LESSON 1

Beginning the Gospel of Mark

“You are the Messiah,
the Son of the Living God!”

MARK 8:29

Welcome to Mark’s Gospel! Truly, Mark’s account of the life of Jesus is a treasure as he records not only miracles (twenty-one to be specific) but also story after story of the merciful acts of Jesus. Mark’s writing will inspire you to follow Jesus more intensely, and it will challenge you to love Jesus more deeply.

Authorship

As you delve into the sixteen chapters of Mark, it’s important to understand who the author was. The vast majority of scholars, from the early church to the modern age, believe the writer of Mark’s Gospel is the same Mark known in the book of Acts as John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, a disciple of Paul and Barnabas, and, later, a disciple of Peter.2 Mark first joined Paul and Barnabas as they left Jerusalem on their first missionary journey in AD 49 (Acts 12:25; 13:1–5). Then, according to Acts 13:13, after the events in Paphos, Mark left Paul and Barnabas in Perga, in southern Turkey, and returned to Jerusalem.

Now, while the specific reasons for Mark’s departure are unknown, it seems reasonable to assume that the events in Paphos or a personal change of plans caused Mark to leave. Later, in Acts 15:36–41, Paul and Barnabas part ways over a disagreement regarding taking Mark along on their second missionary journey: “[Paul] didn’t think it was proper to take the one who had deserted them in south-central Turkey, leaving them to do their missionary work without him” (v. 38). Over the course of time, Mark did seem to reconcile with Paul. Paul recommends him to the church of Colossae (Colossians 4:10), and Paul mentions him with much admiration in 2 Timothy 4:11: “That leaves only Luke with me, so find Mark and bring him with you, for he is a tremendous help for me in my ministry.” Mark was also with Paul when he wrote the small letter of Philemon (vv. 23–24).

•Read Acts 12:25 and 13:1–14. Why do you think Mark left Paul and Barnabas? Was it due to a simple change of plans, the events that occurred at Paphos, or another reason?

•Did you ever leave a group, a job, or a friendship over a disagreement or due to a change of plans? How did you feel? Did it cause a rift in relationships? If so, were you able to reconcile? Why or why not?

Date and First Readers

Mark may have written his Gospel in the 50s or, as some scholars suggest, the early 60s. He certainly had to finish it before his death in AD 68. According to early church tradition, Mark spread the good news in Alexandria as well as in other places, especially in Africa. But it was in Alexandria in 68 where he met the death of a martyr.3

Church tradition also records Mark writing at the request of Peter and Peter’s followers in Rome:

But a great light of religion shone on the minds of the hearers of Peter, so that they were not satisfied with a single hearing or with the unwritten teaching of the divine proclamation, but with every kind of exhortation besought Mark, whose Gospel is extant, seeing that he was Peter’s follower, to leave them a written statement of the teaching given them verbally… the Apostle, knowing by the revelation of the spirit to him what had been done, was pleased at their zeal, and ratified the scripture for study in the churches.4

•Mark likely drew on Peter as a direct source for his Gospel account. How important is it to you that Mark’s source was one of Jesus’ closest followers?

•Consider how Peter’s betrayal of Jesus but later becoming a major leader of Christianity compares with Mark’s conflict with Paul. How might Peter’s experience have colored Mark’s writings?

Church tradition also notes that Mark’s Gospel was distributed in Rome: “When Peter had publicly preached the word at Rome… [he] exhorted Mark…to make a record of what was said; and that he did this, and distributed the Gospel among those that asked him.”5 So Mark’s first readers were undoubtedly Roman followers of Jesus since he wrote at their urging. Moreover, other clues lead to such a conclusion as well. For example, Mark translates Aramaic words into Greek, replaces Greek words with Latin words (e.g., “legion” is the word translated “mob” in Mark 5:9,6 and praetorium is translated “compound” in 15:167) and explains Jewish customs in detail (see, for example, Mark’s extensive discussion of ritual hand washing in 7:1–23). It’s clear that his initial readers were more familiar with the ways of pagan Rome than they were with the ways of Jewish Jerusalem.

