Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of the four accounts of Jesus’ life.

It’s a book that is full of action, and Mark

keeps the events coming so thick and fast that they almost tread on each other’s toes. If the four
gospels were sold as separate books in a modern bookshop, Luke might end up on the popular history
shelf, Matthew and John among Religious books, while Mark would be in amongst thrillers! So if you’ve
never read a gospel, try this one.

“Mark gets straight to the point about Jesus Christ. Unlike Matthew and Luke, he doesn’t give us any
long birth stories, but plunges in with John the Baptist. The story moves so quickly that by verse 16 of
chapter 1, Jesus is already picking his disciples! It’s a blunt, unforgettable picture of Jesus.”

So who wrote it?

There is strong evidence to suggest that it was John Mark, a follower of Jesus. The early Christmas used
to meet in the house of Mark’s mother in Jerusalem. Mark later journeyed with Paul, but abandoned
him, which caused a rift between them for a while (Acts 13:13). Later, Mark was reunited with Paul and
was with him in Rome (Colossians 4:10). Two more things about Mark:

 It’s reckoned he wrote himself into his gospel as the streaker in Mark 14:51-52…
 Mark had a nickname. It was Kolobodaktylos, meaning, ‘Stumpy-Fingers’!

Mark’s most important relationship, though, was with the apostle Peter. I Peter 5:13 tells us they were
together in Rome, where Mark was Peter’s helper.

Mark probably relied on Peter’s memories of Jesus to write his book. A church leader called Papias
wrote these words in AD 14-0…

“Mark, being the interpreter of Peter, wrote accurately (though not in order) all that he remembered of
what was either said or done by the Lord…”

If Mark did write from Peter’s memories, then the stories would sound like eyewitness accounts…

Which they do! Just look at Mark 7:32-35 and Mark 8:22-26!

And also, if they were Peter’s stories, you’d expect them to b as he would tell them – full of action,
hurrying from one story to the next. Which is exactly how Mark’s Gospel is.

Mark’s gospel spotlights two very important characteristics of who Jesus was:
1. Human Being
Mark shows us the human Jesus. Jesus so heavily asleep through exhaustion that even a storm
doesn’t wake him (Mark 4:35-41). Jesus getting exasperated at his disciples for being so slow to
understand (Mark 8:14-21). Jesus just before his arrest, returning to his disciples again and again
for human company, only to find them asleep (Mark 14:32-42).
2. Son of God
Mark also shows us Jesus as the son of God. Mark is an eastern book, in which in the beginning,
middle and end are the key places to give the meaning of the whole book. In these three key
places in Mark, Jesus is declared to be the Son of God. This happens at his baptism (Mark 1:11);
at his transfiguration (Mark 9:7); and at the scene of his crucifixion (Mark 15:39).

Mark clearly arranged his material to say to the reader; ‘Look! This Jesus was God’s son. Follow
Him!’