Mark The Evangelist

What do we know about Mark, the Evangelist?

Then after completing their mission Barnabas and Saul returned to Jerusalem and brought with them John, whose other name was Mark. Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the ruler, and Saul. While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. - Acts 12:25-13:3

Mark was born in Lybia when Jesus was about 16 years old.  

According to his own account of the capture and trial of Jesus, Mark may have been there to witness it, and ran away naked after losing his loin cloth.  He would have been about 19 at the time.

When Peter escaped from prison, it is believed he stayed at the home of Mark's mom, though we aren't sure of that.  

What we do know from Acts is that he began traveling with Barnabas and Saul, but then refused to go to Pamphylia, and so Paul got angry with him.  He decided to go on with Barnabas to Cyprus. 

Mark's Gospel, written close to the end of his life, around 60-70n A.D., is the shortest of the four and probably the easiest to read in one sitting as a result.

It may have been designed that way, with each chapter beginning with the word "And" indicating a continuous ministry of Jesus.

He is portrayed as a lion with wings in artwork, representing the account of John the Baptist being a voice crying out in the wilderness.  The lion represents the roar of John, and the wings are added to the four evangelists due to Ezekiel's vision of the four, winged creatures.

We owe a lot to Mark and the other evangelists, without whom we would know so little about Jesus, and it is comforting to thing Mark was there when Jesus was arrested, though there is no real proof of that.

What we do know is that Mark was devoted to spreading the Gospel, and that is something we can all do.

More to come...