mark Wants Us to See Jesus as the Son of God

This is the Most Important Title for Jesus in Mark’s Account

We Even Find Him Calling Jesus this in the Very First Verse

Mark 1:1 (NASB95)

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The First Half of the Book Shows Us Jesus’ Messianic Authority…

Through His Amazing Power and Miraculous Works

Then the Second Half Shocks Us with an Unexpected Twist

The Son of God Hasn’t Come to Conquer the Romans…

The Son of God has Come to Suffer and Die

The Victory He Brings Doesn’t Come Through Military Might…

But Through Suffering and Self-Sacrifice

This is How the Messiah, the Son of God, Conquers His Enemies…

And Takes His Throne Over Heaven and Earth

Mark Wants Us to See Jesus as the Suffering Servant

Jesus’ Disciples Expected a Conquering King, Not a Suffering Servant

The First Half of the Book is Focused On Jesus Serving and Ministering to Others

The Second Half is Focused On Jesus Suffering on Behalf of the World

Mark Wants Us to Recognize What it Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus

In Mark’s Account, the Disciples are Often Presented in a Negative Light

They are Prideful, Selfish, and They Completely Misunderstand Jesus’ Mission

In Chapters 8-10, Jesus Tries Teaching Them to Be Like Him

To Be Humble, Selfless, and to Suffer for the Cause of Righteousness

This is What Being a Disciple is All About

Themes in Mark:

Mark’s Account is Like a Fast-Paced Action Movie

Mark Wants Us to See Jesus as the Son of God

Mark Wants Us to See Jesus as the Suffering Servant

Mark Wants Us to Recognize What it Means to Be a Disciple of Jesus

Purpose

The Themes of the Book Help Us Understand its Purpose

It’s Likely that the Christians in Rome Were Experiencing…

A Great Deal of Persecution and Suffering Around the Time that Mark Wrote this Account

This is Probably Why He Put So Much Emphasis on Suffering in His Account

To Encourage His Readers to Persevere Through Suffering and Persecution…

Because Their Messiah, the Son of God, Also Experienced These Same Things

And He has Called His Followers to the Same Self-Sacrificial Lifestyle…

Even in the Face of Suffering

Summarized Outline

Ch. 1-8 - Jesus’ Ministry to the Multitudes

Ch. 8-10 - Jesus’ Ministry to His Disciples

Ch. 11-16 - Jesus’ Rejection and Sacrificial Death

Key Passages

Mark 10:42–45 (NASB95)

Calling them to Himself, Jesus said to them, “You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.”

Applications

Mark Focuses Heavily On Jesus’ Serving and Suffering

As Citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom, We are to Follow His Example

Like Peter in Both of His Letters…

Mark Wants Us to See that Suffering is a Part of the Life of a Christian

But We are to Persevere and Keep on Serving, Just Like Jesus

Serve Through the Suffering

We Know the Son of God is Coming Back

He Will Right All Wrongs and Save Us Forever From All Suffering

But We Don’t Know When He’s Coming Back…

So Give Him Your Life Immediately