The End of Mark’s Gospel

Virtually all English translations of the Gospel of Mark have a footnote on 16:8 or 16:9 regarding the end of the book. There’s a textual matter in question—namely, some early copies of this Gospel do not include post-resurrection appearances of Jesus as the other three Gospels do, while other copies of Mark have verses added after 16:8 that at least refer to Jesus speaking to his disciples in his resurrection state. So there’s an ongoing discussion among Bible scholars about where Mark ended his Gospel. Because of the complexity of this matter, we added to this study guide an appendix, “Mark’s Ending,” that will introduce you to this discussion.

No matter which available ending the reader accepts for Mark, one thing is certain: even if this Gospel ends at 16:8, it ends with Jesus’ empty tomb and an angelic announcement of his resurrection from the dead. Like the other three Gospels, Mark witnesses to the fact that death did not keep Jesus in its grip. He who is life overcame death!

Purpose

Mark certainly wrote with the intent to encourage his readers in their faith, which makes sense given that his original intended audience was composed of followers of Jesus in Rome. During the years that Mark wrote, the Roman emperor Claudius sought to restore pagan Roman rites, expelled foreign cults, and even ordered Jews to leave Rome.8 Thus, Mark’s early readers needed constant assurance that Jesus was the Messiah and that following him was worth it.

Mark’s purposes in his Gospel are at least two-fold: to prove Jesus’ identity as the promised Savior and to call believers to live as Jesus, as servants par excellence.

Jesus’ Identity. It’s more than fair to say that Mark’s Gospel hinges on the famous confession of Peter that Jesus is the Messiah (8:29). He wasn’t the conquering king that Israel was expecting; rather, he was a suffering servant, unexpected in many ways.

•Why is Peter’s confession such a pivotal realization not only for Peter but also for the other followers of Jesus and for us today?

•Read 8:34–38. List three “unexpected behaviors” for followers of Jesus.

Living as a Servant. After reading 8:34–38, it becomes obvious that a life following Jesus is a life that looks different to the world. Jesus, in particular, exhorts the crowd listening to him that his true followers will abandon their lives in favor of following him and living like him.

•As a follower of Jesus, what are several ways in which you abide by Jesus’ teachings in your daily life?

•Is there an area of your life in which you could live more like Jesus, in particular with respect to living more like a servant?

Major Themes

Mark’s Gospel has five major themes, which are detailed in “Mark: Introduction” found at the beginning of the Gospel in The Passion Translation. After reading through the “Major Themes” section in the Introduction, note each theme below, read the applicable corresponding verses, and answer the questions.

•The Person of Jesus. Mark starts his Gospel by proclaiming that Jesus is, in fact, the promised Messiah; he also calls him the Son of God (1:1). Those titles point to Jesus’ mission. After reading 1:1, what would you say is the main purpose of Jesus’ life and sacrifice on earth?

•The Messianic Mission of Jesus. There are several occasions in Mark’s Gospel where Jesus implores others not to reveal his true identity as the promised Messiah and the Savior of all humanity (see 1:40–46, for example). Why, in your opinion, would Jesus not want his followers, those he healed, and even the demons he encountered to reveal his messianic identity?

•The Work of Jesus. Mark’s Gospel points to the importance of Jesus’ crucifixion throughout. For Mark, Jesus’ death was God’s plan for his Son from the beginning. Read Mark 15:39. How does the confession of the Roman military officer that “there is no doubt” that Jesus is the Son of God reinforce Mark’s message that Jesus’ death is central to his narrative?

•Discipleship and Faith. The central ideal of discipleship is following. Mark’s Gospel is an invitation to discipleship. Read Mark 8:34 again. Jesus states that his true followers must be willing to “share my cross and experience it as your own.” Other translations read...